PAX West 2026: 11 incredible indies we played in Seattle
We came, we saw, we gamed.
Kate Hunter
co-host of indie video game podcast No Small Games
Emily Merritt
co-host of indie video game podcast No Small Games
The No Small Games crew has been attending PAX East for the past few years, but this year we thought it was high time we check out what’s going on over on the other coast too! PAX West is certainly a whole different beast, but we managed to navigate the multiple buildings and floors of exhibitors and panels, all in service of finding you an awesome lineup of indie games. Most of these titles are still in development, slated for later this year or 2027, but many of them have demos you can check out right now on Steam!
1. Crop
Developed by: Carbonara Games
Published by: 11 bit studios
Steam Store Page
Getting hands-on with Crop had me totally locked in and immersed while on the show floor, despite not wearing any headphones for the experience. While this trend of cozy horror persists, Crop is offering a different vibe and structure by way of simple and clear farming mechanics that reveal mysterious and horrific harvests being pulled from the garden. The ease of gameplay and overall tone was solid and foreboding, and watching the trailer with the sound on just now made me feel like I was about to watch an A24 movie. It looks possible that Crop might be all mystery and horror, with the tiniest amount of cozy. That’s exactly what I want from my farming sims.
– Kate
2. The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham
Developed by: Causeway Studios
Published by: Causeway Studios
Steam Store Page
To be honest, I’m not sure what I enjoyed more: playing through the demo of The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham or chatting with the team from Causeway Studios, the developers behind the game. This follow up to The Haunting of Joni Evers continues the thread of unsettling paranormal forces and first-person exploration, but also incorporates a new set of investigation and puzzle mechanics. Kate and I had a great time playing the demo together, hunting for clues and gasping aloud at the plot twists (yes, a 30 minute demo can deliver some riveting plot twists, it turns out).
One of the most technically impressive elements is the use of FMV clips as a pivotal feature of the branching narrative. We had a great time hearing from Greg and Manda at Causeway about how their work is unfolding with their filmmaking partners, which you’ll be able to hear in our PAX West recap episode. I truly cannot wait to hear more about this collaborative process as the game gets closer to launch.
– Emily
3. Dream Riders
Developed by: Obvious Conflict
Published by: Obvious Conflict
Steam Store Page
This 2.5D auto runner is fulfilling so many of my simple and basic needs as a gamer. Pastel pink and purple color palette with cute pixel art? Check. Easy to jump in and get started without a lengthy tutorial? Check. Driving a car while good music is playing? Check. To top it all off, you can play against a friend! I also think this game has the potential to get pretty challenging as you progress! Sayonara Wild Hearts sickos, keep this one on your radar. The demo is available now on steam!
– Kate
4. Dungeon Lurker
Developed by: 13AM Games
Published by: 13AM Games
Steam Store Page
I tried to get my hands on Dungeon Lurker this summer during The MIX at Summer Game Fest, but it was too high in demand at the showcase. After checking out the demo at PAX West, I understand why. On its face, Dungeon Lurker presents a level of retro familiarity that makes you feel like surely one of your childhood friends had this game at their house back in the day. The character design and vibes balance grittiness and camp, but when you pick it up, it runs with all the snappiness you’d expect from a game in 2026. We got a little peek at the dark meta-narrative from the devs, which has me even more intrigued to go deeper in Dungeon Lurker.
– Emily
5. T.W.I.R.L.
Developed by: Genie Boy Games
Published by: Genie Boy Games, Haunted Publishing Syndicate
Steam Store Page
Now that PAX West is a few days behind me, one of the memories that sticks out most is my time playing T.W.I.R.L. on the show floor. Imagine walking around your childhood home at night while everyone else is asleep, and you might be able to get a sense of just how uneasy (and endlessly intrigued) I was while playing this game. The atmospheric horror and walking sim vibes are hitting every mark, and there are moments that almost feel like a time loop. If this sounds like your vibe, I’m happy to report that it’s already out on steam!
– Kate
6. Abyssal Merge
Developed by: Time Flies Studios Inc.
Published by: 2 Left Thumbs
Steam Store Page
I have my colleagues from the “Fun” and Games Podcast to thank for this one. I probably wouldn’t have known to go hunt for the Abyssal Merge booth if not for their rave reviews. And the hype was well-deserved. This roguelite hybrid of merge mechanics and Space Invaders asks the question: what if Suika Game made you sweat? Enemy ships approach from the top of the screen, while the player drops cursed-looking fish into their net to combine them. Each set of fish that merge together generate more powerful bullet attacks for the player’s ship. The demo tested my ability to multitask, but in a way that felt fair and made me want to try again. I got to watch the PAX-goer before me get extremely far in their run, telling me success is absolutely within reach. I look forward to my synapses firing at that speed one day.
