This year’s Day of the Devs: The Game Awards digital showcase featured a slew of premieres, release date announcements, and trailers for unique indie games. Day of the Devs is a long-standing collaboration between iam8bit and Double Fine that has played a big part in platforming independent games at no cost to developers, in the past shining a spotlight on titles like Hollow Knight and Untitled Goose Game that would go on to become massive hits.
Last year, Day of the Devs became a fully independent nonprofit organization, and as such is now accepting donations to continue its journey of supporting small developers at no cost. For those that wish to support the nonprofit’s mission, donations can be made on the Day of the Devs website. If you missed the showcase, or just want a recap of all the amazing games shown off during the presentation, this is everything featured in the Day of the Devs: The Game Awards Edition.
Day of the Devs: TGA Edition World Premieres
CorgiSpace
CorgiSpace is a collection of quirky 8-bit games developed by Adam Atomic, known for developing games like the endless runner Canabalt. It’s a title where “all the games have short legs on purpose,” like Rat Dreams, a Soulslike where you have to dodge roll everywhere, and Skeleton Gelatin, a Metroidvania with no upgrades or jumping. CorgiSpace is out now for Mac and Windows PC.
Frog Sqwad
Frog Sqwad is a multiplayer game from some of the team that previously worked on Fall Guys. It maintains much of the same silliness, this time transporting players to the sewers where they’ll platform and solve puzzles while gathering food to bring back to the Swamp King. Frog Sqwad is planned to launch some time in 2026, but a Steam playtest will begin Dec. 11.
Lucid Falls
Lucid Falls is a new atmospheric horror game that takes place inside a lucid dream. Players are meant to manipulate reality itself, altering gravity, space, and time as they solve puzzles and take on terrifying monsters. Lucid Falls is slated to release some time in 2026.
Scramble Knights Royale
Scramble Knights Royale is a battle royale game with an adventure twist. Players begin each run washing ashore on an island, and must build up their weapons and gear through exploring dungeons and fighting bosses. After adventuring for a while, players will then be brought together to duke it out with whatever they’ve acquired. Scramble Knights Royale is planned for a 2026 release, though its segment during the showcase also teased a playtest happening very soon.
Astromine
Astromine is a co-op survival game where players will scavenge as robots on fully-destructible voxel planets. Players can freely fly between planets, making bases and conquering other factions that are vying for the same resources. Each planet also has its own alien boss encounter, adding another layer of challenge for each robotic team.
Image: Carl Burton/Mografi
Mirria
Mirria is a casual atmospheric puzzle game that takes some inspiration from spot-the-difference games. Players will explore different biomes full of anomalies with a procedural soundscape, all designed with the idea of creating an uncanny version of reality. Mirria is planned to release in 2026, with a demo out now.
Un: Me
Un: Me follows a girl harboring multiple souls within her body who must escape the anxious labyrinth of her mind. There are four souls within her that switch involuntarily, each of which has their own fears — like tight spaces or authority figures — that correlate to the threats the protagonist must face. Each soul claims the body is theirs, and players must decide for themselves who is telling the truth. The game will be released in 2026.
Virtue and a Sledgehammer
Virtue and a Sledgehammer is a game from the team behind The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood that’s about realizing you don’t belong in the place you grew up in, and deciding to break it apart. Players will traverse a creepy ghost town, destroying their past while simultaneously unearthing old memories.
Image: Incredible Technologies/Mega Cat Studios
Xcavator 2025 NES Cartridge
The Video Game History Foundation, iam8bit, and Mega Cat Studios have collaborated to bring the long-lost game Xcavator to life. Utilizing the original source code from developer Incredible Technologies, players can now own a physical NES cartridge of the game, and a manual about the title’s history and the legacy of its late creator Chris Oberth. Pre-orders are available today on iam8bit, with all profits going toward the Video Game History Foundation.
