Summer Game Fest’s glitzy flagship showcase might be over for another year, but that doesn’t mean we’re done just yet – far from it! There’ll be more bluster to come on Sunday when Microsoft shares its wares during the Xbox Games Showcase, for instance (unless its new executive team has capitulated to internet fanboys once again, in which case there’s a good chance it’ll be called the LOLPLAYSTATIONSUX Showcase), but first – like the zen meat in a chaos sandwich – Day of the Devs has done its thing once more.
Its latest celebration of all things indie was a bit of a doozy, featuring new games from numerous acclaimed studios, including the teams behind Nidhogg, N+, Duck Detective, Martha is Dead, and Bury Me, My Love. But that’s not all! We also got a brand-new Trine adventure (the sixth to be exact) and a Yooka-Laylee kart racer with some proper Mode 7-era appeal. But if you want the full run-down of tonight’s game-jammed Day of the Devs showcase, read on.
Blood Dungeon
Blood Dungeon is the work of Meshoff, the studio behind the acclaimed Nidhogg series and last year’s bike riding adventure Wheel World. This time, though, we’re going a bit roguelite, with Meshoff describing Blood Dungeon as “Vampire Survivors crossed with Spelunky”. It’s a sort of auto-shooting anti-grav platformer, where the goal is to bound from ledges to walls to ceiling while attempting to survive the onslaught of enemies rushing in from all sides. It’ll feature a “handful” of arenas, and over 100 weapons when it arrives in “late summer”.
Tenebris Somnia
I’m a total sucker for survival horror and cheesy FMV, so you can imagine why Tenebris Somnia immediately had me reaching for the Steam wishlist button. Developed by Saibot Studios and published by New Blood Interactive, Tenebris Somnia tells the story of Julia, who’s been having nightmares about her ex-boyfriend getting killed by horrible monsters. Which becomes a more significant problem when she finds herself trapped in one. Gameplay-wise, we’re talking side-scrolling survival horror with combat, puzzles, and a retro aesthetic. But it also features handsomely produced FMV cutscenes featuring eye-catching live-action interpretations of the game’s striking creature designs. Tenebris Somnia is coming to Steam and console on 16th October, and a Steam demo’s out now.
Mr. Records
We quite enjoyed developer Glee Cheese’s A Musical Story when it launched in 2022, and now the studio is back with the similarly rhythmic Mr. Records. It tells the story of a man named George who has the ability to travel through music, in turn transporting players through vibrant worlds – each recounting a moment or memory from George’s life – they’ll need to rhythmically interact with. Every journey completed becomes a vinyl LP, which is where George’s record store comes in. The other half of Mr. Records looks to have a light management focus, and you’ll need to match records with customers in order to reveal more of their stories. It’s coming to Steam, Epic, and GOG at some unspecified future point.
33 Immortals
33 Immortals, the latest game from Spiritfarer studio Thunder Lotus, has been in the works for quite some time. Announced back in 2023, it was expected to start early access the following year. But the 33-player co-op action roguelike (which is also playable solo or with up to three friends) has seen a number of delays since then. Now, though, it finally has a release date: Thunder Lotus has confirmed players will finally be able to face the wrath of god when 33 Immortals launches for Steam, Epic, and Xbox on 10th June.
Dreadmoor
Imagine the nautical horror of Dredge with a stronger fishing focus and a first-person twist, and you’d probably get something close to Dream Dock Studio’s Dreadmoor. It’s a game of survival crafting, real-time combat, and exploration set in the gloomy Submerged Lands – and all built around casting a line and reeling in strange things from beneath the waves. You’ll fish to complete jobs and to acquire materials required to refine your equipment – but to catch what you’re looking for, you’ll need to be in the right place at the right time. It’s probably wise to be cautious, though, given the talk of monstrous creatures you’ll battle both on land and at sea. Dreadmoor launches for Steam toward the end of this year.
Threads of Time
This isn’t our first glimpse of Riyo Games’ Threads of Time, but following its announcement all the way back in 2024, this love-letter to classic RPGs is back for another showing. Taking its cue from the likes of Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy, it’s a turn-based, time-travelling adventure that’ll whisk players – and a “party of charismatic heroes from across ages” – through the past, present, and future. Expect dinosaurs (apparently it’s possible to prevent them from going extinct, so you can watch them evolve over time), airships, and a grim dystopian robo-future, all presented using an eye-pleasing 2.5D art style that blends pixel characters with 3D environments. Sadly, there’s still no word of a release date, but Threads of Time is heading to Steam and Xbox Series X/S.
