The 100 hottest indies of 2026 (Part 2)

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 release 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 them 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 I promise you will discover something to look forward to.

This is the second part of the article series on this year's hundred hottest indie games, in advance:

Enter the Gungeon 2

• Genre: Roguelike, Bullet-hell


• Developer: Dodge Roll


• Publisher: Devolver Digital


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"A sequel with even more firepower and, what's more, in three dimensions this time. It's not as if its predecessor was known for being boring, and everything points to more of the same this time around."

Falling Frontier

• Genre: Sci-fi, Strategy


• Developer: Stutter Fox Studios


• Publisher: Hooded Horse


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"How about some massive battles in space? Sure, Falling Frontier offers that and much more. Stutter Fox Studios calls the game revolutionary, and as fans of the genre, we certainly hope they're right."

Felt That: Boxing

• Genre: Sports


• Developer: Sans Strings Studio


• Publisher: TBD


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"It was love at first sight, and we can't wait to step into the ring and deliver some muppet beatings. However, we are cautiously optimistic about the release of this game, as we haven't seen anything more since it was first shown in June last year."

Final Sentence

• Genre: Writing game, Battle royale


• Developer: Button Mash


• Publisher: Polden Publishing


• Release date: Q1


• Link to website

"There's a relatively good chance you've seen this game in passing. It took the internet by storm in the latter part of last year when the demo was launched and all kinds of YouTubers and streamers tested their dexterity and speed on the keyboard. The premise is simple, if you don't type fast and accurately enough, you're eliminated."

Find Your Words

• Genre: Adventure


• Developer: Capybara Games


• Publisher: Capybara Games


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Find Your Words looks like a real joy. And considering that it's two dads who created a game that celebrates their children's journey to finding their own voices, you realise that this could be something really special."

Folk Emerging

• Genre: Strategy, 4X


• Developer: Curious Dynamics


• Publisher: Curious Dynamics


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"A 4X game set in the Stone Age where you lead nomadic families through dangerous wildernesses and pave the way for their development? Yes, that could be something? Check out Folk Emerging if so."

Garbage Country

• Genre: Racing, Adventure


• Developer: Noio


• Publisher: Noio


• Release date: Q2


• Link to website

"A post-apocalyptic game where you drive around in cars, upgrade them to take you further into the ravaged wilderness, and also battle evil robots in tower defence battles. It's an interesting mix of genres, and it certainly looks intriguing."

Gecko Gods

• Genre:


• Developer: Inresin


• Publisher: Super Rare Originals, Gamersky Games


• Release date: Q1


• Link to website

"Geckos have been the choice of video game protagonists before, but now it's time again. This time in a Zelda-esque puzzle platformer with charming cel-shaded graphics that are also very reminiscent of Zelda."

Good Boy

• Genre: Metroidvania, Adventure, Action


• Developer: Observer Interactive


• Publisher: Team17


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Terra II is the planet, LAIKA Space Rover is the robot, and the mission is to collect and study extraterrestrial creatures. As the title of the game hints at, you have a human friend and hopefully you'll hear that you're a "good lad" from time to time."

Grave Seasons

• Genre: RPG, Horror


• Developer: Perfect Garbage


• Publisher: Blumhouse Gaming


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Take Stardew Valley and throw it into a blender with a generous dash of horror. The result? Grave Seasons. A really nice pixel RPG that's a bit bloodier than the aforementioned Stardew Valley but shares the farming and relationships."

Half Sword

• Genre: Fighting


• Developer: Half Sword Games


• Publisher: Game Seer Publishing


• Release date: Q1 (Early Access)


• Link to website

"Well, it's quite a long way from a regular fighting game. Instead, we have a physics-based and very (lots, really massive amounts) bloody medieval brawler. Looks like a lot of fun."

I Hate This Place

• Genre: Horror


• Developer: Rock Square Thunder


• Publisher: Feardemic


• Release date: January 29


• Link to website

"Survival horror from an isometric perspective - we've seen that before - but one with a really cool comic book style? No, that's something new. And it looks really good."

ILL

• Genre: Horror, Action


• Developer: Team Clout inc.


• Publisher: Team Clout inc.


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Probably one of the most well-known games on this list, and for good reason; it looks really good. It also looks disgusting, very, very, very disgusting. The title of the game speaks for itself here..."

