Everything announced during today's Day of the Devs presentation. Over 20 indie games you need to see

Today, ahead of the Game Awards tomorrow, the Day of the Devs hosted an hour-long digital showcase featuring 21 indie games worth adding to your Steam wishlist. Amazingly, this might set a record for the most video games featuring frogs in the same showcase. If you’re not familiar with Day of the Devs, it is a nonprofit that hosts digital events like today's, as well as in-person events to highlight the best indie games. In the past, the Day of the Devs has showcased games like Sword of the Sea, Blue Prince, UFO 50, and Thank Goodness You’re Here, among many others. Today’s 21 games are narrowed down from over 1,100 submissions.

Everything announced during today’s Day of the Devs showcase

Among today’s games, you can play as a band manager for a group of animals, solve puzzles through the magic of stretching, appease a god-like frog to avoid being eaten, and explore a fully destructible voxel solar system. It’s hard to predict exactly which games will be the next Blue Prince or UFO 50, but there are a few roguelikes, a few puzzle games, and at least one collection of retro-style arcade games, so if you’re a fan of the creative space of independent game development, you’ve come to the right place. You can watch the full presentation below.

With so many games featured in today’s showcase, the description of each will have to be somewhat brief. But that doesn’t mean any of these games are less deserving of being on your wishlist. Remember that wishlists go a long way, especially for smaller, independent teams like the studios behind these upcoming titles. Each game will have its title, followed by the developer, and a timestamp from the presentation to help you get a better look at it.

• Everything announced during today’s Day of the Devs showcase
• Awaysis – 17 Bit – 1:30
• Lucid Falls – Eldamar Studio – 5:00
• Rockbeasts – Lichtund – 8:14
• Stretchmancer – Triangle Wave – 10:15
• Virtue and a Sledgehammer – Deconstructeam and Selkie Harbour – 14:11
• Beastro – Timerbline Studio – 17: 24
• Un:Me – Historia – 21:08
• Soundgrass – Soundgrass Studio – 25:53
• The Dungeon Experience – Bone Assembly – 29:25
• Scramble Knights Royale – Funktronic Labs – 32:59
• Mirria – Carl Burton and Mografi Games – 36:34
• Big Hops – Luckshot Games – 40:05
• CorgiSpace – Adam Atomic – 42:26
• Into the Fire – Starward Industries – 46:02
• Dogpile – Foot – 50:00
• Unshine Arcade – Mardt – 52:55
• Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth – Hyper Games – 54:50
• Demon Tides – Fabraz – 58:04
• Frog Sqwad – Panic Stations – 59:50
• Astromine – Alientrap – 1:02:56
• Find Your Words – Capybara Games – 1:05:32

Awaysis – 17 Bit – 1:30

Surrounded.Source: Awaysis

Kicking off the presentation was Awaysis, a physics-based, 1-4 player dungeon brawler from developer 17 Bit, described as “co-opetition,” combining cooperative and competitive elements. Players work together as a team to defeat hordes of enemies, but ultimately are competing for treasures that everyone would rather have for themselves. The game features anthropomorphic characters in a colorful environment of floating islands suspended in the sky. It has a dungeon crawl mode, but also features versus modes like an all-out brawl, a king-of-the-hill mode, and “brawly-ball” (not sure if I’m spelling that right). This is also the first appearance of a frog, as one of the playable character options is a frog.

Lucid Falls – Eldamar Studio – 5:00

Not sure how helpful that crossbow will be.Source: Lucid Falls

Brave the surreal mysteries of Lucid Falls in this unsettling psychological horror game from Eldamar Studio. At first glance, it almost looks like a first-person fantasy RPG, but that façade quickly begins to fall away. Eldamar Studio has worked hard to make Lucid Falls a highly immersive, cinematic, and atmospheric horror experience full of unexplainable beings, creatures, and puzzles that have you shifting gravity to progress.

Rockbeasts – Lichtund – 8:14

What a squad.Source: Rockbeasts

It’s not a lost episode of Bojack Horseman, it’s Rockbeasts, a story-driven, role-playing management game where you take on the role of manager for an up-and-coming rock band of misfit animals. Set in the era of MTV, where music is everything, and hairstyles went wild, you’ll have to manage the band’s growing fame and success with their problematic attitudes, behaviors, and who knows what else. It may be surprising, but this game is being worked on by the same writer behind Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3. This odd management game is one you won’t want to miss.

Stretchmancer – Triangle Wave – 10:15

Don't forget to stretch!Source: Stretchmancer

Play as a renegade wizard in this comedic first-person puzzle game where your magic is stretching. No, not like touching your toes or doing yoga, you have the power to stretch the world around you. In Stretchmancer, from Triangle Wave, you must fight against the Claustro Empire using your magical ability to stretch, squish, and squash objects all around you. Much like other creative first-person puzzle games like Viewfinder and Portal, you might be surprised at how creative this one mechanic can get.

