Women-Led Games Showcase 2024 Roundup

“Why isn’t there a Men-Led showcase?” Look at the majority of the industry, it is led by men in the spotlight. A showcase such as this is not to exclude men, but to highlight those who are often overlooked and themselves excluded. I believe that will annoy the men Madeleine Albright spoke about, the very ones complaining about a Women-Led showcase that features games worked on by men too. Disingenuous people aside, we got a great look at another bunch of games shown off last week, this being the sixth show I’ve covered, so let’s get into it.

Hosted by the lovely Liana Ruppert (@DirtyEffinHippy), the first game showcased in the short Women-Led direct was Ra Ra Boom, a “fast-paced four-player co-op beat ‘em up following a team of ninja cheerleaders from space.” Colorful and quite charming, I have to use a common refrain with 2D side-scrolling beat ‘em ups, they are nice but I’m not a fan. Developed by Gylee Games, Ra Ra Boom is coming to Steam, Epic, GOG, and “Xbox.” Beyond the logo in the trailer, I can’t find other details on the Xbox launch.

Out now and we’ve spoken about it a couple of times now, we got another look at Niku Games’ The Palace on the Hill. A two-person team with external help, this slice-of-life, open-world adventure about running a chai shop in rural India and possibly teenage flirtation looks stunning. Released during the Wholesome Direct, The Palace on the Hill is out now, only on Steam. There is a free prologue out now too.

Sadly not the remake of 80s political satire Yes Minister/Yes, Prime Minister, Brave At Night’s next game, Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall got a showing. Now, I’m no detective, but maybe this well-lit pixel graphics strategy is about having your kingdom (as you take on the role of king) survive and thrive through the Slavic Winter. Honestly, I thought this was part of the Kingdom series for a hot minute. Coming to Steam, Switch, and “Xbox,” sometime later this year, we didn’t get too many details.

Coming from Spanish developer Abylight Barcelona, Citadelum is a city-building 4X title that focuses on what I would guess is the Holy Roman Empire. I don’t think it is noted exactly when Citadelum is set, though it takes a different approach on the city builders you are used to as you can “Defy the Gods of the Pantheon or follow their will.” A demo is available now and the expected release is sometime later this year. Only noted to be coming to Steam, I think we can see why.

I guess I’m back to moaning about PR folks, as I only got an email about RainyGames’ SunnySide on the day of release. If I had known about it beforehand I’d have requested it long before now. A cooking, dating, and farming sim set in the Japanese countryside and more. Think Stardew Valley but anime and 3D. Yes, I was instantly sold too. Out now on Steam and Epic, there are console ports on the horizon. Coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on August 16th, SunnySide also has a demo on Steam right now.

Another showcase of Card Shark developer, Nerial’s new game, The Crush House, we got a more “in-depth” look at the other side of this 90s reality TV production game. By day you produce the show, do product placement, film heated or steamy angles between castmates, and satisfy the audience with what they want to see. However, by night there is something more sinister going on. Coming to Steam on August 9th, you can check out the demo also available on Steam right now.

Out now, however, is Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, a small and charming detective title from German studio Happy Broccoli Games. I could go on a paragraph-long description of this fantastic little game about de-duck-tions, but do I really have to? I wrote a whole review you can check out here if you’d like. Available now on Steam, GOG, and Nintendo Switch.

I don’t know how properly describe Unbound Creations’ next game, Just Crow Things. Can we start calling these Untitled Goose Game-likes “Mischief simulators?” No release date, but we do know Just Crow Things is coming to Steam, Switch, “Xbox,” and “PlayStation,” There again are no specifics on platforms. There is also a demo available on Steam, allowing you to “Make new animal friends, poop on unsuspecting hoomans[sic], and steal all the shiny trinkets!”

Following a thank you to sponsors Stray Fawn and Disobey, we got another look at Phoenix Springs from Calligram Studio. Releasing September 16th, we’ve seen this before, but illustrator and artist, Eleanor Summers, spoke about the upcoming title and the several-year journey to develop the art style. I’m still torn whether I’m excited for this one or not, as the descriptions sell me more on Phoenix Springs than the art style. Coming to Steam, there weren’t many other details we hadn’t learned before.

I was sold instantly when I saw that cat head superimposed on a human body for beyondthosehills’ Albert Wilde: Quantum P.I. Coming to Steam at some point, this anthropomorphized-creature noir looks to be very dark and twisted, balancing that out with the art direction. That and the dialog, with the best line of any trailer being: “All six of my nipples are tingling.” Strange way to propose, but I do! There is also a demo out on Steam right now.

I swear we’ve seen Beardshaker Games’ Soulitaire somewhere before, possibly a couple of years ago during a Wholesome Direct? I don’t rightly know, but Soulitaire isn’t a game about solitaire. Instead, is a game about running “your own cozy fortune-telling cafe: The Soulitaire!” A demo is out now from this cozy little title, though there isn’t a release date, we know Soulitaire will be coming to Steam.