InKonbini: One Store. Many Stories

• Genre: Simulation, Shop


• Developer: Nagai Industries


• Publisher: Nagai Industries, Beep Japan Inc.


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Shop simulators are nothing new in the world of video games, but InKonbini takes this concept and puts its own spin on it. Here, it's mixed with a story where the choices you make have a major impact on the plot. Looks very interesting."

Kaidan

• Genre: Fantasy, Horror


• Developer: 5th Column Studio


• Publisher: 5th Column Studio


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Kaidan definitely has the wow factor. The trailer released by the team at 5th Column Studio looks incredibly entertaining. Equal parts horror, blood, and epic battles, all set in some kind of dark Japanese fantasy nightmare."

Kingmakers

• Genre: Action, Strategy, Simulation


• Developer: Redemption Road


• Publisher: tinyBuild


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"'What if they had machine guns in the Middle Ages? What would that have been like?' That's what it might have sounded like in the break room at Redemption Road. Swords and horses? No, here we're going with automatic carbines and motocross bikes instead."

Kyora

• Genre: Sandbox, Adventure, Multiplayer


• Developer: Pugstorm


• Publisher: Chucklefish


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Did you play Core Keeper? This is Pugstorm's new game, and this time they're expanding their horizons a bit and venturing out of the mines. Kyora is quite reminiscent of Terraria, actually, but there's certainly nothing wrong with that."

Light Odyssey

• Genre: Soulslike, Hack n' Slash


• Developer: SSUN GAMES


• Publisher: GRAVITY


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"A Soulslike that is as cute as it is devastating and filled with darkness. Light versus darkness plays a major role in this game, as you must slay shadow monsters that literally eat up the light in the world."

Lost and Found Co.

• Genre: Puzzle


• Developer: Bit Egg Inc.


• Publisher: Bit Egg Inc., Gamirror Games


• Release date: February 11


• Link to website

"Here's a perfect game to serve as a palette cleanser between heavier fare. A "Where's Wally" game where you have to find people's lost belongings and (apparently) also help a dragon regain its lost powers."

Map Map - A Game About Maps

• Genre: Puzzle


• Developer: Pipapo Games


• Publisher: Pipapo Games


• Release date: Q2


• Link to website

"So, what could a game called 'Map Map - A Game About Maps' be about? We at Gamereactor suspect that it has something to do with maps and, more specifically, that you, as a cartographer, will be making your own maps."

Mewgenics

• Genre: Roguelike, RPG


• Developer: Edmund McMillen, Tyler Glaiel


• Publisher: Edmund McMillen, Tyler Glaiel


• Release date: February 10


• Link to website

"Edmund McMillen created both Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac. With that in mind, we are naturally curious about the quality of his new title, Mewgenics."

Mina the Hollower

• Genre: Platformer, Adventure


• Developer: Yach Club Games


• Publisher: Yacht Club Games


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Mina The Hollower is a bit like the "new Silksong"; will we ever get to see it? It's unclear if and when, but we really hope it lands sometime this year. The homage to the Game Boy Color era looks so wonderfully cosy."

MIO: Memories in Orbit

• Genre: Metroidvania, Platformer


• Developer: Douze Dixiémes


• Publisher: Focus Entertainment


• Release date: January 20


• Link to website

"MIO: Memories in Orbit could very well be this year's sleeper hit. Aesthetically, it's a ten out of ten, and mechanically and gameplay-wise, it really looks like it's going to be great in every way. Here's hoping for a top-notch game!"

Mixtape

• Genre: Adventure


• Developer: Beethoven and Dinosaur


• Publisher: Annapurna Interactive


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"Mixtape is a game that many of us on the editorial team are genuinely looking forward to. With a soundtrack that is not to be trifled with, an impressive visual style, and a story that we really want to experience, we can hardly wait to sink our teeth into Beethoven and Dinosaur's youth epic."

Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth

• Genre: Adventure, Point & Click


• Developer: Hyper Games


• Publisher: Hyper Games, Kakehashi Games


• Release date: Unknown


• Link to website

"With Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, Hyper Games showed that it's indeed possible to make high-quality games based on Tove Jansson's old cosy stories. Everything points to Winter's Warmth providing a similar and perhaps/hopefully even better experience than its predecessor."

Part one with more hot indies can be found at this link.

Have you found any titles here to add to your personal wish list yet?