Nintendo has released a trailer celebrating the best-selling independent Nintendo Switch games of 2020. Several indie games, such as Hades, Among Us and Fall Guys, have even been considered the very best games to release in 2020, even standing up against AAA heavy-hitters like The Last of Us Part II.
Nintendo's Indie World is a brand specifically intended to advertise and distribute independent games through the Nintendo Switch, with new announcements frequently coming through an Indie World Showcase event. An Indie World Showcase was held earlier this month, through which Nintendo announced the release of InnerSloth's multiplayer hit Among Us. The title was released in 2018 but experienced a huge surge in popularity this year, which can be at least partially attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine. This Indie World Showcase also announced the Switch release of Grindstone, an action/puzzle game by Capybara Games, on the Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo's YouTube channel has now posted a new Indie World trailer, which celebrates the multitude of great independent games that have come to the Switch in 2020. The list of featured titles includes Hades, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Carrion, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin and Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2. These titles are not only some of the most popular indie games of the year, but many of them are considered to be some of the greatest game released this year overall.
2020 has been an excellent year for independent games, with some indie titles being crowned Game of the Year by outlets. Supergiant Games' Hades was nominated for a total of eight awards at this year's Game Awards, including Game of the Year and Best Action Game. This is an exceptional achievement for an independent title, considering the fact that most of the show's categories were populated solely by AAA games developed and produced by huge corporations. Nintendo's relationship with indie developers also made headlines recently, when a sale on Moon Studios' Ori and the Will of the Wisps was made to benefit Rainforest Trust. During the sale earlier this month, five percent of the proceeds coming from the Switch version of Ori were used to protect rainforests and the creatures that inhabit them.
In an industry that is increasingly dominated by huge franchises and powerful companies, indie games provide a breath of fresh air. Creativity is born of limitation, and this is why indie games are often so wonderful. Nintendo's support of indie games reflects a support for gaming as a whole, and their Indie World brand is a great way to put the spotlight on independent studios. For those gamers that enjoy indie gaming, the Nintendo Switch is turning out to be a perfect platform.
Source: Nintendo