2026 looks like it’s gonna be another banger year for the Double-A and Indie video game scene. Last year, four out of the six Game of the Year nominations at The (Keighley) Game Awards fit into this classification, and I’d be surprised if there aren’t at least a couple of noms from this year’s batch.
There are so many games to look forward to this year (as long as they don’t get delayed into next year or cancelled, I guess), and I’ve already gone through my Triple-A game excitement. The problem is, I’m also excited for SO MANY OTHER GAMES! And, as is the nature of the beast, there are probably a lot more in the pipeline that we just don’t even know about! I’m exhausted thinking about it already.
OK, I’ve calmed myself.
Here are the top 10 Double-A and Indie video games to be excited for in 2026.
I’m not gonna lie, I’ve never played The Binding of Isaac, but I am aware of its cult following. That’s why I’m interested in Mewgenics, the next game from the same developers, Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel. As you can tell by the very… odd trailer, the game is a roguelike tactical RPG with cat breeding mechanics? I dunno, dude, this game has a weird vibe, but I’m sort of here for it. I’m not a fan of eugenics, to be clear. That’s bad. It’s also problematic in the pet breeding world. But this game could be cool.
I have sworn myself off of new roguelikes after 2025’s addictions to Blue Prince, Balatro, Ball x Pit, Absolum, and Hades, but maybe it could be a backlog game for 2027?
Yacht Club Games, the makers of the indie juggernaut, Shovel Knight, are about to release their follow-up title, Mina the Hollower. Straying away from the 2D action-platformer, Mina the Hollower is a top-down (ish) Zelda-like. It looks freaking beautiful, bringing the nostalgia from the Game Boy Color generation. These guys are masters of modernising classic genres of video games, and this entry looks to be no exception.
Am I a little worried about the very late delay from October last year? A teensie bit, but I want to be optimistic. You know what I… Mina? *nudge nudge*
Did you like Vampire Survivors? Like me, did you sink a LOT of time into that roguelike auto-battler, levelling up, evolving weapons, killing a bunch of demons? Well, the Vampire Survivors developer, Poncle, has iterated on that idea to create their new game, a turn-based deck builder with roguelike elements called Vampire Crawlers. It’s more of a tactical escapade than their previous instalment, but I’m down for using my brain a bit more than in Survivors.
But also, these games are like crack to me, and I definitely need to stay away from them. Somebody please save me from myself!
I’m itching for a good action game, and ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN might just be the next great one in the running. This sh*t is bonkers! But what were we actually expecting from a Suda51, GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE game? Romeo Stargazer (dope-ass name) is on the brink of death before he is saved and put to work by the FBI’s Space-Time Police to stop criminals looking to do stuff and things. Bad stuff and things. Worrisome stuff and things that may alter or break the universe in some way.
Anyway, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN looks like a total hoot. I’m excited to join the Stargazer family.
Ever wanted to be in a late-80s/early-90s anime? Well Shapefarm is about to let you do just that in Orbitals, coming to Nintendo Switch 2 later this year. It’s a Haze-like (all the cool kids are calling co-op 3D puzzle platformers “Haze-like”s now), and after playing It Takes Two, I’m on the hunt for more collaborative experiences. I’m so down to play this with one of my best friends and do cheesy high-fives when we achieve something really cool in this sci-fi anime world.
And then be sad when we fall out with them when our lack of communication becomes our downfall and we never talk to each other again.
French games are all the rage right now, I hear. In Valor Mortis, you play as William, a former soldier in Napoleon’s army, who rises from the grave to find that the war he died in is not going the way he expected. Not necessarily that the French are losing, but it’s actually devolved into a battle for humanity against monsters, demons and stuff. From the creators of Ghostrunner, Valor Mortis is a hard pivot in terms of genre. This is a first-person action-RPG with very challenging combat and bat-sh*t crazy bosses.
See? I didn’t say Soulslike!
…
SH*T!
I cannot wait for REANIMAL! This is another co-op experience for the list (or you can play single-player with an AI partner), and is the next evolution of the Little Nightmares formula. Made by the same guys who created the first and second installments, Tarsier Studios, and published by THQ Nordic, REANIMAL has all the hallmarks of its predecessor, but somehow looks even creepier. The lighting and shadows look super atmospheric; it has a claustrophobicness to the environments, even when the characters are in wide-open spaces, and the enemies seem ridiculous.
I don’t know if I will be able to look at a sheep the same way again.
MOUSE: P.I. for Hire has been one of those Twitter games for a long time now. Ever since the first clip surfaced online, there’s been a swell of excitement for it. And the wait is almost over! Fronted by Troy Baker, this first-person shooter takes inspiration from 1930s black-and-white cartoons like Steamboat Willie. Yes, this game also stars a mouse, but they’re LEGALLY DISTINCT! I’m hoping that I’ve not just been tricked by good marketing and this game becomes one of the indie darlings of the year.
I just wanna fire a cartoon pistol like I’m an extra in Who Framed Roger Rabbit!
I’m a big fan of the Coffee Talk series. Its lofi beats and engaging but simple stories are always somewhat of a palette cleanser for me. Moving away from its alternate-Seattle roots (aww man, I love the sound of rain mixed in with the soundtrack), you take charge of a new coffee place in alternate-Tokyo. All sorts of mythical creatures will be walking into your cafe, and it’s your job to make them the perfect drink so that they open up about their life, using you as a therapist so they can better their lives.
BRING ON THE MATCHA AND STENCILS, BAYBEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
Just joking.
You may be thinking, “Iain, you suck. You chose two narrative-focused games with limited gameplay as your top 2.” Well, I can see your point, but also… I don’t care.
Mixtape is the next game from Beethoven and Dinosaur, the developers of the cool-as-crap The Artful Escape, a title that was critically lauded for its artistic direction and audio design. Mixtape has already confirmed a sick licensed soundtrack from bands like Iggy Pop, Roxy Music, and the Smashing Pumpkins, and it has a dope low-frame artstyle to boot. This coming-of-age story looks like it’s got that special sauce that makes it one of my most anticipated games of the year.
No jokes. Just excitement.
What’s your most anticipated Double-A or Indie game of the year? Do you agree with my list, or have I missed something obvious like Nioh 3 (I didn’t miss it; it’s just not my bag)? What is on your list?
