Top Indies Still Coming in 2026

2026 has already been a boon for great indie games like Cairn, Replaced, and Tombwater just to name a few, but there are still plenty more on the way, including the ones on this Top Ten list, but before we jump in, there are three guidelines

1- No Early Access

2- Legitimate chance of releasing in 2026

3- Indie to us means an independent studio. If they found a publishing deal or funding for the game, then kudos to them because making games and running a small business is hard.

With that said, let’s get to the list, in order, starting with number ten.

CASTLEVANIA: BELMONT’S CURSE #10

We are going to start the list, not with the least anticipated, but with the game that most blurs the line with indie. Obviously Castlevania is a Konami IP, but Belmont’s Curse is being developed by Evil Empire, an independent studio that was founded in 2019 by just four people, including two Motion Twin employees to support Dead Cells that have quickly grown to over 70 people. The studio supported Dead Cells and grew it from 2.5 million to over 12 million with fantastic free updates and paid ones including the Return to Castlevania DLC, worked with Ubisoft to create their first stand-alone game The Rogue Prince of Persia, and now their upcoming sophomore title, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse.

Before diving into Belmont’s Curse, it needs to be said that despite Evil Empire’s history of working on only roguelikes, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a traditional metroidvania or action exploration if you prefer. It’s also the first entry in the series since 2014’s Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 and the first 2D entry in the series since 2008’s Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. Belmont’s Curse takes place nearly three decades after the events of Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse, the game that also inspired Belmont’s Curse the most, but Evil Empire also mentioned Symphony of The Night and Super Castlevania 4 as major sources of inspiration as well.

The year is 1499 and Paris has been invaded by Dracula’s evil army. The Paris setting means that you will find yourself scaling the Notre Dame Cathedral, exploring the catacombs beneath the streets and even battling Joan of Arc. Evil Empire said Paris was a natural fit for Castlevania and the juxtaposition of the Notre Dame vs Dracula’s Castle, which provided a great backdrop for the experience with the timeless theme of light vs dark. The challenge of the game comes from still being able to provide the players with an unexpected experience, despite the fact that it’s placed in the middle of the Castlevania timeline. In terms of gameplay, it doesn’t look to stray too far from the look and feel that we have come to expect of Evil Empire, which is a really good thing.

OUT OF WORDS #9

I love couch co-op, I love platformers and I love games that use stop motion animation. Wiredfly is checking all the boxes with their upcoming Haze-like, Out of Words.

Out of Words is one of those games like Cuphead that immediately jumps off the screen, which in this case is because the whole experience is created in the real world first using stop motion animation. Stop motion has been done many times in video games, but most of the time the gameplay doesn’t measure up as it’s usually style over substance. Out of Words will hopefully be the exception and not the rule.

Out of Words is heartfelt story about Kurt and Karla on a quest to save their relationship. They’ve somehow been transported to the realm of Vokabulantis and have lost their voices. The game is pure co-op and will require great communication or words. In what has become the norm for the co-op platformer, you will need to solve physics defying puzzles throughout your journey that will take you from ancient catacombs to Nounberg where clay skyscrapers go as far as the eye can see. It also features an incredibly adorable sidekick that looks like a stingray and behaves like a dog that people are almost guaranteed to fall in love with.

VALOR MORTIS #8

Everything is a souls-like these days and when a genre becomes watered down, it becomes harder to stand out. Unless you are doing revolutionary things and that’s exactly what Valor Mortis is doing both literally and figuratively (French Revolution). After going hands on with Valor Mortis last year, it’s clear that it’s much more than just another souls-like.

The most obvious difference is the first person perspective, Valor Mortis continues to show studio strengths that they displayed on Ghostrunner, as it provides a much more visceral and immersive experience than your average souls-like. The Napoleonic Era and French Revolution provide a rich setting that few games have explored. One More Level isn’t going for historical accuracy, nor should you want it to. What it does is provide the studio a unique palette to create enemies and craft the narrative.

