A Look at Every Day of the Devs Summer Game Fest 2023 Title

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Day of the Devs arrived once more during Summer Game Fest, allowing Double Fine and iam8bit to once against deliver us a curated showcase on some of the indie gaming scene's most promising upcoming titles. And with a lineup this year that felt particularly impressive in various ways, we wanted to try something a bit new here, so both Kyle LeClair and Jordan Helm decided to have a discussion about all the games shown there, making sure everything gets highlighted at least a bit. Enjoy!

Kyle: Let's start with Beastieball, which was the perfect choice for the lead given that it comes from Wishes Unlimited, still fresh off the GOTY contender Chicory: A Colorful Tale. Although the first thing that came to mind for me is that it's a monster-collecting game, which makes this at least the seventh or so such indie game dabbling in the subgenre within the last couple of years or so. Do we have a renaissance here?

Jordan: As far as I see, we’ve been well overdue for something that just might give Pokémon a run for its money…and I’m not only saying that because I’m far from a fan of Nintendo's money-making, monster-collecting series. Above all, though, Beastieball is more than just about collecting; The first thing I latched onto when I saw it was the sight of crossed-out grids and something akin to managing one's team — clearly there's more to this than just volleyball, and that suggestion of deeper mechanics intrigues me.

Kyle: Indeed, and beyond the sports-based gameplay, which is terrific twist that allows for what looks like an interesting story (especially with monsters that actually evolved to play sports), we also have an emphasis on friendship mechanics, in particular the relationships between your teammates and how they can evolve. Because as the one who is a fan of Pokémon that was disappointed with Scarlet and Violet, this is something I want from the franchise: a focus on the personalities of the little critters that I’m caring about. I want raising my monsters to be more like The Pokémon anime, where I can become more invested in their personalities. Also, Lena Raine is doing the music for this game. The Celeste composer returns!

Jordan: Also also, credit to the developers for putting it out there that their new game will go the way of crowdfunding; Shaky that ground as it may still be in current years, I don't think it's taboo or a negative to go that route, let alone mention it as part of your debut announcement. That's what Sabotage did when they announced Sea of Stars — after putting out a fantastic debut via The Messenger — and given the praise they’ve already received, I’m confident their fans won't begrudge them with this decision.

Kyle: I think I somehow missed the crowdfunding part. But this means that one way or another, they’re getting my money. All in all, a perfect blast of wholesomeness to start things out on.

Kyle: Hyper Light Breaker arguably didn't show too much that we haven't seen before, at least when it came to the basics. But it still looks awesome, and it did show one important thing: that you can summon a board to surf around the world. And as I mentioned when when covering the recent announcement of Sword of the Sea, any game that lets you hover/surf/etc across the ground in order to get around is a winner in my book.

Jordan: And skipping ahead to what you said about another game here, I wonder what sort of impact (if any) the inclusion of co-op will have on this? As a single-player guy, my thinking naturally leads me into questioning just how exactly the world of Hyper Light Breaker is built in terms of challenge, and much like its roguelite component, just what level of influence will it have and how central to the core gameplay will it end up being? I trust Heart Machine will give us plenty to chew over when it comes to visuals, as they so wonderfully did with Drifter, the question is whether they can fuse everything here together to make something as compelling as their debut outing.

Kyle: It's possible for such a game to make a proper transition from 2D to more advanced 3D gameplay, as seen with the likes of Risk of Rain 2. But this does seem like a departure from Hyper Light Drifter, especially with the co-op factor. Of course, one thing to remember is that this isn't a sequel to Drifter, but rather a different game set in the same world, so things are naturally more different this time around. Plus, Heart Machine have proven that they can expertly do 3D action with Solar Ash (which I just realized was one of the games I thought of that was built around hovering, duh), so I know they can nail that part. But then there's combat, and it looks good so far, but this is also a roguelike, where combat is a key element, so nailing that is essential. And then we have procedurally-generated worlds as well…it's a lot, but as long as Heart Machine can blend the best bits of Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, they should hopefully succeed.

Jordan: Definitely, if there was one thing I was more than convinced Heart Machine already had a solid grasp on with Breaker, it was the combat.

Kyle: Nail that, plus some more solid world-building, and we should be good. Of course, it's also going to be Early Access, which should help iron out any flaws.

Kyle: Simpler Times is…certainly an indie game. It looks like it’ll be good, but I was left puzzled as to what its major hook was.

Jordan: I think that's the point: it doesn't really have a hook per se, it just sorta "is"…maybe there's some super-secret hidden, subversive twist the developer doesn't want to reveal, but I acknowledge I’m probably clutching at straws here.

