Day Of The Devs: SGF Edition 2023 Recap – Beastieball, Cart Life, And More

Day Of The Devs has become one of the premier showcases for indie developers to show off their latest games, and the 2023 edition is no exception: 15 new and upcoming indie titles were unveiled during the event, a list which includes new games from some prominent indie teams.

The post-Summer Game Fest event began with Beastieball, which is the latest project from Wishes Unlimited–also known as the team behind 2021’s Chicory: A Colorful Tale. Beastieball is a mixture of volleyball and Pokemon, where players will befriend and recruit Beasties and compete in Beastieball tournaments–matches playing out like turn-based RPG battles. Beastieball is scheduled for a 2024 release, with a crowdfunding campaign set to begin soon.

Cart Life, which originally released to critical acclaim in 2013 before being pulled from online marketplaces by its creator, was also highlighted during the show. Cart Life is a “slice-of-life simulation” where players control merchants trying to sell different goods on the streets of a city in the western United States. Player choices can influence whether each merchant prioritizes their cart or their life outside of work, which has effects on the overall story.

Perhaps the most interesting game of the showcase was Henry Halfhead, which puts players in the titular role of Henry, who is half of a human head. Henry can jump into and possess objects in a room, which he can then use to solve puzzles and complete ordinary tasks like making breakfast and getting ready for work.

The rest of the games featured during the Day Of The Devs: SGF Edition 2023 showcase are below:

• Hyper Light Breaker
  • The sequel to 2016’s Hyper Light Drifter, this game moves the franchise from pixelated 2D graphics to a 3D world, and it focuses on visual storytelling with no voice acting. Roguelite elements from the previous game return, as the world changes every time the game is played.
• Simpler Times
  • This game features Dinah, a young woman who is moving out of her childhood home. The developers mention that they want players to “slow down and savor the moment” as they complete puzzles through interacting with Dinah’s childhood bedroom and other areas of the house.
• Viewfinder
  • This is a unique 3D puzzle game where the player can take or find pictures of the world around them, and then superimpose whatever is in the photo onto the world itself. Environmental puzzles require the player to use pictures to create new pathways and new perspectives in order to progress through the game.
• Hauntii
  • Hauntii follows a small ghost who is moving through the afterlife collecting stars, which serve as pieces of their past life. The ghost can possess objects and use their abilities to move forward through the world and locate each star. The devs call the game a “twin-stick shooter” that focuses less on heavy action and more on exploration of the world.
• Helskate
  • Described as “Tony Hawk but with demons,” Helskate is a roguelite action game which combines the skating mechanics of the Tony Hawk franchise with hack-and-slash combat found in games like Devil May Cry. Players can carry over resources from run to run, which will make them more powerful in later attempts. The game is releasing in early access in early 2024.
• Cocoon
  • Cocoon is the latest game from Jeppe Carlsen, who was the lead game designer on Limbo and Inside. Players will control a small beetle-like creature who will explore multiple worlds each contained in orbs. The creature can jump into and out of the orbs at will, which allows it to hop from world to world as needed. The orbs can also be carried and used to solve puzzles, as shown during the pipe puzzle in the presentation.
• Ete
  • Ete puts players in the role of a painter who uses a watercolor brush to paint the colorless world around them. As the player fills objects with color, the painter will receive “droplets” which can then be used to paint portraits both freehand and commissions by NPCs in the game. Any objects discovered in the world can be used while at an easel creating portraits.
• Summerhill
  • Summerhill is an isometric adventure game that focuses on shepherding, and it stars a boy and his dog trying to regroup his flock across multiple worlds. Leading a flock through an archway will transport it to another world, where the boy can collect more sheep.
• Eternights
  • The first game from Studio Sai mixes heavy action and hack-and-slash combat with a dating sim. The player can build relationships through minigames, exploring dialogue options, and fighting alongside certain characters as they crawl through the game’s many dungeons.
• Retro Gadgets
  • Retro Gadgets lets players build random gadgets out of spare parts. The trailer shows a few examples of what can be built, which includes an old MP3 player, cassette tapes, Tiger Electronics-style handheld games, and more. The game is currently out now in Early Access for any who want to try their hand at tinkering.
• Mars First Logistics
  • Mars First Logistics follows a new colony on Mars, but through the lens of a new company that specializes in delivering goods from one area to another via exploration rovers. Players will design their own rovers, and then use them to deliver supplies, pizza, and more.
• Saltsea Chronicles
  • The final game of Day Of The Devs: SGF Edition 2023 is the latest from Mutazione developer Die Gute Fabrik. Saltsea Chronicles follows a ship that’s missing its captain, and the crew must sail to different locations in order to gather clues to their whereabouts. The game focuses on choice-based gameplay, but it also features a trick-taking card minigame where each location has its own “house rules.” Saltsear Chronicles is scheduled to launch sometime in 2023.