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

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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

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions. We may be almost through summer, but the gaming news continues to flow, for better or worse. We dig into some big indie game news stories from the past month, plus a little internet discourse, as a treat. As usual, we also have a ton of awesome game demos and new releases to tell you about! Make sure you stay through the end of the roundup because we have a very special bonus segment at the end, where we got to chat with our dear friends Cognitive Clips and Cecilie about this year's Games for Change Festival. They shared some great highlights from this year's event, some of which you can watch at the links in the show notes. 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 - August Show Notes

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:48 - Icebreaker Question 00:13:00 - Indie Game News 00:34:15 - Demos 00:47:10 - Big Walk 00:57:36 - Capy Castaway 01:00:39 - Mind Inc. 01:03:10 - Sephiria 01:08:50 - Nimbit Frontier 01:13:52 - Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story 01:20:32 - Walk 01:24:46 - Fields of Mistria 01:38:28 - A Musical Story

Meet our Guests CognitiveClips @cognitiveclips.bsky.social Jordan, aka CognitiveClips, is a gaming content creator and one of the co-hosts of Drop-in Drop-out Podcast. Jordan produces video essays, game impressions and playthroughs for YouTube. As a co-host on Drop-in Drop-out, he joins a large cast of rotating hosts and guests to discuss video game news, new releases and everything in between. Check out Jordan's content on: Bluesky YouTube Instagram Drop-in Drop-out Podcast C3C1LIE @c3c1lie.bsky.social Cecilie works in advocacy and policy work at the United Nations, with a focus on international migration and displacement. She works with governments, NGOs, UN agencies and other stakeholders to uplift grassroots experiences and bring them to policy making spaces at the UN. She also occasionally streams on Twitch, including recapping events like Games for Change. Follow Cecilie on: Bluesky Instagram Twitch

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

Road 96, developed by Digixart, is a choices matter adventure game where you make your way through a procedurally generated road trip, trying to cross the border out of your authoritarian country. A pivotal election is coming up and teens are being hunted down and imprisoned. Your only hope is to travel north in hopes that you can escape to freedom. In Road 96, every player's journey will be entirely your own. In Episode 70, we were delighted to be joined by gaming content creator Rogan, to help us unpack the wild twists and turns we experienced on the road. We discuss everything from video game hot takes to our thoughts on the choices matter genre. True to the premise of the game, all of our journeys were extremely different and we had a great time comparing what we encountered.

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:13:00 - Weekly Boss Battles 00:22:00 - Meet our Guest - RoganPlaysGames 00:48:10 - Road 96 Discussion 02:00:15 - Game Ratings 02:06:37 - One Small Thing

Meet our Guests Rogan (he/him) @roganplaysgames.bsky.social Rogan is an indie gaming content creator known for short form videos highlighting lesser known titles similar to AAA favorites, upcoming indies to look out for, and more. With years of experience in the games industry, he brings both deep knowledge of and passion for games to his content. Check out Rogan on: Tiktok Instagram YouTube 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

Mixtape is a cinematic narrative adventure developed by Beethoven and Dinosaur and published by Annapurna. In the few months between its release and the time of this recording, it earned itself many accolades and also much discussion among the gaming community, for better or worse. Players join three friends on their last night together after senior year of high school. Knowing they have just a few hours together before their lives change forever, they set out to have the most epic night ever, including an iconic soundtrack. The game features tracks from DEVO, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, The Cure, and many more artists who created the vibe for a generation. It's Episode 69, so of course we had to make it extra... nice! This is the first time we're welcoming two guests from different shows on for one episode, and we're delighted that Brendon and AJ picked out Mixtape to discuss with us. We've all been chomping at the bit to throw our hat into the ring of the Mixtape discourse that briefly set the internet on fire. You'll hear our experiences with the game, plus a lot of talk about music! We hope you enjoy the shenanigans and if your name is Christopher Nolan... you're welcome ;)

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:08:55 - Weekly Boss Battles 00:16:45 - Meet our Guests - Brendon Bigley & AJ Fillari 00:58:50 - Mixtape Discussion 02:09:08 - Game Ratings 02:15:52 - One Small Thing

Meet our Guests Brendon Bigley @bb.wavelengths.online Brendon hosts Into the Aether: A Lowkey Video Game Podcast, along with Stephen Hilger. He also writes and produces video content on his website Wavelengths, and recently launched Overworld, a site that offers a macro view at the current video game press and discourse. Check out Brendon's content on: Into the Aether Bluesky Wavelengths Overworld AJ Fillari @ajfillari.bsky.social AJ Fillari is a podcast producer, editor, and host. They’re also a TTRPG and Video Game Enjoyer! AJ edits and produces too many podcasts to name, but among them are Into the Aether, Formative Media with Christian Spicer, and Frog of the Week. AJ also both hosts and produces and dotzip! Check out AJ's content on: Bluesky dotzip

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

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions. It's confession time: we play an ungodly number of indie games in July. We have a roundup to conquer all roundups lined up, full of brand spankin' new games, earlier 2026 games that we missed, and even classic indies dating back all the way to 2011! There's truly something in here for every type of gamer: from the stone cold nerds who want to solve mysteries using programming languages, to players who just want to be a speeding bus doing skate park tricks. We hope you find a new favorite game among these delightful titles. 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 - July 2026 Show Notes

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:07:04 - Icebreaker Question 00:17:13 - Indie Game News 00:32:38 - Demos 00:49:20 - Letter Lost 00:58:22 - OFFBEAT 01:05:15 - Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division 01:11:34 - Denshattack! 01:16:12 - Wabisabi Sushi Derby 01:24:29 - Book of Travels 01:30:20 - TR-49 01:37:06 - To The Moon 01:43:34 - Desktop Explorer 01:52:35 - 1000xRESIST 2nd Playthrough 01:55:17 - MECCHA CHAMELEON 01:58:53 - YAPYAP

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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

Relooted, developed and published by Nyamakop, is a strategy heist game with a big dash of free running and a huge amount of charm. You play as Nomali, a free running coach who has to take a break from her career in athletics to rescue her little brother, only to find herself committing to an unexpected career change. She and her crew (which includes her brother Trevor, her grandmother, her best friend, a quirky acrobat from the neighborhood, and more) set off on a new venture to covertly reclaim African artifacts that have been wrongfully held by museums and collectors. And by "covertly reclaim," we mean pull a heist. Actually, many heists. In episode 68 of No Small Games, we're diving into Relooted to discuss a game that managed to break out of the indie game bubble and initiated discussions in the art and curation world. In fact, this very week of the episode releasing, Relooted just won the award for "Best in Community Empowerment" at the Games for Change Awards in New York. We'll be discussing its emotional and cultural impact, as well as the narrative and gameplay successes. We hope you enjoy this episode and, seriously, go listen to the Relooted soundtrack!!

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:00 - Boss Battles 00:11:46 - Relooted Discussion 01:09:36 - RelootedSpoilers 01:21:13 - Game Ratings 01:23:57 - One Small Thing

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