Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions. If you thought your Indie Game of the Year pick or top 10 of 2026 was locked in, September probably threw all of that out of whack. It certainly made us question everything we previously thought, because this month was relentless with its deluge of incredible indies. From Well Dweller, to Woodo, to Sucker for Love, we really drew from every genre and vibe this month in our selection. We're also looking ahead to October, because 2026 does not appear to be slowing down with the game releases. Also, huge thanks to our newest Patreon supporters! In addition to other fun perks, members on Patreon get early access to all of the Indie Game Roundup episodes. If you love No Small Games and would like to support us in growing the show, while also unlocking fun, exclusive content, you can check out our Patreon page. You can find our full show notes, including links and shoutouts, on the No Small Games site: Indie Game Roundup - September 2026 Show Notes

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:27 - Icebreaker Question 00:13:08 - Indie Game News 00:25:54 - Demos 00:35:14 - Kernel Hearts 00:44:25 - Sucker for Love: Crush Landing 00:51:47 - Well Dweller 00:59:16 - the mountain is as it always was 01:02:43 - Woodo 01:10:53 - TOEM 2 01:17:47 - Fruitbearer

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Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Wax Heads, developed by Patattie Games, is a slice-of-life visual novel mixed with a record store management sim. You'll spend your shifts at Repeater Records recommending albums to a parade of strange and charming customers, learning about the panoply of fascinating artists from the Wax Heads cinematic universe, and chatting with your coworkers. Everyone on staff at the store has a fascinating backstory to unpack, but none more than your elusive boss, Morgan Macintyre. But just as you're getting to know and love the store, your customers, and your colleagues, the threat of a closure begins to loom. Can Repeater Records be saved? In Episode 71, we had the pleasure of chatting with content creator Kevin Cortez about this quirky musical-centered game. Everyone had their own personal experience of spending day in and day out recommending music to the Repeater Records customers, and you'll get to hear about everyone's favorite coworkers. Most importantly, perhaps, you'll also hear our definitive berry rankings!

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:38 - Weekly Boss Battles 00:13:02 - Meet our Guest - Kevin Cortez 00:26:28 - Wax Heads Discussion 01:35:38 - Wax Heads Spoilers 01:41:12 - Game Ratings 01:46:02 - One Small Thing

Meet our Guest Kevin (he/him) @kevincortez.huffpost.com Kevin Cortez is the Shopping Editor at HuffPost, a contributor to the gaming blog site Mothership, and a content creator who curates recommendations for a variety of fun product types, including gaming merch. We're big fans of all of his work and loved getting a peek into his process in this episode! Check out Kevin on: Tiktok Instagram Bluesky

Keep in touch with us on social media:

Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames

Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

We're bringing you along for our first PAX West in Seattle! We're stoked to share all the indie demos, side events, and shenanigans! Our very first PAX West in Seattle had us feeling like games media babies all over again. Two buildings, many floors of expo booths, panels, and programming, and so much to explore! But we played more indie game demos than ever at this PAX! We also got to attend some wonderfully indie-centric side events like the MIX Fall Showcase and the Seattle Indies Expo. We're a little loopy from all the travel, but we hope you enjoy this recap of all the games we got to check out, including some exclusive sneak peeks! Curious to hear and see more about these games? Check out our roundup of 11 stellar indie games we got our hands on at the show, including our Game of the Show! Also, check out the full show notes for the names of and links to all of the games we talk about in this episode!

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:05 - NSG Off the Cuff: PAX Day 1 00:07:53 - PAX West 2026 First Impressions 00:19:10 - Unofficial Side Events 00:27:47 - NSG Off the Cuff: PAX Day 2 00:50:20 - PAX Indie Demo Highlights 01:15:20 - Interview - Manda Farough and Greg Rogers, Causeway Studios 01:33:34 - PAX Indie Demo Highlights Continued 01:38:18 - Interview - Ben Escobar, Genie Boy Games 01:42:56 - PAX Indie Demo Highlights Continued 02:12:21 - Interview - Quintin Pan, ambedo studio 02:20:20 - PAX Indie Demo Highlights Continued

Keep in touch with us on social media:

Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames

Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com