Indie Game Development
Ongoing coverage on Indie Game Development.
Latest coverage
Foxy's Run - A family friendly platformer in dev for the Amiga by Vairn
Foxy's Run is a family-friendly platformer in development for the Amiga by Vairn, featuring a fox navigating vibrant forest environments. An early playable version is available, requiring 1MB of chip RAM, and showcases traditional platforming mechanics across five maps with unique enemies and hidden gems.
Creative Artists Agency spins up indie funding venture Frame1Games
Creative Artists Agency has launched Frame1Games, a new venture aimed at supporting independent game developers. The program will provide multi-million dollar investments, mentorship from industry leaders, and access to strategic partners. Frame1Games will be led by veteran indie funding partner Jared Yeager and spearheaded by CAA head of games Derek Douglas.
How Forbidden Solitaire brought solitaire games to the forefront
Forbidden Solitaire, developed by Gray Alien Games and Night Signal Entertainment, has achieved significant commercial success on Steam, selling 10,000 copies in 48 hours and reaching 880 concurrent players. This success is attributed to its unique analog horror presentation and engaging solitaire gameplay, which has revitalized interest in the genre among PC gamers. The developers discuss their approach to innovating within the solitaire genre and the impact of this success on their future projects.
The Elder Scrolls 6 finally showing signs of life won't deter the Bethesda fan who is 132 days into making their…
Despite the long wait for The Elder Scrolls 6, an independent developer is 132 days into creating their own Daggerfall-style RPG inspired by the series. This news comes as Xbox CEO Asha Sharma mentioned a 'live playthrough' of The Elder Scrolls 6, sparking renewed discussion about the game's development status.
I'm enjoying leaving my body behind in Project Looking Glass, an astral horror game in which you telewarp around a map of your terrible memories
Project Looking Glass is an indie astral horror game where players embody a grieving woman participating in secret Cold War astral projection experiments. The game features telewarping mechanics around memories, with puzzles involving audiologs and deductions. The solo developer, MORPH, aims to create a unique and heartfelt experience, though the demo includes potentially bleak themes like death by hanging.
Hard Work Pays off as Shard Squad Comes to XBOX
Shard Squad, a bullet heaven roguelite developed by Brazilian studio The Root Studios and published by Nuntius Games, is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC with Xbox Play Anywhere support. The game features adorable pixel art monsters called Shards that players recruit and evolve to create powerful synergies against enemy hordes. Director Rennan Costa expressed that the Xbox release fulfills a lifelong dream for the studio, which is releasing its first game.
Dev says selling 300,000 copies of his dwarf RPG meant "completely changing my life" and watching tax, Steam, and publisher cuts stop him from becoming a millionaire
The solo developer behind the RPG Dwarves: Glory, Death and Loot has sold over 300,000 copies across Steam, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS, significantly changing their life and career. While not a millionaire due to various cuts and taxes, the developer can now work full-time on games, highlighting a success story in the challenging indie game industry.
Meet the story behind Shard Squad
Shard Squad is set to launch on July 30, 2026, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. Creator Rennan Costa discussed the game's origins as a Unity learning project and the challenges of developing it without funding. The game features unique characters and a blend of intense action with progression systems.
Build a Game That Fits on a Single Floppy Disk: The 1.44MB Game Development Contest Opens
The 1.44MB Game Development Contest, organized by 2P GAME ARCADE, is now accepting entries until September 4. This contest challenges developers to create complete, standalone games that fit within the 1.44MB capacity of a single floppy disk, encouraging creativity through extreme constraints. The event offers KRW 1.14 million in total prizes and is supported by partners like Minimap and IndieGame.com.
Absolution - The Sequel To Alida is coming
Absolution, the sequel to the 2004 game Alida, is set to release on PC via Steam on September 1, 2026. Developed over seven years by an indie developer, this 3D first-person adventure game utilizes Unreal Engine and features non-linear gameplay, captivating environments, and an original musical score.
