The Most Exciting Games Right Now Aren’t Coming From the Studios You Think

I’m not sure if 2026 will give us another Clair Obscur success story, but you can rest assured that smaller, fresh-faced studios are still hard at work at ambitious and subversive projects. Indeed, the spate of 2026’s potential indie success stories is already starting to come into focus, as more modest companies plan to launch stylish side-scrollers, cinematic third-person adventure games, and everything in between. For a snapshot of 2026’s possible hidden gems, read on.

MIO: Memories in Orbit

Check Out MIO: Memories in Orbit on Steam

• MIO: Memories in Orbit studio: Douze Dixiemes​
• MIO: Memories in Orbit release date: January 20, 2026

Already compared to Hollow Knight due to its emphasis on mobility, worldbuilding, and metroidvania fundamentals, MIO: Memories in Orbit is a striking debut from French studio Douze Dixiemes releasing later this month. MIO is primed to follow in the footsteps of modern classics like Ori and the Blind Forest as well, making a splash with stunning visuals and slick movement. These elements, coupled with a sci-fi story about an amnesiac android trapped in a derelict spaceship, will hopefully help MIO reach the same heights as other indie metroidvania darlings, like 2024’s Nine Sols or Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Released

January 20, 2026

ESRB

Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Mild Language

Developer(s)

Douze Dixièmes

Publisher(s)

Focus Entertainment

Number of Players

Single-player

Don’t Stop, Girlypop!

Check Out Don’t Stop, Girlypop! on Steam

• Don’t Stop, Girlypop! studio: Funny Fintan Softworks
• Don’t Stop, Girlypop! release date: January 29, 2026

Glampunk aesthetics and Y2K-influenced mania build the vibe of Don’t Stop, Girlypop!, a movement shooter from Australian developer Funny Fintan Softworks. It’s hard not to feel charmed by the game’s excessive, saccharine audiovisual design, but it also has the mechanical heft to back up its retro-chic fashion sense. As its title suggests, Don’t Stop, Girlypop! encourages aggression and quick-thinking by boosting player damage and healing through constant, speedy movement. The result, hopefully, will be a movement-based boomer shooter that can tussle with the best of them.

Systems

Released

January 29, 2026

Developer(s)

Funny Fintan Softworks

Publisher(s)

Kwalee

Number of Players

Single-player

Steam Deck Compatibility

Unknown

• 
  

• 
  

Cairn

Check Out Cairn on Steam

• Cairn studio: The Game Bakers
• Cairn release date: January 29, 2026

Cairn probably won’t get the same attention as 2026 flagships like Resident Evil Requiem and Grand Theft Auto 6, but it’s effectively part of indie royalty. Its developer, The Game Bakers, made one of the best-ever boss-rush games in 2016’s Furi. Following that flashy and exceptional release, the studio shipped Haven, a slow-paced sci-fi survival game laser-focused on an unlikely love story. Cairn feels like the natural next step, in some ways: it’s a slower, more methodical game built around rock-climbing, much like how Haven is designed around daily life on an alien planet, but it’s also notably more intense. Based on what The Game Bakers have shown so far, Cairn aims to provide meditative, flow-state gameplay with stylish visuals and intense, punishing moments. It sounds right up the studio’s alley.

Systems

Released

January 29, 2026

Developer(s)

The Game Bakers

Publisher(s)

The Game Bakers

Number of Players

Single-player

Steam Deck Compatibility

Unknown

The Legend of Khiimori

Check Out The Legend of Khiimori on Steam

• The Legend of Khiimori studio: Aesir Interactive, NightinGames
• The Legend of Khiimori release date: March 3, 2026

The Legend of Khiimori is one of the more interesting games of early 2026, in my view. Previously called Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori, the game was originally imagined as the next entry in Aesir Interactive’s Windstorm horse-care simulation series. But if you look at these older games, even the recent 2024 release, it’s clear how much of a massive improvement Khiimori is, at least in terms of visuals and polish.

Without mincing words, the Windstorm games preceding this one are pretty janky. Character animations are stiff and unexpressive, textures are flat and muddy, and there are little to no complex game systems beyond the management and customization options one would expect from the genre. But Khiimori looks considerably more polished and detail-oriented, with what appears to be a more involved, complex narrative. Time will tell if it actually feels better to play, but it’s a much bigger swing from Aesir, and could be yet another example of the power of Unreal Engine 5, even in the hands of smaller studios.

Systems

Released

March 3, 2026

Developer(s)

Aesir Interactive, NightinGames

Publisher(s)

Mindscape

Number of Players

Single-player

MOUSE: P.I. for Hire

Check Out MOUSE: P.I. for Hire on Steam

• MOUSE: P.I. for Hire studio: Fumi Games
• MOUSE: P.I. for Hire release date: March 19, 2026

I’m a real sucker for games that look completely different, regardless of their other qualities. MOUSE: P.I. for Hire certainly fits that label, as its blend of 3D environments and rubber-hose animation, packaged within an FPS perspective, is something I’ve never seen before. Sleek and lovable graphics aside, MOUSE is a hardboiled detective story with the flamboyant inclinations of 1930s Disney cartoons, a combination that lends it an undeniable vigor and charm. It aims to deliver a compelling, irreverent story, fast-paced combat, and even metroidvania-influenced exploration. It’s ticking a lot of boxes so far, so hopefully it sticks the landing when it arrives this Spring.

Released

March 19, 2026

Developer(s)

Fumi Games

Publisher(s)

PlaySide

Engine

Unity

Number of Players

Single-player

1348 Ex Voto

Check Out 1348 Ex Voto on Steam

• 1348 Ex Voto studio: Sedleo
• 1348 Ex Voto release date: TBA 2026

Seemingly cut from the same cloth as games like A Plague Tale and Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Sedleo debut 1348 Ex Voto is taking a big swing at photorealism and cinematography. The game is set in 14th century Italy and follows Aeta, a young knight errant searching for her “closest one,” a journey that takes her through a series of treacherous challenges. Like Kingdom Come: Deliverance, combat is directional and stance-based, although it appears to be comparatively streamlined. Indeed, storytelling and atmosphere look to be front-and-center in 1348 Ex Voto, making it a potentially nice alternative to the cinematic fare the AAA scene will be serving up in 2026.

Released

2026

Developer(s)

Sedleo

Publisher(s)

Dear Villagers

• 
  

•