Kyle: That does seem like a possibility, and a lot of its activities still look fun, but for now, it just feels like so many of what it presents has been done already in other games about examining one's life in various ways, like Before Your Eyes and Unpacking (though I guess this is sort of a reverse Unpacking). But still room for a powerful, or just fun narrative here, and if they stick the landing there and keep up with some fun stuff to tinker with, it should still work. I do wish we had more to say about this one, but this is a game about simpler times…

Kyle: I feel like we’ve seen a lot of Viewfinder from previous trailers, so I don't feel like a whole lot of new stuff was shown off, but I welcome it, I welcome voice acting, I welcome a deeper plot, and I also welcome the little cat sidekick. I also welcome its unique photo-taking/photo-placement mechanic, and I’m particularly intrigued so see how varied the solutions can get. Superliminal came up when discussing the game, and as the one critic who was just "meh" on that game because I saw it as having more straightforward puzzle solutions, I want to see how this can improve on the formula.

Jordan: Viewfinder is basically picking up where Superliminal left off, I just hope the former doesn't go the same way as the latter; extremely strong pitch and opening that eventually fizzles away into a rather mid end result as you say. I do take slight issue with comparisons to The Witness; Yes, they’re both first-person perspective puzzle games, but that's where the similarities both start and end…that is, if Viewfinder isn't prepping some almighty "I’m sorry, WHAT?!" reveal half-way through. Regardless, having played the demo, I can confidently say this is the puzzle game of 2023 to keep track of.

Kyle: I also endorse a shocking reveal through its narrative if done well enough, or if the reveal is told as part of some increasingly clever, unorthodox puzzle designs that truly encourage outside-the-box thinking.

Jordan: Put it this way: I thought an early puzzle had a far more complex/convoluted solution to it than it actually did, but that was only possible because I was so enamored by the possibility its main mechanic brings, so of course I was going to get sidetracked with where Viewfinder can possibly go.

Kyle: We can agree that this was the most visually stunning game of the show, right? I’ve seen it before, both in screenshots and in motion, but it's animation, monochrome art style and sheer amount of detail never fails to get my jaw to drop each time.

Jordan: I’m just impressed the studio managed to bait me into one assumption to then make me feel like a complete idiot. "What's that, you thought this game was purely 2D and wouldn't have any sort of environmental depth? WRONG!" Happy to have Hauntii prove me wrong…and then prove it again and again in such a short span of time.

Kyle: And then it also goes and decides to subvert things when it comes to twin-stick shooter gameplay as well. "Oh, you thought you’d just be blowing away enemies? No, we’re going to have you use this to solve various puzzles and come up with different solutions as well."

Jordan: Subversion, I feel, is becoming the key ingredient when it comes to what will make a game truly stand out and be seen as genuinely creative. Consider that the avenues by which one can craft something entirely new and never seen before are lessening with each passing year, to finally go about things with an alternate view and/or mess with our own preconceptions…I’ve played lots of twin-stick shooters up to this point so the idea of twin-stick controls used for something else other than shooting? Even the chosen art style, how this kind of aesthetic initially implies something flat — albeit charismatic — and yet Hauntii decides against even that…Hauntii already had me at its visuals, so for the pitch to go beyond even that is moreso impressive.

Kyle: Agreed. Then there's Hauntii's other main gameplay feature, being able to use your ghost abilities to possess various objects around you and use their unique abilities. Not a wholly original mechanic, dating back to such titles as Haunting Starring Polterguy, Geist, or even this year's Tchia (albeit lacking a ghost there), but it feels like the developers are planning on making the most of that mechanic as well, suggesting a unique blend of various puzzles, as well as combat. And then there's the setting and story as well. Sure, I’ve played more than a few games that explore various interpretations of the afterlife in various ways — like Spiritfarer and I Am Dead — but again, the visuals and gameplay help elevate everything here, creating what looks like this unique take on the concept. Basically, it looks to have a terrific intertwined blend of gameplay, visuals and narrative. A triple threat!

Jordan: Quite, but if you’ll pardon the smidgen of cynicism here, Hauntii did find itself eventually overshadowed when it came to possession as a gameplay mechanic by the game that stood out for me the most, but we’ll get to that.

Kyle: Cart Life's inclusion here potentially leads to some rather…interesting discussions. For one thing, I actually own the original game and have played it back in the day, before it was removed from Steam by the creator. I thought it was good, but that it also felt like a game that was designed to win awards, as seen when it won IGF's Seumas McNally Grand Prize over the likes of Hotline Miami, FTL, and The Stanley Parable. It didn't help when its then-unique "mundane work as gameplay" angle was overshadowed when Papers, Please perfected it and won the next year, kind of overshadowing it. But now that it's returning with updated controls, art and mechanics, can it still find a way to stand out (especially since it's main flaws back then included a fair amount of bugs)?

