10 Best Indie Games Of 2026 (So Far)

Mina The Hollower

As mentioned, Mina the Hollower is already being hailed as one of the top indie games of 2026, exploding onto the scene with an outstanding 91 Metacritic score and earning the coveted Metacritic Must-Play award after only a week since its release. Funny enough, before it became a full studio project, Mina the Hollower started as a side project by Yacht Club Games developer Alec Faulkner, but the concept impressed the rest of the team enough that it evolved into the studio's next flagship title.

If you liked Shovel Knight, Mina is often described as Yacht Club's Zelda to Shovel Knight's Mario, with the same retro style as the their original hit but focused more on exploration and action-adventure rather than platforming. If you haven't had a chance to play yet, Mina the Hollower deserves a one-way ticket to the top of your list of games to check out next.

Schrödinger’s Call

Schrödinger’s Call is a haunting and absolutely beautifully designed visual novel from Acrobatic Chirimenjako in which Mary, the "World’s Last Confidant," answers phone calls from souls trapped between life and death as the moon crashes toward Earth. Through deeply emotional conversations about some of the most difficult human struggles, players guide lost spirits toward peace.

It's already being hailed as one of 2026’s best indies thanks to top-tier storytelling and writing, amazing character development, striking storybook-inspired art, a killer soundtrack, and how it explores the human condition in a truly remarkable way. If you're a fan of story-driven content or detective mysteries, you can check out the first episode/chapter via a free demo on Steam now.

Mewgenics

Mewgenics is a turn-based tactical RPG and cat-breeding simulator from The Binding of Isaac creator Edmund McMillen and developer Tyler Glaiel. Players breed generations of cats with inherited traits, mutations, and abilities before sending them on dangerous adventures featuring roguelike strategy combat.

The game currently holds an 89 Metacritic score, also earning a Metacritic Must Play designation and widespread critical acclaim, largely because of its absolutely hilarious offbeat humor, but also because of its replayability, deep combat systems, and emergent storytelling. What might have sounded like an absurd concept on paper has become one of 2026's most celebrated indie games, and it's well worth checking out if you're a fan of strategy or roguelike games.

Hermit and Pig

Fans of games like Earthbound or Paper Mario will absolutely want Hermit and Pig on their radar for games to play next in 2026. It's a highly rated story-rich RPG from Heavy Lunch Studio LLC that launched back in February, and it currently has a 100% user rating on Steam and is available to demo for free right now.

It's a relatively straightforward premise with surprisingly deep turn-based combat that will keep you going back for more, where players take on the role of the Hermit with his trusty Pig sidekick, "[fighting] the evils of capitalism" and battling a sinister corporation as part of a full-fledged revolution.

However, this game isn't just another Earthboud-like, say the developers, stating that "Hermit and Pig draws inspiration from classic RPGs, but it isn’t interested in nostalgia for its own sake. Its key-combo combat systems and dialogue battles create a constant sense of pressure, whether you’re fighting enemies or talking to people."

Titanium Court

I honestly don't even know where to start with this game, as it's one of the most bizarre and surreal indie experiences I've ever downloaded and become accidentally obsessed with. While it may appear to be just another Match Three game on the surface, Titanium Court takes the genre and makes it into something equal parts remarkable and strange.

To give you a sense of what I mean, this Steam user review from Ccstewy sums up the experience perfectly:

I had a run that was going very poorly and upon limping my way to the boss fight, the game paused itself and the "host" of the game walked onto the screen and gave me an offer. He told me that he would give me a free pass, skipping the fight but calling it a win in exchange for me sitting and watching a musical performance by the developer, performing a song about how pacific salmon have a big orgy and die.

I cannot overstate just how off the wall Titanium Court is, and you really have to play it for yourself to truly understand why it's so appealing. Luckily, you can try the demo for free now, just be sure to brace yourself for the unexpected.

Mixtape

Mixtape is a somewhat divisive coming-of-age adventure you've probably heard plenty about so far this year, and it comes from developers at Beethoven & Dinosaur. Following three friends on one final night together before their lives change forever, the game blends interactive vignettes with a soundtrack featuring artists like The Smashing Pumpkins, Joy Division, and DEVO, and taps into a certain nostalgia that is sure to strike a chord (sorry) for fans of story-driven games.

Critics have hailed Mixtape as one of 2026’s best games in general, not just indies, largely for its incredible storytelling, art style, unmatched soundtrack, and the ability to capture that bittersweet feeling of the end of our youth. That said, if you're looking for in-depth gameplay and aren't a fan of narrative or cinematic games, you may want to skip this one.

Timberborn

After five long years in Early Access, Timberborn 1.0 officially launched in March 2026, offering players the full-scale beaver city-builder experience they've been looking forward to since 2021. Rather than rushing to launch, developer Mechanistry took their time and worked with the community to fine-tune everything from water systems and districts to automation, transportation, and quality-of-life features.

The result is something truly special, and players can now partake in a deep city-builder experience where you control beaver societies long after humans have gone extinct, constructing dams, reservoirs, power grids, automated production chains, and sprawling vertical settlements while surviving droughts and environmental hazards. It's a quirky and surprisingly addictive sandbox city sim that you can get lost in for hours.

Cairn

Cairn is a survival climbing adventure from The Game Bakers with challenging real-world physics that recreate the experience of climbing in a truly unique way. Players control climber Aava limb-by-limb as she scales the dangerous Mount Kami, managing stamina, equipment, food, water, and weather while searching for safe routes to the summit.

Its realistic climbing mechanics create a constant sense of suspense, and Critics and players have praised Cairn for its immersive gameplay mechanics, environments, art, and especially its top-tier storytelling. If you're looking for a rewarding challenge with unique exploration and somewhat nervewracking gameplay, this survival game is a must-try.

Esoteric Ebb

Esoteric Ebb is a Disco Elysium-inspired CRPG that you'll definitely need your reading glasses for, but is beyond worth it if that isn't an issue for you. The game is side-splittingly funny, but also quite serious at times, with writing that is simply on another level.

Esoteric Ebb uses dice-based gameplay to create a truly original, immersive, choice-driven isometric experience that is unlike anything you've ever played before. It carries a 95% Overwhelmingly Positive user score on Steam, and for good reason, as solo dev Christoffer Bodegård has produced pure gold with this one.

As Nuclear_18 on Steam sums the game up perfectly, "Esoteric Ebb is basically what happens if someone mixed an old-school RPG, a fever dream, and a group of unhinged D&D players into one game ... The game is hilarious, weird, incredibly charming, and packed with the kind of worldbuilding that makes you want to click on EVERYTHING just in case the developers hid another insane joke there."

Tombwater

A personal favorite indie of 2026, Tombwater is a 2D Western soulslike with remarkable level design, boss battles, combat mechanics, etc., and is just about everything you'd want in a soulslike, assuming you're a fan of the genre.

While the controls can be tricky at first, once you've mastered them, the game really opens up into something both familiar and new. With dozens of spells, weapons, and charms, there's a surprising variety of build options, and the game ends up feeling like a soulslike Zelda experience set in the Wild West.

There are countless optional bosses, a huge world that demands exploration, and with a free demo available on Steam that gives you a sense of what's in store, I cannot recommend it enough. As a soulslike fanatic and a lover of classic 2D-style games with quality storytelling, Tombwater checks all the right boxes for me and has hands-down been my top indie game of 2026 so far.