The 100 hottest indies of 2026 (Part 1)

2025 was an incredible year for the indie scene, with games such as Hollow Knight: Silksong, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Blue Prince scooping up loads of prestigious awards and stealing our gamer hearts. Nothing - absolutely nothing - suggests that 2026 will be any worse when it comes to games developed by independent game studios. We have compiled a list of one hundred titles, all of which are scheduled for release this year. Some have a fixed date, others have an approximate date, while most have not yet announced a release date.

Instead of delivering all the games at once, we have sorted them alphabetically and divided the list into four parts with 25 games each. We have worked as broadly as possible to cover as wide a spectrum of genres and styles as possible. So sit back and get your notepad, your Steam wishlist, or just your mental memory library ready, because we promise you will discover something to look forward to.

Agent 64: Spies Never Die

• Genre: FPS, Action, Retro


• Developer: Replicant D6


• Publisher: Replicant D6


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Many of us long for the golden years when GoldenEye on Nintendo 64 highlighted our days - developer Replicant D6 does the same and therefore delivers a clear and hopefully accurate tribute to GoldenEye 007."

Alruna: End of History

• Genre: Metroidvania


• Developer: Neckbolt


• Publisher: Burning Planet Digital


• Release date: Q1 2026


• Link to website

"The second game where we have the honour of fighting as Alruna. A very beautiful and retro-pixel-lovely Metroidvania that absolutely does not apologise for itself."

Aphelion

• Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Story-heavy


• Developer: DON'T NOD


• Publisher: DON'T NOD


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"When DON'T NOD delivers games, it's best to keep an eye out, especially when there's a heavy, dramatic story to be told. The USP of Aphelion is that we get to see the story unfold from two different perspectives."

Arcane Eats

• Genre: Fantasy, Roguelike, Deckbuilder


• Developer: Wonderbelly Games


• Publisher: Skystone Games


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Here, you'll be feeding rumbling stomachs with gruesome delicacies, and to do so, you'll need to balance resources, recruit a worthy staff, and make sure you play your cards right. We're a little sceptical about the food that will be served, but the game looks great!"

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes

• Genre: Strategy, Sci-Fi, Roguelite


• Developer: Alt Shift


• Publisher: Dotemu


• Release date: Q1 2026


• Link to website

"Surely many people have been waiting for a proper adaptation of Battlestar Galactica? Alt Shift looks set to do just that, and we look forward to seeing what they've cooked up."

Beastro

• Genre: RPG, Roguelite, Card game


• Developer: Timberline Studio


• Publisher: Timberline Studio


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"The second game on this list where cooking is central, and everyone likes food, right? Here, however, we see a greater focus on role-playing elements and varied gameplay that is somewhat reminiscent of Stardew Valley."

Big Hops

• Genre: Adventure, Platformer


• Developer: Luckshot Games


• Publisher: Luckshot Games


• Release date:January 12


• Link to website

"We ask, "Name a game mechanic that's always fun," and many people answer, "The grappling hook, of course," and Luckshot Games takes that to heart in Big Hops. Except here we use a frog's tongue instead but in much the same way. You get the idea."

Big Walk

• Genre: Co-op, Adventure


• Developer: House House


• Publisher: Panic


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"The developers who gave us Untitled Goose Game are back with Big Walk, and yes, it's weird and wonderful once again. The focus here is on cooperation, proximity chat and crazy escapades. This is going to be good, we can almost promise you that."

Bladesong

• Genre: Shop, Simulation


• Developer: SUN AND SERPENT creations


• Publisher: Mythwright


• Release date: January 22 (Early Access)


• Link to website

"'The ultimate sword-smithing game,' it's called, and yes... there may not be much competition in that genre, but it actually looks really fun. It's certainly original as hell, and that's never a bad thing."

Blighted

• Genre: Action, RPG, Metroidvania, Soulslike, Co-op


• Developer: Drinkbox Studios


• Publisher: Drinkbox Studios


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Nobody Saves the World was a real gem, and there's every reason to believe that Blighted, created by the same team, will also deliver large doses of entertainment."

Bradley the Badger

• Genre: Action, Adventure


• Developer: Day 4 Night


• Publisher: Day 4 Night


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Apart from seeing an incredible trailer at this year's Geoff Aw... Game Awards, we don't know much else. However, what we did see looks very promising, with an adventure that doesn't shy away from taking jabs at other phenomena and titles in the gaming world."

BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW

• Genre: Horror, Action


• Developer: Serafini Productions


• Publisher: Serafini Productions, Shochiku


• Release date:January 16


• Link to website

"The third game in the BrokenLore series looks set to deliver not only pure horror, but also heavy anxiety in the form of psychological terror. Social media and bullying are central themes here, along with disgusting Japanese monsters."

