The first day of Summer Game Fest was largely focused on games with guns, games in space, and games about having a gun in space. The follow-up Day of the Devs event, SGF’s third rendition of the dedicated space for indies, was a breath of fresh air. The event showcased several titles that were announced years ago, but now have firm release dates, while other small titles were announced for the first time.
One of the previously-announced games with updated release dates was Bear and Breakfast, a cute management sim about running a B&B(&B?) for wildlife. The game’s trailer shows an extensive crafting system and renovation options for your bed and breakfast, and reveals the game will release July 28 for Switch and Windows PC.
Another game that returned to SGF with a release date was Choo Choo Charles, a horror-train game that’s about as far tonally as you can get from the rest of the games shown here. Since going viral in 2021, it’s back with a new trailer and will release later in 2022.
Among the newly-announced games were several puzzle titles, including the mysterious Animal Well, whose trailer (which is a puzzle itself) shows pixelated adventures through cavelike structures. Another puzzle game, A Little to the Left, is a household object placement game that reminds me of Unpacking, which became a surprise hit last year. How to Say Goodbye, which follows a ghost trying to accept their death, looks like an art book come to life and features environmental puzzles.
Several of the already-announced games have been featured at other indie focused events, including Wholesome Direct, which returns tomorrow. SGF continues through this weekend, with the PC Gaming Show Sunday afternoon, and presentations from Capcom and Microsoft on Sunday and Monday.