5 great indie games from GDC 2026

I’ve just returned from GDC, a large industry-focused event in San Francisco that was formerly known as the Game Developers Conference. While the show mostly revolves around educational sessions and networking opportunities for working developers, there are also a bunch of games that I had the opportunity to play. Here are some of our favorites, arranged alphabetically. Best of all, all of these items could be released this year – hopefully Much earlier Grand Theft Auto VI.

At the end of fate It is a new and wonderful action adventure game from Soul danger Developer Thunder Lotus is all about dealing with sibling relationships through exploration and combat. I only got to see two battles with the first of the main character’s brothers. But even those early battles are exciting skirmishes with dramatic animations, full-screen lightning attacks, and dialogue choices that can affect which ending you get. I couldn’t stop thinking about the game all week. At the end of fate It is scheduled to release in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series

The following address is from Shovel knight Developer Yacht Club Games is a tribute Link’s awakening On the Game Boy, but with the twist that you play as a mouse who can dig through the ground. The game is scheduled to release sometime this following spring Delay last OctoberAnd, based on the new demo I played, the extra time was worth it. I was disappointed with the presentation I played On PC last yearBut this time, I loved exploring the game world, fighting difficult enemies, and even searching for some hidden secrets. Yacht Club Games is planning to release it Mina Al-Jouf This spring on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series

Multi way difficult mixtures, Super Meat BoyA slime-style platformer with a slime twist: You play as a cute little slime, and as you move through the world, they fade and become smaller. Becoming smaller gives you advantages such as higher jumps and the ability to squeeze into tighter paths. But if you don’t find a checkpoint or finish the level in time, your little slime will die – and slimes are so cute that you’ll feel bad for letting that happen. Multi way It will launch in Early Access on Steam on April 24.

in Nose pokefrom developer Jelle van Meerendonk, you fly as a dismembered hand collecting toilet paper and finishing levels by poking noses. The concept is silly, but flying like a hand actually requires some dexterity, so sticking your finger in the nose at the end of a level feels like a satisfying accomplishment. It’s targeting a 2026 release on PC, though, says Van Meerendonck Edge Early 2027 is “most likely.”

Talk about Super Meat Boy, Super Meat Boy 3D It looks like a promising 3D version of the extremely difficult 2D platformer. I was happy to see that a lot of the original game’s hallmarks were present, like the floating jumps and buzzsaws dotted around the world. Sometimes, I died prematurely because the new perspective led to some awkward jumps, but the restarts were quick, so I didn’t mind too much. Super Meat Boy 3D It will be released in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series