N Plus Infinity Times Two
Metanet Software’s acclaimed N series – which has so far spawned two sequels (N+ and N++) since its Flash debut some two decades ago – is back. And this time it’s multiplayer. N Plus Infinity Times Two (I have no idea how Metanet is planning to style that one) features the same ninja-based parkour platforming focus as its predecessors, but – despite a single-player campaign – is less about the hardcore solo experience, and more about platforming with friends. That said, Metanet notes the game’s three-button action has no skill ceiling so isn’t just about casual couch co-op. It’ll feature five new local and online multiplayer modes when it launches next year.
Into the Unwell
The rubberhose resurgence continues with developer She Was Such a Good Horse’s Into the Unwell, which has returned for another airing following last year’s Summer Game Fest unveiling. Officially described as a “rubberhose roguelike” featuring chaotic combat that supports one to three players, its take on the classic 1930s animation style – here, fully 3D unlike the recent Mouse P.I – continues to look fantastic. The downside, though, is it’s still some way off, given the recent decision to delay Into the Well’s release until next year.
Bub
Case Jernigan and Todd Anderson’s “hopeful” narrative adventure Bub tells the story of its eponymous New York City artist as he attempts to turn his memories into art while he still can. Partly inspired by Jernigan’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis, developer Paperfrog describes Bub as an attempt to capture the energy of being a young person and trying to figure yourself out – its action unfolding in both the real world and across Bub’s creations as he journeys through his past. Each memory features its own analogue art style and mood – think ink drawings, papercraft puppets, abstract painting – and the results are striking. There’s no exact release date yet, but Bub is coming to Steam next year.
Lazy River
And now for a delightfully silly bit of friendslop. Developed by Mike Boxleiter, Kevan DuPont, Jake Yetter, Joel Corelitz, and Karlee Esmailli, Lazy River is a first-person co-op shooter set in the galaxy’s most unregulated water park. The first big problem is the park’s special space water; pee in it and it’ll whizz straight back up you, turning you into a zombie as it goes. The second big problem is that someone has peed in it. And thus you and your friends find yourselves attempting to escape along the park’s, yes, lazy river – a goal requiring you to build a raft from inner tubes and other materials you’ve scavenged from the banks along the way. You’ll need to grill food to regain strength, craft armour, build turrets (while trying not to make your raft top-heavy), all while watching out for hop-on zombies. It looks properly daft, and Lazy River is launching into Steam early access next year.
Prove You’re Human
Following its reveal in April, Prove You’re Human – the new game from 1000xResist developer Sunset Visitor – has brought its huge disembodied head back to tease more of its mysteries. That head belongs to Mesa, an AI who dares to dream it’s human – and it’s up to you to break its defenses and end its delusions. To do so, you’ve split your consciousness in two, and it’s the digital copy you’ll be playing in Mesa’s virtual world. You’ll chat with Mesa – who’s convinced it’s as human as you are – while roaming the landscape completing CAPTCHAs, getting to know your colleagues, and even checking in on your corporeal body that’s out in the real world. And when the program is complete, you’ll need to decide whether to merge your two selves back together or discard your digital copy. It’s an intriguing premise, and while there’s still no release date, you can at least wishlist Prove You’re Human on Steam.
Ithaca
Ithaca is the latest project from developer The Pixel Hunt, whose work includes 2019’s Bury Me, My Love. This time around, the studio is hitting the asphalt for a narrative road trip RPG that begins when 30-something environmental rights lawyer Penelope finds a hostage in the boot of her car. As her trip across the procedurally generated landscape continues, she can contact friends by phone and text, make pit stops at service stations and other locations, chat with 30+ strangers to follow new quests and substories, investigate her car for planted clues, and more. Along the way, players can shape her personality by levelling up, affecting skill checks and the narrative pathways that open and close, all of which impacts her final destination. Ithaca is currently seeking Kickstarter crowdfunding but is aiming to release sometime next year.
Screenbound
I remember seeing an eye-catching prototype video of Screenbound a few years back, and being mightily intrigued. But while I’m still not sure I entirely understand how its dual-perspective gimmick works in practice, developers Crescent Moon Games and Radical Forge have now given their “5D” platformer a release date. The hook here is your Qboy, a GameBoy-like device capable of splitting reality in two – so you’re surrounded by a 3D version of the world while a retro-styled 2D interpretation is rendered on the handheld device at the bottom of the screen. The idea, I think, is to utilise both perspectives to solve puzzles, reveal secrets, and defeat enemies, and we now know its second level – or cartridge, if you will – takes on the guise of a top-down Zelda-like RPG, complete with new mechanics, enemies, and challenges. Screenbound launches for Steam and other platforms on 10th September, and you can play a Steam demo now.
