This magical, cat-filled adventure game finally has a release date after eight years, so the next five months are going to be the longest of my life

Mineko's Night Market
(Image credit: Meowza Games)

After being announced back in 2015, charming, cat-filled indie Mineko's Night Market has finally got a release date, but I'm not sure if I can wait another five months to play it. 

The adorable 2D adventure game was once again featured during one of Nintendo's Indie World Showcases yesterday, but this time we got more than we were expecting. The latest trailer for Mineko's Night Market showed off more of the upcoming indie's gameplay, as well as its adorable cast of characters including Mineko and the mysterious cat spirit Nikko. 

Most importantly, the trailer (finally!) revealed that we'll be able to get our hands on this elusive indie on September 26, 2023 - and that it'll be available on PC and Nintendo Switch. In case you haven't been keeping count, that's a whole eight years since Mineko's Night Market was first announced.

It feels like we've seen just about everything we can of this game over the years, but somehow the latest trailer has managed to reveal even more about Mineko's upcoming adventure. For starters, we got more of an introduction to Nikko, as well as a preview of the mini-games players will get to experience in Mineko's Night Market such as racing cats - yes, I said cats - crafting, and more. 

This game really reminds me of a Studio Ghibli film, with Nikko giving me serious Totoro vibes, so I can't wait to finally get my paws on this game later this year. It's not all befriending cats, attending J-pop concerts, and working on market stalls though. As evidenced in this trailer, and some of the trailers that came before it, Mineko's Night Market will also involve a bit of vigilante work as it looks like Mineko will need to save cats from a group of shady-looking individuals in suits. 

You can add Mineko's Night Market to your wishlist on Steam and Humble Bundle, as well as on the Nintendo eShop now. 

Looking for other hidden gems to add to your wishlist? Take a look at our upcoming indie games list. 

Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at 12DOVE before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.  

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