Summer Games Fest 2023: every showcase and what to expect
Summer Games Fest 2023 is a long list of various videogame showcases from some of the biggest players in the industry. From Day of the Devs spotlighting the best indie games to Xbox laying out triple-A plans, there’s a lot to see.
So, we’ve got a clear schedule so you know what’s on and where you can watch it. If you’re not sure what’s worth a look, we’ve got a brief roundup of each show and what we expect to see. We can’t be certain, but there are some good clues as to what exciting stuff may pop up.
Summer Games Fest 2023 opens with the Guerrilla Collective showcase and closes with Capcom, with a total of six days covered and twelve showcases confirmed for now, it’s going to be busy for everyone, so head below to have a clear SGF schedule and stay on top of everything.
Summer Games Fest 2023 schedule
Here’s everything confirmed for Summer Games Fest 2023, with times on a 24-hour clock.
| Showcase | Date | PT | ET | BST |
| Guerrilla Collective | June 7 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 17:00 |
| SGF 2023 Opening | June 8 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 20:00 |
| Day of the Devs | June 8 | 14:00 | 17:00 | 22:00 |
| Devolver Direct | June 8 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 23:00 |
| Access-Ability | June 9 | 08:00 | 11:00 | 16:00 |
| Tribeca Games | June 9 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 20:00 |
| Wholesome Direct | June 10 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 17:00 |
| Future Games Show | June 10 | 10:00 | 13:00 | 18:00 |
| Xbox + Starfield | June 11 | 10:00 | 13:00 | 18:00 |
| PC Gaming Show | June 11 | 13:00 | 16:00 | 21:00 |
| Ubisoft Forward | June 12 | 10:00 | 13:00 | 18:00 |
| Capcom | June 12 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 23:00 |
Guerrilla Collective Showcase
The Guerilla Collective Showcase offered up a look at a load of Steam and indie games. For us Switch and mobile lovers, there was a cutesy 2.5D title called Terra Memoria that we got a brief but beautiful look at. Plus Forgotlings, a charming and cartoony side-scroller with found-object character designs, cute mini-puzzler A Tiny Sticker Tale, and sequel to the ace Mega-Man-like 20XX, 30XX, all got mini trailers.
We got an amusing look at the fast-paced 2D platformer Anton Blast, too, before diving into some horror titles. The Switch offerings were thin, but the reality-bending one-bit narrative game World of Horror looks like a harrowing time (and comes to Switch on October 19, 2023!).
Following that was the turn-based, SMT-inspired Demonschool from Necrosoft Games, which looks right up our street. Then the WrestleQuest devs gave us an extended look at gameplay, with overworld exploration and turn-based combat in a wrestling ring.
We also saw Crashlands 2, a 2D exploration game with a comedy vibe and a crafting focus, plus Growth, a hexagonal puzzle game with a chill vibe, and Nova Lands, a 2D settlement builder where it looks like you can plop out minions and get them to work for you. Nice.
Kingdom: Eighties is the third entry in the excellent settlement-building series. This, of course, has an 80s-style and 2D sidescrolling pixel art, plus Stranger Things and ET references. Fun stuff, and it’s coming to Switch later this year. There was also Pizza Possum, Lake expansion Season’s Greetings, and Lil’ Guardsman, a cartoony passport control Papers-Please-type thing.
Rainy cyberpunk narrative Three Minutes to Eight had a brief but intriguing trailer, Promenade is a cutesy platformer, plus Nocturnal is out now. Dawn of the Monsters is getting DLC, plus Gori: Cuddly Carnage looks absolutely gnarly.
If you need something to play right away, Annalyn, an old-style arcade platformer that you can play vertically (with hot chiptune soundtrack!) is already out. There are lots of early access and Steam-only indies in the stream that could come to Switch one day, so be sure to check out the stream below.
Here’s everything we saw at the Guerilla Collective showcase that’s planned for Switch or mobile:
Summer Games Fest 2023 Opening Showcase
SGF 2023 has shared a picture of over 40 different devs and publishers it’s partnered with for reveals. Outside of that, our lord and savior Geoff “Jefferson” Keighley has been pretty tight-lipped, so your best bet is to tune in on the day on YouTube or Twitch.
Day of the Devs
From indie legends Double Fine and iam8bit, Day of the Devs promises to spotlight some of the greatest indie games out there. It’s always a good show, as you can see from the previous years’ participants, so be sure to tune in after the SGF 2023 opening showcase.
Devolver Direct
Devolver Digital is a little infamous for its wild and wacky showcases, and we don’t expect this year’s show to be any different. We don’t know what’ll be there, but Devolver has a reputation for publishing some stellar indies, so check it out on YouTube and Twitch.
Access-Ability Summer Showcase
The Access-Ability Summer Showcase focuses on games designed with disabled game players in mind. With six disabled gamers and accessibility consultants on hand, as well as game key giveaways, it’s a good idea to give it a watch on the stream below.
Tribeca Games Showcase
Wholesome Direct 2023
Wholesome Games focuses on cozy and cute indie titles guaranteed to make you feel at home. While we know very little about what’s coming, you can expect pastel color palettes, delicate and playful music, and good vibes all the way. Tune in on Twitch and YouTube.
Future Games Show Summer Showcase
Hosted by Marvel’s Spider-Man stars Yuri Lowenthal and Laura Bailey, the FGS Summer Showcase is a 70-minute event with over 50 multi-platform games. You can watch it all on Twitch and Youtube.
Xbox Games Showcase + Starfield Direct
The Xbox Games Showcase is still technically a mystery, but there are some educated guesses we can make. That Fable reboot? Almost definitely. Forza Motorsport? That should be out already. Starfield? Oh, well that’s in the name. We’re getting a full deep-dive into Starfield after the Xbox Games Showcase, so be ready for a long one over on Twitch and YouTube.
PC Gaming Show
PC Gaming isn’t really our bag at Pocket Tactics – no matter how hard I try, that darn desktop won’t fit in my cargo shorts – but there are still obvious predictions we can make. Think MMORPGs, CRPGs, and shooters, and you’re probably halfway there. You can watch it on YouTube and Twitch.
Ubisoft Forward
Ubisoft has already announced Assassin’s Creed Mirage, so expect some more info on that before its release later this year. There’s also coverage of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, The Crew, and a mystery game. Exciting stuff, which you can check out on Twitch and YouTube.
Capcom Showcase
We don’t know much about the Capcom Showcase, but it is the company’s fortieth anniversary, and with Monster Hunter, Resident Evil, and Street Fighter, the Capsule Computer company is in a great spot at the moment. Be sure to tune in on Twitch and Youtube.
That’s everything for Summer Games Fest 2023. For more events, check out our Apple WWDC 2023 roundup to see all the tech giant’s latest announcements.
