10 Upcoming Indie Games We Went Hands-On with at LVLUP Expo 2026

On the finish of April, I attended the LVLUP Expo in Las Vegas. The present is filled with unimaginable cosplay, movie star meet-and-greets, dwell gaming tournaments, and extra geeky merchandise than you may ever think about (shout out to Bryce Kho Attracts’ superior new Zelda desk mat).

However for somebody like me, an enormous indie gamer, what was most enjoyable have been the handfuls of public demo cubicles that includes ardour tasks from small groups. A few of them have been launched not too long ago, whereas others will likely be launched as quickly as 2026 (and presumably past). I made it my private aim to observe the whole lot I may over the weekend, and total it was a good time.

In fact not all I attempted talking to me on a private stage and the bulk did. So listed below are 10 at present unreleased indie titles I performed on LVLUP. In case you’re an indie recreation lover, I believe this must be in your shortlist of video games to take a look at as quickly because it’s launched.

10

grave season

cozy killer caper

Grave Seasons seems to be fairly unassuming at first look. The art work is gorgeous and offers off a comfortable Stardew-esque ambiance, and whereas it is actually intriguing to many, it is onerous to inform that there is one thing sinister lurking beneath the floor. In case you look carefully, you may see that that is revealed by Blumhouse Video games. Blumhouse Video games is pretty new to the gaming scene; deep We have already got a catalog of horror films.

After getting a fast overview of this life, this farming sim full of nice character artwork, most much like one thing like Date The whole lot, reveals a darkish and gory homicide thriller/serial killer theme. After strolling round city and assembly locals, I discovered bloodstains on the bottom. Then, as evening fell over the village, they witnessed a homicide by the hands of one thing that appeared really monstrous.

Cozy followers and horror followers alike appear to be trying ahead to this movie. This checklist can be one of many few with a particular launch date of August 14, 2026.

9

filled with vans

truck stranded

Subsequent up is Truckful. That is truthfully a recreation I have been that means to demo for months, so I used to be tremendous excited to see it on the present flooring at LVLUP. The premise of this mannequin may be very easy, however the place it shines is in its drive and physics-based management system. Right here you drive an outdated, customizable and upgradable pickup truck by means of the countryside.

From an isometric perspective, the steering controls right here take a second or so to get used to, however I’ve additionally been a fan of comparable driving and racing titles shot with related digicam angles through the years. Run a sequence of errands for the locals. Which means you must load up the truck mattress, fastidiously navigate the winding hills, and retailer the whole lot safely within the automobile in order that it does not get blown away if you make a reckless flip or flip down a hill.

My colleagues and I joked that this was Dying Stranding with vans, however clearly the top result’s one thing a bit less complicated and cozier than Kojima’s strolling simulator. Steam does not have a launch date past 2026, however hold a watch out for it.

homage to homage

Devolver has a ton of quirky and irreverent video games below its publishing umbrella in the intervening time (extra on that later within the checklist), however Darkish Scroll is not actually considered one of them. As a substitute, it is a retro-style side-scrolling motion platformer that the majority carefully resembles the long-lasting Shovel Knight. And as an enormous fan of Shovelry and Darkish Souls (clearly Darkish Scrolls is a play on that title), this was one other standout.

A group of characters with distinctive spritework and assaults should transfer from one facet of the extent to a different, defeating enemies alongside the best way. Sounds simple sufficient, proper? It is not good. Because the title Darkish suggests, scroll Because of this the degrees are additionally primarily autoscrolling. This implies the degrees are continually transferring and should you get left behind you die. This locations the emphasis on not solely defeating enemies, but in addition sufficient platforming to maintain up with display scrolling.

What’s much more attention-grabbing is that Darkish Scroll could be performed solo or co-op, so you may carry a buddy alongside if you need. It simply says “coming quickly,” so hold a watch out for it.

7

floor zero hero

Greatest garlic like in present

Vampire Survivors is nice, however I’ve to be trustworthy. It was a bit stunning to learn the way many video games on LVLUP are by indie builders who’ve put their very own spin on the identical system. I believe Justin Davis from IGN coined the time period “garliclikes” to confer with people who find themselves like vampire survivors. Due to this fact, I wish to assist unfold the title of that subgenre to most people.

Though LVLUP left me feeling garlic-fatigued by the top, Floor Zero Hero is unquestionably my favourite and one I am actually trying ahead to. The colours and art work listed below are vibrant and really cartoonish, as are the powers and assaults you accumulate alongside the best way, like large tentacles that may wipe out hordes of enemies overhead on display.

I do not suppose anybody has accomplished this style higher than Vampire Survivor, however they set the bar ridiculously excessive. Nevertheless, Floor Zero Hero appears to be an absolute deal with by itself, and is unquestionably one to take a look at as soon as the “coming quickly” mode ends.

6

arcana cube

Roll for…Finger

In relation to video games that take inspiration from different video games, Cube of Arcana is clearly impressed by the unimaginable Inscryption, however this one modifications issues up fairly a bit. Cube of Arcana is a one-on-one turn-based recreation performed utilizing cube fairly than card-based. The mechanics are quite simple on the floor, however it additionally appears like a recreation that will get deeper because the stakes get larger and also you unlock extra cube to pay.

There’s additionally a line of one thing very darkish, alarming, and downright apparent. evil The battle with the adversary throughout the desk continues. Adversaries hold pulling opponents who clearly do not need to play the sport into seats throughout from them, lots of whom are clearly lacking a couple of fingers from their earlier video games.

