Summer Game Fest Hands-on: 8 highlights from Day of the Devs
Day of the Devs brought an immaculately curated lineup of indie games to Summer Game Fest.
Emily Merritt
co-host of indie video game podcast No Small Games
Kate Hunter
co-host of indie video game podcast No Small Games
Day of the Devs has earned itself a reputation for curating fascinating selections of clever, unique indie games and shining a spotlight on the passionate developers who make them. The event assembled a cohort of plucky and heartfelt games for their lineup at Summer Game Fest 2026, and we were delighted to get our hands on a few of them at Play Days. We walked away from many of these titles feeling desperate to get our hands on them again and devastated to put them down. These are indies to keep your eyes on, so prepare your wishlists accordingly.
1. Slap Out Of It!
Developed by: Turbo Button
Published by: Turbo Button
Steam Store Page
Have you ever wished every dilemma in your life could be solved by slapping something? I sure do! And while that may not be the world we live in, it was the premise of one of my favorite games at this year’s Day of the Devs. The developers at Turbo Button call Slap Out Of It! a “slap-and-solve adventure,” that brings together absurdly clever puzzle-solving with a maximally silly sense of humor for “a beautiful celebration of stupid.” The game design is far from stupid, though, and I had a blast twisting my brain and slapping everything in sight to fix donuts, sneak into chicken night clubs, and discover hidden keys in bathroom drains.
– Emily
2. Bub
Developed by: Paperfrog
Published by: Paperfrog
Steam Store Page
“A narrative adventure game about turning your memories into art while you still can,” Bub is one of those experiences that speaks for itself, but getting to talk to developers Case and Todd of Paperfrog made my short time with this game all the more special and impactful. I can feel the earnestness and vulnerability that they poured into this work, and it has resulted in something truly special. The voice acting sounds like my internal monologue and the mixed visual artistic mediums combined with the way everything moves feels like poetry. Bub is the definition of authenticity and I will be eagerly anticipating its release.
– Kate
3. Shot One Fighters
Developed by: Red Moon Workshop
Published by: Red Moon Workshop
Steam Store Page
I’m heavily invested in seeing interesting roguelite takes on every genre, so my ears perked up at the sight of Shot One Fighters, a roguelite with classic arcade-style fighting combat. We got to test out one of the fighters in the starting lineup, each of whom begins with their own unique build. As you progress through the roguelite map you earn currency to spend at the shops, as well as new moves to add to your suite of combos. This is by far the most customizable fighting game I’ve ever played, with thousands upon thousands of possible movesets. I’m not gonna lie, I did get my ass kicked by a sentient refrigerator, but I loved every minute of my time in this cute and action-packed sci-fi world.
– Emily
4. Ithaca
Developed by: The Pixel Hunt
Published by: The Pixel Hunt
Steam Store Page
Cruise along a mysterious and dreamy landscape as an environmental rights lawyer in a self-driving car, heading towards a very important decision. Ithaca looks and sounds incredible, and this was an experience that I had a hard time walking away from at Play Days. The audio design is very thoughtful and the visuals are jaw dropping, making for an incredibly immersive and magical experience. I’m also getting the sense that choices really matter in this one!
– Kate
5. ScreenBound
Developed by: Crescent Moon Games, Radical Forge
Published by: Digital Pajamas
Steam Store Page
I’ve had my eyes on ScreenBound for a couple of years now, and regarded it with a mix of fascination and intimidation. This mind-bending 3D platformer drops you into a poppy, vibrant world, armed with a magical retro-style handheld gaming device. While you navigate this colorful world (in all its glorious height, width, and depth), the screen in front of you shows a different perspective of the action in two dimensions, revealing hidden doors, enemies and more. I went into the demo concerned that my brain wouldn’t be big enough to process all of the information. While it is a unique kind of multitasking, I found that ScreenBound builds you up to it thoughtfully. Overall, in the demo, the pairing of both perspectives was digestible and made for a very fun brain-teaser.
– Emily
6. Super Yooka-Laylee Kart
Developed by: Playtonic Games
Published by: Playtonic Games
Steam Store Page
I do love a good racing game or any game where I can drive some sort of vehicle! Super Yooka-Laylee Kart is similar enough to other kinds of racing games that it’s easy to get started, but is clearly carving its own path and bringing some unique and surprising elements! However, the visuals are what stand out most to me. The pixel art environments are almost distractingly gorgeous!
– Kate
7. Lazy River
Developed by: Mike Boxleiter, Kevan DuPont, Jake Yetter, Joel Corelitz and Karlee Esmailli
Published by: Mike Boxleiter
Steam Store Page
Although the term feels derogatory, I think there’s something incredibly magical about the “friendslop” genre. Diving into an adventure in a virtual world on your own is one thing, but getting to share it with a group of friends of different experience levels and gaming tastes is both extra special and a feat of game design. Lazy River is truly everything I’ve ever wanted in a friendslop game. It has summer vibes, great physics, approachable gameplay with depth that can appeal to a variety of gamers, and pool noodles. I cannot wait to get together with friends to fight our way through a zombie-infested water park.
– Emily
8. Mr. Records
Developed by: Glee-Cheese Studio
Published by: Wired Productions
Steam Store Page
After my experience with its demo, Mr. Records just feels like a perfect game. I played on the Steam Deck for a fleeting 15 minutes, but I would have sat there and played the entire thing in one sitting if I could. You play as George, a new record store manager who is transported into some seriously vibrant and wacky worlds the moment he hears the first few seconds of a song. The rhythm game element is perfectly executed, achieving a perfect balance of flow and precision when it’s time to hit the beat. While light hearted on its surface, I can already tell that George’s journey is going to hit me where it hurts. I can’t wait to experience the full story and to discover all of the incredible songs!
– Kate
About No Small Games
No Small Games is an indie game recap and review podcast brought to you by hosts Kate and Emily! They became friends while streaming on Twitch and bonded over their love of indie video games. In each episode of No Small Games, the two will discuss an indie game they both played independently. They’ll compare their experiences: the good, the bad, their most memorable moments of their playthroughs.
Learn more about the podcast and its hosts on the About page. You can find all our episodes here on the Episodes page, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.