One of the newest sales on the Nintendo eShop is also one of the biggest price drops around. Horror adventure gameEarthwormsis now on sale for $0.01 USD, down from its normal price of $7.99 USD. If Switch owners have any interest in a new point-and-click game, it’s worth a look.
Earthwormsis the latest Nintendo eShop to dramatically drop its price, but it’s far from the first. Earlier this summer,pixel-art platformerThe Deer Godwent on sale for under 50 cents. Given the enormous number of titles on the eShop, it’s no surprise that independent game developers would try to make their games stand out with a low price point.
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Created by Polish developer All Those Moments,Earthwormsis a surreal point-and-click adventure game (likefellow Switch titles such asBroken Age)with light horror elements, styled to resemble the paintings of famed US artist Edward Hopper. Players assume control of hardboiled detective Daniel White, as he takes on a missing-person case that leads him to discover an otherworldly threat. Although short, the game’s narrative leads to three different endings based on the player’s choices. If players are unsure whether the game is worth a penny, there’s even a demo to try it out first.
Earthwormswas originally released on Steam, but includes a number of optimizations for the Nintendo Switch. To compensate for the lack of a mouse, the cursor is “magnetized” to move to the nearest object in the console release. The game supports both Pro Controller and Joy-Con control options, as well as touchscreen play in handheld mode. The game has no co-op and is a fully single-player experience. Anyone looking for a creepy co-op adventure game might instead consider Nintendo’s smash-hit adventureLuigi’s Mansion 3,which went on sale recently.
Many Switch owners are likely excited to discover eShop games they have never seen before, given the possibility of finding a new “hidden gem.” Games likeEarthwormsthat boast such low price points make it even easier to try new games on a regular basis. Given, the company may add more aesthetic upgrades and tools to the eShop in the near future, making it even easier to browse for new software.
At the same time, many have criticized the eShop for doing a poor job of highlighting good games. Because new “shovelware” games flood into the eShop, many good games struggle to get publicity. Some game studios simply cannot afford to discount their games to a penny, even if this is the only viable way to get exposure. Of course, discounting a game does not automatically mean it is a good game, but at the very least,Earthwormsbrings a unique visual style to the point-and-click genre at an extremely low cost.
Earthwormsis now available on Steam and Switch.
