As part of Summer Game Fest, publisher Annapurna Interactive hosted its first-ever showcase debuting new games and revealing an additional look at some you may have already known about. The showcase was packed full of striking titles signature of Annapurna's branding, and held plenty of games that you'll be able to get your hands on soon enough. From the touchingly somber A Memoir Blue, to the intriguing Skin Deep, we've got a roundup of everything you saw today – including the big Outer Wilds reveal.
The Artful Escape
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Game Pass, Steam
Release Date: September 9, 2021
The Artful Escape launches you into the ‘70s as Francis Vendetti who must come face-to-face with colorful, wild environments straight from his imagination. Its all-star cast features actors like Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Jason Schwartzman (Fargo), and Carl Weathers (The Mandalorian), among others.
Neon White
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Steam
Release Date: December 2021
Described as a “game for freaks,” Neon White is quite a departure from developer Ben Esposito’s Donut County. In Neon White, you’ll face off against other demon slayers in fast-paced, first-person battles to duke it out over who gets into Heaven.
Outerloop Games (Untitled)
Platforms: TBD
Release Date: TBD
Outerloop Games isn’t ready to share its project name just yet, but Annapurna revealed it would publish the studio’s next project. The team is a minority-led company, with creators who focus on making things accessible and themes that focus on immigrant culture.
A Memoir Blue
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Game Pass, PS4, PS5, Steam, Nintendo Switch, iOS
Release Date: TBD
A wordless, magical tale, A Memoir Blue retraces memories from the past with a young woman as she reflects on fond memories of a trip with her mother. However, the more she digs, the more she realizes the events from that day aren't as joyous as she recalled.
Jessica Mak (Untitled Project)
Platforms: TBD
Release Date: TBD
You may already know her name from Everyday Shooter or Sound Shapes, and now Jessica Mak is working on another game. Like a few other projects at the showcase, Mak wasn’t ready to share what she had just yet, but Annapurna Interactive will publish her next game.
Storyteller
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Steam
Release Date: TBD, Demo available now via Steam
Adorable storybook puzzler Storyteller puts you in the author’s seat as you mix and match comic panels to create and solve parts of the story. You’ll have an arsenal of charming heroes, villains, dragons, and other characters to swap about in your story to make the tale your own.
Solar Ash
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Epic Game Store
Release Date: October 26, 2021
Annapurna Interactive will publish the next game from the studio behind Hyper Light Drifter, Solar Ash. Much like the former, Solar Ash sports a stunning use of color as you glide your way through a world that’s a bit reminiscent of Journey.
Ivy Road (Untitled Project)
Platforms: TBD
Release Date: TBD
Creatives behind The Stanley Parable, Gone Home, and Tacoma have launched their newest studio, Ivy Road, with Annapurna Interactive as their publisher. While Ivy Road’s developers didn’t have specifics to share, they sport a team that has crafted some of your favorite indie darlings, and remain something to watch.
Skin Deep
Platforms: Steam
Release Date: TBD
Blendo Games has a strikingly bizarre style, and you may recognize the studio’s work from games like Quadrilateral Cowboy. Founder Bredon Chung returns with yet another title that follows their signature aesthetic, dropping you into a first-person shooter where your biggest enemy is the junk getting stuck in your feet.
Stray
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Steam
Release Date: Early 2022
In Stray, you’re a third-person alley cat that’s just trying to get out of an abandoned city. Along the way, your kitty will meow and converse with the city’s strange robot inhabitants while trying to preserve its nine lives.
No Code Studio (Untitled Project)
Platforms: TBD
Release Date: TBD
No Code is another studio working on something with Annapurna that’s still hush-hush. In the studio’s brief teaser, the developers behind Observation and Stories Untold revealed they’re working on another unsettling title, but don’t have an estimate on its release window just yet.
Outer Wilds: Echoes of The Eye
Platforms: Nintendo Switch (Upcoming), PS4, Xbox One, Steam, Epic Games Store
Release Date: September 28
Echoes of The Eye will be Outer Wilds’ first and only expansion. While the trailer may have left you excited and confused, developer Mobius Digital assured it’ll all make sense later. Also, the Switch version is still on the way.
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