Games on our radar

Quick picks from our Steam Curator and notes on X: what caught our eye, straight to the point.

Curator session Indie radar — July 12, 2026 10 games in one session Ten games discovered through indie developers on X, checked against their current Steam pages. Demo-first where Steam offers one. RhythmPlatformerAction Quick find how to kill a fly [ H2KAF ] Mind-blowing mechanic: you can’t speak and must collect phrases from conversations to use as dialogue. Amazing Blade Runner-like cyberpunk atmosphere. Very excited for release. CyberpunkPuzzleStory Rich Quick find Colorbound Cozy puzzle game with a very clever color mechanic. Painting the world to solve puzzles feels fresh, heartwarming, and fun. A really charming little experience overall. CasualPuzzleColorful Quick find Time To Wake Up Great demo with a very satisfying blink mechanic. The environments felt nostalgic and well crafted. Movement could be less slippery and slightly faster, but I really enjoyed it. Story RichAtmosphericMystery Quick find Tape Man Incredibly clever puzzle mechanics with tons of potential. There’s so much you can build with this concept alone. The visuals are cozy and unique too, which makes it even better. AdventurePlatformerPuzzle Quick find STUNTBOOST Great visuals and mechanics. I love the teenager’s-room setting with cardboard obstacles and props everywhere. The eye mechanic is super satisfying. I just wanted more aerial tricks. PlatformerParkourFast Paced Quick find No Up Great gravity-based puzzle game with minimal visuals and ethereal music. Wall climbing feels awesome and fits the vibe perfectly. Liminal-space environments would work amazingly well here. ExplorationImmersive SimPuzzle Quick find Sting & Swing Incredibly charming and cozy! Feels like Animal Well mixed with golf. The ball feels a bit unpredictable sometimes, but overall it was a delightful experience to play. ExplorationCollectathonPuzzle Quick find White Rooms Fun and surreal, like a fever meme. It still needs some polish before release, but I really enjoyed it overall. I got stuck on the balloon section though and had no clue what to do. CasualPuzzleFirst Person Quick find Object Impermanence Very clever puzzle mechanics with strong BLAME! vibes. Objects disappearing instantly feels too punishing though. Gradual fading would make precise puzzles feel much better overall. CasualPuzzleAdventure Quick find VHOLUME From the creators of Babbdi, I expected great atmosphere, but this exceeded it. The weird megastructure architecture is the real hook here. Brutalism fans will absolutely love this one. ParkourFirst PersonAtmospheric Quick find BOMBANANA! This is a hilarious 3-player co-op bomb defusal game where blind, deaf, and mute monkeys must communicate in a minivan workshop to defuse bombs. Perfect for party chaos and teamwork. Team BasedMultiplayerPuzzle Quick find Arcane Eats Really fun and great to look at. A solid deckbuilder with combos and plenty of variety, and the cooking twist works so well it makes the game feel dynamic and one of a kind. RoguelikeFantasyCard Battler Quick find Realm of Ink A stunning Chinese ink-wash action roguelite. Combine 40+ Ink Gems into wild transforming forms, fight alongside loyal pet Momo, and break free in a folklore-painted world. ActionRoguelikeStylized Quick find Enginefall This is a crafting shooter about building weapons under pressure. Strong premise for tinkerers, with pacing that depends on how much you enjoy systems. PvPSurvivalSandbox Quick find Good Heavens! This is a survival-crafting adventure with co-op energy and strange heavenly stakes. Promising for builders, but still early in clarity and polish. Open WorldSurvivalRPG Quick find Duskfade This is a nostalgic 3D platformer chasing PS2-era mascot magic. Polished movement and warmth stand out, though the appeal is very genre-specific. ActionAdventurePlatformer Quick find Bulbo's Belief System This is a puzzle-platformer where belief changes what Bulbo can see and do. Cute, clever, and unusual, though it asks players to think differently. LogicSurrealPuzzle Quick find Wax Heads This is a cozy-punk record-store sim about matching customers with music. Warm, stylish, and dialogue-driven, with a slower puzzle rhythm. Dialogue HeavyStylizedExploration Quick find SPRAWL zero This is a Y2K cyberpunk FPS with fast arcade gunplay and retro energy. Strong movement and style, but intense by design. ActionFirst PersonShooter Quick find Desktop Explorer This is an old-PC mystery adventure about solving secrets through files, windows, and minigames. Clever, eerie, and best for puzzle-minded players. PsychologicalHorrorPoint & Click Quick find IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator This is a turret-defense sim about holding a heavy gun line under pressure. Great for players who like weighty machines, tension, and tactical upgrades. MilitarySimulationRealistic Quick find Well Dweller This is a dark fairy-tale Metroidvania with a tiny bird, a matchstick, crisp movement, and a moody world. Familiar genre shape, fresh execution. MetroidvaniaActionAdventure Quick find Blasphemous Beautiful in a way all its own. A masterclass in dark fantasy created in pixel art, which only works in its favor. Hard in a way that hooks you. Die a thousand times. Try a thousand more. MetroidvaniaPixel GraphicsSoulslike Quick find Magic: The Gathering Arena It’s THE TCG. Some of us just can’t get enough of it, and the digital version is easier to learn on. When it comes to storytelling through cards, it’s a reference for us. StrategyCard