Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Day of the Devs Digital Showcase has highlighted a plethora of upcoming indie games. The hour-long live stream gave small teams and solo developers the chance to introduce their projects to gamers around the world.In 2012, developer Double Fine Productions and media company iam8bit joined forces to curate an event that celebrates and spotlights exceptional indie games. Thus, the first Day of the Devs was established. Since then, the showcase has featured more than 500 games from every platform at events online and in person.The 10th Anniversary Digital Showcase was hosted on Twitch and YouTube, presenting a total of 17 different indie games:
- Mina The Hollower
- Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley
- Escape Academy: Escape From Anti-Escape Island
- Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County
- Dead Pets Unleashed
- Terra Nil
- Thirsty Suitors
- Colossal Cave (Remake)
- Surmount
- Gunbrella
- Evolutis: Duality
- Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
- Slime Heroes
- Samurai Zero
- Sunshine Shuffle
- What The Bat?
- Sea Of Stars
The selected games were created by studios around the world, from Australia to Norway. Some will be released as soon as next week, while others are expected to be released next year or do not yet have a set release date. At the event, three titles had their World Premiere first look — the puzzle game Escape Academy: Escape From Anti-Escape Island, mountain climbing adventure Surmount, and narrative poker adventure Sunshine Shuffle.
Standout titles also include Dead Pets Unleashed, a slice-of-life and management-lite game with a feminist narrative, Thirsty Suitors, a story-driven action RPG about battling exes and disappointing immigrant parents, and Terra Nil, a reverse city builder about restoring ecosystems.
Although the Day of the Devs focuses on pre-release titles rather than retro games, iam8bit founder Jon Gibson noted that the organizers made an exception for Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. Developer Digital Eclipse put together a collection of interactive timelines, interviews, historical artifacts, and more than 90 games to commemorate 50 years since Atari was founded.
Thousands of viewers tuned in to Day of the Devs, spelling out a success and more wishlists for the featured games. One of the most highly anticipated titles is Sabotage Studio's Sea of Stars, a retro-inspired RPG with turn-based combat and pixel graphics. Fans of the developer's retro platformer The Messenger are excited that Sea of Stars will take place in the same universe and launch in 2023 after four years of development.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Day of the Devs took a three-year hiatus from in-person events. On November 5, Double Fine Productions and iam8bit will host the first post-pandemic live showcase at the Midway in San Francisco, California. The free family-friendly event will feature more than 70 games, live music, and refreshments. Those who purchase the Day of the Devs Humble Bundle will receive a VIP ticket for the showcase along with 16 games. Prospective attendees of the in-person celebration can RSVP on Eventbrite.