In Valor Mortis you play as a young British soldier named William, who got swept up in Napoleons promise to free Europe from the monarch rule. Shortly after enlisting, William meets his demise, but this is not the end as you find yourself part of the living world once more through the power of Nephtoglobin. After becoming reanimated, William vows to uncover the truth in this dark, supernatural tale that is interwoven with of one of the most important eras of history.

OVER THE HILL #7

Sometimes you’re just looking for a game that is a little different. Over The Hill is the follow up to Art of Rally from developer Funselektor as explore the lo-fi world in the golden age of off roading with iconic vehicles from the 60’s through to the 80’s.

Over The Hill is an off-roading choose your own adventure as you trek through the minimalist wilderness that feels reminiscent of Firewatch, where you can brave the wild outdoors alone or with friends. You can challenge yourself with the harsh elements, dynamic weather, a full day/night cycle, and realistic terrain deformation or just enjoy the beauty of the world and take the easier path for a more cozy experience.

Over The Hill will feature multiple different areas from valleys, mountains and forests as well as all types of weather from a sun-scorched desert to snow covered tundras. Over the Hill will also be loaded with objectives for people that like to achieve goals and have purpose. You can chase down meteorites to gather precious resources, or complete objective which can unlock everything from new vehicles, upgrades, mods and even cosmetics. Not matter what you choose to do, Over The Hill has something for everyone.

If you’ve ever watched classic Top Gear or The Grand Tour, you know that as simple or as mundane something might seem, the experience isn’t about the destination, its about the memories you make along the way.

THE ETERNAL LIFE OF GOLDMAN #6

The Eternal Life of Goldman should be the metroidvania at the top of everyone’s watchlist, which is funny because it doesn't feel like a traditional metroidvania.

Starting on the surface, the visuals of The Eternal Life of Goldman have been meticulously drawn, colored and animated by hand using a classic frame by frame method. When actually playing the game and seeing it in action, the only logical comparison is a game like Cuphead. A distinct visual style exploding with color, the imagination of a fever dream, which makes exploring the archipelago feel like a Saturday morning cartoon.

The visuals combined with a story inspired by ancient fables, that is meta-narrated to the player by a mother reading to her son in a manner that felt reminiscent of The Princess Bride, instantly created a very strong atmosphere thanks to great performances. I want to learn how these two worlds are connected and find out more.

Goldman’s movement is heavily based around his cane, which he uses to bounce higher, grab things and attack enemies by pogo-ing them from above. There are three sections of the cane that are interchangeable as you will find new sections of the cane throughout your exploration, but you will need to know which one is best for each situation. This unique system asks the player to use their intelligence more often throughout the experience.

The Eternal Life of Goldman has the potential to be nominated at The Game Awards in numerous categories. If this sounds hyperbolic, I understand because I had the same reservations after reading the words of the developer about how Goldman is different. At least until I played The Eternal Life of Goldman.

ROCKBEASTS #5

There has never been a band management game at this level of production, breadth and quality, which is already an exciting premise, but it also takes place in the 90’s, which is arguably the golden age of music. Oh and the world is full of anthropomorphic animals. Rockbeasts is a part visual novel, part rhythm game, part management sim and part RPG as you try to take an obscure grunge band from a bunch of nobodies to global icons.

Rockbeasts is written by the principal writer of The Witcher 3 as well as Cyberpunk 2077, the game is fully voiced including the talents of Iggy Pop and it also features an original soundtrack including 17 full length tracks to capture the epic sound of the grunge movement of the 90’s. If that wasn’t enough, you’ll also have to use a fax machine.

You play as a manager who begins by meeting the band in a dive bar and once hired you’ll need to manage everything. From uneventful things like finding food or fixing broken equipment to more important details like booking gigs, picking set-lists, and signing the right record deals without selling out. What you decide will greatly change the fortune of the band.

THREADS OF TIME #4

One of my favorite games of the past few years was Sea of Stars. A Chrono Trigger inspired JRPG that struck the perfect balance between retro and modern, but also showed restraint by keeping the story concise and well under 100 hours. What if you could get that experience, but in prehistoric times around 12 million BC and with dinosaurs? It would also be pretty cool if you could get something like that but in a cyberpunk futuristic setting like 2400AD. Another cool option would be for a game like this to take place in a post apocalyptic world where humanity has been decimated and what remains is mostly robots and artificial intelligence. Threads of Time is all of these games rolled into one!