GameTrading Card Game Quick find Dragon's Dogma 2 The pawn system nails the feel of co-op without the co-op, and makes the world feel alive in a way few RPGs manage. Combat’s fun, but it runs short on monster variety. Open WorldRPGAction Quick find BioShock Infinite A reference point for steampunk, with gameplay to match. The kind of story that stays with you and keeps you thinking in circles. Do you think the circle will be unbroken? ActionFirst PersonShooter Quick find Don't Starve Together One of our goals is to get the whole studio playing together. Until then, just a few of us do. Fun, with an unmistakable artstyle that inspired us too. Fresh air for the survival genre. SurvivalOpen WorldMultiplayer Quick find Bloons TD 6 Our designer who swears she’s not a tower defense fan has played this more than you’d believe. Great with friends or to kill time, and popping balloons never stops being satisfying. The sfx sells it. Tower DefenseStrategyMultiplayer Quick find Devil May Cry 5 One of us swears it’s the best hack and slash ever made. The beauty of the combos paired with the music is a drive in itself. Dante and Vergil are role models, opposite sides of the same coin. ActionHack and SlashCharacter Action Game Quick find Monster Hunter Wilds Capcom’s flagship convinces you you’re the top of the food chain, then earns it with no needless violence, on one of the most functional ecosystems ever simulated. HuntingActionMultiplayer Quick find The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition Still the benchmark of open world RPG to this day. You get ready for a quest and look up three hours later somewhere you never meant to go, tangled in a subplot you never saw coming. Open WorldRPGAdventure Quick find What Remains of Edith Finch A perfect example of how storytelling can be the soul of a game at its best. How everyday tragedy unfolds, and how strangely it can spiral into a sorrow that feels like a dream. Story RichAtmosphericWalking Simulator Quick find Little Goody Two Shoes Stunning pixel art that’s cute and morbid at once. The protagonist’s cynicism and naivety let a nightmare of the worst kind unfold, and you’re forced to watch it through every ending. AdventureHorrorRPG Quick find FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION A one of a kind game. We are sure it would’ve landed better without the title it carries. Ever felt nostalgic for a story while living it? That’s FFXV. Made with love. RPGOpen WorldJRPG Quick find Baldur's Gate 3 The closest a game has come to real tabletop freedom. Every wild idea works, every choice lands. The kind of RPG that quietly ruins every other one for you. RPGCharacter CustomizationChoices Matter Quick find DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT If someone told you this is a walking simulator, they lied. It’s a dad simulator and logistics, all while smashing your heart to pieces. Story RichOpen WorldWalking Simulator Quick find Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 It outdid itself, pulling the best JRPG mechanics into one game. Exceptional. Striking. Moving. One of our favorites. Turn BasedStory RichFantasy Quick find ELDEN RING Elden Ring takes the FromSoftware formula open-world and never loosens its grip. A vast, melancholy realm dense with secrets, brutal bosses and cryptic lore. A true landmark of the dark fantasy genre. SoulslikeOpen WorldDark Fantasy Quick find The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt One of the best games ever made, a true classic. Unbeatable sense of humor with real weight behind every choice. Even a horse becomes unforgettable. Open WorldRPGStory Rich Quick find Cyberpunk 2077 500h+ in. A game that only got better with time, and made cyberpunk feel memorable beyond movies and books. Platinum isn’t enough. CyberpunkOpen WorldRPG Quick find Hello Kitty Island Adventure Playing this brings back the cozy magic Animal Crossing gave us in the 2000s. Something fresh with a nostalgic touch, and the lovable Hello Kitty crew. One of us is hooked! CozyOpen WorldAdventure Quick find Lost In Fantaland Lost in Fantaland blends deckbuilding with tactical grid combat: move your lone hero around the board and chain attack and defense cards to outmaneuver enemies, all in sharp retro pixel art. RoguelikeDeckbuilderStrategy Quick find Guild of Dungeoneering Ultimate Edition Guild of Dungeoneering is a roguelike deckbuilder where you build the dungeon around a hero who roams on their own. Combat is card-based, and the stats and loot they collect keep reshaping their deck. RoguelikeDeckbuilderRPG Quick find Gambonanza Gambonanza is a roguelike that reinvents chess on a tiny board: forget checkmate — capture every enemy piece. Bend the rules with over 150 Gambits, many nodding to real and fictional chess legends. RoguelikeDeckbuilderChess Quick find Chrono Ark Chrono Ark pairs roguelike deckbuilding with a full party RPG and a story to match. Build a team of four from a large cast and chain their cards into intricate combos, where each death feeds the plot. RoguelikeDeckbuilderAnime Quick find About Fishing This is a surreal fishing mystery game that combines meditative angling with psychological tension and discovery. The unique mechanics and Lynchian atmosphere create an eerie yet endearing experience. FishingMysteryPsychological Quick find Moonsigil Atlas In Moonsigil Atlas, a roguelike deckbuilder, cards cost space rather than mana: you slot sigil-shaped cards onto a board, and tight placement opens up more actions and combos against celestial