#Gamers #NintendoSwitch Surprise Launches 3 Games Today:

 

Shadows Over Loathing, Teslagrad 2, and Teslagrad Remastered were all surprise-released on Switch today following the latest Indie World showcase. Indie games have been consistently spotlighted on Switch thanks in part to the output of Indie World presentations.

Indie World is the name given to an ongoing series of showcases hosted by Nintendo meant to highlight upcoming indie games on Switch. They serve as an extension of Nintendo's past efforts to promote indie games on its consoles, something that started during the seventh generation in which indie hits like World of Goo and Cave Story were released and promoted on Nintendo platforms. This continued into the following generations as many of the most successful indie games like Shovel Knight, Hades, and Terraria have been among the most prominent titles on the 3DS, Wii U, and Switch.

Many gamers were hoping that Hollow Knight: Silksong would be featured in the latest Indie World when the presentation was announced, but fans instead got the surprise announcement that three of the games featured are all available today on the Switch eShop. One of these titles is Teslagrad 2, the sequel to the 2013 puzzle platformer Teslagrad. Teslagrad 2 was formally announced in 2020, and players can play the game today on Switch along with a remaster of the first game. Both titles are available individually or as a bundle in the Teslagrad Power Pack Edition.

The third indie game to be given a surprise launch on Switch is Shadows Over Loathing, an RPG from Asymmetric Games that joins the ranks of other games inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Unlike other Lovecraft-esque games that lean heavily into the horror genre, Shadows Over Loathing takes a humorous approach to cosmic horror, depicting its characters and eldritch monsters in a stick-figure art style. It was originally released on PC in November of last year but is now available digitally on Switch. Additionally, Shadows of Loathing will be getting a physical release this fall.

With the successful shadow-drops of Hi-Fi-Rush and Metroid Prime Remastered earlier this year, it has been proven that surprise launching a game is an effective way to bring attention to new titles. This has carried over the indie space as well with not only Teslagrad 2 but also Sports Story, which similarly surprise-launched last December after being announced years prior. Fans new and old can now waste no time in experiencing these games for themselves on Switch, and this is unlikely to be the last time that Nintendo implements this release technique.