If you're looking for some upcoming indies for 2026 (and beyond) to add to your wishlist, then I'm here to help.
I've been covering indie games here at GamesRadar+ for a little over seven years, and I'm always looking out for new games from indie developers to shout about. With so many upcoming releases, I've curated a list below of some future releases I think are wishlist worthy. From upcoming horror games to delightfully cozy sims, narrative adventures, metroidvanias, and so much more, I've brought together a variety of new indie games on the way across all platforms so you can find something to look forward to here.
There have been some truly amazing indie games arrive this year, with some earning a place among the best games of 2026 so far, but as the many Steam Next Fest events and its demos have shown, there's so much to look forward to. So, if you're ready to see what's ahead, join me as I take you through some exciting upcoming indie games.
2026
Welcome to Elderfield
Release date: September 10, 2026
Platforms: PC
Welcome to Elderfield is the cozy horror game of my dreams and I had to give it a shout out here. The classic farming mechanics are here: grow crops, befriend townsfolk, make money, and so on. However, there is a twist since you'll be facing ancient horrors and have to engage in some combat too. The art style is also inspired by manga and has a very distinct Junji Ito feel to it
Woodo
Release date: September 16, 2026
Platform(s): PC,, PS5, Switch 2, Switch, Xbox Series X
Woodo from developer Tiny Monks Tales is a charming new puzzle adventure with charming, cozy vibes. Described as being like a "3D coloring book you can touch", Woodo sees you put assemble wooden pieces of hand-crafted dioramas that start to come alive with color as you piece them together. The 3D art style is very delightful, and it looks set to offer up a laid-back experience.
Dressmaker
Release date: September 21, 2026
Platform(s): PC
Dressmaker from developer Cozy Lives is a new crafting sim that will let you design and create dresses in a dress shop of your very own. From picking the fabric to cutting out and arranging patterns, adding decorations, and sewing it all together, you can let your creativity flourish and sink into the laid-back simulation as you bring to life custom dresses for the residents of a town.
Well Dweller
Release date: September 22, 2026
Platforms: PC, Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X
Looking to scratch your Silksong itch? Then Well Dweller is here to answer your call. Described as a dark fairy-tale metroidvania, you play as a tiny bird armed only with a matchstick. You'll have to fight and platform your way to victory as you work to burn the evil queen in order to save your family. The art for this game is the perfect balance between cute and eerie and honestly it looks amazing so far.
Otterly Lost
Release date: September 23, 2026
Platform(s): PC
Otterly Lost is an adorable new open world adventure from developer Soulworks Interactive that sees you play as a sea otter called Otto. After getting swept out at sea, you have to try and find your way back home through unfamiliar waters. Along the way, you'll meet a host of friendly animals both in the water and on land, such as a fishing frog, and you can also customize Otto with an assortment of hats and shades (which is a very cute touch).
Wind Runners
Release date: September 23, 2026
Platforms: PC
Wind Runners is for all you bullet-hell sickos out there. In this upcoming indie game, you take on the role of a pilot who is part of the rebellion. The goal is simple: survive and beat bosses as you work towards your freedom from the technotheist Realm. Wind Runners is colorful, chaotic, and seems like a very polished dogfighting roguelite.
Toem 2
Release date: September 29, 2026
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Switch
Toem 2 from developer Something We Made is the sequel to the wonderful 2021 photo adventure. Once again taking on the role of a photographer, the follow-up will see you set off on a new journey snapping pictures to uncover hidden secrets, solve puzzles, and help out friends along the way. The first game was truly a charming gem with a relaxing, laid back feel, and we have no doubt Toem 2 will be just as delightful.
Nowhere
Release date: September 30, 2026
Platform(s): PC
Nowhere is a new horror that looks like a blend of the detective sleuthing of Alan Wake 2 with an even stronger measure of Norse mythology. It's described by indie developer Luke (aka Midnight Forge) as a hardcore detective horror that tasks you with making deductions while investigating what happened in this derelict, abandoned enclave deep in the forest with puzzles, chills, and ambience galore.
Poly Fighter
Release date: October 13, 2026 [Early Access]
Platform(s): PC
Poly Fighter from HeartLoop Games is a new single-player roguelike fighting game that sees you step into the ring and take on opponents. With a classic arcade style, it brings in a roguelike element where every defeat will teach you something, and every victory makes you stronger. As you learn new moves that can be equipped, you can also unlock a vast selection of characters to fight with who all have their own unique perks.