Mácula Interactive was next to show off more of 2024’s upcoming journalist title, Mexico, 1921. A Deep Slumber. We saw this one during the Latin American Games Showcase, though we got another (short) look from a different angle – pun absolutely intended. Following the revolution, you will play a young journalist called Juan Aguirre as he captures history in historical places throughout Mexico City. Coming later this year, we’ll see Mexico, 1921. A Deep Slumber. on Steam and “Xbox.” There is also a demo on Steam right now.

We haven’t seen Yullia Prohorova and Timur Bogotov’s Woodo since it appeared on a Wholesome Direct some years ago. With still no release date in sight, we’ve wheeled out some extra little bits with an interview-ish segment and showing off that trailer that featured in the Wholesome show when most of us first saw it. I also seem to remember an NFT thing was involved, or maybe I’m thinking of something similar. Coming to Steam, there is a note on the website that a Switch port is also (at least) planned.

I was sitting here wondering why I could remember seeing Star Stuff and knowing it was connected to a showcase, but I couldn’t remember where. Then I remembered that Taylor spoke about Ánimo Games Studio’s automation puzzler a couple of weeks ago and noted this very showcase too. Out now on Steam, there isn’t a demo anymore, though when Star Stuff was shown during the Wholesome Direct 2022, I know there was. Call me old, but a demo should always be available to give someone an idea of what you’re game is about.

We’ve seen Silver Lining Studio’s The Star Named EOS a couple of times, not just this year but elsewhere too. Releasing on July 23rd, I’m better off listing the places you can pick it up as noted in the trailer now: Steam, Epic GOG, the Humble Store, Heybox and Sonkwo, the Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. A “story-rich puzzle adventure” you’ll take pictures and solve puzzles in this adorable anime-like designed world. A demo is also out now.

I feel like we haven’t seen Bubblegum Galaxy from Smarto Club in a long while. In fact, I thought it had been released. Part city builder and part puzzle game by the looks of it, there still isn’t a release date for the upcoming title. A cozy little title about building friendships with co-workers and discovering “who deleted the galaxy.” Coming to Steam, there is a demo out now.

Finally!!! We’ve seen Abyss X Zero from Studio Pixel Punk about two or three times already and there wasn’t much said or shown about it (until now), just short trailers and notes on where you can play it when it does release. Heavily inspired by PS1/N64 titles, mostly Zelda, you’ll play as the two women featured in the trailers as they are destined to fight each other by the end of the game. Developed by only two women in Brazil, this is the most surprising one of the entire week and one of the ones I want to see a lot more of. Coming to Steam, there is no demo this time.

There is, however, a demo for Dungeon Clawler, which is coming from Stray Fawn Studio. Releasing in Q3 of 2024, this dungeon crawling Rogue-like deck builder is one part dungeon exploration to two parts swearing at one of those grabby claw games you see at the seaside towns. A demo is out now on Steam, which is also the only noted platform.

An online PVP/co-op game about finding items in a mansion where ghosts are roaming around, but you have a magic torch that “kills” them. Yeah, to say I was heavily confused by Smol Games’ Hyde’s Haunt & Seek would be the understatement, and not just for the musical number. If I’m understanding this right, it is an asymmetrical title in the other direction, where one player is a human and the ghosts outnumber them. Coming to Steam, Hyde’s Haunt & Seek is another without a demo.

I like the art style of Münch (as the cover art shows), but Mac n Cheese Games’ upcoming isometric action Rogue-like isn’t so much exciting me with its gameplay. Set to release on Steam in Q4 of 2024, you’ll play as the monster devouring and killing as you evolve to destroy villages and cities. With the heavy metal theme, the art, and the overall style, I should want to play Munch/Münch, but I’m left looking for something more to sell me on it. There is a demo out now for Munch.

The final game shown was Kylyk Games’ Urban Jungle, a home designer-esque game in the Unpacking vein where you decorate people’s homes with plants. If you want to unlock more plants and get bonuses, you can even do a bit of a tidying up too. The showcase noted the release as TBA, though Steam notes that Urban Jungle should be out at some point this year. I was instantly sold, and not just for the accented Russian woman doing the voice-over. A demo is out now and there are more than 10,000 wishlists as of April. I assume that’s gone up quite a bit.

The Women-Led Games showcase is certainly one that has a lot of variety, but unlike Wholesome or Latin American Games, there is just something special “missing.” I love the look of the game we ended on, but I don’t think that’s a show closer, but neither is anything here I don’t think. This was a strange but enjoyable showcase I want to see grow and improve. If you’d like to watch the full showcase, we’ve linked that down below.