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The eShop Gems Of The Year: 2021 Edition | All Things Nintendo

by Brian Shea on Dec 03, 2021 at 03:00 PM

As we approach the end of 2021, every podcast and major outlet is starting to reflect on the best the year had to offer. This week, Brian invites Game Informer associate editor Jill Grodt to talk about the best indie games that came to Switch over the course of 2021. The pair runs down a ton of indie games you can find on the eShop, giving you a wide variety of titles to help you potentially find something new that you might have missed earlier in the year.

If you'd like to follow the people from this episode on Twitter, hit the following links: Brian Shea (@brianpshea), Jill Grodt (@Finruin)

The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we can celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, Brian is joined by different guests to talk about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, they'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we all grew up with. A new episode hits every Friday!

Be sure to subscribe to All Things Nintendo on your favorite podcast platform. The show is available on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and Google Podcasts.


00:00:00 – Introduction
00:01:36 – First Nintendo Game/Favorite Nintendo Game
00:06:53 – Why Are Indie Games Rarely "Favorite Games of All Time"?
00:15:02 – Jill Grodt's "Fall for Indies" Column
00:18:43 – The eShop Gems of the Year
00:20:22 – Blue Fire
00:21:58 – Unpacking
00:26:48 – Death's Door
00:29:40 – Unsighted
00:31:50 – Toem
00:36:07 – Lost in Random
00:41:14 – Dodgeball Academia
00:43:31 – Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
00:45:43 – The Forgotten City
00:50:10 – The Binding of Isaac: Repentance
00:53:29 – Hoa
00:56:31 – Griftlands
00:57:55 – Dreamscaper
01:01:57 – Eastward
01:04:11 – Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
01:05:28 – Loop Hero
01:09:18 – Tails of Iron
01:11:06 – Olija
01:12:31 – Wytchwood
01:18:12 – Definitive Ranking: Upcoming Indie Games


If you'd like to get in touch with the All Things Nintendo podcast, you can do so by emailing AllThingsNintendo@GameInformer.com, tweeting to Brian (@BrianPShea), or by joining the official Game Informer Discord server. You can do that by linking your Discord account to your Twitch account and subscribing to the Game Informer Twitch channel. From there, find the All Things Nintendo channel under "Community Spaces."


For more Game Informer podcasts, be sure to check out The Game Informer Show, which covers the weekly happenings of the video game industry, and Video Gameography with host Ben Reeves, which explores the history of video games – one series at a time!

Products In This Article

Blue Firecover

Blue Fire

Platform:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
February 4, 2021 (Switch, PC), 
July 9, 2021 (Xbox One), 
July 23, 2021 (PlayStation 4)
Unpackingcover

Unpacking

Platform:
PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS, Android
Release Date:
November 2, 2021 (Xbox One, Switch, PC), 
May 10, 2022 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4), 
August 24, 2023 (iOS, Android)
Death's Doorcover

Death's Door

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS, Android
Release Date:
July 20, 2021 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC), 
November 23, 2021 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch), 
TBA (iOS, Android)
Unsightedcover

Unsighted

Platform:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
Toemcover

Toem

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
September 17, 2021 (PlayStation 5, Switch, PC), 
July 18, 2023 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One)
Lost in Randomcover

Lost in Random

Platform:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date:
Dodgeball Academiacover

Dodgeball Academia

Platform:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasioncover

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

Platform:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
April 22, 2021 (Switch, PC), 
April 18, 2022 (Xbox One), 
December 20, 2022 (PlayStation 4)
The Forgotten Citycover

The Forgotten City

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
July 28, 2021 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC), 
September 23, 2021 (Switch)
The Binding Of Isaac: Repentancecover

The Binding Of Isaac: Repentance

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
March 31, 2021 (PC), 
November 4, 2021 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch)
Hoacover

Hoa

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
Griftlandscover

Griftlands

Platform:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
Dreamscapercover

Dreamscaper

Platform:
Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
August 5, 2021 (Switch, PC), 
February 3, 2022 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One)
Eastwardcover

Eastward

Platform:
Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
September 16, 2021 (Switch, PC), 
December 1, 2022 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One)
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knightscover

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
June 22, 2021 (Switch, PC), 
June 28, 2021 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One), 
July 20, 2021 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4)
Loop Herocover

Loop Hero

Platform:
Switch, PC
Release Date:
March 4, 2021 (PC), 
December 9, 2021 (Switch)
Olijacover

Olija

Platform:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
Wytchwoodcover

Wytchwood

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
Lil Gator Gamecover

Lil Gator Game

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
December 14, 2022 (Switch, PC), 
October 10, 2023 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Card Sharkcover

Card Shark

Platform:
Switch, PC
Release Date:
Dordognecover

Dordogne

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
Mineko's Night Marketcover

Mineko's Night Market

Platform:
PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
September 26, 2023 (Switch, PC), 
October 26, 2023 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Oxenfree II: Lost Signalscover

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals

Platform:
PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, PC, Mac, iOS, Android
Release Date:
Mewgenicscover

Mewgenics

Platform:
PC, iOS
Release Date:
2024
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Maskcover

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Platform:
N64
Release Date:

Jill Grodt contributed to this article.