Eleven Games From The 2026 Six One Indie Showcase We Added To Our Steam Wishlists
Overview & Key Takeaways
As much as I love a huge showcase reveal for a game I've been looking forward to, there's a special place in my heart for indie game showcases, giving me a look at hidden gems I wasn't aware of. The Six One indie showcase is a great avenue for that, and today's livestream was no exception. The whole event is worth a watch if you're curious about some unique upcoming indie projects, but these were our favorites.
Blue Ridge Hunting
Developer: Jade Meadows
Horror and low-poly aesthetics go together like peanut butter and jelly. This co-op cryptid hunting game marries the two to seemingly great effect while also telling a story about the quest to track down Mothman. It's currently in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign, which you can support here. It also has a demo available right now.
Feather’s Edge
Developer: Clockwork Acorn
This Outersloth-published Metroidvania puts you in the shoes (or talons) of a bird who can shoot across the screen, piercing foes with their beak. It's a unique take on combat, rewarding combos and efficient strikes, and it's got a great cartoony-yet-intricate art style as well. Its playtest is starting soon, and you can sign up to participate on the game's Steam page.
The Well's Blessing
Developer: Big Stretch
I simply can't deny this game's vibes. Maybe it's the pixelated 3D graphics, the relaxing soundtrack, or the babbling sound effect that plays during the dialogue. Whatever the case, I just want a minute or two to sit in the world of The Well's Blessing and soak it all in. For now, I guess I'll just add it to my Steam wishlist and get hyped for the demo coming on June 3rd.
Midnight Horde
Developer: Carry Castle
To put it simply, Midnight Horde looks like Vampire Survivors if you were doing parkour the whole time. You gain upgrades to your magic abilities to fend off dense waves of enemies, but between encounters, you construct the town's gothic architecture to best support your strategies. I've got no idea how it feels to play, but it looks so bonkers that I can't wait to try it, and I don't have to – there's a demo live right now.
Blocks for Babies
Developer: BunkSoft Interactive
I'll admit that sometimes Tetris makes me mad, but I've never thought about shooting the blocks with a gun. If you have, you'll love Blocks for Babies, a game with as much tonal whiplash with its theme as it has in its gameplay. Match bright, silly blocks until you can't anymore. Then, you transition into a Doom-style FPS to blast away the squares (which are fleshy and gross on the sides, by the way) that refuse to clear away. If you want to check it out, there's a demo available now.
Forklift Flowerpot: Botanical Investigator
Developer: Michael Mato, Too Much Tomato
Inhabiting this game's titular contraption is odd enough, but throw in a 3D art style made from 2D sprites, a season-changing mechanic, and a mystery pieced together like a web of red yarn on a corkboard, and Forklift Flowerpot really grabbed my attention. The developer describing it as "an Outer Wilds-like mystery" is the icing on the cake that made me add this one to my wishlist.
Graytail
Developer: Concode
The trailer for this game aired during the block dedicated to Zelda-likes, so I was surprised to see its aesthetics fit more of a horror-noir vibe. You play as a man with what looks like a decidedly mundane arsenal of weapons and tools, including a cane, an umbrella, and a crossbow. As someone who plays a lot of games, I really enjoy seeing one that defies genre in so many ways, so I'll be keeping an eye on Graytail. Luckily for me, there's a demo available now.
Please Insert Disc
Developer: Night Signal Entertainment
What if the liminal ether that is the PS2 startup screen was an entire game? Please Insert Disc reimagines a 2002-era gaming home screen as an interactive horror experience, with a fittingly cryptic trailer that leaves me endlessly curious for what else the final game has in store. For now, I'll add it to my wishlist and hope to learn more soon.
Sloppy Forgeries
Developer: Playful Systems
Sloppy Forgeries turns paintings into a party game, with local multiplayer that puts players head-to-head as they rush to recreate famous works of art as accurately as possible. Both you and a rival will wield a mouse to repaint iconic paintings like the Mona Lisa or Starry Night with hasty pixels. It looks like the kind of game I love, where even if you do poorly, it's funny enough that it's easy to have fun with. I'll be adding it my wishlist and looking to buy a second mouse.
b-e-e-t-l-e: be right back!
Developer: Paul and Viv
I have a hunch b-e-e-t-l-e isn't going to come to console any time soon, because its core gameplay is designed around creative use of the keyboard. You'll type letters to interact with the world, play music, clear obstacles, and talk to other pixelated critters. A different puzzle even makes use of keyboard shortcuts, using ctrl+c to copy an item to share with some snails. It's got no launch window, but you can wishlist it on Steam.
Grave Seasons
Developer: Perfect Garbage
We did a deep-dive interview with the developers of Grave Seasons in the last issue of Game Informer, and this new trailer shows the cozy/creepy vibe just as unsettling as we remembered. The standout news here, however, is the announcement that the game is getting a demo in just a few weeks, on June 15, so keep an eye on the Steam page.
For the full lineup of games, you can watch the showcase on YouTube or head straight to the source and check them out on Steam.
I'll admit that sometimes Tetris makes me mad, but I've never thought about shooting the blocks with a gun. If you have, you'll love Blocks for Babies, a game with as much tonal whiplash with its theme as it has in its gameplay. Match bright, silly blocks until you can't anymore. Then, you transition into a Doom-style FPS to blast away the squares (which are fleshy and gross on the sides, by the way) that refuse to clear away. If you want to check it out, there's a demo available now.