Titans. RoguelikeDeckbuilderStrategy Quick find Morimens Morimens is a roguelite card-battler steeped in Lovecraftian horror. Lead four Awakeners from a huge cast, chaining combos across four distinct Realms, all in striking art and cinematic animation. Card GameLovecraftianVisual Novel Quick find SpellRogue SpellRogue is a dark fantasy roguelike deckbuilder built on dice. Each turn you roll a pool of mana dice and spend them to power your spells, manipulating the rolls to turn chance into strategy. DeckbuilderDiceRoguelike Quick find Dogpile Dogpile is a goofy, charming little roguelike deckbuilder about merging dogs. Drop matching pups into the yard to fuse them into bigger ones for points, without letting the pile spill over. RoguelikeDeckbuilderPhysics Quick find Into the Restless Ruins Into the Restless Ruins fuses roguelike, deckbuilding and world-building: your cards raise the maze you then dive into. Strategy meets real-time tension as enemies swarm and your torch burns low. ActionRoguelikeDeckbuilder Quick find Slayblade A chill Y2K-inspired battle-tops roguelite where you build and merge 60+ parts into a Beyblade-like top to dominate street fights. Skate a vibrant city, take side gigs, and absurd synergies. Promising RoguelitePhysicsRelaxing Quick find Shroom and Gloom With an extremely unique visual style, the game is as fun in combat as it is in exploration, which is also shaped by your deckbuild. Press W and dive into these caves, it's worth it. DeckbuilderCard GameHand-drawn Quick find Duo Quest A co-op roguelite deckbuilder where you and a partner build decks, fight quirky monsters, and answer personal questions about each other to generate power. Your bond is literally your greatest weapon. Co-opDeckbuilderRoguelike Quick find Don't Fret First-person psychological horror game, you play as a sentient guitar trapped in a nightmare music school. Unique protagonist and strong thematic atmosphere. You are hunted while solve musical puzzles PsychologicalHorrorPuzzle Quick find Five More Minutes Here childhood gaming memories become cards. Mix genres like RPG and horror, switch between hero and villain for conditional effects, and battle nostalgic enemies. Interesting stance mechanics. RoguelikeDeckbuilderRoguelite Quick find Dice Rogues This is a tactical roguelite where you build a hand of sentient dice with chaotic rogue faces. Upgrade them, gamble on Pandora’s Box, and beat the House across neon Paris-themed runs. Card BattlerRogueliteDifficult Quick find Dungeon Raid Here flipping cards costs hunger, triggering stress debuffs and health loss. Manage food, weapon durability, subjugate enemies, and dive dungeon floors. Tense resource strategy with pixel art. RoguelikeDeckbuilderExploration Quick find Forge the Fates This is a roguelike deckbuilder where cards form a shifting rune grid. Plan with fate swaps and chain match-3 combos for Phoenix bonuses. Fantastic pixel art and deep tactical strategy. RoguelikeDeckbuilderMatch 3 Quick find Combolands: Roguelike Citybuilder From Terra Nil designer, this is a roguelike deckbuilder where cards are buildings on a procedural island. Create outrageous cascading synergies and combos with guild pairs. Terrific once it clicks. StrategyRoguelikeDeckbuilder Quick find Chosen Anyway: Card Game This is a turn-based roguelite deckbuilder. Play as Ryn, the unlikely Chosen: build decks each run while cards scale with permanent RPG stats and gear. 3D aesthetic is really nice. Card BattlerStrategyRPG Quick find Dice A Million Roll 5 dice, build combos, hit a million. Starts simple with d4s but gets wild fast. Dice effects + deckbuilding = deep roguelike DiceRoguelikeDeckbuilder Quick find Sevenfall A turn-based strategy RPG with deck-building and fortress construction like 9 Kings. We build our domain, craft decks, battle factions. Exploration adds depth. Good for strategic deckbuilder. StrategyRPGCard Game Quick find LONESTAR Lonestar is a space roguelike deckbuilder where attack and defense are one: firing your shockwave also blunts the enemy's incoming blow. Between battles, you steadily upgrade your bounty-hunting ship. RoguelikeStrategyTurn Based Tactics Quick find The Hollow Alchemist This is a story-focused roguelike deckbuilder with really nice 3D aesthetics and shifting perspectives. Strong summons and bonuses add replay. Needs work on animations, UI, descriptions, and tutorial. RoguelikeDeckbuilderTurn Based Strategy Quick find Miraclawns A gambling roguelite boosting cute slimes via coin tosses and fusions for real-time lane combat. The loop and combos are satisfying when they hit. It's English-only and bad rolls can brick your team. GamblingCreature CollectorRoguelite Quick find Ribbit Rogue A turn-based roguelike deckbuilder with a unique look that uses dice instead of cards. You build a pool of 10 dice, each side an action, swap faces to shape your run, and stack relics for synergies. Card BattlerTurn Based TacticsRoguelite Quick find Demon Bluff I don't trust my sister anymore, I'm scared of my family. I'm locked in my room with my dog, but I think I just heard him say something. Good game, definitely worth a try. StrategySocial DeductionCard Game Quick find Fights in Tight Spaces Fights in Tight Spaces wraps a roguelike deckbuilder in an action-movie premise: a secret agent brawling goons on a tight grid. Cards are punches and dodges, with a combo system driving the combat. StrategyActionTurn Based Tactics Quick find Choo Choo Defenders Building tracks, killing monsters and earning money turns out to be a really satisfying experience. A