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If you've found it difficult to discover games this Next Fest for... reasons, then we've got you covered - our 8 picks for this edition are now live! There's even seven bonus games sprinkled between 'em! Watch here: youtu.be/hMJUOjYMtKU #NextFest #IndieGames

Which is to say: if you're a human developer with a human-made demo that you'd like us to take a look at this Next Fest please get in touch - give us some games to try!

Which is to say: if you're a human developer with a human-made demo that you'd like us to take a look at this Next Fest please get in touch - give us some games to try!

Nighthawks (from @richardcobbett.bsky.social & @wadjeteyegames.com) is easily one of our favourite games this year and a must-play for fans of text-based RPGs, particularly if you like your stories with a little more… bite. Read/watch our review: 📝 indieloupe.com/nighthawks 📽️ youtu.be/KkutdrK7r9U

Nighthawks (from @richardcobbett.bsky.social & @wadjeteyegames.com) is easily one of our favourite games this year and a must-play for fans of text-based RPGs, particularly if you like your stories with a little more… bite. Read/watch our review: 📝 indieloupe.com/nighthawks 📽️ youtu.be/KkutdrK7r9U

Combolands (from @cruxgames.bsky.social) is a satisfying little mashup of the roguelike & city builder genres. In each 30-60 minute run, you attempt to grow an uninhabited island all the way up to a thriving Metropolis. Read/watch our review here: 📝 indieloupe.com/combolands 📽️ youtu.be/KJBRHLlAHjU

Feed the Scorchpot combines Balatro & Catan for a unique roguelike experience. It's got the usual numbers-go-up, push-your-luck, break-the-game mechanics, but also gives you a lot more to balance & think about than many of its contemporaries. Also, dragons. Watch our review: youtu.be/w65vb0ttSqw

This post is a story. I don't care if it doesn't get likes or attention. An incredible achievement for us today: After 13 years of Indieformer, we can OFFICIALLY say we have launched a game on Steam 😭 Launch trailer is below, you know where to find links. Thread below!

Imago Season (from @lunarfinch.bsky.social) is a Disco-Like with a first-person twist, set in a curious sci-fi world. Watch our review here: youtu.be/HxBkcer-ans #indiegames

Imago Season (from @lunarfinch.bsky.social) is a Disco-Like with a first-person twist, set in a curious sci-fi world. Watch our review here: youtu.be/HxBkcer-ans #indiegames

Him: Does all the programming and math Her: Make it beautiful - Numbers go up - Feed 9 unique dragons - Hand drawn stroke by stroke Our 100% hand-made husband-and-wife game, Feed the Scorchpot releases August 20!

The Incident at Galley House (from @eviltrout.com) needed to get a lot right in order to live up to the standards set by The Roottrees are Dead & Type Help, but manages to do so from the very first scene. Read/watch our (spoiler-free!) review: 📝 indieloupe.com/galley-house 📽️ youtu.be/L-0lFvQHE2E

This is a great review, and I laughed a lot at the shoutout.

I second this! If you like the sorts of game I cover, you should probably be paying attention to what James does too! (& he has a better work ethic... four reviews in one week?!)

The Incident at Galley House (from @eviltrout.com) needed to get a lot right in order to live up to the standards set by The Roottrees are Dead & Type Help, but manages to do so from the very first scene. Read/watch our (spoiler-free!) review: 📝 indieloupe.com/galley-house 📽️ youtu.be/L-0lFvQHE2E

We promised we'd be back with a few more demos from Next Fest, so here are 5 more of our favourites for you to enjoy this weekend! Watch here: youtu.be/5N6FZ9DZkCw #indiegames | #nextfest

"Many Nights a Whisper saw you play [...] in a thoughtful, peaceful, and disciplined process. Here it's... *smashes robot to bits* ...not quite the same " Hahaha love the comparison!

Our (first?) 8 picks for June Next Fest are now live, featuring indies big and small! Smash some robots, catch some fish, eat a few mushrooms, and do a whole load of deducing. What other demos should we be trying? Watch the video here: youtu.be/3r9NHvIb53Q #indiegames | #games | #nextfest

Australians are asleep, post about their games! Schrodinger's Cat Burglar (from @abandonedsheep.com) packs a surprising amount of depth into its cute exterior, providing players with both tricky puzzles and heartfelt moments. Watch our review here: youtu.be/Iy6JvaEKwIE #indiegames

Australians are asleep, post about their games! Schrodinger's Cat Burglar (from @abandonedsheep.com) packs a surprising amount of depth into its cute exterior, providing players with both tricky puzzles and heartfelt moments. Watch our review here: youtu.be/Iy6JvaEKwIE #indiegames

New review! Above the Snow is a cosy management sim where you take over the reins of a run-down alpine lodge. The aesthetic are beautiful and the gameplay enjoyable, but it launches with a significant problem. Read/watch here: 📝 indieloupe.com/above-the-snow 📽️ youtu.be/3p_ecspEUJg #indiegames

