Nintendo’s Indie World brought four free demos to Switch and Switch 2

Four demos were the clearest immediate takeaway

Nintendo Canada’s October 28 Indie World recap highlighted four free demos arriving on Nintendo eShop that day: Haunted Paws, Petal Runner, RACCOIN: Chaos Max Edition and Winds of Viridia. The group spans two-player spooky exploration, a pixel-art courier RPG, an arcade coin-pusher roguelike and a fantasy action-adventure. Nintendo’s Canadian showcase recap is the primary source for the demo timing and platform plans.

For Switch owners, the list is not all-or-nothing: Haunted Paws is the only one of these four that Nintendo lists for both Switch and Switch 2. The other three are positioned as Switch 2 releases. Nintendo’s own store pages independently confirm the Switch 2 platform for Petal Runner and Winds of Viridia, while its US store page lists RACCOIN: Chaos Max Edition for Switch 2. No Canadian price is posted in the source material reviewed for this story.

Haunted Paws is the co-op option for both consoles

In Haunted Paws, players control two puppies exploring a haunted mansion to find their missing human. Nintendo describes local co-op, online play and GameShare support, and lists the full release for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 in May 2027. That makes it the most immediately accessible of the four for households that have not moved to Nintendo’s newer system.

The developer’s Haunted Paws FAQ says the game is designed for two-player co-op and that pricing will be announced closer to release. It also distinguishes local and online play, while noting that cross-platform play is not confirmed. The demo is therefore a useful early look at the cooperative premise, but Nintendo and the developer have not yet supplied a Canadian price or a specific May launch day.

Petal Runner gets the firmest 2027 date

Petal Runner is a pixel-art, open-world RPG about motorcycle couriers delivering digital pets around a solarpunk coastal city. Nintendo Canada calls the Switch 2 version a console exclusive and gives it a March 8, 2027 release date. The Canadian Nintendo Store listing confirms the system, publisher iam8bit, developer Nano Park Studios and the same date.

That specific date puts Petal Runner ahead of the two games with broader release windows below, and the demo gives players a chance to sample its delivery-and-exploration loop first. Independent coverage from Gematsu also reports that the Switch 2 demo became available alongside the announcement; Nintendo’s regional page described its eShop arrival as later on October 28.

RACCOIN arrives first; Winds of Viridia remains a 2027 watch

RACCOIN: Chaos Max Edition has the nearest full release: Nintendo lists November 10, 2026 for Switch 2. It turns an arcade coin-pusher into a roguelike deckbuilder, with special coins and items creating combinations; Nintendo also confirms a Switch 2-exclusive arcade-cabinet skin and Joy-Con 2 mouse support. The Nintendo store page confirms the platform and date.

By contrast, Winds of Viridia is currently scheduled for early 2027 on Switch 2, with no more precise date announced. Nintendo describes a seamless action-adventure built around running, sliding, grappling and fighting alongside a mothbug companion; the Canadian store page confirms the platform and a 2027 release. Coverage from Nintendo Life and Game Informer likewise identifies the four demos as a notable immediate part of the showcase.

Sources and attribution

Primary reporting is based on Nintendo Canada’s October 28 showcase recap, the Haunted Paws Canadian store page, the Petal Runner Canadian store page, the Winds of Viridia Canadian store page, the RACCOIN Nintendo store listing and the official Indie World showcase page. The developer’s Haunted Paws FAQ was checked for co-op and pricing details.

We also reviewed Nintendo Life, Game Informer, Gematsu, Siliconera and Famitsu. The hero and infographic are original Juiso editorial graphics; the individual game images are official Nintendo eShop artwork, credited to their respective store pages.

Check out the price tracker

Juiso’s tracker will follow all four games as Canadian store listings and prices appear. For now, Nintendo’s announcements establish platforms and launch timing, but the sources reviewed do not provide Canadian prices for the upcoming full releases.

The dates to keep in view are November 10 for RACCOIN: Chaos Max Edition, March 8 for Petal Runner, early 2027 for Winds of Viridia, and May 2027 for Haunted Paws. Those dates and windows come from Nintendo’s October 28 Canadian recap; release plans can change, so check the linked Nintendo listings for the latest regional details.