Plus, a whole bunch of neat demos ahead of Steam Next Fest.
By Kris Holt June 6, 2026 8:00 am EST
Business Goose Studios Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. This time around, we'll take a look at some projects that might have slipped under your radar amid all the Summer Game Fest ballyhoo. Some are out right now, and others are on the way later. We've also got a dedicated section for demos, because it's almost Steam Next Fest time.
We're actually still in the midst of Summer Game Fest. After this edition of the roundup, be sure to check out Engadget's gaming section for our coverage from the likes of State of Play and Day of the Devs (I am so absurdly excited for Screenbound). We'll have coverage of Sunday's Xbox Games Showcase as well.
At the time of publication, there's still so much more to come from Summer Game Fest, which features games of all shapes and sizes. There are a bunch of showcases taking place this weekend. Here's what you can watch and when. All times are in ET:
Saturday, June 6
Southeast Asian Games Showcase, 11AM (YouTube)
IGN Live, Day 1, 12PM (YouTube)
Wholesome Direct, 12PM (YouTube)
Fellow Traveller's Story-Rich Showcase, 1PM (YouTube)
Green Games Showcase, 2PM (YouTube)
Future Games Show Summer Showcase, 3PM (YouTube)
Gayming Pride Parade Showcase, 3PM (YouTube)
Frosty Games Fest, 6PM (YouTube)
v3Expo Showcase, 7PM (YouTube)
Sunday, June 7
Ñ3, 11:30AM (YouTube)
IGN Live, Day 2, 12PM (YouTube)
Xbox Games Showcase and Gears of War E-Day Direct, 1PM (how to watch)
PC Gaming Show, 3PM (YouTube)
Deutsche Indie Showcase, 5PM (YouTube)
Monday, June 8
India Games Showcase (YouTube)
New indie game releases
Swan Song
Developer and publisher: Business Goose Studios Platform: Steam Price: Usually $8, 20 percent off until June 18
I really like the concept of Swan Song. It's a story-driven puzzle game that takes place inside a music box. You'll compose melodies by placing notes on a chart in order to create paths for figurines to move toward a goal.
The story is based on something one of the developers went through. "While deeply personal, the narrative has been carefully crafted to resonate with everyone who has gone through similar experiences," a press release noted. Jamal Green (Toem) composed the soundtrack. Of note, Swan Song isn't the only music composition-related game I have for you this week...
day 249 – CONSUME ME is now available on the app store! i say that this game is about me having a Bad Time in high school but i PROMISE that you will have a Good Time playing.. On the iPad or iPhone..The way God intended. enjoy!!! 😘
buy now 👉 bit.ly/4vkskPw
#indiegames #ios #gaming #mobilegame
Consume Me
Developers: Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken "coda" Snyder Publisher: Hexecutable Platforms: iOS (previously out on Steam for PC and Mac) Price: $10
Consume Me, which debuted on Steam last year, is a coming-of-age life sim that's based on a spell in developer Jenny Jiao Hsia's teenage life. You'll try to juggle all of the responsibilities of a student in her last year of high school. Along with dealing with her studies, Jenny has to manage chores, dates with her boyfriend and an eating disorder. Time management is a key factor here.
You'll try to keep everything in balance by playing minigames, which is perhaps one reason why Consume Me could be a good fit for the pick-up-and-put-down nature of mobile gaming. It landed on iOS this week and Hsia suggested it might be coming to Android at some point.
Consume Me just won an Apple Design award in the Social Impact category and it received the prestigious Seamus McNally Grand Prize at last year's Independent Games Festival. AP Thompson, one of the co-developers of Consume Me, also won the latter this year for the brilliant Titanium Court.
Outblast
Developer and publisher: Rhino Rock Studios Platform: Steam (PC and VR), Meta Quest Price: Usually $6.74, 25 percent discount until June 11
If you've been into Saros lately and now want to dive into something more along the lines of Housemarque's earlier arcade shooters, Outblast might be the game for you. There's the option to play this one in virtual reality, if you prefer.