Jordan: Well, speaking as someone who hadn't heard of the game — and am equally guilty of knowing more about Papers, Please by contrast — consider it an opportunity for me to finally get a glimpse of the game and see what all the fuss was about originally.

Kyle: Well, that's the thing, a lot of the fuss involved things like a deliberately monochrome art style, a narrative with no real goal, a bleaker outlook, and again, more realistic gameplay like having to order ingredients, wait in line, etc…and all of that was more revolutionary a decade ago. So it should be interesting to see how it fares now, especially with enhancements to help it out.

Kyle: I will admit that my first thought with Helskate was about how once again, the stars aligned in a weird way and gave us two indie titles coming around the same time with a similar concept. So we have Helskate and Skate Story, two skateboarding action games set in a bizarre underworld where you basically have to perform tricks in order to succeed. What are the odds?

Jordan: I was expecting the latter to show up when it was being teased…but I suppose two skate games are better than one.

Kyle: Granted, Helskate does seem to be more Norse-themed (hence the name), but it seems to have its own unique aesthetic as well, suited to a more traditional "skater" theme. Of course, having a lead designer who worked on a Tony Hawk game also helps. Quite a lot, to say the least.

Jordan: I’m looking forward to racking up a 1,000,000+ combo, only to then bail, lose it all and score nothing…and I’m all for it. But on a more serious note: an arcade-oriented skate game that serves as a roguelite…what was I saying before about subverting one's expectations, when roguelites are generally something you associate with RPGs or dungeon crawlers and the like.

Kyle: I’ve seen the roguelike formula applied to many other genres recently as well. We have a roguelike Minesweeper puzzle game on the horizon (Let's! Revolution!), and last year I got to experience a roguelike sudoku dungeon crawler (Overhaul). But I’m not going to complain as long as folks keep finding ways to put great twists on the formulas, and we haven't seen a roguelike skateboarding action-RPG yet (that we know of). And it looks fun to experience, being able to pull off a lot of tricks in combat. And hey, after last year's OlliOlli World, I’m always up for unique skateboarding games.

Jordan: A renaissance of monster-collecting and skate games as of recent it seems. All we need now is a game all about skating whilst collecting monsters all while caught in a time loop, and we might end up time traveling back to the early 2000s for good.

Kyle: That brings us to Henry Halfhead…and I believe you want to gush about it (rightfully so), so you can begin.

Jordan: If Hi-Fi Rush is the Saturday morning cartoon video game we’ve all wanted for years, Henry Halfhead is the educational children's show I didn't know I wanted but now do, like having memories of my pre-ten-year-old self watching TV shows full of vivid colors, oddball creatures all wrapped around some important lesson on tidying up after one's self…but most of all, much like Vividlope as of late, it brings me back to that late-PS/early-PS2 and Dreamcast era when games were at their weirdest, strangest and surreal but still found a way to have some manner of curious puzzle gameplay at their respective hearts, and that's exactly what we get with Henry Halfhead — a game all about possession so that you may accomplish important objectives such as: making one's bed, having breakfast, getting ready to go work…and again, much like Hauntii, it was a trailer that fooled me into thinking there wasn't some curveball of a revelation ready to pounce…alright, I’ll pause for now and prevent this one from feeling like a monologue…

Kyle: Honestly, I don't know how I can follow that. I will say that the sheer scope of what you possess impressed me the moment. The first puzzle we’re shown? Having to turn off an alarm clock. We see Henry possess the clock, and in any other game, we’d press a button to turn it off, or have the clock fall on the floor to break it, problem solved. But no, here? The clock is still ringing, we flip around to see that Henry has to possess the BATTERY and pop it out. That's some clever stuff, I’m all in on a game filled with that. Clever puzzle designs, plus just the right amount of "wacky physics" stuff. Also, I don't know or recall why he's half a head, but who cares, it's memorable. If I have to have a nitpick, the inclusion of co-op seems a tad superfluous. It’ll likely be good, but it's not exactly an addition that blows me away like everything else.

Jordan: I think the element that I like the most, however, is this sense that the game is almost self-aware of its own ridiculous nature…early days, sure, but this doesn't come across as a game that's some grand metaphor on heartbreak or loss or mental health — not that you can't do some incredible things with that concept — but Henry Halfhead seems to have this care-free but confident attitude that it's not trying to be more than the sum of its parts or to be perceived as anything more, it's playfully eccentric while at the same time wanting to surprise every step of the way. And yes, my first thought with the clock puzzle was to just have it tumble to the floor and shatter…but obviously that wouldn't be a wise lesson to teach the kids, would it?