pretty, addictive and relaxing game. I imagine it must be excellent on handhelds. StrategyCasualTower Defense Quick find Scriver: A Word Game This is a chill Scrabble-Balatro roguelike deckbuilder. It's English-only with no localization, very relaxed with no action, and the bizarre art style can feel overwhelming. Great for word game fans. RoguelikeDeckbuilderCasual Quick find Goaldeck Visually plain with little feedback, hard to follow. Cards, packs and shop upgrades feel too simple, like the positioning mechanics. The football theme feels arbitrary and spamming next turn gets old. DeckbuilderStrategyRoguelike Quick find Ring of Pain Ring of Pain is a card-based roguelike dungeon crawler. Instead of a deck in hand, the dungeon itself is a ring of cards you spin through, deciding each turn whether to fight, sneak, or grab loot. Dungeon CrawlerCard GameRoguelite Quick find Loop Hero Loop Hero is a strategy roguelike where you spawn your own enemies to loot them and grow stronger, juggling builds on the fly. Beneath it runs a quietly philosophical tale of a world lost to a loop. TacticalRoguelikePixel Graphics Quick find Golden Swirl A semi-real-time action dark fantasy deckbuilder with nice combos, Gothic metal soundtrack, and stylized head designs. Aesthetically, it can be overwhelming, and start-and-stop combat is not for all. DeckbuilderCard BattlerCard Game Quick find Dicey Dungeons A breezy little roguelike where you roll dice and assign them to your gear each turn. Dicey Dungeons is simple to learn but endlessly playful, full of oddball characters and a cheeky game-show charm. RoguelikeDeckbuilderCard Battler Quick find Luck be a Landlord A roguelike deckbuilder built around a slot machine, Luck be a Landlord has you stacking symbols whose adjacency sparks chains of synergy. Fast, dynamic runs with a huge pool of combos to discover. RoguelikeDeckbuilderRoguelite Quick find Inscryption A roguelike deckbuilder drenched in horror, Inscryption traps you in a sinister cabin playing cards for your life. Its dark, immersive atmosphere hides puzzles and secrets far deeper than they seem. Card BattlerCard GameStory Rich Quick find Vault of the Void A deep roguelike deckbuilder, Vault of the Void layers a huge pool of cards with artifacts and socketable Void Stones that alter how they work — a dense web of mechanics for intricate deck building. RoguelikeDeckbuilderChoices Matter Quick find Knock on the Coffin Lid A dark fantasy roguelike deckbuilder where story leads: in Knock on the Coffin Lid, a resurrected warrior loops back to the crypt at every death, building decks from both cards and RPG-style gear. FantasyDark FantasyZombies Quick find Griftlands Part roguelike deckbuilder, part RPG, Griftlands has you build two decks: one for combat, one for negotiation. Allies and rivals you make along the way then sway how those encounters play out. Card BattlerRogueliteDeckbuilder Quick find Witch's Apocalyptic Journey Mahou shoujo meets deckbuilder and the combo just clicks. Fun, addictive, and the progression kept pulling me forward. Wasn't expecting this theme on a roguelike, but here we are. RoguelikeDeckbuilderCard Game Quick find StarVaders StarVaders is a tactical roguelike deckbuilder where you pilot a mech on a grid. Cards drive everything, even movement, as Space Invaders-style enemies descend toward a zone that ends your run. RoguelikeDeckbuilderTurn Based Tactics Quick find Emberward A roguelike deckbuilder tower defense built on Tetris: in Emberward you drop tetromino blocks to shape the maze enemies must cross, then mount towers on them. An unlikely mix that works beautifully. Tower DefenseFalling BlocksStrategy Quick find Die in the Dungeon Die in the Dungeon swaps cards for dice rolled onto a grid. The dicebuilding is simple, but the board and its multipliers turn it into a deep puzzle where placement opens up countless strategies. RoguelikeStrategyDeckbuilder Quick find Beneath Oresa Hand-drawn art, neon undercity, clean 3D arenas: Beneath Oresa is a looker. Then the zone tactics, companion duos, and upgrade forks remind you it's a deckbuilder with teeth, not just wallpaper. RoguelikeDeckbuilderCard Game Quick find DICEOMANCER With a colorful, hand-drawn art style, Diceomancer is a roguelike deckbuilder with one clever twist: a die that can reroll any number on screen, from enemy HP to your own to the rules themselves. StrategyCard GameRoguelike Quick find Cobalt Core Cobalt Core is a deckbuilder set in space, crewed by a band of animals piloting through a time loop. Bright, charming, and very, very fun. RoguelikeDeckbuilderCard Game Quick find Shogun Showdown Set in feudal Japan, Shogun Showdown is a tactical roguelike with leaner deckbuilding that blends into movement and attacks, where every step and strike is a turn, wrapped in crisp 8-bit art. StrategyRPGTurn Based Quick find Monster Train Monster Train is a roguelike deckbuilder built on a distinct, creative combat: the action splits across three floors plus the Pyre, where monsters brawl to the death at every turn's end. Card BattlerRogueliteCard Game Quick find Slay the Spire 2 Slay the Spire 2 is a cleaner, sharper take on the original. New Ancients, alternate acts, reworked characters, and co-op reshape the climb without losing the pressure that made StS stick. RoguelikeCard GameDeckbuilder Quick find Slay the Spire Slay the Spire defined the roguelike deckbuilder. It's a spire on the genre’s horizon later games keep sailing toward. STS2 doesn’t replace it; it reframes what the original made possible. RoguelikeDeckbuilderCard