Indie Game Roundup - August 2026 feat. CognitiveClips & C3C1LIE

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions. We may be almost through summer, but the gaming news continues to flow, for better or worse. We dig into some big indie game news stories from the past month, plus a little internet discourse, as a treat. As usual, we also have a ton of awesome game demos and new releases to tell you about! Make sure you stay through the end of the roundup because we have a very special bonus segment at the end, where we got to chat with our dear friends Cognitive Clips and Cecilie about this year's Games for Change Festival. They shared some great highlights from this year's event, some of which you can watch at the links in the show notes. Also, huge thanks to our newest Patreon supporters! In addition to other fun perks, members on Patreon get early access to all of the Indie Game Roundup episodes. If you love No Small Games and would like to support us in growing the show, while also unlocking fun, exclusive content, you can check out our Patreon page. You can find our full show notes, including links and shoutouts, on the No Small Games site: Indie Game Roundup - August Show Notes Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:48 - Icebreaker Question  00:13:00 - Indie Game News 00:34:15 - Demos 00:47:10 - Big Walk 00:57:36 - Capy Castaway 01:00:39 - Mind Inc. 01:03:10 - Sephiria 01:08:50 - Nimbit Frontier 01:13:52 - Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story 01:20:32 - Walk 01:24:46 - Fields of Mistria 01:38:28 - A Musical Story Meet our Guests CognitiveClips @cognitiveclips.bsky.social Jordan, aka CognitiveClips, is a gaming content creator and one of the co-hosts of Drop-in Drop-out Podcast. Jordan produces video essays, game impressions and playthroughs for YouTube. As a co-host on Drop-in Drop-out, he joins a large cast of rotating hosts and guests to discuss video game news, new releases and everything in between. Check out Jordan's content on: Bluesky  YouTube  Instagram  Drop-in Drop-out Podcast C3C1LIE @c3c1lie.bsky.social Cecilie works in advocacy and policy work at the United Nations, with a focus on international migration and displacement. She works with governments, NGOs, UN agencies and other stakeholders to uplift grassroots experiences and bring them to policy making spaces at the UN. She also occasionally streams on Twitch, including recapping events like Games for Change. Follow Cecilie on: Bluesky  Instagram  Twitch Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames  Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Road 96, developed by Digixart, is a choices matter adventure game where you make your way through a procedurally generated road trip, trying to cross the border out of your authoritarian country. A pivotal election is coming up and teens are being hunted down and imprisoned. Your only hope is to travel north in hopes that you can escape to freedom. In Road 96, every player's journey will be entirely your own. In Episode 70, we were delighted to be joined by gaming content creator Rogan, to help us unpack the wild twists and turns we experienced on the road. We discuss everything from video game hot takes to our thoughts on the choices matter genre. True to the premise of the game, all of our journeys were extremely different and we had a great time comparing what we encountered.  Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:13:00 - Weekly Boss Battles 00:22:00 - Meet our Guest - RoganPlaysGames 00:48:10 - Road 96 Discussion 02:00:15 - Game Ratings 02:06:37 - One Small Thing Meet our Guests Rogan (he/him) @roganplaysgames.bsky.social Rogan is an indie gaming content creator known for short form videos highlighting lesser known titles similar to AAA favorites, upcoming indies to look out for, and more. With years of experience in the games industry, he brings both deep knowledge of and passion for games to his content. Check out Rogan on: Tiktok  Instagram  YouTube  Bluesky Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames  Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Mixtape is a cinematic narrative adventure developed by Beethoven and Dinosaur and published by Annapurna. In the few months between its release and the time of this recording, it earned itself many accolades and also much discussion among the gaming community, for better or worse. Players join three friends on their last night together after senior year of high school. Knowing they have just a few hours together before their lives change forever, they set out to have the most epic night ever, including an iconic soundtrack. The game features tracks from DEVO, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, The Cure, and many more artists who created the vibe for a generation. It's Episode 69, so of course we had to make it extra... nice! This is the first time we're welcoming two guests from different shows on for one episode, and we're delighted that Brendon and AJ picked out Mixtape to discuss with us. We've all been chomping at the bit to throw our hat into the ring of the Mixtape discourse that briefly set the internet on fire. You'll hear our experiences with the game, plus a lot of talk about music! We hope you enjoy the shenanigans and if your name is Christopher Nolan... you're welcome ;) Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:08:55 - Weekly Boss Battles 00:16:45 - Meet our Guests - Brendon Bigley & AJ Fillari 00:58:50 - Mixtape Discussion 02:09:08 - Game Ratings 02:15:52 - One Small Thing Meet our Guests