Kyle: Granted, yanking out the battery isn't exactly a realistic solution, but as seen with this game, we’re here to learn how to think outside the box.

Jordan: …And think with only half a head and nothing else.

Kyle: Cocoon started out with an introduction to Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of Inside and Limbo, two atmospheric horror titles centered around narrative and exploration, and also the creator of 140 and Thoth, two psychedelic action games with a more minimalist, surreal feeling. And somehow, that made me think about how Cocoon seemed to be in the middle compared to those games. A world — or several worlds, really — filled with surreal visuals and environments, but with an emphasis on exploration and puzzles. And rather unique puzzles, thanks to the ability to leap in and out of worlds, as seen when avoiding a barrier.

Jordan: There's something about that transition between worlds — how you seamlessly leap into and out from them — that I both love and immediately instills a kind of existential anxiety on just how insignificant a whole world can be from a grander standpoint. It reminds me of the final scene from Men in Black where the camera pans out from New York, to America, to Earth, to the Solar System, to the Milky Way Galaxy, to then find the entire system is inside a mere marble in some alien's casual game…a minor detail, but the way Cocoon sort of normalizes this idea of significance and insignificance is one I’m curious to see where it leads so far as this narrative and world-building…or rather multiple world-building.

Kyle: We also got to see our first encounter with one of the game's Guardians, and while boss battles in games such as this could be potentially hit and miss, I feel that they succeeded here. The fact that every orb seems to have its own effects on other worlds, being more passive and changing the surroundings as part of an aura as you pass, or just being placed or thrown in certain areas parts of other puzzles, definitely seems like something I want to experience more of as well. I want to delve further into the narrative, explore how all of these worlds work in relation to one another.

Jordan: The puzzles revolving around hopping in and out of worlds is something I want to see more of — just how deep or layered does that concept go, are we talking one "level" of a transition, or multiple?

Kyle: Building on what you said earlier, can we take worlds out of worlds, essentially placing them above the worlds they were contained in? So many possibilities (especially with the name suggesting that each one can change things in certain ways) and I can't wait to try them in this gorgeous universe.

Kyle: Été is the game where the trailer beautifully grew on me as at progressed. It starts with relatively simple idea of being a painter who fills in a blank world, pretty stylish, not too mind-blowing…then there's an open world, and there are secrets to find, with the paint revealing more of the world. Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. But then it truly hooked we with the reveal that the stuff you paint is also stuff that you also collect, using it for various commissions/side quests for our artist, or personal pieces that we can go nuts in. And the painting tools look so beautifully simple as you rotate each object with different angles and place them down, reminding me of the tarot card creation in the upcoming The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, another gem I’m anticipating.

Jordan: Usually I’m not one for optional modes that let you create/arrange/rearrange objects…but the sight of three dinosaurs being sized to resemble a happy family — complete with dinosaur being pushed in a pram — is silly enough for me to warrant having a go.

Kyle: It kind of brings back memories of messing around with Mario Paint, and I mean that in the best way possible. Also, as a Canadian, I endorse any game taking place in a cozy Montreal neighborhood as well.

Kyle: Summerhill…well, this is the one we probably know the least about, but even with a short glimpse, it looks promising. It helps that Land and Sea have an impressive pedigree with their Alto games. Still, what impressed me, aside from the unique concept of a sheep-herding story-driven puzzle game, is the movement and the fluidity of sheep themselves. It's just gorgeous to watch, and it looks like it’ll be immensely fun to play with. I can't wait to see more of the areas we herd around.

Jordan: At the risk of coming off as rather biased here, as a UK citizen seeing a UK team make a game that very much evokes the kind of rural locale I’ve very much been fond of (and dwelled within) most of my life, I can't say no to something like Summerhill. The biggest question for me is how exactly they balance the aesthetic of its setting with what appears to be, from glimpses, some semblance of a supernatural/fantastical element at play. You have a gate that has some sort of magical property, but then there's the briefest of glimpses of a distant, monolithic tower of sorts on the horizon? How in the world do sheep factor into this, if at all?

Kyle: It has been described as "a folktale about life, loss, and livestock" which suggests a deeper story. I’m intrigued by all of the elements you mentioned, the potential supernatural stuff, and a story about loss, but I think the "folktale" part has me more intrigued somehow. I’m always interested in seeing more of what could be modern-day fairy tales, folklore and whatnot, so that has me hooked as well.