Over The Hill
Release date: October 14, 2026
Platform(s): PC
From the makers of 2020's Art of Rally comes a new driving open-world adventure in Over the Hill. Set across various biomes inspired by real-world locations, Over The Hill lets you get behind the wheel of cars from the '60s through to the '80s, and you can simply enjoy driving around the landscapes to explore, or play with pals and work together to overcome challenges.
Moomin: Midsummer Madness
Release date: November 12, 2026
Platforms(s): PC, Switch, Switch 2
Another Moonmin adventure is on the way in Moomin: Midsummer Madness from developer Shochiku Games. Inspired by Tove Jansson's beloved stories, Midsummer Madness takes place after a flood has swept through the valley. Now, Moomin, Little My, and their friends find themselves in floating theater, and it's up to you to puzzle your way back home again. With a hand-painted style, it looks like another charming addition for Moomin fans.
Milki Delivery
Release date: November 17, 2026
Platform(s): PC
Milki Delivery from developer Doot Tiny Games looks like a charming, cozy little adventure I can't wait to try out. Following a young bike courier called Neha, you set out to build up your own delivery business by bringing milk bottles to locals who live in the countryside. With the help of your trusty cow companion, you'll have your very own barn you can upgrade with the money and resources you earn. As you deliver dairy, you hear from the residents and start to learn more about their past lives in the countryside.
TBC 2026
Better Than Us
Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC
The next upcoming indie game from the studio behind Vampire Therapist, Better Than Us is a narrative adventure with a taste for the high life. Infiltrating the upper classes using all manner of deception, it's your job to make the well-to-do elite of your sci-fi futuristic city accept you as one of their own... long enough for you to rob 'em blind, of course. It should be getting a release date shortly, so I'll keep an eye on this one and let you know when it gets announced!
Book Nook
Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC
From Camper Van: Make it Home developer Malapata Games comes a new cozy builder in Book Nook. As the name of the game suggests, you'll be bringing together your very own little book nooks, assembling and putting together rooms, and seeing how the pieces can all fit together. Designed to be a laidback, relaxed experience, you can take everything at your own pace and sink into the joy of setting out decoration and furniture just so.
Grave Seasons
Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X
If you love farming with a dash of something spooky, Grave Seasons looks like the slasher Stardew Valley of your dreams... and nightmares. Not only will this adorable pixel RPG see you tending the fields as a doting farmer, you'll get to know the locals and try to root out a serial killer who's been committing murders in the town. Oh, and you can also form a romantic relationship with one of the residents if you so wish, just be careful, because you could end up dating the serial killer.
Chivalware
Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC
Chivalware from developer Regal Pigeon is an upcoming roguelite that blends together tile matching with real-time, tile-based combat action, and it's already made a good impression on us. Playing as one of four different Disk Knights who can wield disk weapons and each have their own unique ability, you set out to slay the king of kingdom, who's been corrupted by power and years of isolation. But when glitches start happening around you, a mystery starts to unfold. Expect boss battles and various builds to master.
Spirit Crossing
Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC
Spirit Crossing from Cozy Grove creators Spry Fox is a new co-op MMO set in the stormy Crosslands. As a realm that sits between the human and spirit worlds, you'll be able to make yourself a home in the shared, ever-changing landscapes, gather flowers, take part in fishing tournaments, and interact with others in various ways as you help out lost spirits.
Stickerino
Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC
If you love collecting stickers, then this is the roguelike deckbuilder you should add to your wishlist. Stickerino from developer contresort sees you take on a mysterious figure known as the Sticker Wizard, who has challenges for you to overcome with the deck of cards you build up. As you go, you'll collect stickers known as that can be slapped onto your cards (if you love opening card packs, then Monstraks let you do exactly that), and the more stickers, the better. There's various characters to unlock and play as that each have their own playstyle, and the Monstraks can really shake things up for changing the rules of the game.
TBC 2027
Arcane Eats
Release date: TBC 2027
Platform(s): PC
Arcane Eats promises to be one very tasty new roguelike deckbuilder. Served up from developer Wonderbelly Games, you take on the role of a chef who puts together a cuisine deck made up of mythic ingredients, kitchen tools, and culinary spells. Then, together with your cooking crew, you'll make meals for a host of fantasy characters.
CatchMaker
Release date: TBC 2027
Platform(s): PC
CatchMaker is an upcoming 3D adventure from developer Grand Duck Games that sees you explore a magical island full of bugs to discover and catch. But that's not all, as the steward of the island, you can try to match the bugs and help them find love. So yes, you're a sort of bug matchmaker, with every date revealing more about a bug's ideal partner.
