The 10 Most Exciting Indie Games Coming in 2026

In case you haven’t been paying attention, 2026 has already been a bangin’ the year of indie video games. Among titles like Mina The Hollower, Mewgenics, Esoteric Ebb, Mixtape, Cairn, Slay the Spire 2 Early Access, and officially many Plus, those looking for dramatic breaks from AAA gaming action have been eating well.

What’s even better is that as we approach the middle of the year, there are still plenty of promising-looking indies on the horizon. Today, I’m going to highlight ten games that should be on your radar if you’re someone who enjoys small budget titles.

To be eligible for consideration on this list, a game must have a confirmed release date this year, or at the very least, a 2026 proxy on Steam. That means anything labeled “Coming soon” was not eligible for the list. Although some of those “Coming soon” games may end up being 2026 titles, we don’t have that information yet. Let’s get started.

10

Periods of the Grave

Stardew Horror

On the surface, Grave Seasons looks like any other indie game like Stardew Valley which has received many versions since the first game came out. Dig a little deeper and notice that Blumhouse Games is the publisher of this one, and you’ll probably start putting together what will make this one stand out from the crowd.

In addition to the amazing and attractive artwork, the NPCs that look like a sim you will crash into the city, Grave Seasons also hides something sinister underneath. The game demo features gruesome killings by some type of monster and a trail of blood to be followed to investigate, so we’re sure that Grave Seasons will turn this cozy game genre on its head in many ways.

9

A fool never dies

Zombies Are Cool Too

Stupid Never Dies is one of the best looking Suda51 games I’ve seen in a while from someone… well, it’s not named Suda51. This is a busy looking Action-RPG with tons of style, color, and weirdness all around. We will play as Davy, who is also a zombie, as he fights against a large number of scattered creatures to rescue the person he is in love with, Julia.

It’s like it has that 2010 zombie-obsessed vibe, which reminds me of movies like Warm Bodies, but made more vivid with tons of mayhem and action all around. This isn’t your traditional looking indie to be sure, but one to keep an eye on if you’re more action oriented.

8

No Ghosts at the Grand

Yes… Of course

No Ghosts in the Grand is kind of hard to explain, but let me do my best. It looks like a cool, house-restoring, narrative-heavy game where you inherit an English hotel from your late father. Oh, and apparently there are ghosts. Or at least, something the supernatural is happening here.

Armed with more talking devices, a black cat guide, and more fully orchestrated musical numbers than your average Disney movie, No Grand Ghosts really aims for something very memorable, unique, funny, and creative all at the same time.

7

SacriFire

A Classic in the Making

The latest “New JRPG leans on classic style to capture our nostalgia while also being an amazing game,” SacriFire ticks all the boxes for longtime fans of the genre. Our very own Murillo Zerbinatto previewed this one in May, and as easily the most knowledgeable JRPG expert I have in my life, I trust him enough to say that if he’s happy with a JRPG, everyone should be happy with a JRPG.

SacriFire puts you in the shoes of a priest caught up in a maddening battle between gods and demons, lets you use time, and seems to lean towards requiring you to think about your strategy and tactics to survive. It’s also beautiful and reportedly has a great soundtrack, so it’s definitely one to watch.

6

ID-topia

But It’s Definitely Not A Dystopia … Right?

I previewed D-topia myself at the LVLUP Expo in Vegas back in April, and I walked away impressed and ready to get my hands on more whenever the time came. And thankfully, this one is pretty close to being official at this point, launching in mid-July. If you’re a fan of things like Black Mirror (but nice and cute) and/or other creative types of puzzle games, this one might be for you.

Living in a sci-fi, corporate “utopia” designed to maximize the resident’s happiness, D-topia will send you on what it describes as a “slow puzzle journey,” which I really like. It is also published by Annapurna, who are becoming somewhat of a quality benchmark in the indie scene with their recent record of collaborative games.

5

Denshattack!

Tony’s train

One I’ve already come across is Denshattack!, which had an incredibly fun demo that left me completely sold and ready for the full release. Fortunately, this one is coming soon, also scheduled for release in mid-July. Denshattack! it’s heavily inspired by games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Jet Set Radio, but it’s also mysteriously unique in its own crazy ways.

The elevator pitch is Tony Hawk meets Shōnen anime, without the skateboard, controlling and guiding the entire train as it speeds down the Japanese railway. Oh, and there are crazy boss battles and tons of cool characters to meet. The art style is amazing, the music is catchy, and from what I’ve played so far in the demo, it’s very, very fun.

4

Never

Dark and Cozy

Ah, the life sim RPG. Meeting neighbors, tending plants, running, repaying your eternal debt to a terrible, dead, ancient god. Wait, what? In a Grave Seasons vein, Neverway is another “cozy”-type of game by definition, but seemingly flawless in terms of pulling off crazy psychological horror at the same time.

I don’t know much about this one myself yet, but I’m keeping it that way on purpose, because it seems like one of those things that the less you know, the better. DualShockers writer Jake Valentine played a demo earlier this year, and between reading his preview and scrolling through some screenshots, Neverway is high on my list of indies to watch in the back half of 2026.

3

Episode 2

Look at this picture

I would imagine that you don’t really need to have played the original Toem to enjoy the upcoming sequel Toem 2, but I can’t recommend it enough if you haven’t checked it out. Credit the monochromatic photography tour from 2021, and you’ll soon join the rest of us in counting down the days until this follow-up arrives.

With a cute and charming art style of the days, Toem 2 looks like another great adventure featuring our little photographer friend as he travels, takes pictures of the world, and helps friends along the way. Toem 2 is meant to be one of those feel-good, low-stress titles that you can spend a nice weekend curled up in a blanket with a warm drink.

2

Venture capital

Peak Friendship

Featured among several Nintendo Directs at this point, Big Walk feels very similar to something like PEAK, the cooperative mountain climbing game that has taken the world by storm in recent years. And while The Big Walk may be one you see a lot of funny clips on social media when it comes out, it’s also one that’s a bit more abstract and funnier than PEAK in the most fun ways.

It’s all about cutting corners, finding ways to communicate in unique situations, solving little puzzles, and having a great time with your friends along the way. I have to say, I am also a personal person indeed the art direction here vibrates in every direction, from the color palette, to the character design, to the soundtrack.

1

It is damaged

At Drinkbox We Hope

Fun fact about me: I love Drinkbox Studios. At this point, whenever I see that they’re going to come out with something new, it immediately goes to the top of my eagerly awaited list, because this band really hasn’t disappointed. And while my personal favorite game is Severed, i with violence the worst touchscreen-controlled game I’ve ever put on the Vita (RIP), Blighted legitimately looks like it might be the best yet.

A trippy, Western-themed Soulslike/Metroidvania/RPG/Action game that looks heavily inspired by Hades is a series of one-sentence words that make me in a wonderful way happy. The boss fights look bad. The style is amazing. I’ll be first in line to download this one whenever it arrives in 2026.