Game Quick find Enginefall Red Rover Interactive A wild player-driven crafting shooter set on colossal post-apocalyptic megatrains, where squads scavenge, craft, and build forward car by car. Quick find Good Heavens! Nowhere Studios A solid fantasy survival-craft RPG for solo or co-op play, with biome exploration, base building, party roles, and a demo update adding more content and fixes. Quick find Duskfade WeirdBeluga A nostalgic 3D action platformer that channels the magic of the PS2 era while keeping enough polish and responsiveness to feel fresh. Quick find Bulbo's Belief System Abstract Digital Works A super creative puzzle-platformer where knowledge is both tool and obstacle, because Bulbo believes everything he is told and the world changes around that. Quick find Wax Heads Patattie Games A vibey cozy-punk record store sim about decoding customer dialogue and recommending the right album from a lovingly odd collection. Quick find SPRAWL zero Maeth Pure 2000s FPS energy in a cyberpunk wrapper, with fast arcade shooting, fluid gunplay, loud music, and a clear love for Halo and Quake-era momentum. Quick find Desktop Explorer Recurring Dream A brilliant interface mystery adventure with psychological horror vibes, built around exploring old PC profiles to unravel an inherited mystery. Quick find About Fishing The Water Museum One of the most unusual demos in the festival: a fishing mystery that starts calm and meditative before layering in quiet dread and stranger implications. Quick find IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator Nick Nieuwoudt & Dominik Latos An immersive dieselpunk artillery sim from a two-person team, turning the inside of a massive war machine into a tense translation, targeting, and survival space. Quick find Well Dweller Kyle Thompson A beautiful dark fairy-tale Metroidvania from the developer behind Islets and Crypt Custodian, with a tiny bird, a matchstick, and a very strong sense of place. Quick find Demon Bluff The latest Next Fest build is one of the most interesting single-player demos we played in the run, built around deduction, pressure, and bluff-reading tension. Quick find TOWER LAB Physics-based roguelite tower defense with a refreshing central hook: enemies have no health, so the whole fight becomes about pushing, throwing, and engineering the right kind of chaos. Quick find Arcane Eats We met the dev (a couple) at CourageXL San Francisco this year, the event just before GDC — and we are very glad of their recent performance… Quick find Slayblade Henry's House A roguelite take on classic Beyblade battles set in a Y2K city, from the dev behind Kardboard Kings. You collect and merge parts — heads, bodies and tips with different weights and handling… Quick find Shroom and Gloom Team Lazerbeam · Devolver Digital Team Lazerbeam (published by the mighty Devolver Digital) starts the festival with roughly 9.5k followers — and it will undoubtedly grow from there… Quick find Duo Quest 1+1 Studios A roguelite deckbuilder built solely for co-op, from a Malaysian indie team (published by Rising Tide): you and one friend team up as two adventurers… Quick find Don't Fret Already a success — just showcased at the Future Games Show. Our own Paradoxical was at this festival too, so we know how hard it is to stand out… Quick find Five More Minutes PurpleTurtle · Zugalu Entertainment Enters the festival with 433 followers — a nice number. A roguelite deckbuilder that turns the "just five more minutes" loop into its whole pitch… Quick find Dice Rogues Pick Your Universe A tactical roguelike from a small self-published indie team. It enters the festival with just 7 followers — exactly the kind of underdog we like to spotlight… Quick find Dungeon Raid 4Cats A compact card roguelike where every flip of a card drains your hunger bar. Run out of food and you start to starve — sitting at around 304 followers… Quick find Forge the Fates Chaos Logic Studios We played through the full demo of this turn-based roguelike. It starts the festival with 177 followers, and there is a lot to like here… Quick find Combolands Crux Games From the two-person South African studio — Sam Alfred (designer of the BAFTA-nominated Terra Nil) and Skye Scott. We think this game might be a banger… Quick find Chosen Anyway Rafael Diniz From solo dev Rafael Diniz; the game started the festival with 27 followers. You play as Ryn, the apprentice from Ironfield School who gets chosen… Quick find Sevenfold We were intrigued because it reminds us of 9 Kings, with its turn-based strategy, deck-building and fortress construction. It started with 28 followers… Quick find The Hollow Alchemist Starts the festival with only 34 followers. The 3D aesthetic is really nice — tiered graphics from copper to platinum, plus dynamic camera angles in fights… Quick find Miraclaws Starting with only 4 followers. You generate slimes with gel, then gamble (coin tosses, chinchiro dice) to boost their stats — wins skyrocket power and unlock fusions… Quick find Scriver A relaxing roguelike deckbuilder that mashes up Scrabble word-building with Balatro-style boosters and jokers. Scriver starts the festival with 11 followers — we are curious to see how it plays out… Quick find Golden Swirl Kicked off the event with 2,089 followers — already good early interest. We spent a good chunk of time with the full demo and really enjoyed the core loop, a semi-real-time action dark…

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Systems impressions: editorial capsules and demo analyses worth a closer look.