Crescent County
Release date: TBC 2027
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X
Crescent County promises to let us into an open-world on the back of a motorbroom. Dripping with colorful style, the upcoming "delivery life sim" will see you take on the role of a courier who drops off packages. You can even get stuck into some racing, and help out the locals. As you find jobs to occupy your time, you'll have many different ways to customize both your broom and your apartment. Along the way, you can get to know the people you meet and make some friends - and maybe even find love, with the promise of romance, too.
Fossil Quest
Release date: TBC 2027
Platform(s): PC
Fossil Quest will let you bring to life your own dinosaur museum in a management sim that will scratch your collecting itch. From developer Unsigned Double Collective, the adventure sees you step into the village of Follyoaks where your great aunt has left you her old manor house, which happens to be the perfect place to bring to life the museum of your dreams. From venturing out to dig up fossils to renovating the manor, you can put on exhibits and get to the know the locals, too.
Into the Unwell
Release date: TBC 2027
Platform(s): PC
Into the Unwell from developer She Was Such A Good Horse is a new action third person action roguelite that sees you play solo or with up to two pals in online co-op as you fight against inner demons in a strange, grotesque world brought to life in the style of 1930s Rubber Hose animations. Exploring themes of mental illness, you can check out our hands-on preview to find out more.
My Eerie Lair
Release date: TBC 2027
Platform(s): PC
My Eerie Lair promises to be one for all of the dark romantasy fans out there. Described as a cozy furnishing experience with a twist, you take on the role of a vampire who's trying to win the heart of his kidnapped beloved by decorating his eerie castle into their dream home. Yes, if you enjoy decorating with a relaxing albeit dark vibe, this is one to watch out for.
Neverway
Release date: TBC 2027
Platform(s): PC, Switch
Neverway from developer Coldblood Inc is a new life sim that brings to mind games like Stardew Valley with its own distinct nightmarish twist. After leaving your dead end job to escape to a farm as protagonist Fiona, you find yourself becoming indebted as the herald of an immortal god. With three different times of day - morning, afternoon, and night - that you can advance to as you like, you'll farm and craft to try to rebuild your life and get to know the locals (with the option to even find some romance). But with some horror elements, you'll also fight and unlock combat abilities.
Rebounder
Release date: TBC 2027
Platform(s): PC
Rebounder certainly stands out thanks to it "pulp-print" style, which pops with color and draws from zines and old sci-fi comics, you play as a worker who's said to be at the end of their rope who's known as a rebounder. As a precision platformer that's inspired by the hidden mechanics "speedrunners mastered in Kaizo ROM hacks", you can expect quick levels with fast respawn rates so you can get stuck into "unlimited attempts".
Victor's Video Vault
Release date: TBC 2027
Platform(s): PC
Get ready to turn back the clock and step into 1995 as you work in a VHS rental store. Only, in first-person horror game, Victor's Video Vault, the last tape to be rented will start to change the reality around you in the store, which means the end of your shift becomes a bid for survival. With its retro aesthetic and curious concept, this is one for all the horror fans to keep an eye out for.
TBC
Bad Magpie
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
Bad Magpie from developer Milktooth puts you in the role of a mischievous bird who only has one wing and has lost their flock. With a desire for shiny trinkets, you're free to explore a detailed, handcrafted open world where you can cause some chaos by pecking at things, stealing, and meddling to your heart's content. With a charming cartoonish art style and some slapstick comedy, it also promises to tell an emotional narrative without any words.
Curiosmos
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
Curiosmos is an upcoming space sim from developer Celine & The Silly Stars that looks every bit as cozy and whimsical as it promises to be. In it, you can build your very own solar system, putting together planets and moons by combining asteroids with stardust, and even create the gravity and atmosphere. As you go, you'll discover how to create weather, mold landscapes with everything from volcanoes and mountains, and eventually even bring life to your universe.
Dungeon Tourists
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
Dungeon Tourists from developer KMLO is a new online multiplayer rail shooter with a difference. You see, in it, you'll be shooting photographs from a kart on rails in procedurally generated dungeon levels. As you venture through the dungeons with your pals, each level will be a home to a story and targets for you to photograph. And as you snap curiosities, you can earn rewards for your discoveries. After each run, your pictures will also be evaluated with a score and shared.
Froggy Brews
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X
As a big fan of tea, I'm all about this one. Froggy Brews from developer Komodo Range is a new 2D adventure in a delightful hand-drawn artstyle that sees you play as a lonely teamaker called Froggy (who is, in fact, a little frog). As you venture through the forests and gardens to forage for ingredients to brew, you'll also serve various residents and try to find just the right blend for them as you steep seasonal ingredients, flowers, and more.
