# What is the best indie game of 2026?

> 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.

*By YPB Team · Published June 1, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-indie-game-of-2026*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Slay the Spire 2** — score 1000/1000
   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.
2. **Escape From Ever After** — score 647/1000
   A fairy-tale turn-based RPG inspired by Paper Mario and Ocarina of Time, praised for its clever puzzles and vibrant boss encounters.
3. **Demon Tides** — score 366/1000
   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.
4. **Pathologic 3** — score 284/1000
   A harrowing psychological horror game where a plague-stricken town forces the player into impossible moral choices with no clean answers.
5. **Love Eternal** — score 284/1000
   A psychological platformer that shares thematic DNA with Celeste, prioritizing emotional resonance and mechanical precision in a narrative-driven experience.
6. **Mina The Hollower** — score 183/1000
   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.
7. **SAROS** — score 52/1000
   A critically acclaimed indie title from 2026 that earned high marks from both critics and players for its distinctive visual style and gameplay.
8. **Alruna: End of History** — score 52/1000
   A Metroidvania celebrated as a tour-de-force of game design, featuring world-class temples and dungeons that push the genre forward.
9. **Tearscape** — score 1/1000
   A February 2026 indie release praised for its atmospheric world-building and emotional storytelling.
10. **Darwin's Paradox** — score 1/1000
   A quirky platformer with strong Oddworld energy that puts players in control of a clever cephalopod escaping a strange industrial complex.

Tags: games, 2025, indie