Systems read Wonderdeck MukGames Top-down bullet hell where poker hands rewrite how you shoot. Playing cards, tarot, and hanafuda become real weapon rules. Bullet HellDeckbuilderAction Systems read Bottled by Bears monoii studio Cozy idle honey farm with the Pawford bears. Open bee packs, bottle honey, expand flower fields that bloom while you are away. CozyIdleFarming Sim Systems read Cards of Eden Control Studios First-person deckbuilder immersive sim from Control Studios. Systems-first tools, mines, grapples, and a demo hoped for January 2027. DeckbuilderImmersive SimFirst Person Systems read Master of Piece I M GAME Chess-board tactical roguelite where your deck is mercenary pieces. Traits, relics, rumors, and flag destruction. Early Access, Very Positive. RoguelikeDeckbuilderTurn Based Systems read Nebulae Northern Lights Entertainment Astropolitics MMO. Govern planets, vote, spy, and fight in a threatened galaxy. Mobile alpha live; PC push in motion. MMOStrategyAstropolitics Systems read Well Dweller Kyle Thompson A dark fairy-tale Metroidvania with polished movement, strong atmosphere, and a clear hook for genre fans. Systems read IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator Nick Nieuwoudt & Dominik Latos A brutal dieselpunk heavy-artillery experience focused on immersive controls, tactical problem-solving, and commanding a colossal war machine. Systems read About Fishing The Water Museum A surreal fishing mystery game that blends meditative angling with quiet psychological tension and discovery. Systems read Desktop Explorer Recurring Dream An interface mystery adventure set inside an old computer desktop, unraveling secrets through files, windows, and diegetic puzzles. Systems read SPRAWL zero Maeth A fast-paced first-person arcade cyberpunk shooter channeling 2000s FPS energy with fluid gunplay and modern polish. Systems read Wax Heads Patattie Games A cozy-punk narrative sim about working in a struggling indie record store, recommending music and uncovering story through dialogue. Systems read Bulbo's Belief System Abstract Digital Works A puzzle-platformer where beliefs literally shape the world — Bulbo believes everything he is told, turning knowledge into both tool and obstacle. Systems read Duskfade WeirdBeluga A 3D action platformer capturing the magic and nostalgia of PS2-era mascot platformers with modern touches. Systems read Good Heavens! Nowhere Studios An open-world fantasy survival-craft RPG with solo or co-op base building, role-playing, and exploration across mysterious biomes. Systems read Enginefall Red Rover Interactive A player-driven crafting shooter on colossal post-apocalyptic megatrains — scavenge, craft, build, and fight your way toward First Class or escape with loot. Systems read Realm of Ink Leap Studio A gorgeous ink-wash action roguelite with deep buildcraft, Chinese folklore, and fluid combat that stands out in the genre. Systems read Arcane Eats Wonderbelly Games A roguelike deckbuilder with a delicious cooking twist, where mythic ingredients and magical kitchen tools create strategic combos to feed hungry hordes. Systems read BOMBANANA! Lefto Studio Chaotic 3-player co-op bomb defusal party game where blind, deaf, and mute monkeys must communicate in a minivan workshop to defuse bombs. The runaway #1 most-played demo of Steam Next Fest June 2026 with over 1M players. Systems read BOMBANANA! Lefto Studio Chaotic 3-player co-op bomb defusal party game where blind, deaf, and mute monkeys must communicate in a minivan workshop to defuse bombs. The runaway #1 most-played demo of Steam Next Fest June 2026 with over 1M players. Systems read IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator Nick Nieuwoudt / Dominik Latos A brutal dieselpunk heavy-artillery simulator from a two-person team where you calculate trajectories, load massive shells, and command a colossal war machine. Precise, tense, and cinematic. Systems read Echoes of Aincrad Game Studio Inc. Third-person SAO action RPG in the floating castle of Aincrad. Weapon progression across styles, vast beautiful world, ARPG customization and combat. High-visibility Next Fest demo from Bandai Namco. Systems read Mistfall Hunter Bellring Games Dark fantasy PvPvE action extraction ARPG. Build Gyldhunters with skills, talents and gear, battle corrupted monsters and rival players, extract loot or lose everything. Day-one chart dominance at Next Fest. Systems read over the hill Funselektor Labs Inc. / Strelka Games Stylized off-roading exploration from the Art of Rally team. Drive iconic 60s-80s vehicles solo or with friends across scenic challenging wilderness trails. Authentic, relaxed driving in the golden age of offroading. Systems read EMPULSE 1047 Games Fast-paced 6v6 movement shooter from the Splitgate team, heavily inspired by Titanfall 2. Features fluid wall-running, grappling, holojumps, mech piloting and gadget play ("P.A.I.N.T.") across vertical streets in the city of Fr... Systems read Dust Front RTS rtsDimon Classic single-player RTS with grand strategy and 4X elements. Non-linear campaign on a bleak, soot-covered planet. Base-building, army command, resource management, and procedural maps. Solo-dev passion project emphasizing dee... Systems read The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu ACE Team 1-4 player (solo viable with bots) co-op Lovecraftian extraction horror. Explore a cursed 16th-century South American jungle as treasure hunters. Face reality-altering monsters and sanity-draining cosmic horror. Demo offered fi... Systems read XenoFeels KotaMota Games A space customs simulator in the Papers, Please tradition. Inspect alien travelers on a remote asteroid checkpoint, compare documents and appearances, and use your shotgun to stop terrorists before they blow up your planet. Charming, tense, and unhinged from a small Russian indie duo. Systems read Embers of the