The story, such as it is, positions you at the helm of a ship with the aim of stopping a "rogue viral intelligence known as Typhon," which has "consumed the system." You can expect some environmental storytelling here too. Still, Outblast seems to be mostly about shooting things and blowing stuff up while dodging enemies and projectiles.
You can upgrade your ship by collecting data fragments to unlock more powerful weapons, boosts, shields and extra lives. Those should help you battle through the five districts and bosses. You can compare your skills against other players on live online leaderboards too. It sounds like just the kind of turn-your-brain off game I might need after Summer Game Fest and WWDC.
New indie game demos
I'd normally include new demos in the "upcoming" section since the full games aren't out yet. But since there's so much to talk about this week (and so many demos popping up ahead of Steam Next Fest), I'm featuring them in an extra-special bonus section this time.
Pixel Washer
Developer: Valadria Publisher: Acclaim Demo: Steam
Here's one for folks who dig 16-bit aesthetics and can't get enough of PowerWash Simulator. In Pixel Washer, you play as a piggy called Pigxel and use a power washer to clean up a town.
The full game will have more than 40 levels, with settings that include parks, arcades and movie theaters. In the demo, you can play through half a dozen stages as well as a mini game. There are two different power washers you can use to clear away all the grime. It looks cute! I'm into it.
Moonbrella
Developer and publisher: Jett Williams Demo: Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox for PC
Moonbrella is a platformer without a jump button. Instead, you'll propel yourself with an umbrella, just as you would in Getting Over It, Bennett Foddy's rage-inducing game that sees you climb a mountain using only a sledgehammer.
You'll use the hook to grab onto ledges and descend slowly by opening up the umbrella. This is a Metroidvania game, which indicates that you'll gradually unlock abilities and gain access to more areas. Developer Jett Williams suggests that there are several ways for you to take on its challenges. The game was built with speedrunning in mind too.
While the demo is currently only available for Steam and Xbox, Moonbrella is also in development for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Ballgame
Developer and publisher: Human Computer Demo: Steam (full game slated to arrive in 2026)
Ballgame is a puzzle platformer built around the rules of golf, though developer Human Computer says it works at the speed of pinball. You'll wallop a sentient golf ball around an interdimensional hotel to which it's been banished. There are lots of obstacles as well as elements you can use to your advantage, such as grindable rails.
You can tackle the levels in tournament mode, in which the aim is to reach the hole in as few strokes as possible — perhaps even as low as zero strokes, somehow. The heist mode is all about speed. Here, it doesn't matter how many strokes you play. You just have to complete nine holes as quickly as possible to rise up the leaderboards. Either way, I just know I'm going to annoy myself by shouting "ballgame!" every time I get the ball in a hole.
Invokyr
Developer and publisher: Ludogram Demo: Steam
You can gather up to three of your friends and take a cursed journey together in the world of Invokyr. This horror adventure seems very much inspired by Jumanji. You'll play board games that offer up new surprises with every roll of the die. There are deadly traps to overcome and enemies looking to hunt you down. You'll need to work together to survive these nightmares.
The demo features two boards: a classic one and a jungle-themed option, which are said to increase in difficulty. Dice effects and game modifiers will affect your runs too, keeping things fresh and encouraging you to come back for more. Some of the things in the trailer seem a bit scary, though the alligator made me laugh since the animation looked a bit goofy.
Defrag Incremental
Developer and publisher: Pollo Arcade Low Bit Demo: Steam (full game slated to arrive in 2026)
I don't remember the last time I saw a game that felt quite as Engadget-coded as Defrag Incremental. I couldn't possibly leave this one out of the roundup. Here, you'll be defragging messy disk drives using an MS DOS-style interface. It's an incremental roguelite, which may as well be catnip for a bunch of Balatro sickos.
