The Indie Games We’re Looking Forward to Most in 2026

2026 has already been a banner year for both AAA and indie game releases. As we reach the halfway point and start looking at what's coming for the rest of Q2 and the back half of the year, it's clear that things aren't slowing down either. This month alone, we've had no less than two dozen incredible indie games launch in just the first couple of weeks, and the coming days leading into June are just as jam-packed. The same can be said of the months after as well. The following titles are ones that we've either been able to play demos or preview builds of that are shaping up to be some of the year's more original and noteworthy indie games, many of which will have public demos playable in the upcoming Steam Next Fest scheduled for June.

• Release Date — May 21, 2026
• Developer — Ikinabites
• Publisher — NIS America
• Genre — RPG, TRPG
• Platforms — PC

Starbites may be developed by indie studio Ikinabites, but it's being published by renowned Japanese RPG studio Nippon Ichi Software. And while that technically means it occupies a space somewhere between an honest-to-goodness indie title and an AA release, the unique premise and genre combination of Starbites makes it feel more like an indie than one of NIS America's more prominent titles, despite it still being a role-playing game. Starbites ticks a lot of boxes: it's a full-blown mech-building and customization game with open-world exploration, turn-based battling, and what seems to be a pretty engaging and well-done story. If it can deliver fully on what seems to be some serious gameplay and narrative chops, it should end up being a game that will please RPG fans.

• Release Date — May 25, 2026
• Developer — Effort Star
• Publisher — Joystick Ventures, Gamirror Games
• Genre — Action Roguelike, Turn-Based Tactics
• Platforms — PC

We've been waiting on Enter the Chronosphere to make its debut for some time now, and that moment is finally upon us when the game launches in just two weeks on May 25. A strategic, turn-based bullet hell roguelike, the main gameplay hook of Enter the Chronosphere is very similar to other indie gems like Superhot or Arco, in which enemies only move when you do. That means needing to time out and anticipate enemy movements in tandem with every move and action you take, which creates some opportunities for interesting encounter design on the battlefield. As cool as that premise is, Enter the Chronosphere has an art style and visuals that are somehow even cooler, and you can check it out via a free public demo on Steam right now.

• Release Date — May 28, 2026
• Developer — Doinksoft
• Publisher — Devolver Digital
• Genre — Action Roguelike, Action Platformer
• Platforms — PC

Doinksoft never fails to release a killer indie title, with both of its previous games, Gato Roboto and Gunbrella, being well worth players' time. The next game from the studio is the upcoming Dark Scrolls, a side-scrolling 2D action-platformer that looks and plays like a forgotten classic from the NES but incorporates random modifiers and meta-progression like any good roguelike would. The on-paper premise is that Dark Scrolls is akin to an old-school platformer meets a bullet hell shmup, and some of the power-ups that we've seen on display in the preview footage point to that being very much the case. Thankfully, we won't have to wait too long to go hands-on with this one, as it releases a full two weeks ahead of the upcoming Steam Next Fest.

• Release Date — May 29, 2026
• Developer — Yacht Club Games
• Publisher — Yacht Club Games
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

May is closing out with one seismic bang in the form of Mina the Hollower, the long-awaited new title from Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club Games. Mina has been around and playable in some format for a little over a year now at this point, but the decision to delay the game at the 11th hour and add just that little bit of extra polish seems to have paid off handsomely if the latest demo is any indication. Much like Shovel Knight, Mina the Hollower takes plenty of inspiration from some much-loved NES classics, but swaps that game's Mega Man-meets-Castlevania approach for something more akin to The Legend of Zelda-meets-Castlevania. The results speak for themselves: Mina the Hollower is on track to be one of the year's best games, period, not just one of its best indies.