Haunted Paws
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC, Switch, Switch 2
Haunted Paws from developer LazyFlock is an adorable but spooky upcoming co-op horror game that sees you and a pal play as two puppies who set out to rescue their human from a haunted mansion. You'll be able to sniff around, bark, dig, and get up to all sorts of canine antics as you go up against evil creatures and try to save your human friend.
I Am A Caterpillar
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
During the Wholesome Direct 2023 we got to see I Am A Caterpillar, which is a new indie adventure coming to us from DevFatigued. You play (as you might have guessed) as a caterpillar, only this wriggly friend is quite content as they are, and doesn't want to become a butterfly. On the day your transformation is supposed to happen, you set out to do everything you can to stop it. Yes, you're going to be a bug who wants to shape their own destiny. It looks adorable, with the chance to climb across colorful environments and meet and befriend a whole host of forest inhabitants.
Isle Goblin
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
Isle Goblin from developer Kilowatt Games is a open world pixelated adventure with survival elements that sees you play a little customizable goblin. As you set out to defend their island from human invaders, you'll explore the lands depths to mine resources, raise livestock and tend to a farm to keep your tribe going, and uncover hidden treasures. With a multiplayer mode, you can also team up with up to seven other players.
Neighborhoods
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
Neighborhoods is a new cozy city life sim from developer E-Line Media that's all about the community you care for and cultivate in the little claymation-like world. As you design your city, you'll try to make the citizens happy as can be by placing affordable places to live, places where they relax and enjoy themselves, and maybe have "very strong opinions about a bench" you've placed.
OKU
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
OKU sees you take on the role of a travelling monk who sets out on a spiritual journey across the beautiful landscapes of Japan. Writing Haiku-like poems along the way to connect with the natural world around you and unlock long forgotten pathways, you'll be able to the ride the winds to soar across meadows and rivers with Journey-like movement.
Pale Tide
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
Pale Tide from developer Aberratic is a new zombie survival extraction game that sees you set out into a world afflicted by a mysterious outbreak that has caused the inhabitants to go feral. With your trusty dog companion by your side, you'll head out on dangerous supply runs to find precious resources, and explore zones to uncover secrets and rare equipment as you manage and upgrade a bunker that provides you a place of safety.
Sandcastle
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
Taking the meaning of a sandbox game very literally, Sandcastle from developer Bubblebird Studio lets you shape, mould, and build up sandy terrain. Capturing those sunny days down at the beach with no time pressures, you can sink into the experience and carve out builds using various unlockable tools (and maybe even uncover some treasure as you go). The demo, which released in 2026, has already made a great impression.
Screenbound
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
Screenbound from developers Crescent Moon Games and Radial Forge is unique-looking action adventure with puzzle platforming elements that blends a 2D and 3D world together in quite the novel way. Bringing the retro vibes, you navigate around by switching between the 3D world and the retro-style 2D world on the handheld QBoy console you have in your hands, which reminds me of a Game Boy Advance SP.
Theos: Cities of Myth
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
From the same team behind 2023's Pharaoh: A New Era, Theos: Cities of Myth is a new city builder inspired by the classic games in the genre. In the historical strategy sim, you'll build up your own metropolis dedicated to one of seven Greek deities. As you manage your citizens and their needs, you'll try to create a city that's worthy of your chosen god.
Way to the Woods
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S (Xbox Game Pass)
Way to the Woods is an upcoming adventure that follows the journey of two deer in an abandoned world that head out to find their way home. A trailer for the game back in 2019 quickly captured attention thanks to its beautiful, intriguing backdrop and the companionship of the deer and fawn protagonists at the heart of the experience. Said to draw inspiration from Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and The Last of Us, Way to the Woods made an appearance towards the end of 2022 during the Wholesome Snack showcase.
Wylde Society
Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC
Wylde Society is the new period drama life sim from Wylde Flowers developer Studio Drydock. While the studio's previous adventure saw us take on the role of a witch in a small town who raises a farm, Wylde Society will instead put us in the shoes of Vivian, who also happens to be a witch, but is also socialite and host. You'll be running your own magical boarding house, from planning and hosting events, to matchmaking others - and you can also get up to some witchy goodness, of course.
Keep track of all of the releases on the horizon with our roundups of upcoming Switch games, upcoming PS5 games, upcoming Xbox Series X games, and upcoming PC games.
