Indie Games
Ongoing coverage on Indie Games.
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How Evil Trout aims to turn a cult free game into a Steam hit - again
Indie studio Evil Trout Inc is releasing its second game, The Incident At Galley House, a remake of the free detective game Type Help. This follows their previous success with The Roottrees Are Dead, also a remake of a free Itch.io title. Studio founder Robin Ward aims to turn cult free games into successful Steam releases, with the latest project featuring voice acting and a new interface designed for Steam Deck and consoles.
Stardew Valley was almost canceled after Eric Barone's PC died without backups: "It feels crazy that it all…
Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone revealed that the beloved farming simulator was nearly canceled due to a PC crash that resulted in data loss, as he had no backups. He was eventually able to recover the project from an old hard drive, allowing development to continue. Barone also discussed the ongoing development of his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, noting it is taking a long time to ensure quality.
PAX West 2026 names its 11 PAX Rising Showcase winners
PAX West 2026 has announced the 11 winners of its PAX Rising Showcase, an event dedicated to highlighting upcoming indie games. Among the selected titles are Lazy River, Dungeon Lurker, Giga Turtles, and the unrevealed Project Red. These games will be playable at the Seattle Convention Center from September 4-7, 2026.
Glenmara: Still Life Artist Is the Latest Game from the Creators of PHOGS!
Bit Loom, the creators of PHOGS!, has announced their new PC title, Glenmara: Still Life Artist, during the Glasgow Indie Games Festival 2026. The game focuses on art and design, allowing players to create various artworks for neighbors by arranging objects and painting them in different styles. It will also feature a Freeplay mode and can be wishlisted on Steam.
SENARA The Sacrament Sets Sail on Steam This July | Invision Game Community
Indie developer Influsion Inc. announced that SENARA The Sacrament will launch on Steam on July 30. This first-person survival horror game is set on an abandoned cruise liner and features exploration, puzzle-solving, and resource management. The game utilizes Unity HDRP technology and LiDAR scanning to recreate a realistic ship environment, with player choices influencing multiple endings.
You can currently buy three of my all-time favorite microstrategy games for $10
Steam's 'Games Made in Sweden' sale features significant discounts on several acclaimed strategy titles. Bad North, Kingdom Two Crowns, and The Battle of Polytopia are available together for just over $10, with Warhammer: Vermintide 2 also heavily discounted. The article highlights these games and their developers, including insights from creator Oskar Stålberg.
Ivy Juice Games Joins the GamingUp Showcase 2026
Ivy Juice Games, a publisher based in Berlin, will participate in the new digital event GamingUp Showcase 2026, which focuses on game development from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The showcase aims to provide international visibility for selected projects and will be streamed on YouTube and Twitch during gamescom 2026.
Convergence Games Showcase returns on 16th July
The Convergence Games Showcase will return on July 16th, featuring two hours of indie game reveals and gameplay. Hosted by Dodger and Jesse Cox, the event will be broadcast live on Twitch and YouTube, with co-stream talent including LobosJr, Bricky, and BaerTaffy. The showcase will highlight 70 games from 29 countries, offering exclusive trailers, demos, and post-show deep dives, alongside giveaways and a 7-day Steam Sale.
Mario Kart Tour takes a bow | Pure Nintendo Podcast E170
Nintendo is shutting down its mobile game Mario Kart Tour in September. The Pure Nintendo Podcast discusses this news, along with the upcoming release Go-Go Town from indie developer Prideful Sloth, and sales data for Rhythm Heaven. They also cover demos for Moonlight Peaks and Digimon Story, and other games the hosts are playing.
Floppy game development contest challenges creators to build a complete game under 1.44MB
The 1.44MB Game Development Contest, organized by 2P GAME ARCADE, challenges developers to create complete, standalone games that fit within the storage capacity of a 3.5-inch floppy disk. Submissions are open until September 4, 2026, with prize money available for the top entries. The contest aims to explore how extreme technical restrictions can influence creativity and prioritize gameplay over graphics.
Engadget Indie Pitch: Penguin Colony
The article highlights 'Penguin Colony' as part of the Engadget Indie Pitch series. The game's premise suggests a focus on consequences, with the tagline 'You won't know until you do and then it is too late.'
Palworld 1.0, Tiny Bookshop on mobile and other new indie games worth checking out
This article rounds up new indie games available this week, including Palworld 1.0 and Tiny Bookshop on mobile. It highlights notable releases for PC and mobile platforms.
Issues and Activism
Developer Robert Yang is facing censorship issues while attempting to release his award-winning game collection, 'Just Too Gay,' on Steam and Itch. The collection is being offered for free, highlighting ongoing struggles with content restrictions in the gaming industry.
Bit Loom announces next game, Glenmara: Still Life Artist live at Glasgow Indie Games Festival 2026
Bit Loom announced their new game, Glenmara: Still Life Artist, at the Glasgow Indie Games Festival 2026. This creative simulation game, coming to PC via Steam, allows players to become a painter on a Scottish island, arranging objects and crafting artwork at their own pace. The studio is also known for the BAFTA-nominated PHOGS! and Tray Racers!.
GTA 6 shown mercy by indie dev who previously planned to "humiliate Rockstar" by releasing their open-world…
Indie developer Molleindustria has moved up the release date of its open-world game 'Future? No Thanks!' to July 22, avoiding a direct clash with Grand Theft Auto 6's November release. Initially planning to 'humiliate Rockstar,' the developer cited concerns about over-polishing and economic forecasts as reasons for the change.
'Valve isn't interested in a nuanced conversation' says indie dev suffering from Steam censorship
Indie developer Robert Yang has detailed his struggles with Steam's content moderation policies, which have led to his games being hidden from most users due to their 'gay' nature and sexual content. Yang criticizes Valve for not engaging in nuanced conversations about content, contrasting it with the more permissive approach to sexual content in mainstream titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur's Gate 3. This situation highlights the ongoing impact of censorship on indie creators, even after broader crackdowns on adult content have subsided.
ISK Challenge: Anta A Void Hope-utmaningarna!
The Indiespelklubben is hosting a challenge for the game A Void Hope, where participants can win a t-shirt by sharing their favorite reference in the game or by beating the current speedrun world record. The challenge is open to everyone, but only club members are eligible to win the prize.
Indie developer says Steam did them a solid by fixing their unbootable game to beat the Next Fest deadline
An indie developer shared how Steam Support went above and beyond by fixing a broken build of their game, Red Flag, allowing it to meet the deadline for Steam Next Fest. Instead of rejecting the submission due to a C++ redistributable issue, a Steam reviewer corrected the configuration themselves. This act of support enabled the game to participate in the festival, leading to a significant increase in wishlists and player engagement.
What We Played – Iron Nest, Black Flag Resynced & Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Several individuals shared their recent gaming experiences, including playing Granblue Fantasy Relink, Iron Nest, and Rise of the Tomb Raider. Others delved into titles like Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth, God of War: Ascension, and Silent Hill 2, with one person expressing anticipation for a potential Silent Hill 1 remake. The article also mentions experiences with Black Flag Resynced, Bellwright, Balatro, Human Fall Flat, 33 Immortals, and the original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War.
Devs don't buy Steam disclosure claiming gen AI was a necessity: "I'm literally unemployed and I still…
A Steam disclosure for the game Bahast, which stated generative AI was essential for its development, has sparked debate among developers. Many indie developers argue against using AI, citing personal asset creation without AI despite financial struggles. Industry figures like Tim Sweeney believe AI-aided development is crucial for the future, while Sony also views AI as an important technology.