Virtue and a Sledgehammer – Deconstructeam and Selkie Harbour – 14:11

The titular sledgehammer.Source: Virtue and a Sledgehammer

From Deconstructeam, the studio behind The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, comes another unique experience. Deconstructeam combined forces with Selkie Harbour “to explore more ambitious ideas and designs.” This narrative-focused experience is about realizing “you don’t belong in the place you grew up anymore.” That’s where the sledgehammer comes in. In Virtue and a Sledgehammer, fight off robots and destroy your hometown to uncover memories.

Beastro – Timerbline Studio – 17: 24

Deckbuilder puppet show.Source: Beastro

From Timberline Studio, the team behind The Red Lantern, comes an entirely different game. In Beastro, you play the support role to an eclectic cast of fantasy heroes by serving up the best meals you can prepare. On the one hand, it is a cozy game. Manage your restaurant, find the right ingredients, and play mini-games to prepare the best meals. Then Beastro can get more “crunchy.” The day is split between the cozy management simulator and deckbuilding battles, where the heroes gain various bonuses depending on the meal you prepared for them. Beastro has a fantastic dual-art style, where the typical 3D animation transitions to a 2D paper-like puppet show during the card battles.

Un:Me – Historia – 21:08

Are those, legs?Source: Un:Me

Perhaps one of the most unique games of the whole presentation is Un:Me from the studio Historia. In this game, you play as “a girl harboring multiple human souls within her…” As you explore an unsettling, hospital-like environment, you’ll find that your perspective will shift depending on which soul has control. You can control when this happens to some extent, but it will also occur on its own, changing the environment around you at unexpected moments. This forces you, as the player, to adapt depending on which soul is in control. Throughout the game, you’ll get the chance to engage in dialogue with each soul and decide which one does not belong in the body, eliminating the souls you deem false, and potentially leaving you to wonder if you’ve chosen the right one.

Soundgrass – Soundgrass Studio – 25:53

What is even considered a plant anymore?Source: Soundgrass

Soundgrass is a unique first-person puzzle game because the core mechanic is sound. This is the debut game from a single developer, a musician who claims to have “learned game development to make this game,” and it looks unlike anything I’ve seen before. As the name suggests, the plants on this strange planet emit sound. As you explore, you can use your small sphere as a listening device, a light, and more. The plants will react to both light and sound, and the puzzles will grow more complex and “musical” as you progress.

The Dungeon Experience – Bone Assembly – 29:25

Something about this doesn't feel trustworthy.Source: The Dungeon Experience

There may be no better way of describing Bone Assembly’s odd first-person adventure game, The Dungeon Experience, than by calling it a surreal, absurd pyramid scheme operated by a low-level mudcrab, and you are the target audience. This is one of the games where it’s definitely best if you watch the trailer yourself, but take it from me, this looks like one of the most absurd, comedic games you may ever see.

Scramble Knights Royale – Funktronic Labs – 32:59

In the hunt for a chicken dinner.Source: Scramble Knights Royale

Imagine if a top-down Zelda-like game were also a battle royale. That’s not too far off from Scramble Knights Royale from Funktronic Labs. A total of 32 players jump off a boat and swim to an island full of dungeons, monsters, towns, and, of course, quests. This retro-inspired RPG speedruns the usual RPG process. You start with nothing and must quickly find weapons, loot, and defeat bosses to give yourself the best chances of being the last one standing.

Mirria – Carl Burton and Mografi Games – 36:34

One of many small puzzle spaces.Source: Mirria

Mirria from Mografi Games and Carl Burton is a casual, atmospheric puzzle game that “blurs the line between dream and reality.” According to the trailer, two of the player’s most important tools will be inspection and memory. In classic “spot-the-difference” fashion, players will have to compare mirrored environments that use color and light to present atmospheric locations.

Big Hops – Luckshot Games – 40:05

The main frog from the showcase?Source: Big Hops

The director of Big Hops, Chris Wade, began working on this frog-centric 3D platformer after feeling the industry had abandoned his favorite genre. The team has been working on Big Hops for 6 years, but it was one of the few games to announce a release date. The core mechanic is the frog protagonist Hop’s tongue, which can be used to swing, manipulate objects, and “even lockpicking.” You can also use items called veggies to create your own paths, such as a climbable vine or an array of bubbles that will allow you to float. Big Hops is planned to launch on January 12th, 2026, for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PC via Steam.

