Since the Nintendo Switch launched two years ago, it has received massive support from independent game developers. Indies comprise some of the system’s best offerings and most anticipated ports, such as the hardcore platformer Celeste and the quirky story adventure Night in the Woods, along with universal smash hits Stardew Valley and Undertale.
Every year, at least once, Nintendo hosts special presentations known as Nindies Showcases, focused specifically on its upcoming indie offerings. This year’s first Nindies Showcase is set for just a couple of days from the time of writing, March 20.
What stands out about this Nindies presentation is the length. In previous years, the showcases have clocked in between 10 and 20 minutes long. The March 20, 2019 Nindies Showcase is set to be approximately 30 minutes, nearly three times the length of last spring’s showcase.
The broadcast begins at 12 p.m. EDT, and you can watch the livestream directly on Nintendo’s website here.
It’s easy to overlook indie games on the Switch just because there are so many. However, the Nindies Showcases usually focus on particularly high-quality games or games from well-known developers. These are the sort of games Nintendo used as a third pillar of sorts to keep the Switch alive in between major releases.
For example, the first Showcase in 2017 previewed games that would eventually find great success, like Golf Story and SteamWorld Dig 2. Other games previewed might not go on to do quite so well — Dragon Marked for Death and Mulaka come to mind — but highlight the creative talent and visionaries in the gaming industry.
Another reason these presentations are important is that indie developers need to be spotlighted to get noticed. Despite Nintendo wanting to bring 20-30 indie games to the Switch per week, the Switch eShop has yet to receive a worthwhile update that makes finding specific games or following developers easy. The “Featured” tab often just highlights first party games as well.