Jordan: "Life, loss and livestock" garners enough of a smirk by way of that latter feature and the alliteration alike, that I’m curious to see what kind of tone this game will end up going for.

Jordan: I’d be lying if I said "Press R2 to hold hands" wasn't so daft a concept, but one I wanted to check out for that very reason…and I in fact will be covering in due course, so be on the lookout for that.

Kyle: Indeed, Jordan is working on a hands-on preview for Eternights, so until then, I only have the latest trailer that was showcased to go off of (well, that and every other bit of info about the game, but I digress). First, I will admit that I’m a sucker for presentations featuring unique footage where the game characters interrupt the host or whatnot. I also love the idea of a "dating action" game, and it helps that the characters here seem like a particularly lovable lot. Comparsions to pretty much any game with relationship mechanics like the Persona series are inevitable, I suppose, but I think this game stands on its own with what looks to be a unique blend of post-apocalyptic settings and adorable relationship-building where mini-games give you the skills needed to survive said post-apocalypse. Great stuff.

Kyle: Retro Gadgets…well, it kind of feels weird to give our thoughts on it now, seeing as how it's been available in Early Access for seven months now, meaning we could logically try it whenever we want. So far the user feedback has been extremely positive, even if this type of game/creator isn't usually my thing. I do love the Pico-8 style and the possibilities for more creative projects, though.

Jordan: Well, it's certainly something that may be up my alley; I have a near-unhealthy love for electronic music instruments, particularly modular/analog synths, so the sight of circuit boards, cables and that very concept of putting things together with no guarantee that it’ll work — that giddiness to see what comes out the other end — scratches a modular itch I have.

Kyle: Well, apparently you can download any other gadget people share, so maybe I’ll be lucky enough to give whatever you come up with a whirl.

Jordan: A game that can at least make me feel smarter than I actually am for a brief time.

Kyle: Mars First Logistics…I’m cautious about this one. Building your own Mars rover? Cool. Open world to explore? Cool. Being tasked with moving oddly-shaped, somewhat comical objects around? Well, this is where the game enters the "wacky physics" subgenre, and as seen with games such as Totally Reliable Delivery Service that have bombed with me, that can be tricky to pull off, especially if it means that the entertainment comes more from failure. But it does look like the developers are hopefully aiming well beyond that.

Jordan: Happiness through failure (and mild embarrassment) seems like the direction, and I’m all for it, not least because the trailer did the clever thing of revealing more and more about how these individual components can help and in what way. Chipping away at Tears of the Kingdom at a slower pace than others I may be, that game convinced me that I’m not completely hostile to the idea of building things to satisfy a physics conundrum, so this game has come about at the perfect time…and yes, I would’ve made the exact same mistake when it came to transporting a large pizza, I have no shame in admitting that.

Kyle: I do love the customization aspect, and yes, all of the various tools you can use. So the basic components seem to be there, and where it needs to stick the landing now is in the areas of progression, structure and challenge. A perfect balance of those could make this into something akin to a game like Kerbal Space Program. Basically, hopefully it has happiness through failure and success.

Kyle: Saltsea Chronicles looks like a perfect successor to Mutazione, and I am all for it. Story-driven games with a nice amount of dialogue? Check. Cast of impressive-looking characters? Check. A card game that you can learn different variants of? Check. An island where everyone lives in symbiosis with a ton of cats? Check, check, and check. It hits all of my boxes. I will say that the "flooded world" trope seems to be getting used in many more indie games recently (Floodland, Highwater, I Am Future), but Die Gute Fabrik's unique visual style and the promise of more unique islands really helps it stand out, and gives it a lot of potential.

Jordan: First game that popped into my head that it reminded me of is Spiritfarer, did it do the same for you? I only ask because I know you covered (and loved) Spiritfarer — and I could be totally wrong in my comparison — but there's something to the whole rebuilding/managing a small community that I immediately latched onto.

Kyle: Not really a perfect comparison, as Spiritfarer was a more emotional game about dealing with loss in various ways. You did build a community of sorts, but it was never permanent (as you’re basically playing as Charon), though obviously you became attached to your passengers. But agreed, the community angle, the story about them all banding together to find their captain…that's also a good story hook. And like Spiritfarer, it makes me want to learn more about the history of each crew, each island, see how they interact. So hopefully it can deliver again in the story area.

Jordan: On the subject of visual style, all the individual little shapes and colors, moments that are but a single screen and yet harbors such detail…much like pixel art, I have respect for a team that's so willing to dedicate that amount of time and effort into something that a lot of players may not only quickly skim over, but rarely take notice of…well in my case I certainly noticed it — I love that brand of semi-abstract shapes and colors that come off varied enough but not overly indulgent.