ID@Xbox Indie Game Showcase 2021 Overview

ID@Xbox 2021 Showcase took place on 26th of March and as is tradition, a group of us here at GameGrin gathered to watch and report on all the new announcements we would be experiencing. Slight twist though, none of us knew how long the livestream would be (it was three hours), so, extra fun?

The stream is hosted by Trisha Hershberger and Briana Williams (aka Storymodebae) and was focused on Indie titles on the Xbox. At the very beginning we’re given a very brief overview of the types of games we can expect to hear about and then we jump straight into some trailers.

First up is a trailer for the new title from TwistedRed, called ExoMecha. It’s a free-to-play online competitive shooter, with lots and lots of mecha suits. If you’re a fan of Crysis you might see some similarities here, and the game will be heading to our screens this year, 2021. You can sign up for the beta on their website here.

Then we take a look at The Ascent, an upcoming cyberpunk-esque action-shooter RPG with both solo and cooperative gameplay. Today the trailer shows us a more detailed look at the co-op side of things, which allows up to four players to experience the game together. There is no release date quite yet, but we should expect one very soon.

Next up is a frankly stunning trailer from solo developer Jonas Maknae for the charming third-person adventure Omno. The graphics are very impressive, especially for a solo developer and it’s clear a lot of love has gone into the creation of this game.

More sweet graphics on show in the next trailer from Humble Games and Moonlight Kids, as we get a release date for The Wild at Heart. There’s not long to wait with the adventure strategy title available from 20th May, 2021.

There is a brief look at the upcoming title Voidtrain from Nearga and HypeTrain Digital. It looks to be an interesting spin on survival twists with a focus on vehicles of rail variety. Unfortunately there is no official release date just yet, and we’re looking at a possible 2022 launch.

After Voidtrain there is, as our outstanding notes taker Luke put it, “a blitz of trailers”. The titles that are shown include:

• Aerial Knight’s Never Yield
• The Forest Cathedral
• Princess Farmer
• Spacelines from The Far Out
• Little Witch in the Woods
• Knight Squad 2
• Iron Corbo: Kung Fu Janitor
• Echo Generation
• despelote
• Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
• Mad Streets
• The Riftbreaker
• An Airport for Aliens Currently Ran by Dogs
• Super Space Club
• Lake
• The Big Con
• Atrio: The Dark Wild
• Cloud Gardens
• Alchemic Cutie
• Griftlands
• Adios
• Clouzy!
• Onsen Master
• Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance

After this onslaught of games there’s an interview with Chris Charla, Director of ID@Xbox where he discusses the importance of how indie games shape the gaming industry and set the trends for games, and the love he and his team have for how the current videogame climate accepts indie titles.

Another interview is up next, this time with Lu Nacimento and Zach Soares, the co-founders of Bunnyhug, the team behind upcoming title Moonglow Bay. The game focuses around the protagonist, an angler who is trying to discover what happened to their lost partner. Of course in Moonglow Bay not everything is quite as it seems, and supernatural elements find their way into the game as it moves forward. This is all very exciting but to be honest everyone here at GameGrin was sold at the mention of one perfect little pupper called Waffles. GOTY? I think so.

We get a shiny new trailer for art of rally and its console port. The game from Funselektor Labs is already out on PC with overwhelming positive reviews on Steam, so Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One users will be happy to see it heading their way Summer 2021.

Survival games are pretty hot right now, and we get a trailer for yet another offering in the genre. Craftopia is a new multiplayer survival title, currently in Early Access on Steam and apparently heading to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One soon, although no official release date yet.

If you’ve been frustrated that insanely popular survival (yes, another one) game, Rust is not yet available on consoles, then you will be mightily pleased to hear the wait is finally over...at some point this year...for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One users.

Another trailer is up, this time for a very arcadey, very ‘80s inspired game, Narita Boy from Studio Koba & Team 17. The title is out now, in fact, for the PC, Xbox One and Switch.

If you are a fan of terrifying neighbours, then you might be excited for Hello Neighbor 2 from tinyBuild. The trailer shown during ID@Xbox gives us a deeper look into the AI behind the nasty neighbour himself, and just how advanced it is. The AI will learn from all players’ actions and constantly evolve, so that’s fun. Let’s just welcome the robot overlords now shall we?

Everyone in our GameGrin watching party had their stomachs rumbling with the reveal of Soup Pot from Phillipino development studio, Chikon Club. If you are also hungry we suggest you get something now and not wait for the release, which is the 31st of August this year.

