We’ve previously published articles highlighting games from Indonesia and Brazil, and this week we decided to focus on games from Poland!

Some Background

The Republic of Poland, or Rzeczpospolita Polska, has a population of around 38.5 million people, making it the fifth most populous country in the European Union. Its official language, of course, is Polish. The national anthem, “Mazurek Dąbrowskiego” (“Poland Is Not Yet Lost”), was officially adopted in 1926. The name of the anthem appropriately reflects Poland’s strength, with the country surviving many annexations, invasions, and the atrocities committed against Poland and their Jewish citizens by the Nazis in World War II. An estimated six million Polish citizens – around half of them Jewish – did not survive the cruelty of the Nazis. Historians estimate that the German occupation resulted in the loss of twenty percent of the pre-war Polish population.

In 2020, Poland became the first country to add video games to the official reading list for their schools. Starting in the 2020/2021 school year, This War of Mine (mentioned below) was added to the reading list due to its educational and cultural significance. The Polish government has provided the equivalent of seventy-five million dollars to small developers to help them get started.

According to Localize Direct, Poland’s market for video games is the fastest growing market in the EU and Eastern Europe. Only around one third of Polish people speak any English, and the Polish language is in the top ten languages requested for localization! There are an estimated 16 million gamers in Poland, with around 440 development studios and nearly 500 new releases every year. Poland is apparently seventh in the world for indie games’ income.

I was not aware of how prominent the Polish gaming industry was, so I enjoyed researching the information included in this article. Now, let’s get started and take a look at a list of great Switch games from Poland.

Polish Switch Games

This War of Mine

This War of Mine is a game in which you control a group of civilians in a city under siege. You must scavenge for supplies to help you and your group survive, waiting until night falls so as to avoid snipers and other hostiles. The game forces you to make difficult decisions; will you try to keep everyone alive, or sacrifice some of your group to increase the chance of survival for the rest of you? How will you manage your resources? This War of Mine’s focus on the civilian perspective of war seems like it would indeed be a good resource to help people get an idea of the horrors of war. None of us know how we would react in those terrible situations. I’m glad that the Polish government saw the value in this game, and I’ll have to check it out more myself.

Warsaw

Warsaw – or “Warszawa” – is the capital of Poland; it was one of many sources of Polish resistance against the Nazis in WWII. In late 1944, the Germans destroyed nearly 90% of the city, including much of its cultural heritage. (Fortunately, it was later rebuilt partially based on 18th century paintings of the city by Italian painter Barnardo Bellotto.)

Developer Pixelated Milk’s Warsaw pays tribute to the bravery of the Polish people in that time period. The game is a turn-based RPG in which you must recruit as many people as possible to help with the Uprising. You’ll have to be especially strategic due to the Germans’ military advantages. Take part in historical events and do your best to survive in your attempts to liberate Warsaw. As someone whose grandfather served in WWII, and as someone whose other grandfather barely escaped Poland before the Nazis invaded, I’m especially appreciative of the significance of this game.

Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs

On a less somber note, Pixelated Milk also developed Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs, a game where you play as Kay, who attempts to pay off the large sum of money owed by his ancestors while also restoring his kingdom. You have to complete many different quests, construct and upgrade buildings, and befriend people who will help you with your quest. Participate in turn based tactics battles – which are optional – and enjoy the game’s story and quirky characters (with voice acting!). I played this one a few years back and enjoyed it.

Cinders

Crunching Koalas published both Warsaw and Regalia, but they also brought Polish developer MoaCube’s Cinders to Switch. As you may have guessed, Cinders is their interpretation of the classic Cinderella tale – but here, “Cinders” is apparently not afraid to break the rules and take control. In this visual novel, you’ll explore the lives of Cinders and her unfortunate step-family, experiencing multiple endings across 120 “decision points” and more than 300 choices. I love alternative (and often improved) endings, so this looks pretty neat.