– Emily
7. It Takes Paws
Developed by: Awoo Studio
Published by: 2P Games
Steam Store Page
It’s funny, it’s co-op, and it has physics-based precision-platforming mechanics! It Takes Paws was some of the most fun I had at PAX West. This game requires just the right amount of communication, yet feels very mechanically intuitive. Play as Supremo the cat or Bubba Boo the dog as you literally carry your sleeping human through wacky worlds of platforming challenges. Emily and I are a pretty good team, and it was fun to have a small crowd of folks behind us cheering us on! Simple and fun is just what we need right now and I look forward to a release date!
– Kate
8. Bleu Bayou
Developed by: Bokoyoss Games
Published by: Bokoyoss Games
Steam Store Page
There’s something really special about the experience of looking across an expo hall (big or small) and seeing some familiar key art or trailer playing and saying to yourself “oh, THIS is here?!” before running over. I had that moment when I spotted Bleu Bayou at The MIX showcase this year. While not officially part of PAX West, The MIX (Media Indie Exchange) coincides with the expo weekend, and is a must-attend event for indie game lovers.
Bleu Bayou is a top-down shooter that comes in strong with the retro handheld look and feel that we loved back in the 90s. You play as a debt-ridden crawdad who has to fight tooth and nail (or, more accurately, claw and tail) to get the loan sharks off your back. The combat is challenging to excel at but feels so good when you get into the flow, and the snappy humor has me wanting to explore every corner of this deeply silly world. I first found this one on TikTok, and I’m grateful for the chance to get my hands on it and chat with the absolutely lovely devs!
– Emily
9. Truckful
Developed by: MythicOwl
Published by: MythicOwl, Pocketpair Publishing
Steam Store Page
I know that I’ve been talking about Truckful and playing each new version of the demo for what feels like years. Playing it at PAX West was especially exciting because they revealed two different modes to play the game, one of which being a story mode that makes the automotive enemy interactions a lot less challenging. You can still expect to see the quirky characters, satisfying stacking and physics mechanics, and driving along some of the most beautiful virtual environments! I also got a stronger sense of “the old forest” being its own character or a force to be reckoned with, and I definitely avoided taking those roads more than I have in previous versions of the demo, so I love the sense of mystery and even fear that they’ve managed to create. The best news is, Truckful is releasing on October 9th, 2026!
– Kate
10. Springs, Eternal
Developed by: Fullbright
Published by: Serenity Forge
Steam Store Page
From the team behind Gone Home and Tacoma, Springs, Eternal left me with strong vibes and many questions after about 30 minutes of demo playtime. The demo cuts back and forth between first-person exploration scenes set in the eerie forest and springs of Stillwater and flashback vignettes of a burgeoning romance. The combination of the two reminded me of my first few minutes playing Firewatch (which you can’t convince me isn’t also a bit of a horror game). While the Springs, Eternal demo delivered a very unsettling experience that hinted at some paranormal dangers, I suspect this game is going to defy genre in some interesting ways. I look forward to learning more about these characters and this haunting location in its full release.
– Emily
10. Game of the Show: Rebounder
Developed by: ThirtyThree
Published by: Aggro Crab
Steam Store Page
We kicked off our PAX West by hitting up the AggroCrab booth to experience Rebounder during media hour, and boy am I glad that we did. I kept wondering if I would play anything else that would blow me away to that degree, but it never happened. From visuals to music and mechanics, Rebounder had me full of awe and genuine excitement at every moment. What impressed me the most was the overall spirit and tone of the game, which feels incredibly earnest and serves as a great companion to literally everything else that it’s doing so well. It’s not just a treat for the eyes and ears, I’m genuinely dazzled and intrigued by its writing and story.
– Kate
The Rebounder trailer looks cool as hell and its sci-fi-noir-comic-book aesthetic pretty much had me sold from the jump. But when I tell you, nothing will prepare you for how amazing this game feels when you’ve got the controller in your hand. The precision platforming is on point. At times it’s sickeningly devious, but always fair. Sight-reading some of the levels had me asking “who in the world can get this timing right?” But after a couple tries, it turns out I could. I think many players will have a similar experience.
The biggest challenge of all, honestly, was just to not get too distracted by how beautiful the whole thing is. I had multiple moments where I died just from forgetting to keep playing because I was so awestruck at the gorgeous visuals. Aggro Crab did good signing this one. I’ll be picking it up on day one.
– Emily
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.