Threads of Time is a turn based RPG that spans millions of years and many different eras that feature some incredible characters, stunning pixel art and beautiful anime inspired cutscenes. You'll also have the ability to assemble your party from heroes that you’ve recruited from different timelines. This is Riyo’s debut game, very little is known and they have been very quietly developing, but every time we see some new footage, it looks incredible.

COVEN OF THE CHICKEN FOOT #3

Coven of The Chicken Foot is a 3D atmospheric puzzle platformer, but what makes this adventure different? To begin with, Coven of The Chicken Foot is also the debut title from Wildflower Interactive, which is the studio that Bruce Straley founded once he left Naughty Dog after being the Director of their three best games: Uncharted 2, Uncharted 4, and The Last of Us. You play as an elderly witch named Gertie, who is a stark contrast to your typical action-adventure hero. She doesn’t have the ability to double jump or the power to use heavy weaponry. Instead, she must rely on the strength and get help from her odd forest creature, but they don’t share a language, so that will be an entirely different challenge. The whole experience is completely wordless and allows you to discover the story through the environment as you explore your curiosities.

The artistic vision of the world is stunning that spans from forest to marshes and catacombs , and the idea of being weak and vulnerable is a concept that has worked very well for some of my favourite games of all time like INSIDE and LIMBO. However, the feature that piques my interest the most is how Wildflower speaks of the forest creature about his ability to learn and adapt. In the words of the studio they have built pioneering tech for companion behaviour like no other “a dynamic, responsive creature that reacts and evolves its abilities and motivations throughout”

If for no other reason, what Bruce did with his work on Uncharted 2, Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us is enough to get me excited for a game that he has always wanted to create.

ONTOS #2

Ontos is a new sci-fi horror from Frictional Games, the studio behind Amnesia and SOMA, which is enough reason to be excited, but it continues with an ultra unique premise. Ontos is set on the moon inside the repurposed hotel Samsara, which was built on top of a failed lunar mining colony as you are trying to find the truth surrounding your estranged father. The setting and premise provide a rich backdrop for heavy ethical questions as well as deep emotional and psychological themes. The devs has said “where SOMA tackled consciousness, Ontos does the same thing with the very nature of reality”

Furthermore, there is a lot to like about how Ontos is being created as it has been in development for over 10 years, which is the most time the studio has spent on a single project and if the quality of their other titles is any indication of what can be done with less time, what can be done with more is extremely promising. The devs have also said that there is no”one solution” and that players will have to face the consequences of their choices. Ontos is also being developed using Frictional’s new, proprietary game engine, which based on the trailer, is going to heighten the immersion.

END OF ABYSS #1

End of Abyss was revealed at Summer Game Fest 2025 with a trailer that jumped off the screen and instantly demanded attention. It looked like the next dark and atmospheric platformer from some of the best studios in the genre like Tarsier or playdead. As it turns out that was half right.

End of Abyss is the debut title from Section 9 Interactive, a studio that was founded in 2020 from many former Tarsier founder and leads. As it also turns out, End of Abyss is a lot of things. The experience is part metroidvania, part top down shooter, part sci-fi, and part horror. When talking with the developers at Summer Game Fest 2025, they listed iconic works such as Alien, The Thing and Ghost in The Machine as major thematic inspirations.

In terms of gameplay and mechaincs, I was told that End of Abyss is deeply inspired by the early NES classics The Legend of Zelda and Metroid, two games that strongly embrace the less is more approach. Worlds that were vast, full of mystery, danger and begged to be explored. The focus was on exploration, non linearity and atmosphere.

The atmosphere they have created immerses you in this isolated experience just like the original Metroid. Walking around the facility your footsteps echo, the metal creaks, the scanner makes electronic beeps, wind lightly howls through tunnels and disturbing things make disturbing sounds in the distance. End of Abyss looks to blur the lines of what we think of a metroidvania experience.