• Release Date — June 4, 2026
• Developer — True Colors
• Publisher — Dear Villagers
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Platforms — PC

The release of CALX really snuck up on me, especially considering it's been three years since the game was first revealed as Xtal. Thankfully, the long wait between that initial curtain pull and now has been more than worth it, as CALX looks like an almost completely different game and has a public playable demo, where players can complete the entire first zone. This open-world hack-and-slash/action-adventure game is big on atmosphere and vibes, with players already heaping significant praise on the visuals and music, even if the gameplay seems to be a little bit more simplistic than some might have hoped for. This one looks like it'll be a title to keep on your radar if you were a fan of games like Sable or Sword of the Sea.

• Release Date — June 17, 2026
• Developer — Undercoders
• Publisher — Fireshine Games, Boltray Games
• Genre — Action, Platformer
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S

We're a month out from the release of Denshattack!, and even that seems just a little too long to bear after playing its demo and seeing just how well its one-of-a-kind premise works. Taking inspiration from games like Jet Set Radio or even Sonic the Hedgehog, Denshattack! is an arcade-style racing and platforming game set in Japan where you take control of — wait for it — a passenger train. As silly as that premise sounds, it works perfectly in practice, with the levels of Denshattack! packed with plenty of opportunities for tricks, score multipliers, and player expression, all while getting to take in some beautifully rendered cel-shaded vistas depicting the country of Japan.

• Release Date — Q2 2026
• Developer — Concha Indigo
• Publisher — Minicactus Games
• Genre — Action Platformer
• Platforms — PC

We've been anxiously awaiting getting the full release of Aokaki ever since it was first revealed back in 2024, which makes its upcoming Q2 release window all the more exciting. With any luck, this may be one of the titles that gets shadow-dropped as part of the Steam Next Fest showcase in June, helping to close out the quarter with a bang by giving players what appears to be an incredible take on the old-school action-platformer. Given how many Metroidvanias we're inundated with these days, it's getting to the point where a linear action-platformer is honestly kind of refreshing, and Aokaki's clear Ninja Gaiden inspirations set it up to be one that fans of the genre won't want to miss.

• Release Date — Q3 2026
• Developer — Quickfiregames
• Publisher — Firesquid
• Genre — Turn-Based Tactics
• Platforms — PC

The recent backer playtest for Prelude Dark Pain made one thing very clear: developer Quickfiregames is on the right track to deliver one of the year's best TRPGs. Thankfully, everyone else will get a chance to see what the studio is brewing as part of the upcoming June Steam Next Fest. Prelude Dark Pain is inspired by greats like Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics, but takes things in its own unique direction via some really interesting class types and an art style that is equal parts Darkest Dungeon and Hellboy. That it looks and plays as well as it does this early on in its development is a promising sign for what players are in store for when its Q3 release date rolls around.

• Release Date — Q3 2026
• Developer — Ludogram
• Publisher — Twin Sails Interactive
• Genre — TRPG, Roguelike
• Platforms — PC

Speaking of original, cool-looking tactics games, Q3 is also the release window for Ascenders: Beyond the Peak, which is one of the more unique takes on the genre we've seen in quite some time. Instead of battling foes on a horizontal plane, Ascenders is a grid-based tactics game that takes place on cliff faces and mountainsides, challenging players to climb and avoid environmental hazards while also clearing out enemies and other threats that lie in their path to ascent. 2026 has already gifted players excellent turn-based tactics games and the one-of-a-kind climbing simulator Cairn, and Ascenders seems to blend them to get the best of both worlds.

• Release Date — Q3 2026
• Developer — Art Dock
• Publisher — Dreland Enterprises
• Genre — Roguelike, RPG
• Platforms — PC

Ever since we played Lootbound, it's been high up on the Steam wishlist as one of the more anticipated games set for release this year, and it finally has an anticipated launch window of Q3 2026. This turn-based RPG roguelike is similar to Slay the Spire in terms of its incredibly rewarding encounter design, strategy, and buildcraft, but it ditches the deckbuilding aspect for one centered around gear collecting and inventory management. The demo for Lootbound is no longer up as of right now, but there's every chance that developer Art Dock will release a new one as part of the upcoming Steam Next Fest, especially with there being a public playtest that players can sign up for as we speak. Given my experience with the last demo, I'd highly recommend jumping on it.