CorgiSpace – Adam Atomic – 42:26

One of many games from the 8-bit collection.Source: CorgiSpace

CorgiSpace, a new collection of 8-bit games from Adam Atomic (a.k.a. Adam Saltsman), has a clever name. According to Saltsman, it’s called CorgiSpace because “all the games have short legs on purpose.” This collection of various arcade games can all be completed in under an hour. It’s sort of like UFO 50, but less overwhelming in its scale. CorgiSpace has over a dozen action, adventure, and puzzle games to choose from. The best part, though, is that this charming collection of games is available now on Steam and itch.io.

Into the Fire – Starward Industries – 46:02

This looks dangerous.Source: Into the Fire

From Starward Industries, the team behind The Invincible, comes a stunning extraction game about saving people from an active volcano. Brave nature at its most dangerous, using various tools and gadgets to extinguish flames and survive the heat. Watch out for troublesome fire spirits as well, lending some fantastical elements to what could otherwise be an exclusively retro-punk adventure. Into the Fire plans to launch in Early Access sometime in the first half of 2026.

Dogpile – Foot – 50:00

Building up your pile of dogs.Source: Dogpile

The developer name “Foot” comes from a collaboration between Studio Folly and Toot Games. The concept is simple: combine dogs to make bigger dogs, earn money, and make even bigger dogs, while avoiding overflowing. Dogpile is a roguelike deckbuilder in which dropping two identical dogs next to each other causes them to combine. You can upgrade and customize your dogs with special abilities to maximize their abilities. If you’re already sold, there is good news. Dogpile is already available now on Steam.

Unshine Arcade – Mardt – 52:55

Get comfortable in your new home.Source: Unshine Arcade

Following in the vein of games like CloverPit, Unshine Arcade from developer Mardt has the player stuck in an ominous arcade. Take a break from the psychological horror to play a roguelike top-down stealth shooter to earn tickets. These tickets can be used to purchase upgrades, play the claw machine, and eventually solve the mystery of the strange virtual pet locked behind glass. As the mystery unfolds, the sinister nature of the situation becomes more apparent. Oddly, this is where you can find yet another frog. Will you be able to escape? There is a demo out right now on Steam, so you might as well try your luck.

Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth – Hyper Games – 54:50

Winter can be beautiful.Source: Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth

From Hyper Games, the team behind Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, comes another adventure game inspired by the Moomin characters and stories popular around the world. In this adventure, the player takes on the role of Moomintroll himself, who was only a companion in last year’s game. Moomintroll wakes up early from his hibernation and must adventure out into a cold winter world alone for the first time. Despite the wintry setting, this looks like it will be a heartwarming experience.

Demon Tides – Fabraz – 58:04

Character platformers are back.Source: Demon Tides

The sequel to Demon Turf, Demon Tides, is a new character platformer from developer Fabraz, and it finally revealed a release date during today’s presentation. This over-the-top platformer will be available on February 19th, 2026, on PC.

Frog Sqwad – Panic Stations – 59:50

That's a lot of frogs.Source: Frog Sqwad

If you’ve seen the trailer for Panic Stations’ Frog Sqwad, it may not surprise you to learn that much of the team previously worked on Fall Guys. Finally, the frogs promised at the beginning of the article are out in full force in this new slapstick, physics-driven, multiplayer game where players must gather enough food to feed the Swamp King, a massive frog that will gladly eat you instead if he gets hungry enough. Players must work together to explore the procedurally generated sewers, using their grappling hook-like tongue and growing larger or smaller depending on the amount of food they’ve eaten.

Astromine – Alientrap – 1:02:56

The entire galaxy is made of voxels.Source: Astromine

Astromine is a co-op survival game set in a “fully destructible voxel solar system,” sort of like No Man’s Sky meets Minecraft, but presumably on a smaller scale. You’ll need to gather materials, build bases, and fight other robot factions. Enemy creatures have a core at their center, so you’ll have to blast through their outer layer of voxels to get to the weak point. Each planet has its own massive boss encounter that will “span the globe and change the landscape as they happen.” Astromine looks like a great co-op survival game for your group of friends to get lost in.

Find Your Words – Capybara Games – 1:05:32

Using your binder to communicate.Source: Find Your Words

Inspired by the developer’s experiences raising their non-speaking children, Find Your Words stars a non-speaking protagonist who makes friends at summer camp. This short, low-pressure cozy game has the player explore the great outdoors and take on tasks or quests for other campers. To communicate, you’ll have to learn to use a communication binder full of symbols to help you form short phrases. The more you explore, the more symbols you’ll find, and the more you’ll be able to communicate. Find Your Words will be available for free in 2026, with an optional supporter edition, on PC. The team explains that “at the heart of the game is our hope that players learn a little more about the different ways we connect as humans beyond speech.”

Into the Fire

2026

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• Overview

• indie games
• games showcase, conference
• Starward Industries