Today was the always-intriguing Day of the Devs – an annual stream featuring some of the most interesting and exciting new and upcoming indie titles. As expected, there were plenty of fascinating games shown off during the stream, but 12 of them stood out to me specifically. Let’s delve into each of them a little bit! We’ll go in the order they were presented, which means we can start with…
Stretchmancer
Platform(s): PC | Release Date: Coming Soon
First-person 3D puzzle games can certainly be a challenge to pull off, especially when you’re basing it around as crazy an idea as Stretchmancer’s. Essentially, you can squash and stretch seemingly anything, from rooms to platforms, in order to solve puzzles and platform your way around. Your right hand lets you pull things, while your left hand lets you push, which makes a potentially complex idea rather manageable.
In addition to its unique premise, Stretchmancer features a vibrant, fun cartoon style. Combining the core concept with this style is sure to make for a wonderfully trippy puzzle game, so I’m looking forward to giving this one a go when it releases down the line.
Beastro
Platform(s): Xbox Series X/S, PC | Release Date: Coming Soon
Its devs describe the aptly-named Beastro as a “crunchy, cozy, deck-building adventure,” and that seems perfectly appropriate given the trailer that debuted. It appears that you spend a good chunk of the game gathering ingredients and playing minigames to cook for the more ambitious adventurers (dubbed Caretakers) that frequent your restaurant, which is a neat twist on the usual approach to such a setting that puts you in the role of the adventurers themselves.
The Caretakers describe their quests to you as they visit, with the tales presented as 2D puppet shows featuring card battles. It seems like an excellent way to infuse some action into the more laid-back title without losing focus on the cooking angle, and I, for one, will be checking out the demo that’s currently available.
Un: Me
Platform(s): PC | Release Date: 2026
Now we’ll take a bit of a hard turn, as we’re transitioning from cozy to creepy. Un: Me really piqued my interest, as it’s a horror game that puts you in the role of a young woman who has four souls inside of her body, each with its own distinct personality and behavior. Each soul also has its own fears and phobias, meaning you’ll encounter different freaky foes depending on the soul that’s in control.
The game explores how fears and anxieties are unique to people, and this is a fascinating way of doing so. The trailer showed off eerie nurses, and I look forward to seeing how all of the other phobias are portrayed. Apparently, players will also have to figure out which soul is the body’s real one through speaking with all four and getting rid of the others, with the devs noting that decisions are irreversible in Un: Me. As someone who spends most of their time being unnerved by everything, I’m stoked to see how fear and discomfort are presented in this one when it releases.
The Dungeon Experience
Platform(s): PC | Release Date: 2026
Right off the bat, The Dungeon Experience stood out as one of the strangest and goofiest games I’ve seen in recent memory. Billed as a theme park adventure/business seminar hybrid, I got the vibe that you’ll be doing a lot of peculiar activities for the Mud Crab that runs everything as you play the game. It’s a first-person adventure game that certainly seems to revel in the absurd and silly, which means it has the potential to be memorable – one way or another.
One highlight of the trailer was a section where the player had to press two buttons on an animatronic barbarian. Though there was a rather obvious button, it turned out that the buttons were actually the animatronic’s nipples, which began to stretch and protrude as it told the player to press them. I can earnestly say I have never seen that in a video game before.
Big Hops
Platform(s): PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC | Release Date: January 12, 2026
3D platformers are having a resurgence, which is completely fine with me. One such game popped up during the Day of the Devs stream, titled Big Hops. The main mechanic that Big Hops revolves around is its amphibious protagonist’s tongue, which can let you latch onto things, swing around, and more. The movement looks incredibly smooth, reminding me of Super Mario Sunshine, which is always a good sign in my book.
The tongue isn’t the game’s only mechanic, though. You’re also able to use “veggies” to build paths through each world that you can platform with. I’d describe it as similar to how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, let you mess with physics, objects, and abilities to find your own methods of platforming and solving puzzles. It’s been a while since I got to run around in such an ambitious 3D platformer, so I’ll definitely be giving Big Hops a go.
Corgispace
Platform(s): PC, Mac | Release Date: December 10, 2025
Last year, UFO 50 took the industry by storm. A similar concept has arrived in Corgispace: a collection of small arcade games from the legendary Adam Saltsman. The man himself describes Corgispace as “a year of games from Adam Saltsman,” as he wanted to focus on smaller titles after working on large ones like Chicory: A Colorful Tale and Tunic.
