Games publisher Annapurna Interactive, currently riding high on the successful release of Stray, held their second annual showcase of games that their contracted indie developers are working on. The showcase highlighted new games and platform updates coming through the rest of 2022 and into the new year.
Here’s some of the highlighted games that had trailers or teasers revealed during the presentation, some of which will also be Game Pass Day One Releases.
Bounty Star: The Morose Tale of Graveyard Clem
Bounty Star is an over-the-shoulder 3D action game from developer Dinogod that features mech combat, base-building, farming, and customization. You play as Clementine McKinney, a war veteran and mech pilot who wants to break free from the shame of her past and “be a force for good” in the Red Expanse, the “post-post-apocalyptic version of the American Southwest.” It’s due out sometime in 2023, and will launch on PS5, PS4, Steam, and via Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Flock
Flock is an upcoming co-op adventure game from developers Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg. Described as a “multiplayer co-op game about the joy of flight and collecting adorable flying creatures with your friends”, you’ll be the flying shepherd of your own unique herd of impossibly cute creatures. You can even use the wool from your hover-sheep to make hats and cardigans! Flock is due out on 2023 and will drop on PS4, PS5, Steam, and via Xbox Game Pass for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
The Lost Wild
The Lost Wild is an upcoming survival horror game from Great Ape Games “about overcoming nature’s most formidable forms of life.” You’re stranded in a world full of dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts, but a mysterious voice on the radio offers you hope. You’ll have to run or intimidate attacking dinos with non-lethal weapons, discover abandoned facilities full of supplies you’ll need to survive, and try and stay alive in a world full of things that want to eat you. Sick. We don’t have a release date yet, but we know The Lost Wild is coming to Steam. The console situation is “TBD.”
Forever Ago
Forever Ago is the debut game from German studio Third Shift. While this game was technically teased all the way back in 2020, Annapurna has picked up the publishing rights and given it a fresh showing here. If you aren’t familiar, Forever Ago is a narrative-driven road trip adventure game that follows an elderly man named Alfred, who is documenting his trip through the Pacific Northwest after a “tragic stroke of fate”. It seems to be all about exploring beautiful environments, interacting with objects to learn more about those spaces, and taking pictures to help document your journey. There’s no release date yet or confirmed platforms aside from Steam, but this is one to watch out for.
Hindsight
Narrative exploration game Hindsight was first announced last year. At Thursday’s showcase, developers said the game would launch on Aug. 4 for Nintendo Switch, Steam and iOS. Hindsight takes the player through a woman’s life from birth to present day as she navigates the loss of her mother. The game was developed by Joel McDonald, creator of zen puzzle game Prune, which is available on Apple Arcade.
Thirsty Suitors
Thirsty Suitors is a stylish story-driven action title that puts a new spin on relationships, family pressures, culture and self-expression. You play as Jala Jayratnae, a young woman who’s come back home for her sister’s wedding. Jala’s exes get wind that the notorious heartbreaker is back in town and confrontations abound. Thirsty Suitors is coming to Game Pass on Xbox X, S and One – as well as PS4, PS5, Steam and Nintendo Switch in 2023.
Play as Jala, a young woman who returns home for her sister’s wedding and is forced to confront and reconcile with her multiple exes, all while managing her family’s expectations and repairing relationships with friends and relatives. There’s a free demo out on Steam now.
Maquette
Maquette is an upcoming first-person puzzle game from Graceful Decay
(Some descriptions adapted from gamesradar+ and CNet.)