Shot One Fighters
Is there a genre left that hasn’t been rogueliked yet? Shot One Fighters – as its name suggests – attempts to give the fighting genre that just-one-more-run treatment. You’ve got inputs and combos and all the familiar fighting stuff, with players able to build their own movesets from over a hundred moves. On top of that, there’s talk of game-changing artefacts that, depending how you stack them, could either be very beneficial or extremely not. There are bosses, an “evolving story”, and one of those Slay-the-Spire-style branching paths. And if all that appeals, you can wishlist developer Red Moon Workshop’s Shot One Fighters on Steam.
Apple Crumble
Here’s a devilish bit of intrigue from Duck Detective developer Happy Broccoli Games. Apple Crumble – a “suspenseful interactive story” inspired by the likes of Agatha Christie, Knives Out, and Mouthwashing – whisks you to your childhood home for your grandma’s 84th birthday party. However, something sinister is afoot, and one of your family members – your mum perhaps? Your uncle? Your sister Milly? – is trying to murder her. And so it’s up to you to explore the house in first-person, uncover family secrets, and work out who you can trust before it’s time for tea. Apple Crumble, which is apparently fully voiced, launches later this year on Steam.
Slap Out of It
Developer Turbo Button has a background in VR games and its latest, while not a VR game, definitely has that familiar interactive cartoon/comedy sandbox vibe about it. Slap out of It – officially a “slap and solve adventure game” – is said to take its cue from classic point-and-click puzzlers as players explore an odd building where each floor is a door to a new world. Each new realm contains new characters to meet and things to discover, and almost everything reacts to your slaps – seemingly your primary mode of interaction and puzzle-solving. “The more you slap,” teases Turbo Button, “the more you learn about how the world works”. Slap Out of It is coming “soon”, and it looks like Ben Starr is in it too.
Super Yooka-Laylee Kart
Playtonic’s bat-and-lizard duo Yooka-Laylee make their return, and it’s all-change yet again. After a first adventure inspired by Banjo-Kazooie and 2019’s glorious follow-up The Impossible Lair, which took its lead from Donkey Kong Country, our heroes are trading platforming for retro kart racing, very much in the style of classic Mode 7-era Mario Kart. There’s talk of online racing and custom race set-ups when battling friends, plus a solo campaign – which I can only hope, given Playtonic’s Rare pedigree, will take its cue from the latter’s much-loved Donkey Kong Racing. There’s no word of a release date for this one yet, but you can wishlist it on Steam and beta tests are supposedly coming “very soon”.
Into the Fire
If you’re a keen showcase watcher, you’ll probably be familiar with Into the Fire by now. It’s the new game from The Invincible developer Starward Industries – a team of industry veterans who’ve previously worked on the likes of The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and Dying Light – and, following last year’s delay, it’s back for another turn in the spotlight. The bad news? Starward’s intriguing “disaster extraction survival” thing – which sees players battling against the fiery elements and working against the clock to save as many lives as possible, amid a (perhaps supernatural) volcanic eruption on Dante’s Archipelago – still doesn’t have a release date beyond “2026”. However, it looks like more Into the Fire playtests are coming to Steam.
Trine 6: Together in Time
Frozenbyte’s celebrated Trine series is returning for a sixth outing, this time telling the story of two young siblings who stumble into trouble and unknowingly bind their fate to the realm’s greatest heroes – who, judging by the announcement trailer, should be familiar to fans of previous games. It looks like we’re in for another bout of eye-searingly colourful physics-based puzzle-platforming, with the side-scrolling co-op action once again supporting 1-4 players. It’s due to launch for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, Switch, and Switch 2 on 17th September.
When Sirens Fall Silent
And finally comes When Sirens Fall Silent. This third title from LKA, the studio behind the acclaimed Town of Light and 2022’s controversial Martha is Dead, is a dark psychology thriller with horror undertones set in 1990s Italy. It casts players as Mila, a rookie police officer, who’s drawn into a high-profile case of kidnappings and murders. But as her investigation progresses, the boundary between reality and the supernatural becomes increasingly blurred. “You must not only save her from herself,” teases LKA, “but from being swallowed by a vortex of violence and confusion.” When Sirens Fall Silent is said to unfold through a mix of exploration, environmental puzzles, investigation mechanics, and branching dialogue – and while there’s no release date yet, it’ll be available on GoG, Epic, and Steam.
So that’s it for Day of the Devs, but there’s still plenty more Summer Game Fest to come. So if you don’t want to miss out on any of the good bits, feel free to check out the full Summer Game Fest schedule elsewhere on Eurogamer.
