Day of the Devs is a yearly showcase that comes with the Summer Game Fest and shows off various in-development indie games. Anyone who can fill out an application can participate and all the best games get shown to a wide audience, which will help boost profits and recognition. This year, the showcase came to international audiences and featured games from developers across the world. This is the plan moving forward too, as the pandemic emphasized the need for accessibility.
The indie showcase during Day of the Devs is meant to amplify diverse voices to help create a real and dynamic community around these independent developers. If the showcase goes well, the developers will walk away with a larger audience anticipating their game. Some of the past games shown at Day of the Devs that have gone on to reach exceptional success include Untitled Goose Game, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Disco Elysium. In the same vein, this year's digital-only showcase featured a wide array of exciting games.
A Musical Story
Dealing with addiction is never easy, no matter what the vice holding someone is. In A Musical Story, players will start as a musician who has had an accident and must deal with his memories the only way he knows how, his music. Throughout the game, players will relive the memories of touring and what led to this unfortunate turn of events. This rhythm game is unique in that there are no on-screen indicators of when to press a button, so players will have to use their ears.
Axiom Verge 2
Axiom Verge 2 may be a sequel to the original metroidvania game for PC and Switch, but it is a completely new experience. Indra is a billionaire on a strange new world, constantly hearing voices calling out to her. This game can be played before or after the original.
Behind the Frame
Clearly taking inspiration from the works of Studio Ghibli, Behind the Frame is a indie puzzle game being developed by Silver Lining Studios. The game will feature escape room like puzzles such as hidden drawers and clues that lead the player to the next hidden compartment. As a young artist, the player will paint, cook, and send emails on journey to making it big.
Death's Door
As a Crow, players must do their day job of collecting the souls of the dead in Death's Door. However, when the Crow's assigned soul gets stolen, they have to go to a realm where Death doesn't reach. The souls of this place have grown out of their natural limits and have become beasts and demi-gods. While looking for the soul, the Crow will learn of his origins and that of the world around him.
Despelote
Despelote is a exploration game about how soccer connects people across the world, and also drives them apart. The setting takes place in Ecuador during its first qualifying run for the World Cup in 2oo2. It's a semi-autobiographical game where the player plays as a young boy in a central park in Quito, Ecuador. As players explore, they will hear improvised conversations that are meant to convey the feeling of the time in a more natural way.
Garden Story
As the new Guardian of the Grove in Garden Story, Concord the grape will be tasked with saving their home island from Rot, inspiring their neighbors, and rebuilding their home. While there is plenty of work for the young grape protagonist to do, it's up to players to explore the vibrant island and take time to relax in the grove and grow their garden.
Last Stop
In Last Stop, the player will play as three protagonists who are experiencing a supernatural event in London. The three protagonists are wildly different, including a high school student, a single dad, and an ambitious professional. Each character will have a unique role playing experience and will have to make decisions as they learn the stories of these three separate protagonists.
Loot River
Journeying down a mysterious river, the player will look for loot and understanding of the shifting pieces that make up the pathway through the river. Each map will be procedurally generated in this rogue-like, providing a new challenge every time. However, the real attraction to Loot River is the spatial blocks that create paths through the river, and the way they fit together is reminiscent of the classic arcade game, Tetris.
Moonglow Bay
On the Eastern Canadian coastline, Moonglow Bay will take players through a heart-wrenching, yet relaxing, fishing adventure. Through this journey, the player will work as an amateur fisher who is attempting to keep their partner's business afloat, as it was their final wish. The player can be joined by a friend with drop-in/drop-out co-op to help them fish, cook, and then sell their recipes in order to be able to afford to upgrade their various equipment.
Phantom Abyss
Nothing feels less important in a game than when players achieve the same accomplishments that everyone has a million times before. That's how it's been since the beginning of gaming, but it's about to change with Phantom Abyss. In this massive asynchronous multiplayer, the player will journey through a temple looking for an artifact while avoiding traps and guardians. However, each new temple will be procedurally generated, and players will only get one shot each to claim the prize. With their own whip, Phantom Abyss makes the player into Indiana Jones, with one shot to get the treasure.
Road 96
Speaking of unique experiences, Road 96 will ensure that a player's journey is never the same as someone else's. The year is 1996 and it's finally the day to set out in search of freedom on the open road. The gameplay will see the player hitchhiking along a procedurally generated road that will ensure that no two players have the same journey to the border.
Soup Pot
In Soup Pot, the player will be able to cook whatever they can dream of with locally sourced and supermarket ingredients. The game is meant to boost creativity by giving players free reign over their kitchen and letting them experiment with over 100 recipes. There's no way to fail a dish, so players should feel free to go back and try new things with each recipe.
The Wandering Village
In this game, the player will quite literally stand on the back of a giant. The Wandering Village is a city-building sim that takes place on the back of a behemoth of a creature. As he travels around the world, he will walk through different biomes. Due to this, the player will have to battle against nature as well a creeping fungus that seeks to take over the creature's back for itself.
TOEM
In the hand-drawn animation game TOEM, players will have to use their camera to uncover the mysteries of the world around them. The camera can be used to solve puzzles, help the strange characters, and make some sweet memories along the way. The cheerful music and easy-going nature makes TOEM a great game to relax to.
Unbeatable
Music is illegal and party rocking carries the death penalty. In Unbeatable, players will be a part of an underground band that fights the man with their music. This story is part rhythm game and part narrative about doing crime to perform the music that is forbidden. The set list that the band can perform will change too, depending on what decisions the player made during Unbeatable. The main character uses these decisions as inspiration for writing songs.
Vokabulantis
Stop-motion is one of the simplest way to animate, although it is also the longest. There have been many movies and TV shows that have taken advantage of this format, but very few video games. Vokabulantis seeks to create one of the first completely stop-motion animated games. The goal is to make a game that feels responsive and immersive for the player.
Demolition Robots K.K.
Demolition Robots K.K. is one of the three games featured by Asobu, Japan's indie "lighthouse" that has helped kickstart an indie boom in the country. This four player co-op destruction game relies on the robots to work together to destroy as many buildings as they can. It won't be that easy though, because the viewers will be able to place traps and initiate actions that can limit the robots. The idea is that the audience work as the citizens the robots are trying to kill.
Elec Head
Elec Head is an upcoming puzzle platformer that takes place in a world of darkness. The main character is a bundle of electricity who sends energy through any structure that he touches. It's up to Elec to relight his world. Elec Head is another game brought by Japan's Asobu.
Walk
The third game from Asobu is called Walk. It's an atmospheric horror game that draws it's roots from similar horror titles in the '90s. Walk follows a little girl as she tries to get back home before nightfall, less she fall victim to the monsters.
Day of the Devs is such an important event, now more than ever. Iam8bit and Double Fine have paired together to make sure that the up-and-coming indie developers who've put in the hard work get recognition. Now, this year and those that follow, the showcase will show all its games off online and will therefore help the games sell more than a few copies.