A few of the smaller games shown off included a dodge-roll oriented soulslike, a Tetris-esque game about terraforming, a Metroid-like exploratory platformer that doesn’t feature jumping or upgrades, a sort of Prince of Persia-esque title that has you stabbing nazis, and more. If any of these intrigue you, the game is actually available now!
Dogpile
Platform(s): PC | Release Date: December 10, 2025
Combining dogs with roguelike mechanics and deckbuilding might not be one of the first things that comes to your mind, but clearly, the premise has potential. The trailer for Dogpile shows how these ideas mesh, as players drop adorably animated dogs, frame by frame, into a colorful yard.
Dogs can fuse to make new canines, and Dog Cards and Dog Tags can be used to purchase traits and effects that can change how you go about dog-stacking in pretty creative ways. It looks remarkably pleasant, and if you can believe it, the game is already available!
Unshine Arcade
Platform(s): PC | Release Date: 2026
Another horror game, though Unshine Arcade has a rather different angle than Un: Me. Here, you play as an individual who’s stuck inside an abandoned arcade. A creepy virtual pet seems to be spurring you on to play an arcade game with stealth-shooter gameplay to earn tickets, as though you’re in a twisted Chuck E. Cheese simulator.
Playing the arcade game will earn you tickets, which you’ll be using to try to free the freaky virtual pet and to buy upgrades in the arcade. You can also obtain gashapon items that provide power-ups to use in the arcade game. The vibes feel pretty magnificent in the trailer, so I’d say it’s worth checking out the demo, which is now available.
Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth
Platform(s): PC | Release Date: 2026
Admittedly, I don’t know a whole lot about the Moomin franchise. Still, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth has captured my attention, mainly thanks to its gorgeous 2D animated style. This game is primarily based on the plot of the book Moominland Midwinter, which sees Moomintroll unexpectedly awaken mid-hibernation. Alone and cold, the adorable and marketable little fellow has to wander around and become more independent.
The devs describe the game as a “slightly darker and introspective experience, but still cozy,” which is an intriguing approach. The footage shown did give off a whimsical and melancholy tone, with Moomintroll wandering through an icy forest, meeting lots of colorful and memorable-looking characters, and trying to assist them. Regardless, a demo for the game is up now, so I’ll definitely be giving it a shot.
Demon Tides
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC | Release Date: February 19, 2026
Any time something looks like Sonic Adventure 2, I’m hooked. Thus, Demon Tides immediately
caught my attention. I’d describe what we saw as a mix of Sonic Adventure and Jet Set Radio, which were both fantastic Dreamcast titles that made movement feel incredible. Fittingly, movement looks to be the most exciting and fluid aspect of this game, and I’m already jonesing to get my hands on it.
The music throughout the trailer is also wildly catchy, so I can’t wait to hear the full soundtrack. I wasn’t too surprised to learn that this one is being developed by Fabraz, who is also behind the upcoming Bubsy 4D (which we recently previewed). The demo for that game felt smooth and fun, so I have high hopes that Demon Tides will be the same.
Frog Sqwad
Platform(s): PC | Release Date: 2026
Frog Sqwad was the silliest game shown in the Day of the Devs stream, and nothing makes a silly game more fun than it being physics-based. This multiplayer title has you and your pals flopping around as some colorful and dopey-looking frogs on a quest to consume a set number of calories per day to feed the “Swamp King.” Eating enough will make you huge, though you can also comically puke food up to turn smaller.
The idea of platforming around in a sewer and competing to devour nasty sewer food with friends is surprisingly appealing, and if that wasn’t enough to hook you, you can swing around with your tongue – not unlike in Big Hops. The devs mention that mistakes are meant to be more funny than punishing, which is promising for the comedy angle, though runs still get more difficult as you get more and more food. I’m certainly excited to force my friends to try this one with me down the line.
Astromine
Platform(s): PC | Release Date: 2026
Last but not least, we have Astromine, which puts you in the shoes of a spacefaring robot. This one is also multiplayer and physics-based, but it’s more of a survival game that has you doing everything from building bases and gathering resources to driving around in space vehicles and fighting enemy robot factions.
The unique voxel style is a highlight of the trailer, especially when combined with the physics-based gameplay. My first impression is that this is a super detailed, meticulously crafted game with some shades of Teardown, so I think this is certainly a title worth keeping an eye on.