Testing the general public demos already accessible on Steam, I believe Cube or Arcana will transfer at a reasonably sluggish tempo at first. However I additionally suppose that if this actually comes true, rolling (Get it?), Cube or Arcana goes to be completely bizarre, memorable, and difficult. As of now, the discharge date is listed as “TBC”. Please make it occur quickly.

5

cry

Have time

Heck, Croak is a phenomenal trying little indie platformer. The sport’s art work clearly stands out instantly and easily seems to be like a phenomenal hand-drawn storybook. As soon as upon a time, if a recreation was this partaking, you would not anticipate it to have a really excessive issue ceiling. Then Cuphead occurred. Now everyone knows we have to look a bit nearer.

Croak is an cute however correct 2D platformer that requires you to grasp the locomotion talents of the Frog Prince by the top. This consists of grabbing surfaces along with your tongue and transferring a pinball throughout the display as you curl up right into a ball. In my opinion, there are slight tweaks I might wish to see in among the physics of jumps and momentum for such an correct recreation, however I have to additionally admit that Croak and its trendy boss fights have already got me greater than .

That is scheduled to be launched in 2026, which is ok as a result of I am at all times on the lookout for champion indie platformers.

4

neo titan

Slash, shoot, twin stickin’

Neo Titan is the least-watched recreation on this checklist, however I need to change that proper now. In reality, at LVLUP, it was modestly displayed in a separate Mad Mushroom part of the exhibit flooring, separate from the primary group of indie titles. By the top of my demo with this, I instantly turned to the aforementioned colleague to see if I used to be loopy for considering this was so good, and it wasn’t. Once I checked out it once more, I used to be in a position to affirm that Neo Titan is basically cool.

It is a twin-stick, Souls-like, bullet-hell Metroidvania with buttery controls, and the fight has way more depth than you’d anticipate from a reasonably bland-looking isometric motion recreation. Specifically, the twin-stick firing factor right here, mixed with agile dodging and fluid melee fight, is lots of enjoyable and I believe it is going to be one thing very particular when it truly comes out.

Turn into considered one of our insiders and add Neo Titan to your already-prepared 2026 shortlist. That is additionally listed as “coming quickly”, however I hope “coming quickly” is as quickly as potential.

3

D-topia

Black Mirror however good

Just like the aforementioned Blumhouse Video games, Annapurna Interactive is additional proof that it may be nice for a film studio to go the sport writer route. Each time I see Annapurna in a recreation, I instantly need to test it out. As a result of it is most likely a artistic, emotion-driven gaming expertise, a minimum of in a cinematic sense. Marmitta Video games’ D-topia has been formally introduced as the most recent Annapurna-published recreation that I’ve tried out, and I am trying ahead to extra.

This can be a good change of tempo on the present flooring at LVLUP, the place everybody simply lives the place they do their jobs, so it appears like a film like “The Island,” the place the primary characters dwell in some type of company neighborhood centered round most office productiveness, or a Black Mirror episode like “Fifteen Million Deserves.” There isn’t any motive to consider that D-topia will likely be as badly darkened as different comparisons, however the setting continues to be reminiscent.

what enamel It is truly a stunning, considerably minimalistic and creative recreation I discovered filled with quantity and block transferring puzzles. very It was fascinating and made me really feel smarter due to it (a tricky job, I have to say). We stay up for extra mind teasers when D-topia releases on July 14, 2026.

2

Fractured Bloom

Jim Halpert “What is going on on?” GIF

The primary time I noticed Fractured Blooms was on the 2025 Summer time Recreation Fest presentation. It caught my eye through the present as an indie manufacturing that appeared poised to do some very unusual issues. That at all times speaks to me. In case you truly do that your self, you may see. Fractured Blooms is a little bit of a journey.

We management the self-talking Angie, who’s trapped in a time loop in an outdated farmhouse and completes mundane duties resembling tending a tomato patch, making ready dinner, and doing laundry. it is quickly very However it’s clear that one thing is significantly mistaken. I nonetheless do not know if it is in the home, in an unwelcome presence, or in Angie’s very coronary heart.

I do I discovered that navigating more and more terrifying loops filled with traumatic timers and stamina administration, transferring objects, and insanely trippy visuals made for some of the attention-grabbing indie recreation demos I’ve ever performed. The discharge date of this product is “undecided”. Fingers crossed, right now seems to be like…

1

dungeon expertise

very meta quest

We have lined the “common” sort of Devolver video games, however let’s finish with some of the seemingly (in a great way) freest recreation in its roster. Dungeon Expertise is already one of many weirdest and most absurdly enjoyable video games I’ve ever performed, and I’ve solely tried the demo. full very Meta dialogue from the narrator crab character, and from seemingly each NPC within the recreation, that is superb.

It was additionally packed filled with visible gags, references, and double-purposes, and whereas I typically had a tough time believing I used to be experiencing it in public with different expo attendees circling the demo stand, it was nonetheless fairly humorous. I nonetheless do not know a lot about what this recreation is, besides that it is a first-person fantasy dungeon expertise the place a crab is decided to assist me expertise monetary freedom. And… thanks, sure?

Actually, the foolish Grownup Swim-esque humor you see in different Devolver video games is not at all times a 100% success fee for me, however to date The Dungeon Expertise has been working for me. extraordinarilyand each time a launch date is introduced, I am each excited and modestly shocked to see what else this recreation has in retailer.