Uncrowned NEXON Dark fantasy isometric action RPG/MMORPG with fast-paced, brutal gory combat. Fight as the last hope of House Harborwell against elven invaders. Tactile combat, classes, and atmosphere from Nexon. Active demo with player feedback integration. Systems read Casualties: Unknown Orsoniks Unforgiving cave-exploration survival simulator. Test subject retrieving cargo on hostile planet with 11 layers. High tension survival. Demo had high positive reviews. Systems read Mortal Shell II Cold Symmetry Standalone soulslike action-RPG sequel with unrestricted, adrenaline-charged combat. Possess Shells with unique abilities, deep weapon upgrades, open world exploration in a ravaged world. Open Beta during Next Fest with RTX support drew strong interest. Systems read Double Dealers Miklagard Studios 3-6 player social deduction auction/bluffing party game. Bid, trade, deceive, and manipulate in voice-chat heavy high-stakes rounds. Demo available during fest. Systems read GRAIN ROT Beck & Branch Games Co-op horror extraction with a robot scavenger theme. Loot ruins for items to build a base while using gadgets, weapons, and surviving chaos. Blends tension, humor, and physics-driven fun. Frequently compared to Lethal Company... Systems read Order of the Sinking Star Thekla, Inc. Massive puzzle adventure from Jonathan Blow. Vast realm of magic and enigma with intricate puzzle design. Demo was large and ambitious, reaching high placements. Systems read ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs Mandragora Cozy narrative-driven electronics repair shop sim set in mid-2000s Tokyo. Tactile disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly of nostalgic phones, virtual pets, consoles, and devices. Relaxing Unpacking-style satisfaction with shop management. Standout cozy demo with massive wishlist impact. Systems read Friendly Steps KORO.GAMES Physics-based 1-4 player co-op disaster about stumbling home after a wild night out. Drunk friends roped together create hilarious chaos through bad physics and worse decisions. Silly, shareable party co-op with side quests. Fun Next Fest demo for groups. Systems read Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis TD Ironhide Game Studio Classic tower defense sequel with new stages, heroes, and modes. Strategic wave defense and hero abilities in the Kingdom Rush formula. Top 20 most-played demo success with 94k+ players and extended demo from Ironhide. Systems read Invokyr Ludogram 1-4 player co-op psychological horror adventure about a cursed board game. Roll dice to summon horrors, explore, survive, and beat the Gamemaster (voiced by Amelia Tyler) to win freedom. Jumanji-inspired co-op survival with dark comedy. Demo live during Next Fest with multiple boards. Systems read No Such Place ChillyRoom Top-down PvE extraction shooter in anomalous dimensions. Explore, loot, terminate threats, and extract in retro multiplayer co-op (up to 4 players). Demo climbed charts during Next Fest, with strong visibility and extended availability. Systems read Enginefall Red Rover Interactive Post-apocalyptic crafting PvP shooter aboard colossal moving trains. Raid enemy trains, scavenge, craft, and extract in a trust-no-one world. Unique vehicle-based tension with demo + playtest during Next Fest from Red Rover Interactive. Systems read Onimusha: Way of the Sword CAPCOM Co., Ltd. Dark fantasy samurai action from Capcom. Brutal, satisfying sword combat with one/two-handed styles, soul absorption, exploration, and intense bosses in a twisted Edo-period world. Highly praised demo with strong anticipation for Sept 25 launch. Systems read Valor Mortis One More Level First-person action soulslike from Ghostrunner creators. Rise as Napoleonic soldier in dark alternative history. Brutal combat with supernatural/horror twists. Demo offered substantial slice and was frequently in "best of" lists. Systems read Cozy Game Restoration Parasol Corp Soothing simulator restoring forgotten video game cartridges. Tear wrapping, peel stickers, clean, bring old games back to life. Tactile cozy nostalgia. Demo with patches during Next Fest, strong wishlist growth to 200k+. Systems read The Guild - Europa 1410 Ashborne Games Medieval strategy sim reboot. Choose profession, master trade/politics/intrigue, climb social ladder, found dynasty in 15th century Europe. Demo with 14 turns in Kuttenberg during Next Fest; absorbing economic strategy with life sim elements. Systems read Project: Doors Teletower Studios 1-4 player co-op horror adventure where every door leads to a world that shouldn't exist. Shifting maze of traps, anomalies, and creatures. Explore with unprepared friends, secure threats, whisper theories. Demo live during Next Fest with co-op focus. Systems read VOID DIVER: Escape from the Abyss STUDIO NEMO 2.5D pixel art extraction action RPG. Manage BALUSHA antique shop in anomalous city, send solo or co-op Divers into the abyss for artifacts, fight horrors, escape alive. Major Demo 2.0 update for Next Fest, reached Top 50 most-played with strong wishlist momentum. Systems read DragonSword : Awakening Hound13 Inc. Anime-style open world RPG without gacha. Explore the Continent of Orbis, choose from characters, action combat or story. Demo selected as "Most Played" during Next Fest; full game launch July 2026. Systems read Gold Mining Simulator 2 Code Horizon Sequel mining sim with narrated adventure, new machinery. Demo (story intro/tutorial ~10% content) hit Top 50 most-played; extended support and thanks from Code Horizon. Systems read Nomad Drive Indie Devil Repair rundown RV and hit the road solo or co-op (1-4 players) through procedurally generated post-apocalyptic world. Gather resources, customize fully interactive RV, survive. Demo during Next Fest with strong CCU; post-apoc survival/crafting with vehicle focus. Systems read County of Fortune Nepos Games Medieval