23 games in about 15 minutes, with one shadow drop, four free demos, and a Thursday launch worth clearing time for.
Nintendo's second Indie World Showcase of the year aired Wednesday, October 28, and it packed 23 games into roughly 15 minutes. The show opened with the news cozy game fans have waited years for, lined up games landing as soon as tomorrow, and dropped a handful of demos you can download right now.
Witchbrook leads the show, and it finally has a date
Chucklefish's spellbinding witch life sim opened the showcase with a firm release date: January 28, 2027, on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. You play the newest witch in the seaside town of Mossport, attending Witchbrook College, making friends, brewing potions, casting spells, and finding love on the road to graduation and beyond, with up to four players online.
After years of delays and wishlist waiting, an actual date is the headline here. Witchbrook is also confirmed for Xbox Game Pass on the same date, so it is not a Nintendo-only launch.
Out tomorrow: Sword of the Sea
Giant Squid's atmospheric surfing adventure comes to Switch 2 on Thursday, October 29. From the team behind ABZÛ, Journey, and The Pathless, you ride a hoversword across waves of sand and glistening water on a quest to restore a lost ocean, with movement inspired by skateboarding and snowboarding. It earned a Must-Play badge in the showcase, and it is the quickest reason to pay attention to this show.
Out today: one launch and four free demos
Bao Bao's Cozy Cleaning Services launched today on Switch, a cozy game about a panda and pressure washing. Yes, really, and it is exactly as charming as it sounds.
Four free demos also dropped on the Nintendo eShop today:
- Haunted Paws, a paranormal co-op puppy adventure
- Petal Runner, a pixel-powered open-world RPG
- RACCOIN: Chaos Max Edition, a roguelike coin-pusher
- Winds of Viridia, a newly revealed action-adventure where you team up with a mothbug companion, ride air currents, and customize your playstyle
Coming soon: the dates to mark
- Spirit Crossing, November 16, 2026, on Switch and Switch 2. From Spry Fox, the makers of Cozy Grove, this multiplayer home-building game set above the clouds is a console exclusive on Nintendo systems.
- RACCOIN: Chaos Max Edition, November 10, 2026, on Switch 2 (demo out today).
- Tanuki: Pon's Summer, November 10, 2026, on Switch 2.
- Slime Rancher 2, January 2027, on Switch 2. Beatrix LeBeau returns to Rainbow Island for more slime wrangling.
- Everything is Crab, January 26, 2027, on Switch 2.
The 2027 bench is deep
The rest of the show filled out 2027 nicely: R.E.P.O., the up-to-six-player co-op physics horror looter, comes to Switch 2 in 2027. City of None, a pixel platforming adventure from one of the co-creators of Celeste, arrives in 2027 on Switch and Switch 2. Tenjutsu, a gritty roguelike brawler, hits Switch 2 in 2027. Threads of Time, an era-spanning turn-based RPG, lands in summer 2027. Kitsune: The Journey of Adashino, a fox girl's mysterious adventure, arrives in spring 2027. Rounding it out are Dumpster Gang (March 2027, raccoon heists), Super Battle Golf (March 25, 2027, fairway sabotage), My Arms Are Longer Now (March 11, 2027), plus Finding Polka, Floor Plan: Slap Out of It, Hyperyuki: Snowboard Syndicate, and Lost and Found Co.
If you only download one thing tonight, grab the demos. If you only mark one date, it is Thursday for Sword of the Sea, and January 28 for Witchbrook. You can watch the full showcase on Nintendo's site.