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Published Jun 22, 2026, 3:30 PM EDT
Indie games galore
7 games we're wishlisting after Steam Next Fest
Image: Deconstructeam/Devolver Digital
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Steam Next Fest has come to a close, and while plenty of the best demos will still be available to download, some of them will have already disappeared by now. We spent much of the event playing as many games as possible, however, to flesh out our wishlists and get a taste of what's to come throughout the rest of 2026 and beyond.
From truly unique, innovative games that are pushing the boat out both figuratively and literally, to others that simply master their genre and are incredibly polished, here are the seven games we're wishlisting after Steam Next Fest. Note that this list is in no particular order.
1 About Fishing
Image: The Water Museum/Playstack
About Fishing is scheduled to release later this year.
2 Good Heavens!
Image: Nowhere Studios
Survival games are a dime a dozen, and they're starting to get a little stale. However, if mechanical innovation is lacking, where else can the genre improve? Good Heavens!nails it: humor. This is an isometric survival game in the style of Don't Starve, but the dark, unforgiving setting is replaced with hilarious writing, wacky characters, and an aesthetic straight out of a modern cartoon.
Good Heavens! will be released in August.
Image: 1047 Games
It's a little feature-bare compared to what a Respawn-developed Titanfall 3 would probably look like, but Empulseis the next best thing. Coming from the developers of portal-FPS Splitgate, Empulse is a shooter where movement is just as vital as accuracy, and you’ll be flying through maps with unbridled speed and using enormous mechs to control the arena. You can read more about Empulse in our preview.
There's not long to wait for this one: Empulse will be available from Thursday, June 24.
4 Over The Hill
Image: Funselektor Labs
Over The Hill will be out later this year.
5 Blood Dungeon
Image: Messhof
There's no confirmed release date for Blood Dungeon yet, as it's marked as just "coming soon" on Steam.
6 No Such Place
Image: ChillyRoom
No Such Placegives tremendous Control vibes, as you are an agent within the Unknown Research Consortium (URC). You must explore a variety of anomalous zones, gather information and resources, all while dealing with hostile creatures. For an isometric game, it has a highly detailed gunsmith system that allows for weapon customization, and you can also play with your friends in co-op.
No Such Place is due to be released later this year.
7 Virtue and a Sledgehammer
Image: Deconstructeam/Devolver Digital
Virtue and a Sledgehammeris the perfect example of when you're not entirely sure what you've just played. There's very little to compare it to, and it asks more questions than it answers. That's often publisher Devolver Digital's trademark, though: games that are doing something different. Wielding just a sledgehammer, you must destroy the environment (your childhood town), robots (android replicas of your neighbors), and memory fragments to uncover a tale about "family, traditions, and being a misfit," according to the Steam page. You can read more about Virtue and a Sledgehammer in our interview with the devs back in May.
Virtue and a Sledgehammer will be released later this year.
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