county-builder on a grand scale. Build entire county with multiple settlements, lay out on grid, manage trade, mayors, nobles, cultures. Demo extended after Next Fest; hit 100k wishlists. Big-scale city-builder with historical flavor. Systems read FreeStyle Football 2 WOORE Fast-paced 5v5 online multiplayer soccer with unique position roles and skills. Arcade-driven with realistic graphics. Demo with crossplay (Xbox, Steam, PS5) during Next Fest; strong player participation and thanks. Systems read ZeroSpace Starlance Studios / Ironward Hybrid sci-fi RTS/RPG. Commander of The Protectorate in galactic war. Cinematic story-rich campaign with RTS battles, RPG elements, co-op. Demo with modes including Galactic War; Early Access July 20, 2026. Strong RTS visibility. Systems read Bus Simulator 27 Simteract Bus sim sequel with licensed buses, company management, realistic driving. Demo updated with DLSS/FSR from fest feedback; launch Sept 8, 2026. Relaxing sim with potential chaos. Systems read Corsair Cove Limbic Entertainment Pirate city-builder. Build sprawling haven, production chains, rowdy crew, fleet to explore seas and fight Crown. Demo "best game" with 91% positive (538 reviews), 250k+ wishlists; release ~July 2026. Vibrant pirate strategy with economy and naval. Systems read As One We Survive Revelation Games LLC Top-down post-apocalyptic survival. Father on journey to save sick daughter, scavenge, build homestead, form community, defend lawless world. Demo with survival mode (scavenging, exploration, combat, base building teaser); fest visibility. Systems read Trash Day Off by One Games Physics-based co-op adventure with raccoon squad. Scavenge trash, fill stolen shopping cart with treasures, parkour hazards, annoy locals, team up to get home. Demo live for Next Fest with clip contests; absurd chaos for up to 5 players. Systems read Slayblade Henry's House, Oscar Brittain Y2K Beyblade-inspired roguelite. Build battle-tops with 60+ parts, merge powers, skate vibrant city, gamble lunch money, dominate in chill roguelite battles. "If you die in the game..." joke. Demo short but nostalgic with PS1 vibes; must-try throwback. Systems read Deep Dish Dungeon Behold Studios Dungeon crawler/exploration survival where food is progress. Hand-crafted puzzly dungeon with metroidvania/crafting; solo or co-op (up to 3). Demo with new food systems, improved combat; "Dungeon Meshi"-inspired (Delicious in Dungeon) vibe. Systems read Sir, We Have an Orc Problem Mumpitz Games Incremental tower defense vs. overwhelming (100k+) orcs. Place/upgrade turrets, rain bombs, defend base. Short with roguelite meta-progression; demo for Next Fest, quick 50k wishlists. Horde defense TD. Systems read 1666: Amsterdam Panache Digital Games Dark action-adventure in 1666 Amsterdam. Stealth, red-tinted magic action, black cats in gothic 1600s Dutch setting. Prologue/demo live for Next Fest; 500k+ wishlists in a week. From Assassin's Creed creator Patrice Désilets. Cinematic story setup. Systems read Car Mechanic Simulator 2026 Red Dot Games Car repair/build sim sequel with 150+ cars, 8k+ parts, modular engines, now co-op. Run workshop, fix/expand collection. Demo (single player + co-op tease) for Next Fest; relaxing sim experience. Systems read Demon Bluff UmiArt Single-player social deduction roguelike card game where cards lie. Demons infiltrated village disguised as allies; turn cards, deduce bluffs using logic. Roguelike deckbuilder tension. Demo with updates for Next Fest; unique "logic puzzle" social deduction. Systems read Strikers Club Oddshot Games Skill-based physics-driven multiplayer football. Play as one player in 5v5? matches; dribble, pass, shoot with real skill/physics, no RNG, teamwork/execution. Demo evolving with playtests for Next Fest; top played, thanks to players. From Oddshot (Slapshot devs). Systems read IGTAP: an Incremental Game That's Also a Platformer Pepper Tango Games Hybrid incremental game and platformer. Amass clones for optimized paths, generate massive power, blend speedrunning precision with addictive progression. Next Fest demo with B-sides, hard mode, raffle updates from Pepper Tango Games. Systems read VHOLUME Nathan Grange / Léonard Lemaitre / Niels Tiercelin Melancholic first-person parkour adventure in a dystopian brutalist city. Bureaucracy turns a simple task into an odyssey. Demo with multiplayer and new maps during Next Fest. Atmospheric exploration with unique visual style. Systems read Trees Hate You Tykenn Rage-comedy trap game where trees actively hate and trap you. Humorous suffering through puzzle/trap navigation. Next Fest demo updates, official trailer feature, listed among weirdest demos. Shareable laughs from Tykenn. Systems read Dungeon Settlers CanOpener Base-building or colony sim with dungeon fantasy elements. Settle, build, manage resources and defense in underground environments. Reached 120k wishlists with Next Fest visibility contributing to community support. Systems read Last Pirates: Die Together RetroStyle Games 4-player online co-op horror extraction with pirate scallywags breaking a curse amid monsters, chaos, and treasure. Chaotic teamwork in extraction runs. Next Fest demo hit Top 50 most-played with strong CCU peaks.

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Deep-dives, for when a case deserves a full study.

Curator session Focus vs Fusion: Rubinite and Cinderia 2 games in one session A research-led dual Curator review of two dark fantasy action games built around opposite pleasures: mastering one duel and breaking one run. Boss RushDark FantasyPixel Graphics Deep-dive MECCHA CHAMELEON lemorion_1224 — solo, self-published A $6 hide-and-seek party game where you paint yourself into the scenery — built solo in ~2 months and ~4M copies sold in days. A textbook case of a simple idea hitting at the right time.

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