The Amazing American Circus

The Amazing American Circus lets you manage your own circus, and you can recruit different acts, upgrade a variety of circus wagons, and travel around the country with your crew. Managing a circus already sounded like an interesting idea to me, but Juggler Games (appropriate name) also added RPG and card-based gameplay elements to the mix. Build up your deck and “duel” audiences by attempting to keep them interested, and try to be the “Greatest Showman” by beating P.T. Barnum at his own game!

My Memory of Us

The above-mentioned Crunching Koalas and Juggler Games also brought My Memory of Us to Switch, which portrays the events of WWII from the perspective of two children. Narrated by Patrick Stewart (!!!), the game seems to represent the Nazis as robots (“completely emotionless”) through the eyes of the children. Stealthily sneak around the city and solve problems in puzzle form to help the children survive.

This is the Zodiac Speaking

This is the Zodiac Speaking has you play from the perspective of someone who survived being attacked by the Zodiac Killer (an American serial killer from the late 1960’s who was never caught). Here, you will try to find out the killer’s identity while also engaging in “real psychological sessions” to help cope with the psychological impact of being attacked. With three different endings, your choices will be important in deciding how your story ends. I don’t know if there will be a happy ending considering the subject matter, but I wonder if the killer’s identity is revealed in the game. 😯

Wingspan

Monster Couch developed and published this digital adaptation of the Wingspan board game. With between one and five players, try to attract the best birds to your nature preserve. The more birds you acquire, the more cards, eggs, and food you’ll get. Bird combo chains add to the beneficial effects for your preserve. The game includes hundreds of animated birdies with their real life bird sounds to make it more immersive!

Book of Demons

Inspired by the atmosphere in the first Diablo, Book of Demons offers a unique experience in the form of a Hack & Slash and deck building hybrid game in which you must save the “Paperverse” from the Archdemon! It’s not exactly a card game, but the items, spells, and skills are all represented in card form; these cards can be upgraded using runes, and you can also find variations of cards. What’s really interesting is that they apparently used an engine that allows you to divide the game into sessions, and it even learns your habits in order to predict how long you’d need for your next play session! 😮 They aim to respect your time and gameplay preferences, and they even added a more challenging Roguelike mode with permadeath! 😈

Chef’s Tail

Play as the “Meow-ster” master chef of the underworld with a twist: you’re a cat! Get your paws on some plants – and the occasional rare fish – and use these underworld ingredients to feed travelers passing through. I don’t know if they offer “Meow-chelin” Michelin stars to restaurants in the underworld, but hopefully you can still make dishes that are indeed the “cat’s meow”! 🤤 😉 🐈

Alchemist Simulator

As a novice alchemist, you’ll use your famous alchemist relative’s studio and try to surpass them. Find ingredients and forgotten recipes, and experiment with them with the aid of your mentor! Art Games Studio added the above-mentioned Chef’s Tail as well as Alchemist Simulator to the mix on Switch. How will you…react…to these games? 😉

We. The Revolution

Polyslash collaborated with Art Games Studio to bring Alchemist Simulator to Switch, but Polyslash also brought We. The Revolution to the console. Set during the French Revolution, the game casts you as a judge on the Revolutionary Tribunal. Deal with politics and tough moral decisions as you sentence the accused. Once you arrive home, you’ll also have to face these decisions with your family. You’ll have to live with the decisions you make, but in this game I’m sure you could also die for them.

Help Will Come Tomorrow

Set on the night of the October Revolution, Help Will Come Tomorrow has you lead a group of people who just survived a train crash on the Trans-Siberian railway. You’ll have to manage your fellow survivors – and their class differences – in the Siberian wilderness, gather resources, and build up and upgrade your camp. Immerse yourself in this story set in 1917 pre-Bolshevik Imperial Russia, and experience ten storylines that explore the backgrounds of nine different characters from three different societal classes. It sounds like a unique concept, so I’m interested to see how it works!