Meet the HEJ Collective - Hungary's New Indie Game Label Launching Its First Season
The Hungarian game development collective Havi Egy Játék (HEJ) has launched its first publishing season, supporting indie developers by bringing select games from their monthly challenges to commercial release on Steam. Season 1 features the competitive platformer Grapple Bear and the strategy simulation game Weather Dragger, with participating teams receiving mentorship over a 4-6 month development period.
"Det blev en väldigt personlig berättelse" – Elden Pixels-medgrundaren om A Void Hope
Mikael Forslind, co-founder of Elden Pixels, discusses the development journey of their atmospheric puzzle adventure game, A Void Hope. Initially a technical prototype inspired by The Lost Vikings and Braid, the game evolved significantly with the addition of music by Waveshaper and a deeply personal narrative co-written with Frida Windelhed, drawing inspiration from horror films and personal experiences of loss and grief.
Meccha Chameleon celebrates 15 million sales by teasing a 'collaboration with a famous Japanese star'
Indie game Meccha Chameleon has surpassed 15 million sales in under a month, prompting developer lemorion_1224 to tease an upcoming collaboration with a famous Japanese star. The game, praised for its satisfying gameplay and low price point, was developed in just two months.
50 Ways to Ruin Your Indie Game — Avoid These Mistakes
This article outlines 50 common mistakes that can lead to the failure of an indie game before or during its release. It covers pitfalls in marketing, game design, development planning, team organization, and publishing strategies, emphasizing the importance of avoiding common errors to ensure a successful launch.
A Webbing Journey: +5 million downloads & Major Living Room Update out now
Fire Totem Games has released a major 'Living Room' update for its physics-based sandbox game, A Webbing Journey, adding a fourth level with new quests on Android and iOS. The game has also surpassed 5 million downloads on mobile platforms. The update introduces new creatures and interactive elements within a household environment.
With Deltarune Chapter 5 upon us, Toby Fox says "enjoy this crazy thing I thought up 10 years ago" as the team…
Toby Fox announced that Deltarune Chapter 5 is releasing today, with the game automatically updating for those who have purchased it on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. Fox also shared that the new chapter features a song he wrote 10 years ago and thanked fans for their patience, noting that Chapter 6 is already in development.
How Small Game Studios Are Bootstrapping in 2026
The article analyzes how small game studios can bootstrap their development in 2026 without external funding, highlighting platforms like Itch.io for concept validation, Steam Early Access for revenue generation, Kickstarter for community-funded projects, and Poki for publishing partnership and player data. It emphasizes that these methods are not mutually exclusive and depend on a studio's immediate needs.
Japan Becomes #1 Wishlist Country for 'Everything is Gun!', Followed by the United States, as Developers Share Emotional Full-Circle Story
Indie studio Incineration Productions announced that Japan has become the top country for Steam wishlists for their upcoming game, Everything is Gun!, surpassing the United States. The developers shared an emotional story about their first player being from Japan in 2020, highlighting a deep connection to the Japanese gaming community. The game is described as a brutal, high-stakes reality show where players are dropped into a prison planet and must survive by mastering movement and combat, with features like Isaac-style synergies, uncapped momentum, and asynchronous multiplayer revenge.
Kioku: Last Summer is out now - today - 28 May 2026
Kioku: Last Summer, a cozy adventure game from Assemble Entertainment and Lugn Games, is now available on PC for €14.99. Players explore the island of Kioku as Asti, making friends and uncovering secrets. The game features activities like fishing and collecting, inspired by 90s aesthetics and titles such as Boku no Natsuyasumi and Pokémon.
"Don't build a studio that requires a massive hit to survive" – Veteran BioWare devs form Studio Reset
Veteran developers from BioWare, Inflexion Games, and Timbre Games have formed a new studio called Studio Reset, focusing on sustainability and original intellectual property. The studio secured CAN$250,000 from the Canada Media Fund for its debut neon-noir supernatural mystery title, which emphasizes a perspective-led approach to gameplay design. Studio Reset aims to avoid the need for massive hits to survive by maintaining a smaller, intentional development model.
