GameSpot Play For All Showcase Roundup

In the packed E3 season, it’s easy to lose track of everything that’s been announced – even worse, a lot of indie titles are announced in the shadow of AAA reveals and teasers. GameSpot aims to quell that with their Play For All Showcase, which aired this Tuesday later in the day and shined a light on some upcoming titles that may come by the wayside for most gamers that only tuned in for the big stuff.

The 2021 Play For All Showcase kicked off with managing editor Tamoor Hussain directing the aim of the game for the presentation: “We’re boosting awareness for games and teams that haven’t has as much availability as they deserve. More importantly, we’re highlighting games and teams that encourage inclusivity, tolerance, and togetherness at their core.” With diversity at the forefront, it’s evident that the upcoming projects are a testament of the wide array of developers/teams that encompass gaming as a whole.

The first trailer comes for Unsighted, a gorgeous pixel-art roguelike that appears with visceral action and a deep upgrade system, set for a Fall 2021 release/demo via the Humble Store/Switch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k0WJeseAfk

Next up is BearBone’s Minds Beneath Us, a cyberpunk adventure title with a freaky horror foreshadowing sandwiched into the trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQNw45rZeM4

We continue with the absurd soda fighting game, Super Drink Bros, which I’ve already seen content creators play in its alpha-yet-polished state.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-xAvMeU6RY

Up next is Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan, containing a cartoony art style and a familiar “re-color the world” premise.

Continuing on is the de-made graphics of El Paso Elsewhere, containing a very close resemblance to Max Payne in the narrative voice-over storytelling, slow-mo jumping, and dual pistol-laden protagonist. We get a laid-back interview with the director of the title, learning more about the game’s premise, its influences, the soundtrack, and more.

More trailers arrive, with a premiere for Block’Em, a platformer where you build your own path to the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMWof_lLhpk

Rain on your Parade follows, a game where you control a cloud and wreak water havoc on crowds. This trailer truly caught my attention with an inspired DIY approach, showcasing what the game had to offer better than most trailers manage to do thanks to walking the viewer through it instead of being flashy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AayLY1NeNN0

Spiral appears to combat dementia, coming off as a ludo-narrative adventure game that encapsulates memories a la Before Your Eyes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RF-P9irYyA

Lost Eidolons gives off big Fire Emblem vibes in its trailer, showing off tactical combat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTKaFnqVEjc

Soup Pot looks to be a compelling cooking simulator – this is followed by an interview to delve into the Phillipine-developed game and how it all comes together across the world. Coming up are even more trailers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_5PSVUONNU

Tandem: A Tale of Shadows is a stylish puzzler, teasing its mechanics without giving the whole game away in the trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFW8zA3gLgs

Fractured Veil is a post-apocalyptic survival game set in the remains of Maui.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=276iNnQmYXo

Lab Rat has you reviewing a puzzle game created by an AI. It seems to also have several branching paths within.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ2t1SaZCfU

Next up is She Dreams Elsewhere, a retro-esque RPG taking place in a mall full of enemies to take out in turn-based combat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxBB7SNyV-c

Then came a trailer for Derpy Conga, an adorable Pikmin-esque platformer. The trailer didn’t show much, but it definitely looks charming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ziprf-MqQP8

Freshly Frosted looks to be a puzzle game where you make a donut factory. It looks both really fun, and really complex.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-0e8_DY2sE

Chinatown Detective Agency took the spotlight next, showcasing a cybernoir game that may require you to do real research to solve puzzles. Hopefully your Google-fu is ready!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxFLLaVyba4

Blind Fate: Edo No Yami was next, with an interview and trailer discussing the blind protagonist. The interview also went into a little detail on how the blindness of the protagonist impacts the gameplay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5dUV8NPN0c

Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator then had a very brief trailer. It looks like the folks looking to make their own beer will really enjoy this one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ud9mY-R6zE

What the Duck made a surprising entrance. This action game is chaotic, weird, and looks really good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki7pfuaifwg

Townscaper dropped a new trailer showcasing the town-building mechanics of the upcoming release. It looks like a very chill, calm city-building game, akin to Islanders.

Play For All wrapped up with the Spirited Away inspired Onsen Master. The developer interview shined a light on the game, as well as how the industry can improve in terms of representation. The showcase successfully got me excited for a lot of titles I would otherwise never have heard of.