Nintendo's latest Indie World showcase has done the most useful thing a showcase can do: given you something to play right now. Four free demos landed on the eShop on the day of the October 28 show, one game launched the same day, and Giant Squid's Sword of the Sea surfs onto Switch 2 on October 29.
Oh, and Witchbrook finally has a date. Chucklefish's witch life sim launches on Switch 2 and Switch on January 28, 2027, after a long run of delays that pushed it out of 2026.
That's the payoff. Here's the rest, with every date and platform taken from Nintendo's official recap.
Play it now
Start with the demos. According to Nintendo, free demos went up for four games:
- Haunted Paws (LazyFlock): a two-player co-op adventure about two puppies rescuing their human from a haunted mansion. Full release on Switch 2 and Switch in May 2027.
- Petal Runner (Nano Park Studios and iam8bit Presents): a pixel-art open-world RPG about motorcycle couriers delivering digital pets. A Switch 2 console exclusive, out March 8, 2027, according to Nintendo; Nintendo Life's roundup lists March 28.
- RACCOIN: Chaos Max Edition (Playstack and Doraccoon): a coin-pusher roguelike with eight characters, Joy-Con 2 mouse controls and a Switch 2-exclusive arcade cabinet skin. Full release on Switch 2 on November 10.
- Winds of Viridia (Shark Jump): what Nintendo's recap calls "the newly revealed action-adventure", where you play a child awakened from a seed, scored by Kevin Penkin and Christopher Larkin. Switch 2, early 2027.
On top of that, Bao Bao's Cozy Cleaning Services from Destroyer Doggo launched on Switch the same day: a panda, a pressure washer, pixel art and up to four-player online co-op.
Then there's Sword of the Sea, from the studio behind ABZÛ and The Pathless. You ride a Hoversword across sand dunes, glaciers and seas to restore a lost ocean. Nintendo lists it for Switch 2 on October 29.
The dated highlights
If you'd rather mark a calendar, these are the ones with firm dates:
- TANUKI: Pon's Summer and Lost and Found Co.: November 10, per Nintendo. Nintendo Life's roundup lists Lost and Found Co. for 2027.
- Spirit Crossing (Spry Fox, the Cozy Grove team): a collaborative life-sim MMO, a console exclusive on Switch 2 and Switch from November 16.
- Everything is Crab: January 26, 2027 on Switch, with a Switch 2 Edition that's a free upgrade for Switch owners.
- Witchbrook: January 28, 2027, for up to four players online. As with every online game in the show, Nintendo notes you'll need a Switch Online membership for that.
- Slime Rancher 2: Switch 2 in January 2027.
- My Arms Are Longer Now (Toot Games and Jackbox Games): March 11, 2027, with 48 characters voiced by Australian comedians. Yes, really.
- Super Battle Golf: up to eight players sabotaging each other at once, Switch 2 on March 25, 2027.
Further out, Nintendo also showed Dumpster Gang (raccoon co-op, March 2027), Kitsune: The Journey of Adashino (spring 2027), Threads of Time (summer 2027), plus R.E.P.O., Tenjutsu from Deepnight Games and Devolver Digital, with the designer of Dead Cells involved, and City of None from one of the co-creators of Celeste, all slated for 2027.
What it means for Switch 2 owners
A lot of this lineup is Switch 2 only. Petal Runner, Winds of Viridia, R.E.P.O., Tenjutsu, Super Battle Golf, Slime Rancher 2 and Dumpster Gang are all listed for Switch 2 alone. Original Switch owners still get Witchbrook, Spirit Crossing, Haunted Paws, Kitsune, City of None and Threads of Time, but the direction of travel is clear.
The other pattern is co-op. Nintendo pitched the show around "cozy and chaotic fun", and many of the headliners, from Dumpster Gang to R.E.P.O. to Haunted Paws, are built for playing with friends. Nintendo lists GameShare support for Dumpster Gang, Haunted Paws, HYPERyuki: Snowboard Syndicate and Lost and Found Co.
As for the show itself, Nintendo Life notes it ran only about 15 minutes but was packed with announcements. It listed 23 games in its roundup, so there's plenty here beyond what I've picked out.
What happens next is simple: grab the demos, and wait for Sword of the Sea on October 29 and the November 10 drop.
Jax's take: Four demos on the day is the right call, and more showcases should do it. Witchbrook's date is the big win after a long wait, but with four demos to pick from, Winds of Viridia is the one I'd download first: a game that isn't out until 2027 letting you play it today is a confident move.
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