10 Solo Indie Developers to Watch in 2026

by

Popular video games are often created by large teams with massive budgets, but sometimes a single person can make a hit game with just a great idea. Games like Stardew Valley, Balatro, and even Minecraft are examples of this – they were all originally made by one person who was passionate about bringing their vision to life.

Over the last ten years, we’ve seen individual developers achieve success comparable to, and sometimes exceeding, major game studios. With game development tools becoming easier to use, more people are trying to create their own video games. We expect several of these creators to become popular indie successes in 2026, influencing the future of indie games and delivering outstanding experiences worth checking out. This list highlights up-and-coming developers you may not be familiar with yet.

System Erasure (Void Stranger, ZeroRanger)

Crafting Games With Narratives Transcending Genres

I’m starting with System Erasure, though it’s a bit of a technicality – it’s not a solo project. It’s a collaboration with Eero Lahtinen and Antti Ukkola. Both Void Stranger and ZeroRanger go beyond typical Sokoban and bullet-hell games, offering players who look closely a surprisingly moving story about love, loss, and overcoming challenges.

The game Void Stranger came out in 2023, and the developers have been quiet since. Their website, System Erasure, mentions a third, currently unnamed game is “Coming some day…” Considering the quality of their previous two games, it’s worth watching to see what they create next.

Hillfortgames (Long Gone)

Stunning Post-Apocalyptic Pixel Puzzler

Long Gone is a unique zombie game where you don’t fight the undead. Instead of battling zombies, you solve puzzles based on their behavior. This beautiful pixel art adventure draws inspiration from classic retro games, seamlessly blending 2.5D platforming sections with immersive 3D exploration. As you explore the post-apocalyptic world, you’ll uncover remnants and objects that reveal the stories of those who came before.

Vin Hill, the creator of Hillfort Games, is currently developing this game and expects to release it in the near future. It’s already generating a lot of excitement – over 250,000 people have added it to their Steam wishlists, according to Hill. This game and its developer are definitely ones to keep an eye on in 2026 and beyond.

Kira LLC (Lunacid, Lost in Vivo)

Psychological Horror Of The PS Era

A few years back, Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion became hugely popular on YouTube and Twitch. Now, one of the game’s creators, Akuma Kira, has started their own studio and is making distinctive psychological horror games on their own. These games have a look and feel reminiscent of the original PlayStation, and you can even see this retro style in the game cases featured on the Kira LLC website.

Kira has recently become known for games like Lunacid, which draws inspiration from classic titles like Shadow Tower and King’s Field, and Lost in Vivo, a chilling game about claustrophobia that fans of Silent Hill will love. Kira is a key member of the indie game scene, currently working on the collaborative, free-to-play project Soup Room, and has even more original creations planned for release in 2026.

Team Spino (Dinoblade)

A Sword-Fighting Dinosaur Soulslike

Three years ago, Jean Nguyen posted a popular animation on X (formerly Twitter) featuring a sword-wielding Spinosaurus. The positive response inspired Nguyen to develop a full video game called Dinoblade. As the name suggests, it’s a game about dinosaurs battling each other with swords and various weapons.

Dinoblade is Nguyen’s first game, and it really shows off their talent for animation. Having previously worked on popular games like Ghost of Yotei, Nguyen is creating something special with this solo project. Dinoblade is expected to launch next year, but you can play a demo on Steam today.

Gluten Free Games (King of Bones)

For More Dinosaur Battles (Without Swords)

I’m a huge fan of dinosaur battles, and I’ve always wondered who would come out on top if different species actually fought! If that sounds like you, then you need to check out King of Bones – it’s all about realistic dinosaur showdowns.

In King of Bones, you can play as one of 30 different prehistoric creatures and fight against others in four unique game modes. There’s also a fifth mode where you can create your own battles, watch them happen, and even save your favorite moments as photos.