After analyzing a disk, you'll pick an algorithm that will go through it and clean things up. Factors like heat, wear and disk health will come into play, and of course there are bad sectors to deal with. You'll also be able to earn permanent upgrades, which involve rebooting the BIOS. Since you're taking on the role of a technician, all of this is in service of doing a decent job and earning enough money to get by. Beep boop.
Offbeat
Developer: Whetstone Games Publisher: Pantaloon Demo: Steam (an early access release is slated for 2026)
Offbeat is a music production game in which you'll be turning sounds that you record from your environment into sick beats, samples and songs. You'll plug various noise-making objects into a sequencer and work from there.
The game is designed as a legitimate audio production tool. You'll be able to export your creations as WAV files and do whatever you want with them. I've never really explored making music with sequencers, but it's always something I've been interested in trying. I am very much looking forward to checking out this demo when I have a chance.
Ultrapool
Developer: Icedrop Games Publisher: Offbrand Games Demo/playtest: Steam, iOS, Android Release window: Q3 2026
Pick up your cue and some chalk, because here's another billiards-based roguelite. Ultrapool is all about getting high scores by pocketing balls, earning points and cash, buying new balls with various augmentations, and repeating that loop. As you might imagine, you'll need to earn a certain number of points to win each of the 10 rounds.
Finding synergies and pulling off trickshots will help you reach the targets. It seems like you can merge balls, so Ball x Pit fans, that might catch your interest. I don't quite understand everything that's happening in the trailer, but there are lots of visual effects that look very satisfying, so I'm in. Along with a demo on Steam, there are beta playtests on Android and iOS.
Upcoming indie games
Where Dolls Hang
Publisher and developer: Steelkrill Studio Platform: Steam (slated to arrive in 2026)
Here's a game I don't really have any interest in playing! The trailer for Where Dolls Hang creeped me out, so I guess I need others to suffer with me. Sorry. I do not jive well with dolls and mannequins in general, and seeing them all over the place in this first look at this game... nope. No, thank you.
Where Dolls Hang is a psychological horror game inspired by the Isla de las Muñecas (Island of Dolls) in Mexico. You play as a detective who is looking into missing person cases. It sounds like you'll be doing some proper investigative work, including placing evidence markers. You'll navigate wetlands and swamps too. You'll do all of this while dealing with a variety of terrors.
I do enjoy that the trailer features Night of the Living Dead playing on a TV. George Romero's movie has long been in the public domain, so there's nothing stopping developers from putting it in their games.
Stars Reach
Developer and publisher: Playable Worlds, Inc. Platform: Steam (slated to hit early access this summer) Price: $30-80, with three options that include various cosmetics and rewards
Stars Reach is an MMORG that feels like a riff on No Man's Sky. It's from a team led by Raph Koster, who was lead designer of Ultima Online and creative director of Star Wars Galaxies. The action takes place in a galaxy that players can shape and even partially destroy.
Along with typical sandbox MMO actions like gathering resources, building settlements and crafting, players will govern their pocket of the galaxy. The progression here is classless, so you won't be tied to a particular job type or anything like that. You'll also have to take on hostile creatures. According to a press release, "every decision and combat encounter has long-lasting ripple effects on the world around you." That sounds both ominous and intriguing. I'm interested to see how this shakes out.
Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?!
Developer: Strange Scaffold Publisher: Frosty Pop Platforms: Steam, Xbox Release date: July 29, 2026
Last up for this week, we have a release rate for a game that's been on my wishlist for a hot minute. Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! is the latest wild-looking game from the astoundingly prolific Strange Scaffold. It's a blend of visual novel and action driving game, and the developers drew inspiration from anime.
You control a truck that collides with Carissa Ward, who's just about to start a new corporate job but suddenly finds herself trying to slay a Skeleton King so she can return home. The truck can help out Carissa by colliding with pedestrians and objects. Some become enemies that Carissa can take out and gain experience to help her on with her quest. I am very much looking forward to playing this when it arrives on July 29.