Brendon Bigley @bb.wavelengths.online Brendon hosts Into the Aether: A Lowkey Video Game Podcast, along with Stephen Hilger. He also writes and produces video content on his website Wavelengths, and recently launched Overworld, a site that offers a macro view at the current video game press and discourse. Check out Brendon's content on: Into the Aether  Bluesky  Wavelengths  Overworld AJ Fillari @ajfillari.bsky.social AJ Fillari is a podcast producer, editor, and host. They’re also a TTRPG and Video Game Enjoyer! AJ edits and produces too many podcasts to name, but among them are Into the Aether, Formative Media with Christian Spicer, and Frog of the Week. AJ also both hosts and produces and dotzip! Check out AJ's content on: Bluesky  dotzip Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames  Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions. It's confession time: we play an ungodly number of indie games in July. We have a roundup to conquer all roundups lined up, full of brand spankin' new games, earlier 2026 games that we missed, and even classic indies dating back all the way to 2011! There's truly something in here for every type of gamer: from the stone cold nerds who want to solve mysteries using programming languages, to players who just want to be a speeding bus doing skate park tricks. We hope you find a new favorite game among these delightful titles. Also, huge thanks to our newest Patreon supporters! In addition to other fun perks, members on Patreon get early access to all of the Indie Game Roundup episodes. If you love No Small Games and would like to support us in growing the show, while also unlocking fun, exclusive content, you can check out our Patreon page. You can find our full show notes, including links and shoutouts, on the No Small Games site: Indie Game Roundup - July 2026 Show Notes Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:07:04 - Icebreaker Question 00:17:13 - Indie Game News 00:32:38 - Demos 00:49:20 - Letter Lost 00:58:22 - OFFBEAT 01:05:15 - Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division 01:11:34 - Denshattack! 01:16:12 - Wabisabi Sushi Derby 01:24:29 - Book of Travels 01:30:20 - TR-49 01:37:06 - To The Moon 01:43:34 - Desktop Explorer 01:52:35 - 1000xRESIST 2nd Playthrough 01:55:17 - MECCHA CHAMELEON 01:58:53 - YAPYAP Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames  Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Relooted, developed and published by Nyamakop, is a strategy heist game with a big dash of free running and a huge amount of charm. You play as Nomali, a free running coach who has to take a break from her career in athletics to rescue her little brother, only to find herself committing to an unexpected career change. She and her crew (which includes her brother Trevor, her grandmother, her best friend, a quirky acrobat from the neighborhood, and more) set off on a new venture to covertly reclaim African artifacts that have been wrongfully held by museums and collectors. And by "covertly reclaim," we mean pull a heist. Actually, many heists.  In episode 68 of No Small Games, we're diving into Relooted to discuss a game that managed to break out of the indie game bubble and initiated discussions in the art and curation world. In fact, this very week of the episode releasing, Relooted just won the award for "Best in Community Empowerment" at the Games for Change Awards in New York. We'll be discussing its emotional and cultural impact, as well as the narrative and gameplay successes. We hope you enjoy this episode and, seriously, go listen to the Relooted soundtrack!! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:00 - Boss Battles 00:11:46 - Relooted Discussion 01:09:36 - RelootedSpoilers 01:21:13 - Game Ratings 01:23:57 - One Small Thing Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames  Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Fishbowl, developed by imissmyfriends.studio and published by Wholesome Games Presents, is a quietly emotional narrative game about a young woman processing her grief while the world around her changes forever. You play as Alo, who has just moved to a new city to start a brand new job, just one month after the passing of her dear grandmother. As Alo is coping with this loss, along with all of the changes that come with moving and starting a new job, she learns that her work will abruptly shift to all-remote, due to a surge in illnesses leading to a global pandemic. The experience of living through lockdown while processing her own personal loss is deeply relatable, and takes both Alo and players to many places emotionally, all while staying within the four walls of Alo's apartment. In episode 67 of No Small Games, Kate and Emily reflect on their own experiences of the pandemic in 2020, as they discuss their time playing Fishbowl. The game brought up many memories for both hosts, as they compare their experiences to Alo's. This conversation was a cathartic flashback to the year that life as we knew it turned upside down. We hope that listening can be cathartic for you as well. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:06:30 - Boss Battles 00:18:08 - Fishbowl Discussion 01:13:48 - Fishbowl Spoilers 01:34:45 - Game Ratings 01:39:12 - One Small Thing Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames  Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions. We made it through June and gaming press and podcasters everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief! Don't get us wrong, it was a great month for gaming news, announcements and showcases, but boy, was it a whirlwind! From Summer Game Fest, to some heartbreaking announcements out of Xbox, to the chaos of digging into Steam Next Fest, a lot has happened in the last 30 days. The month was just too big to discuss on our own, so we brought in CGDannyB to help us discuss some of the biggest news stories to touch the indie game space. But first and foremost, the three of us each counted down 5 of our favorite demos from Steam Next Fest! Also, huge thanks to our newest Patreon supporters! In addition to other fun perks, members on Patreon get early access to all of the Indie Game Roundup episodes. If you love No Small Games and would like to support us in growing the show, while also unlocking fun, exclusive content, you can check out our Patreon page. You can find our full show notes, including links and shoutouts, on the No Small Games site: Indie Game Roundup - June 2026 Show Notes Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:06:25 - Icebreaker Question 00:12:14 - Indie Game News 00:42:58 - Steam Next Fest Demos Meet our Guest Danny (he/him) @cgdannyb.bsky.social What's up guys, this is our guest CGDannyB! He really likes indie games and he loves sharing them with you! If you follow Danny on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, you may have heard him say something just like that. Danny is an indie-game focused content creator who specializes in short form video. He is also the co-host of the Playlog Podcast! Check out Danny's work on: Bluesky  YouTube  TikTok  Instagram  Playlog Podcast Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames  Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Lil Gator Game, developed by MegaWobble, is a bite-sized open world adventure game. You play as the eponymous Lil Gator, a kid who's watching his friends and big sis growing up and taking on more grown up responsibilities, but all they want to do is play. Your mission is to get everyone on the island involved in the biggest game anyone's ever seen. You'll run, climb, slide and slash your way through a beautiful natural landscape with no danger or combat, but lots of fun platforming and many secrets to uncover.  In episode 66 of No Small Games, Kate and Emily talk about their experiences (both new and old) with Lil Gator Game! As someone who isn't traditionally a fan of open world games or 3D platforming, you'll find out how Lil Gator Game sat with Kate. You'll also hear about Emily's early experiences with the game, which is one of the first game keys she ever received as a content creator. We hope you enjoy this heartfelt chat about an adorable game. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:07:32 - Boss Battles 00:17:30 - Lil Gator Game Discussion 01:10:25 - Lil Gator Game Spoilers 01:21:08 - Game Ratings 01:25:59 - One Small Thing Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames  Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

The No Small Games girlies got their first taste of Summer Game Fest Play Days this year, and the lineup of indies did not disappoint! We are officially back from Summer Game Fest in sunny Los Angeles, and boy do we have a lot of games to tell you about! We got hands on with a huge number of indie games, some that we've been anxiously awaiting and some that were just announced this week. Whether you were there on the ground with us or watching the showcases from home, this was a great SGF for indie games! Also, huge thanks to our Patreon supporters who helped us get to Summer Game Fest this year! In addition to other fun perks, members on Patreon get early access to all of the Indie Game Roundup episodes. If you love No Small Games and would like to support us in growing the show, while also unlocking fun, exclusive content, you can check out our Patreon page. You can find our full show notes, including links and shoutouts, on the No Small Games site: Summer Game Fest Recap Show Notes Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:33 - Icebreaker Question 00:07:52 - High Level Takeaways on SGF 00:18:40 - The MIX 00:37:07 - Day of the Devs 01:10:23 - Nintendo 01:14:53 - PM Studios 01:25:43 - Out of Words 01:34:38 - My Arms Are Longer Now 01:39:19 - Tenebris Somnia Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames  Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Promise Mascot Agency, developed and published by Kaizen Game Works, offers a special blend of open world adventuring and management sim. You play as Michi, aka The Janitor, an exiled Yakuza fixer who finds himself stuck in the cursed town of Kaso Machi where he must successfully manage a mascot talent agency in order to save his Yakuza family's matriarch. Along with Pinky, your partner in crime (figuratively) and mascot wrangling (literally), you'll need to recruit mascots, match them up with the right jobs, and uncover the dark secrets of Kaso Machi's past before time runs out. In episode 65 of No Small Games, Kate and Emily wrap up the spring season with a deep dive into the many systems and mechanics of Promise Mascot Agency. There is a lot going on in this game, and not just narratively! You'll hear all about their money-making strategies and favorite mascots. We hope you enjoy this very special game discussion! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:25 - Boss Battles 00:13:36 - Promise Mascot Agency Discussion 01:39:00 - Game Ratings 01:42:00 - One Small Thing 01:51:25 - Next Season Teaser Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames  Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com