What is the best indie game of 2026?

By YPB Team

2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for indie gaming with ambitious titles across every genre. Vote for the indie game you're most excited about or think is the year's best.

Slay the Spire 2 — ranked #11
Slay the Spire 2
The long-awaited sequel to the genre-defining roguelike deck-builder, bringing new cards, characters, and mechanics to one of indie gaming's most beloved formulas.
1000pts
Escape From Ever After — ranked #22
Escape From Ever After
A fairy-tale turn-based RPG inspired by Paper Mario and Ocarina of Time, praised for its clever puzzles and vibrant boss encounters.
741pts
Demon Tides — ranked #33
Demon Tides
An open-world 3D platformer from Fabraz where players explore oceans and biomes as the protagonist Beebz to uncover the dark secrets of a mysterious kingdom.
535pts
Love Eternal — ranked #44
Love Eternal
A psychological platformer that shares thematic DNA with Celeste, prioritizing emotional resonance and mechanical precision in a narrative-driven experience.
475pts
Pathologic 3 — ranked #55
Pathologic 3
A harrowing psychological horror game where a plague-stricken town forces the player into impossible moral choices with no clean answers.
475pts
Mina The Hollower — ranked #66
Mina The Hollower
A 2D action-adventure platformer by Yacht Club Games starring a mouse named Mina, lauded for its expert game design and classic Zelda inspirations — Metacritic's highest-rated game of 2026.
401pts
SAROS — ranked #77
SAROS
A critically acclaimed indie title from 2026 that earned high marks from both critics and players for its distinctive visual style and gameplay.
306pts
Alruna: End of History — ranked #88
Alruna: End of History
A Metroidvania celebrated as a tour-de-force of game design, featuring world-class temples and dungeons that push the genre forward.
305pts
Tearscape — ranked #99
Tearscape
A February 2026 indie release praised for its atmospheric world-building and emotional storytelling.
178pts
Darwin's Paradox — ranked #1010
Darwin's Paradox
A quirky platformer with strong Oddworld energy that puts players in control of a clever cephalopod escaping a strange industrial complex.
178pts

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