After a period of Early Access, the dinosaur battle game launched fully in November 2025 and can be found on Steam. The game was created by a single developer, who also runs Gluten Free Games, and has a history of making increasingly impressive animal simulator games. He’s spent years mastering Unreal Engine through game development, and it’s exciting to think about what he’ll create next.

Lucas Pope (Return of the Obra Dinn, Papers, Please)

Art, Games, And Nostalgia

Lucas Pope is a particularly well-known independent game developer. He previously worked on popular games like Uncharted before deciding to create his own. He’s best known for two critically acclaimed titles, Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, which were praised for their innovative and unusual gameplay.

He’s been spending time helping other game developers, even publicly supporting creators like Indoor Sunglasses (as they mentioned on Reddit). He’s also created several smaller games, not all of which are released on Steam. His latest project from 2024 is called Moida Mansion. It’s a free browser game available on itch.io that uniquely blends art, gaming, and a sense of nostalgia.

Lucas Pope received the Pioneer Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards this year. While he hasn’t shared his future plans, most likely we’ll hear from him again soon, whether he’s working on a new game or helping other developers.

Oneiric Worlds (Zefyr: A Thief’s Melody, Slide)

Many Adventures Ahead

Zefyr: A Thief’s Melody is a charming game where you follow the adventures of a young thief exploring the ocean and its islands. It’s a really positive and lively experience – almost all 115 reviews are positive as of today.

Mathias Fontmarty, the solo developer behind Oneiric Worlds, has been making video games since childhood. While Steam currently lists just three of their titles, they’ve actually created a much larger collection of games – ranging in size and available both for purchase and as free downloads.

Over time, the game projects have steadily improved in both complexity and quality. This year saw the release of Zefyr, and the developer is already planning future games. You can try a demo of Zefyr on its Steam page.

Lente (Spilled!)

Boat Games By A Dev On A Boat

Spilled! is a small game with a surprisingly large impact. It successfully funded on Kickstarter in just 12 hours in 2024 and launched the next year to rave reviews on Steam.

In Spilled!, you steer a little boat to clean up oil spills and pollution in the water. What’s really cool is that part of the money from each game sale goes to help whales and dolphins. And the game was actually made by Lente Cuenen while she was living on a boat!

The mobile game Spilled launched in December 2025, with plans to release on Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch in 2026. It received a nomination for Best Self-Published Indie Game at the GoldenJoysticks, putting it in the company of popular titles like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Deltarune, and Hades 2. The developer, Lente, is already working on a new game centered around boats, so fans can expect more news soon.

WhyKev (PaperKlay, Alwa’s Awakening)

Whimsical, Nostalgic Fun

Kevin Andersson, who previously designed levels for various games at WhyKev, now creates his own games independently. He specializes in making charming and enjoyable experiences.

Released in May 2025, his newest game, PaperKlay, stars the playful pair Chick & Nugget in a charming world built from paper and cardboard. The game is a loving tribute to old-school 3D platformers, complete with a full voice cast including Kevin Miller (known for Sly Cooper) and music by Kirkhope & Melin, the composers behind Banjo-Kazooie and Yooka-Laylee.

In a recent video reflecting on his work, WhyKev’s Andersson shared that he plans to work at a more relaxed pace and avoid putting too much stress on himself for upcoming projects. If PaperKlay is any indication of his abilities, I’m excited to see what he creates when he’s simply enjoying the process with no pressure.

Francis Coulombe (Look Outside)

Redefining Horror As More Optimistic

Lately, horror games have been super bleak, but I recently played Look Outside by Francis Coulombe and it was a bit different. It’s still got that creepy body horror vibe, but it wasn’t totally depressing. It reminded me a little of Undertale – I found that sometimes, if I chose to help people instead of fight them, I could actually get a happier ending. It was a nice change of pace!

Similar to the heartwarming experience of Stardew Valley, Look Outside has resonated with players, even though the two games are quite different. The creator, Coulombe, is now developing a survival horror RPG called Malison: The Cursed City. Following the success of Look Outside, Coulombe is a solo developer to watch in 2026.

Read More

2025-12-15 06:15