In @cosmoddd.bsky.social's Moves of the Diamond Hand, you can: Roll dice to play lutes Roll dice to wash suits Roll dice to make coats Roll dice to win votes Roll dice to steal keys Roll dice to melt cheese (like, on a pizza) Basically, there's a lot to do! Less poetry here: youtu.be/lI-7f8sgtiY

In @cosmoddd.bsky.social's Moves of the Diamond Hand, you can: Roll dice to play lutes Roll dice to wash suits Roll dice to make coats Roll dice to win votes Roll dice to steal keys Roll dice to melt cheese (like, on a pizza) Basically, there's a lot to do! Less poetry here: youtu.be/lI-7f8sgtiY

We're kicking off the month with a doubleheader of reviews: Piece by Piece from @neonpolygons.bsky.social is a LITERAL puzzle platformer where you guide 8 different characters through 100 different levels! Read/watch our review: 📝 indieloupe.com/by-piece 📽️ youtu.be/BgcBVbec80w #indiegames

We're kicking off the month with a doubleheader of reviews: Piece by Piece from @gamkat.bsky.social & @nomorerobots.io is a cosy sim where you take over your grandfather's repair shop to restore it to its former glory! Read/watch here: 📝 indieloupe.com/piece 📽️ youtu.be/6dRqAxBHjcQ #indiegames

The Red Pearls of Borneo is out now on Steam (and is free!) Here's our review from earlier this month on why you should play it: youtu.be/n6kfVf4HWs8

The Ratline is a must-play for fans of narrative deduction, offering a significant level of challenge through some of the most well-designed puzzles we've seen in the genre. (And also a cute dog!) Watch our review here: youtu.be/5O5Cr5tR96M

The Ratline is a must-play for fans of narrative deduction, offering a significant level of challenge through some of the most well-designed puzzles we've seen in the genre. (And also a cute dog!) Watch our review here: youtu.be/5O5Cr5tR96M

Really really (rhell-y?) enjoyed Rhell – such a unique game, excellent puzzles, excellent art, excellent silliness... It's all very creative and very smart, and makes you feel creative and smart* too! Go play it! *sometimes it makes you feel dumb but that's just as fun

Oh my gosh thank you for the Rhell video!!!! So proud to see Rhell all grown up and in review videos

Rhell: Warped Worlds & Troubled Times (from @slugglove.bsky.social & @yogscast.games) has blown us away with its creativity, incredible spellcasting system, and surprisingly large world! Read or watch our full review here: 📝 indieloupe.com/rhell 📽️ youtu.be/avQV_dtSRzs #indiegames

Our favourite release of 2026 has come from an unexpected source: it's an entirely free game from hobbyist developer @bushmonkey.bsky.social. The Red Pearls of Borneo is a wonderful deduction game which everyone should check out! Read/watch here: 📝 indieloupe.com/red-pearls 📽️ youtu.be/n6kfVf4HWs8

Our favourite release of 2026 has come from an unexpected source: it's an entirely free game from hobbyist developer @bushmonkey.bsky.social. The Red Pearls of Borneo is a wonderful deduction game which everyone should check out! Read/watch here: 📝 indieloupe.com/red-pearls 📽️ youtu.be/n6kfVf4HWs8

I'd love it if you'd check out the demo for Mayor May Knott! It's a creepy-cozy adventure game about rebuilding a haunted ghost town, meeting weird creatures, and listening to ridiculous music! store.steampowered.com/app/2377450?...

⚔️🏹🧙 If you're interested - our card battler Blades, Bows & Magic is in Next Fest :) store.steampowered.com/app/4017660/... ❤️

Hope you’ve cleared your weekend, because we’ve picked nine of our favourite demos from this edition of Steam Next Fest for you to get stuck into! Read (or watch!) the list below: 📝 indieloupe.com/next-fest-feb26 📽️ youtu.be/yburR-vJw6s #indiegames | #nextfest

This week in your favorite word-puzzle-based newspaper, The Daily Spell, we have a story from guest writer @petermeiklejohn.bsky.social featuring large magical creatures and some unexpected twists. Thanks for contributing Peter! www.the-daily-spell.com

Creature Kitchen (from @therat.zone) combines cozy and cute with creepy and c... k... crazy? Can those categories coexist? Click to catch our contemplations and conclusions on that conundrum: 📝 indieloupe.com/creature-kitchen 📽️ youtu.be/-6x0J6oFCuY cool. #indiegames

Super interesting discussion in this week's Indie Council about whether being able to define games as 'indie' even matters – worth a listen!

"What's that, pig? IndieLoupe have a new review out?" "Oink!" Hermit and Pig (from @heavylunchco.bsky.social) is a heartfelt RPG featuring a reluctant hero and his trusty truffle-sniffing sidekick. Read (or watch) our review: 📝 www.indieloupe.com/hermit-and-pig 📽️ youtu.be/uv6F9Rr4eFo #indiegames