Cairn

• Genre: Adventure, Action


• Developer: The Game Bakers


• Publisher: The Game Bakers


• Release date:January 29


• Link to website

"Cairn was supposed to be released last year, and we were a little sad when it was delayed, but now the wait is over, and hopefully The Game Bakers have baked their cake properly this time."

Cassette Boy

• Genre: Action, RPG, Puzzle


• Developer: Wonderland Kazakiri inc.


• Publisher: Pocketpair Publishing


• Release date: January 14


• Link to website

"A 2D game that plays with perspective, where you can twist and turn the world to find new paths and secrets. It looks very cosy, with a style that is a kind of fusion between older 8-bit titles and newer 3D games."

Castle Come

• Genre: Action, Roguelike


• Developer: lauflauf


• Publisher: lauflauf


• Release date: Q2


• Link to website

"A roguelike where you wander around with your fortress. Upgrade your fortress with everything from cannons to faster legs and inflict more and more damage."

Crowsworn

• Genre: Metroidvania, Adventure


• Developer: Mongoose Rodeo


• Publisher: Mongoose Rodeo


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Crowsworn has been delayed a handful of times already, after a very successful Kickstarter campaign that originally planned for a 2023 release. It's quite reminiscent of Hollow Knight, and it is understandable that Mongoose Rodeo wants to ensure that the game is as polished as possible."

Crushed in Time

• Genre: Point and click, Puzzle


• Developer: Draw Me a Pixel


• Publisher: Draw Me a Pixel


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Many of us in the editorial team have been longing for an ambitious point-and-click game where humour is one of the cornerstones of the design, and Crushed in Time looks like it could be just that game. Hopefully it can live up to our internal hype."

Decrepit

• Genre: Soulslike, Action


• Developer: Jämmerdal Games


• Publisher: Three Friends


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Another game that made its debut at the Game Awards, and the Swedish gaming miracle seems to be continuing its steady delivery of quality games. Decrepit looks incredibly gory and unpleasant, but at the same time thoroughly entertaining, of course."

Deer & Boy

• Genre: Adventure, Platformer


• Developer: Lifeline Games


• Publisher: Dear Villagers


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Deer & Boy looks like the game that puts the C in cosy. Here we follow a duo consisting of a little boy and a deer. It looks cinematic and almost poetic, while at the same time exuding cosiness."

Demon Tides

• Genre: Platformer, Adventure, Action


• Developer: Fabraz


• Publisher: Fabraz


• Release date: February 19


• Link to website

"Although the open seas are important in Demon Tides, it's the platform jumping that appeals to those of us who are looking forward to it. Fabraz seems to have built a game with incredibly smooth controls, where the journey itself seems to be the biggest highlight."

Denshattack!

• Genre: Arcade, Platformer


• Developer: Undercoders


• Publisher: Fireshine Games


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Denshattack! takes train simulators into the world of extreme sports. Check out the trailer and you'll see what we mean, and yes, it really is as crazy as it sounds, but also incredibly fun."

Don't Stop, Girlypop!

• Genre: Action, FPS


• Developer: Funny Fintan Softworks


• Publisher: Kwalee


• Release date: January 29


• Link to website

"Imagine if Doom Eternal changed its appearance and was designed by a bunch of teenage girls whose favourite things are a combination of Girl Power, the colour pink, and rainbows. That's kind of what Don't Stop, Girlypop! feels like at first glance. One thing is clear, though, it doesn't look like any other game."

Dosa Divas

• Genre: RPG


• Developer: Outerloop Games


• Publisher: Outerloop Games, Outersloth


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"An incredibly colourful and stylish role-playing game that may not look like a classic JRPG, but borrows a lot of inspiration from that genre. And fighting against a greedy and evil food empire doesn't sound too bad either."

Dreadmoor

• Genre: Adventure, RPG, Simulation


• Developer: Dream Dock


• Publisher: Digital Vortex Entertainment


• Release date: Q4


• Link to website

"Dreadmoor is more or less Dredge, but in first-person. We can expect a lot of mutated creatures, Cthulhu-esque deep-sea monsters, and pirates with questionable moral compasses. This looks very promising!"

End of Abyss

• Genre: Adventure, Action


• Developer: Section 9 Interactive


• Publisher: Epic Games Publishing


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Sweden is behind yet another game on this list with End of Abyss. Atmospheric, stylish, and exciting are some of the thoughts that come to mind when you take a closer look at what Malmö-based Section 9 has created."