My Brother Rabbit

Developed by Artifex Mundi and published by prolific Switch game publisher Forever Entertainment S.A., My Brother Rabbit is a point-and-click puzzle game where you explore a world based on a child’s imagination. A little girl and her brother create a world of make believe after she falls ill; in this world, a rabbit tries to take care of his flower friend, who is unwell. Travel through five different lands while you play different mini games, find hidden objects, and solve puzzles. I sure hope that both the flower and the girl have a happy ending!

Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost raises the question of what would have happened if WWII had never really ended. In this alternative version of WWII, the war continued for another twenty years until the Nazis decided to use nuclear missiles on the majority of Europe. Now, as twelve year old Szymon, you’ll explore a Nazi bunker you discovered while aimlessly wandering the Polish wastelands. This Nazi bunker contains advanced technology as well as Slavic pagan imagery; you’ll have to find out what happened to the inhabitants of the bunker. Eventually, you’ll make contact with someone using the bunker’s communication systems. Will you solve the mystery of the bunker and finally meet someone so you will no longer be alone?

Here Be Dragons

Described as a satirical turn-based strategy game, Here Be Dragons involves you clearing out mythical creatures in the way of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas. Defeat Krakens and Leviathans and Mermaids – oh my! Utilize the “Dice Activation System” to defeat your enemies, heal your allies, and to upgrade your fleet of ships. This is yet another unique game coming out of Poland.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

As the name of the game implies, it has you look into the disappearance of a boy named Ethan Carter. You investigate this mystery as an occult detective named Paul Prospero, and following leads on local murders may help you find young Ethan. Inspired by macabre fiction from the earlier twentieth century, this certainly looks quite eerie based on the screenshots! 😱

Selma and the Wisp

A spooky platformer with different puzzles and obstacles, Selma and the Wisp has you play as a child confronting their worst fear. The game allows you to control two different characters at the same time using a co-dependent control system. Work together by yourself (😂) to follow the titular wisp and collect the lights to rid yourself of darkness!

Soulblight

Soulblight is a top-down action roguelike where your decisions result in different personality traits that will impact your gameplay. Battle your way through randomly generated levels – but be careful, because this game uses permadeath to add to the challenge. Your personality traits – know as “Taints” – can help you or hurt you. If your trait is Greed, the more money you have, the stronger you are. If your character drinks a lot, fighting sober may become more difficult. What blights will you allow to mar your soul?

Liberated

Play through an interactive comic book inspired by the works of George Orwell, Black Mirror, Mr. Robot, and The Matrix. Stealthily solve puzzles, shoot if you have to, and start a cyberpunk revolution. This critically acclaimed enhanced edition includes full English voice acting as well as two additional epilogue chapters!

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka With Love

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka With Love is a satirical point-and-click game set during the Cold War era. As a journalist, look behind the Irony Curtain to discover the secrets of the totalitarian Matryoshka and its “Supreme Leader.” Despite the serious nature of the actual era, this still looks like a fun, quirky look at this time period.

The Unholy Society

Play as a snarky exorcist who has the Pope on speed dial. This comical game with a comic-like look will have you help out the Pope with a task as demons, gods, and monsters all get ready for the next attempt to get rid of the so-called “big guys” on the religious scene. Exercise your mind as you exorcise both literal and figurative demons!

The Witcher Series

Finally, we have games based on The Witcher series! In The Witcher 3, play as Geralt, the mercenary monster slayer capable of fierce swordsmanship and powerful magic. Explore the open world and find the Child of Prophecy in this game with over 100 hours of gameplay. Next, check out Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, a single player RPG with puzzle and card battle mechanics. Enjoy this narrative set in the world of The Witcher.

That’s all for our highlights of Polish Switch games – this does not include every Polish Switch game, but we tried to include as many as we could. There’s a lot of creativity going on in these games, so if any of them sound interesting, be sure to check them out! Many of these are on sale right now!