Day of the Devs: TGA Edition release announcements
Awaysis
Awaysis is a physics-driven dungeon brawler where one to four players will work to restore peace to the titular Awaysis, an ancient floating relic that’s under attack. Designed to be played in short sessions, Awaysis utilizes emergent combat and almost snowboard-esque movement mechanics for what the developers have dubbed “co-opetition.” A demo of the game that’s available now as a part of the ID@Xbox Indie Selects Demo Fest was highlighted during the show.
Big Hops
Big Hops is a platformer starring a frog named Hop, who’s been kidnapped from his home by a spirit named Diss. In order to get back, he’ll need to traverse three different worlds with froggy parkour — heavily relying on things like tongue swinging, big jumps, and belly sliding — to gather airship parts. Big Hops will be released on Jan. 12, 2026.
Beastro
Beastro is a cozy deckbuilder all about crafting delicious meals that support local heroes called caretakers. Players will switch between two modes: cooking as Panko the chef, crafting meals that shape caretakers’ abilities, and turn-based battles as the caretakers themselves. A demo for the game is out now.
Demon Tides
Demon Tides is a fast-paced platformer where players will traverse vast oceans, conquering a kingdom and exposing all of its secrets. Over 50 talismans can be collected to modify players’ move sets, and a massive amount of gear is also available to customize your look. Demon Tides is out on Feb. 19, 2026.
Dogpile
Dogpile is like a canine version of Suika Game, where players merge different dog species to create increasingly bigger animals. There are other elements of strategy besides just building a deck of dogs, as some will have various traits that affect how they function, like the crated trait, which makes them unable to merge. The dog-like deckbuilder dropped during the showcase, and is now available for Windows PC.
Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth
From the creators of Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley comes Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth, another game inspired by the Moomin stories of Tove Jansson. This time, Moomintroll awakes in a strange wintry world, where they get stronger through helping others. The story focuses on themes of friendship, love, and inclusion, with a demo announced during the showcase that’s available now.
Day of the Devs: TGA Edition trailers & gameplay
Find Your Words
Find Your Words was developed by two parents inspired by their journey raising non-speaking children. It’s a short cozy game about making new friends on the first day of summer camp, where players will gradually expand a book of symbols which they use to communicate. It’s a great new way for players to learn more about AAC — Augmentative and Alternative Communication — representation as they work to wordlessly build relationships. The game is slated for a 2026 release.
Into the Fire
Into the Fire is an extraction survival game set on a volcanic island moments before its collapse. Water is your primary weapon, and your enemy is fire. Players will use tools like the extinguisher shotgun as they work to get survivors safely out of buildings. They’ll also encounter fire demons, which are tied to the island’s mysterious mythology.
Rockbeasts
Rockbeasts is a rockin’ new management game all about the music industry. Players will manage their talent — and deal with their egos and self-destructive tendencies — as they work their way towards stardom. Booking gigs, recording new songs, booking public appearances, and more are all in players’ hands, and there’s a bit of a rhythm game component as well, with players participating in performances.
Soundgrass
As the name suggests, Soundgrass is a game all about sound. It’s a first-person puzzle game with a science fiction narrative, placing players on a planet where all plants emit sound. You will need to change points of listening and find resonation points in different structures to solve puzzles, with each new species introducing different sound mechanics.
Stretchmancer
Stretchmancer is a first-person puzzle game where you can stretch and squish the entire world. As the titular Stretchmancer, you’ll manipulate things like platforms and walls to solve whimsical puzzles across a myriad of biomes. Players will meet many weird little guys on their puzzling journey to defeat the Claustro Empire and save the galaxy.
The Dungeon Experience
With perhaps the weirdest trailer of the entire showcase, The Dungeon Experience is a first-person comedy adventure where players are being led on a journey to “financial freedom” by a mud crab. Players will be led through a fantasy adventure experience blended with a business seminar by the crab, and encounter many more strange characters as they take part in a special training program designed to change their life.
Unshine Arcade
Unshine Arcade is a mind-bending horror roguelike that takes place in an abandoned arcade. Only one machine remains, a top-down shooter, which players will earn tickets from that they can put towards the mysterious creature trapped in the prize cabinet and slowly uncover the dark history of the arcade. A full release is planned for 2026, with a demo for the game available now.
