5 nice indie video games from GDC 2026

I simply acquired again from the GDC Festival of Gaming, a giant industry-focused occasion in San Francisco that was previously generally known as the Game Developers Conference. While the present is usually about academic classes and networking alternatives for working builders, there have been additionally a bunch of video games that I acquired to play. Here are a few of my favorites, listed alphabetically. Best of all, these might all launch this 12 months — hopefully properly earlier than Grand Theft Auto VI.

At Fate’s End is a beautiful new action-adventure sport from Spiritfarer developer Thunder Lotus all about grappling with sibling relationships by way of exploration and battles. I acquired to see two fights with simply the primary of the principle character’s siblings. But even these early battles had been thrilling skirmishes with dramatic animations, full-screen lightning assaults, and dialogue decisions that may affect which ending you get. I haven’t been capable of cease eager about the sport all week. At Fate’s End is ready to launch in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X / S.

The subsequent title from Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club Games is an homage Link’s Awakening on the Game Boy, however with the twist that you simply play as a mouse that may dig by way of the bottom. The sport is ready to launch someday this spring following a delay final October, and primarily based on a brand new demo I performed, the additional time was value it. I used to be dissatisfied by the demo I performed on PC final 12 months, however this time round, I liked exploring the sport’s world, combating difficult enemies, and even digging my means into some hidden secrets and techniques. Yacht Club Games plans to launch Mina the Hollower this spring on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X / S.

The Melty Way blends difficult, Super Meat Boy-style platforming with a gooey twist: You play as an lovely little slime, and as you progress by way of the world, you soften away and get smaller. Becoming smaller provides you benefits like greater jumps and with the ability to squeeze into tighter pathways. But if you happen to don’t discover a checkpoint or end the extent in time, your little slime will die — and the slime is so dang cute that you simply’ll really feel unhealthy for letting that occur. The Melty Way is launching in early entry on Steam on April twenty fourth.

In Poke a Nose, from developer Jelle van Meerendonk, you fly round as a severed hand that collects bathroom paper and finishes ranges by poking noses. The idea is absurd, but flying round as a hand truly takes some finesse, so getting a finger right into a nostril on the finish of a degree seems like a satisfying accomplishment. It’s focusing on a 2026 launch on PC, although van Meerendonk tells The Verge that early 2027 is “more likely.”

Speaking of Super Meat Boy, Super Meat Boy 3D seems like a promising 3D model of the brutally tough 2D platformer. I used to be completely satisfied to see that plenty of the hallmarks of the unique are current, like actually floaty jumps and buzzsaws littered all over the world. Sometimes, I fell to an premature demise as a result of the brand new perspective led to some complicated jumps, however restarts had been fast, so I didn’t thoughts an excessive amount of. Super Meat Boy 3D is popping out in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X / S.