Nintendo’s Indie World Presentation Was Surprisingly Packed for Its Short Runtime

The latest Indie World Showcase ran just over 15 minutes, but that brief window still let Nintendo showcase several genuinely eye-catching titles. The presentation opened with a release date announcement for The Witchbrook. Exciting as it was, it wasn’t what captivated me the most.

That distinction belonged to Winds of Viridia, an action-adventure game from developer Shark Jump that appears to draw inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You control a brown-haired boy who teams up with an adorable mothbug, though the charming companion apparently proves just as deadly against enemies. Other highlights of this single-player title include the protagonist’s frequent stylistic spin moves and the involvement of Christopher Larkin, composer of Hollow Knight: Silksong, on the soundtrack. A demo is now available on Switch 2, with a full release expected early next year.

City of None followed up Winds of Viridia and kept our eyes glued to the screen. The retro pixel art is stunning, coming from someone who has grown weary of much of the throwback aesthetics popular these days. Perhaps it’s the shifting four-color palette that ultimately wins me over. Regardless, this action-puzzle platformer comes from Celeste co-creator Noel Berry, alongside his brother, Liam. Celeste is one of my favorite 2D games of the past decade, so that connection alone has me standing up. City of None is set to arrive on Switch and Switch 2 in 2027.

The next title worth mentioning gives Square Enix a run for its money in the HD-2D space: Threads of Time. The JRPG from Balor 游戏 and Riyo 游戏 appears heavily influenced by Chrono Trigger, sending players through the Middle Ages and even a cyberpunk future. The turn-based combat looks classic yet captivating, and we’ll see whether the story can match the grandiose nature of its setup. It’s targeting a Summer 2027 launch on Switch and Switch 2.

Obviously, these three games were just a sample from the Indie World Showcase, but they really stood out. A few other things we noticed from the show were multiple titles featuring raccoons, oddly; a popular golf game on Steam coming to Switch 2; and a roguelike brawler from a Dead Cells developer called Tenjutsu.