• Release Date — October 2026
• Developer — Coldblood, Inc.
• Publisher — Coldblood, Inc., Outersloth
• Genre — Horror, RPG
• Platforms — PC, Nintendo Switch

One of the year's most anticipated games, indie or otherwise, is Neverway, the upcoming survival horror farming sim RPG from developer Coldblood, Inc. And for anyone wondering why Neverway has gotten so much advance press and hype ahead of its release, it's worth pointing out that Coldblood, Inc. was founded by Celeste pixel artist Pedro Medeiros and is the studio's debut game. Frankly, the initial demo was more than enough to get us fully on board with what Neverway is putting down. It's already got a super compelling mix of gameplay, storytelling, creep-out factor, and excellent visual design and atmosphere. Now, if we can just sit tight and be patient waiting for that October release date.

• Release Date — 2026
• Developer — Lost Lake Games
• Publisher — Hooded Horse
• Genre — RPG, Turn-Based Tactics, Turn-Based Strategy
• Platforms — PC

Over the last few years, indie publisher Hooded Horse has made a name for itself as one of the more trustworthy studios putting out excellent strategy, simulation, and tactics games. That alone bodes well for a title like Vaunted, and we haven't even started to dig into all of the cool things it's doing as an actual game. Unlike most other games in the turn-based tactics genre, Vaunted uses a real-time exploration and traversal system, slowing things down and switching to your typical turn-based approach when combat initiates. But once you've planned out your course of action, you get to then switch back into real-time and execute on those plans using a more hands-on approach. It's a very cool premise, and the dev talent behind Vaunted points to it being a safe bet when the full game launches later this year.

• Release Date — 2026
• Developer — Auroch Digital
• Publisher — Auroch Digital
• Genre — Action Roguelike, Survivor-like
• Platforms — PC

Wait, didn't we just get a new Vampire Survivors game? Yes, yes we did. But that doesn't mean that there isn't room for Auroch Digital's quasi-sequel/spin-off, Warhammer Survivors, which is the first non-Vampire Survivors bullet hell roguelike to be developed in conjunction with poncle and use the official Vampire Survivors engine. Did I mention that it takes place in the Warhammer: 40,000 universe and comes from the same studio behind the incredible Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun? All the pieces are in place for this to be the best survivor-like this side of poncle's original.

• Release Date — 2026
• Developer — Kyle Thompson
• Publisher — Kyle Thompson, Top Hat Studios
• Genre — Metroidvania
• Platforms — PC

Whenever you see that Kyle Thompson is making a new game, you might as well go ahead and throw that sucker on the wishlist, because it's one you're not going to want to miss. The latest title from the Sheepo/Islets/Crypt Custodian developer is the upcoming Well Dweller, which looks to be yet another incredible Metroidvania game in line with the creator's previous work. That said, Well Dweller is a good bit darker and more atmospheric than were used to from Kyle, so it's clearly bringing some new ideas to the table. The initial demo is fantastic and still available to play over on Steam, so I strongly recommend any Metroidvania fanatics to head over there and check it out while they still can.

• Release Date — 2026
• Developer — Drinkbox Studios
• Publisher — Drinkbox Studios
• Genre — Action-Adventure, Metroidvania, Soulslike
• Platforms — PC, Switch 2

Although we've heard rumors that the game is scheduled for a September release, the Steam Store page for Drinkbox Studios' Blighted still has a vague "2026" release window, and that just won't do for a game we're dying to get our hands on. Given Drinkbox's pedigree from games like Guacamelee!, Guacamelee! 2, and Nobody Saves the World, we're more than ready for the developer to tackle a top-down, Metroidvania/Soulslike/Zelda-like hybrid with such a cool sense of art direction and what's sure to be some top-tier combat. As it stands, this is probably our most-anticipated indie game for the rest of 2026, and we're hopeful it'll finally get a demo during the June Steam Next Fest.