No surprises here but there are more trailers and this one is for Demon Turf. The game plays around with 2D and 3D graphics to create a unique playstyle. The game is heading to PC, Switch and Xbox Series X|S at some point in 2021.

It’s time for Enlisted to leave the Xbox Game Preview program as the title will be seeing a full release. The trailer shown warns us that we have a very limited time to grab the title with its special pre-release, in-game bonuses, when it comes out officially on the 8th of April 2021.

Chivalry II is officially announced, with a release date of the 8th of June 2021. There will also be a closed beta at the end of April for players that preorder the title.

If you’ve not yet had your fill of viking-related gaming in 2021, then Song of Iron may appeal to you. We take a look at the trailer showcasing some of the different environments and gameplay we can expect to see upon its release. There is no official release date yet, but it should be invading our lands and screens at some point this year.

If vikings are a bit outdated for you now, then the futuristic exploration title shown next, Exo One could be more up your alley. No release date for this one either, but fingers crossed we can glide our way through some of these fantastical environments in 2021.

Beloved developer DrinkBox Studios gives us a peek at their upcoming title Nobody Saves the World, which feels appropriate after the year we’ve just had. It will be coming the Xbox One and Series X|S “soon-ish” and will be available on Xbox Game Pass from launch.

A never before seen title is up next, with an announcement trailer for Astria Ascending. The JPRG from Artisan Studios will let players explore a wholly new fantasy world when it releases in 2021 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC *gasps for air*.

More survival game trailers, in case you were worried we didn’t have enough. This one is for Last Oasis, which is currently available on the Xbox Game Preview program, or on Steam Early Access.

Lost Eidolons from Ocean Drive Studio is revealed in a new trailer. It’s a turn-based RPG with that sweet medieval theme, but won’t be coming out until 2022, so a little while to wait yet.

Big title up next, what we’ve all been waiting for. That’s right, it’s only bloody Lawn Mowing Simulator. It’s out in Summer 2021, but no specific date yet, and if there was I wouldn’t tell you - I’m no grass.

I don’t envy the game following Lawn Mowing Simulator, but someone has to. In this case it’s top-down, dungeon crawler, Loot River. It will be coming to PC and Xbox One, as well as Series X|S, but there’s no mention of a release date at this time.

Victoria Tran, Community Director of Innersloth makes an appearance to talk to us about the latest around so-popular-AOC-played it, Among Us. Among Us will be finally heading to Xbox consoles this year, and will be part of the Game Pass lineup. The title will also be receiving a new map, in the form of the Airship. The new map is available right now.

We’ve got some more interviews up next, with Mark Foster and David Fenn from Acid Nerve, the Manchester-based team responsible for upcoming title Death’s Door. Death’s Door sees you take on the role of a crow, whose job is reaping the souls of those who live too long, in a world where nothing dies of natural causes. It’s an impressive offering from the two-person team, and we look forward to seeing it in all its glory this summer.

Second Extinction is a three-person cooperative title, currently on Steam Early Access, with some great reviews. It’s now coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on the 28th of April this year as part of the Xbox Game Preview program, as well as the Game Pass.

An announcement trailer is up next for the console release of We Are The Caretakers, a turn-based strategy game coming to Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S as well as Steam on the 22nd April this year, with 10% of all revenue from the game going towards the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Rhino Recovery Fund.

We received confirmation that Blaster Master Zero 3 will be coming to the Xbox One, as well as the Switch PlayStation 4 and PC releases which had already been announced. The title will be released on the 29th of July 2021.

Zakhar Bocharov appears on the stream and everyone in our GG watch party is super hyped as we realise we’re finally gonna get to see some S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 content. We are all fairly quickly left a little disappointed however to discover that there is no trailer for the title, but we are treated to a bunch of high-quality assets that will feature in the game, including some of the weapons we’ll see as well as some very detailed character models.

We’re nearing the end now and we’re treated to an interview with Luis Antonio, the brain behind top-down, branching narrative title, Twelve Minutes. The interview provided a lot of insight into the process that went into the creation of this new title. Twelve Minutes utilises the impressive vocal talents of Daisy Ridley, James McAvoy and Willem Dafoe, and definitely looks to be one to watch. The title has already been delayed and currently has no official release date, but will launch at some point in 2021.

Another game from publisher Annapurna Interactive is Last Stop, which also features a branching narrative concept and is set in present-day London. There is a short developer walkthrough shown, featuring some of the gameplay we can expect when it releases in 2021.

Finally there is a video around the Xbox Game Pass showcasing the many titles it has available.

That’s it folks. A three hour stream, and a lot of indie content.