Heartworm launched digitally for Nintendo Switch 2 on October 1, 2026. Its console-launch trailer, reported the next day, introduces a short, retro-styled psychological survival-horror game about grief, a rumored haunted house, and Sam’s attempt to contact the other side.
What the Heartworm launch trailer is promoting
The trailer marks the game’s arrival on Nintendo Switch 2; it does not announce a physical cartridge. Nintendo lists the Switch 2 edition as a digital release dated October 1, 2026. Nintendo’s US product listing provides the platform’s release and edition details, while Nintendo Everything’s October 2 report covers the launch trailer.
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| 1 |
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NBA 2K27 - Nintendo Switch 2 | $67.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Dragons Dogma 2: Dark Arisen - Nintendo Switch 2 | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.83 | Buy on Amazon |
What Heartworm is about
Sam is struggling to move on after her grandfather’s death. An online lead draws her to a house in the mountains that is said to be supernatural, where she hopes to contact the other side. The premise puts grief and investigation at the center of the horror rather than framing the game as a combat-heavy action title.
How the gameplay works
Exploration, puzzles, and restrained combat
Nintendo describes exploration and classic puzzles alongside limited combat in which Sam uses a camera as a weapon. Its product description says: “Defend yourself with a camera while solving death’s mysteries in a reverent evolution of 90’s survival horror, integrating both fixed cameras and over the shoulder perspectives.”
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Camera and control options
The game combines cinematic fixed-camera sequences with over-the-shoulder aiming. Nintendo also lists optional classic tank controls alongside a modern control scheme, so players can choose whether to use the older movement style associated with the game’s retro presentation.
How retro does it look?
The developer describes Heartworm as low-resolution retro 3D and cinematic fixed-camera survival horror. Nintendo says pixelation and other retro effects are optional, allowing players to adjust the look rather than being locked into every visual effect. The developer names Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Dino Crisis as inspirations from the late 1990s; that is a statement of influence, not a claim that the games play identically.
Rank #2
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How long is Heartworm on Switch 2?
Nintendo estimates 4–6 hours of gameplay and lists multiple endings. Treat that as the platform listing’s estimate, not a guaranteed completion time: the page does not specify how it was measured or how long each ending path takes.
Switch 2 release and platform details
| Detail | Nintendo Switch 2 edition |
|---|---|
| Release date | October 1, 2026, according to Nintendo’s US listing |
| Edition | Digital |
| File size | 4.4 GB, according to the Nintendo listing accessed October 3, 2026 |
| Play modes | TV, tabletop, and handheld |
| Supported languages | Six, according to Nintendo |
| Rating label | Language, Violence |
Nintendo also notes that save data is not compatible between the Switch 2 and original Switch versions. If you own both platform editions, do not assume that progress transfers between them.
Rank #3
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How the Switch 2 version fits the release history
Heartworm first released on PC through Steam on July 31, 2025; Steam identifies Vincent Adinolfi as developer and DreadXP as publisher. The Switch 2 release followed on October 1, 2026. The developer’s site also presents the game as a nostalgia-inflected take on survival horror and lists Steam availability.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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