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Watch this space to find some great indie games.

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The best indie games we’re playing right now

Splashy blockbuster games are great, but there are there are a huge number of indie and smaller video games worth playing, too. Whether they’re pushing the boundaries of the medium and or offering a creative spin on classic ideas, indie games can be just as interesting as big-budget epics.
Sometimes, though, indie games can fly under the radar. But we here at The Verge love seeking out hidden gems, so we want to use this space to share some of our favorite smaller games that we’re checking out so that you might find something new, or potentially your next obsession.
We’ll be highlighting interesting games you may not have heard of and sharing a little bit about why you should play them. This list will be updated pretty frequently, too — so check back often to see some new recommendations.

We want to help you find your next favorite indie.

More games should be on rails (literally)

The tiniest MMO

A tasty RPG that will make you very hungry

This puzzle game’s simple premise hides surprising depth

Moves of the Diamond Hand is an unfinished, irresistibly weird dice-based RPG

Echo Isle is a pint-sized adventure inspired by classic Zelda

The Drifter, an excellent point-and-click thriller, is coming to the Switch.

Kabuto Park captures the fleeting joy of summer vacation

Mina the Hollower has already sold more than 300,000 copies.

Sometimes, a short game hits the spot

The best part of Mina the Hollower is how it randomizes the Zelda formula

Hanging out in my favorite virtual coffee shop in Tokyo

You can now print your Cairn ascent on a T-shirt.

Mixtape is a musical portrait of teenage life

Let it snow

Playing Esoteric Ebb is like rolling the dice with a great DM

Heart Machine’s Metroid-style action game is launching today on Nintendo Switch 2.

The year’s weirdest game is hard to explain and even harder to put down

Vampire Survivors’ new spinoff switches genres but keeps the good vibes

There’s nothing like an RPG over vacation

Get ready to visit Titanium Court.

Demons and pinball are a perfect match

Super Meat Boy 3D makes suffering fun

Transfer Point is a modern adventure game made with 40-year-old software

Hop back in to Big Hops.

A classic Zelda-style adventure, but a lot more cozy

Oeuf is a punishing platformer in a cozy shell

Time to get cracking (some codes).

5 great indie games from GDC 2026

A bite-sized adventure that puts a wrench into the classic Zelda formula

The Witcher is a perfect fit for Reigns’ Tinder-like roleplaying

Aerial_Knight’s DropShot captures the thrill of skydiving and makes it stylish

Returning stolen artifacts becomes a thrilling heist in Relooted

The hottest indie game is about breeding cats with ADHD and dyslexia

Cairn is a climbing journey about perseverance and obsession

This coming-of-age adventure game made me feel a little too seen

Detective games get extra cryptic with TR-49’s code-breaking mystery

A cute frog game that remixes Nintendo’s best

The Playdate gets its Monument Valley

Dogpile’s puzzles mix Balatro, Tetris, and a pile of puppies

Sektori is psychedelic, tough as nails, and worth the pain

Skateboarding is better in hell

A love letter to the glory days of iPhone gaming

13 years later, the bold and terrifying sci-fi game Routine is finally here

Forestrike trained me to become an incredible pixelated fighter

Demonschool channels Buffy and Persona for delightfully demonic RPG action

Possessor(s) is a fast-paced action game that gets off to a slow start

The Playdate is a great indie puzzle machine

Ball x Pit is a deep, delightful rabbit hole

Dreams of Another feels like a fever dream

Consume Me is a raw and funny memoir in video game form

The strangest game of the year is a channel-surfing simulator

Baby Steps hits on the hell and hilarity of hiking

Henry Halfhead is full of heart

Herdling is a serene and adorable way to unwind

Discounty adds some bite to cozy life sims

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a perfect reimagining of the classic series

Sword of the Sea is a spirited celebration of movement and the sea

Dead Take’s best scares come from real-life performances

Is This Seat Taken? makes seating fussy people fun

The Drifter is a good old-fashioned thriller

Wheel World is the feel-good game of the summer

Fast Fusion scratches the hyper fast F-Zero itch

Playdate’s second season sucked me back into the little yellow handheld

A big milestone for a great little indie game.

Deltarune is halfway done, but it feels like a full game

Date Everything will make you see your favorite household objects in a sexy new light

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo would feel right at home on your GBA

Four great games from Steam’s June Next Fest

TMNT: Tactical Takedown is a radical twist on turn-based strategy

Playdate’s second season is off to a great (and very weird) start

Last Defense Academy makes confusion part of the fun

In a year full of giant games, some little mice stand out

Despelote is a picture-perfect portrait of childhood obsession

Shotgun Cop Man is a weird-as-hell platformer about arresting Satan

Bionic Bay mixes floppy physics with hard sci-fi

Blue Prince will steal your time just like Balatro

Your House is like a choose-your-own adventure mystery book

7 cool indie games from GDC 2025

This bullet hell shooter mixes retro and modern in all the right ways

MainFrames is a charming platformer that takes place inside computers

Endless Windblown.

One of my favorite pop albums is a video game — and now it’s on the PS5

Steam’s Next Fest is full of weird-ass, cool-ass games

Die in the Dungeon will keep you busy until Slay the Spire 2

While Waiting is a playful reminder of the joys of boredom

Spirit Swap has way more than lo-fi beats to match-3 to

Rift of the NecroDancer’s story is an intro to some incredible music

Citizen Sleeper 2 is the good kind of stressful

Lok Digital is a surreal puzzle game full of made-up words

Samsung’s wider Z Fold 8 feels just right

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026: The 6 biggest announcements

Microsoft is bringing original Xbox games to PC

The 2026 Honda Prelude is a marvel of hybrid technology

Samsung’s newest foldable finally feels Ultra

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