Tag: Summer Game Fest 2026

Noob’s Picks – PC Gaming Show 2026

The PC Gaming Show delivered. I now have 7 more demos installed and countless more games on my radar. As always, I have narrowed it down to my 10 favourite reveals of the show!

The games are featured in alphabetical order.

Ascenders: Beyond the Peak

Developer: Ludogram

Release Date: Q3 2026

ASCENDERS: BEYOND THE PEAK is a turn-based exploration roguelite where survival is vertical. Lead a team of alpinists to recover ancient artifacts from cursed peaks, prepare your expedition, evolve your climbers, master rope mechanics, and face H.P. Lovecraft-inspired horrors within the mountain.

Wishlist Ascenders: Beyond the Peak on Steam here. There is also a demo available!

Carcass Clad

Developer: Wrong Organ

Release Date: To be announced

A visceral co-op tank horror game from the creators of MOUTHWASHING. Featuring weighty physical controls, crew the Yksiö with a team of 3. Fuel is limited and ammo is scarce. The city’s saint, long since laid to rest, walks again – gilded and defiled.

Wishlist Carcass Clad on Steam here.

Hack 95

Developer: Village Studio

Release Date: To be announced

Time travel to 1995 in this card-based computer hacking voyage. Take down an evil tech startup and shadowy government agency to become a god to the freaks and geeks of cyberspace. All while being helped by an incontinent virtual pug.

Wishlist Hack 95 on Steam here, and there is currently a demo available!

Locator: The Search for Abigail

Developer: Empty Exhibit

Release Date: To be announced

A Geoguessr-inspired narrative detective puzzle game set on an alien planet. As the Cartographer, you must gather and examine clues to locate missing archaeologist Abigail Lidari and uncover the fate of an ancient alien civilization.

Wishlist Locator: The Search for Abigail on Steam here.

Rivage

Developer: Exnilo Studio

Release Date: 13 Aug 2026

Rivage is an immersive sci-fi puzzle adventure set aboard the A.R.E.S. space station trapped in a space phenomenon. Wake up as Miranda, forced to explore, solve intricate puzzles to unravel the fate of your missing crew.

Wishlist Rivage on Steam here. There is also a demo available!

Signet City

Developer: Jump Over the Age

Release Date: Coming soon

From the creator of Citizen Sleeper, SIGNET CITY is a first-person fungalpunk RPG. You are a parasite, in a city where strange technologies and radical ideas are taking root. Grow into and through its inhabitants, uncover and change their stories, and witness the terminal season of the signet city.

Wishlist Signet City on Steam here.

Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions

Developer: Fat Alien Cat, Nomo Studio

Release Date: 11 Jun 2026 – Early Access

Join the ESS Starseeker crew to explore strange new worlds, working together with friends to complete planet-wide objectives before the station journeys on to new planetary destinations. Collect and unlock powerful tech to help the crew tackle the perils of space!

Wishlist Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions on Steam here.

Star Trek: Outposts Unknown

Developer: Magic Fuel Games

Release Date: 2026

Lead your crew across strange new worlds in this narrative driven outpost builder! Research, explore, and build as you face a mysterious cosmic force that threatens a new ally. Your adventure awaits, Captain!

Wishlist Star Trek: Outposts Unknown on Steam here. There is also currently a demo available!

There Are No Ghosts at the Grand

Developer: Friday Sundae

Release Date: Q4 2026

Inherit a crumbling English hotel and restore it by day—while battling ghosts by night. With a sardonic cat, a talking power tool, and a twisting supernatural plot, this is a musical mystery unlike any other. Will you be able to hold it together while everything around you falls apart?

Wishlist There Are No Ghosts at the Grand on Steam and play the demo here.

Vampire: The Masquerade — ETERNAL WHISPERS

Developer: Flyos

Release Date: Coming soon

Vampire: The Masquerade — ETERNAL WHISPERS is a narrative-driven CRPG set in the World of Darkness. Awaken from decades of torpor into a dark-modern Montreal consumed by political intrigue, buried secrets and personal horror.

Wishlist Vampire: The Masquerade — ETERNAL WHISPERS on Steam here.

The indie showcases of Summer Game Fest 2026 delivered so thoroughly that I think I am going to be working my way through the games all the way up to the Game Awards season!

We are rich in choice, surrounded by creativity and I can’t wait to see how all these games do at release and beyond.

Watch the full showcase here.

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Noob’s Picks – Wholesome Direct 2026

How is it possible to pick only 10 games from so many lovely games featured at the Wholesome Direct 2026? I want to say it isn’t but somehow I have narrowed it down to the top 10 that caught my eye this showcase!

The games are featured in alphabetical order.

Beastfolk Barber

Developer: Safe Flight Games, GameWorks Ventures

Release Date: To be announced

In Beastfolk Barber (code name: Project Salon), you’re a barber in a city full of beastfolk. Chat with your customers, style their look, help them see something new in the mirror… and in themselves.

Wishlist Beastfolk Barber on Steam here.

Croakwood

Developer: Texel Raptor

Release Date: Coming soon

Welcome to Croakwood, a relaxed town-building and management game where tiny frogs settle into life in the wild woods. Design and create structures, plan and decorate your town, explore an ancient forest filled with secrets, and guide a charming frog community as it grows.

Wishlist Croakwood on Steam here. There is also a demo available!

Design and Conjure

Developer: Tiny Kiwi Games

Release Date: Coming soon

Join Dalia, the Nature Witch, on a heartwarming journey to restore her hometown. Tidy spaces, design magical rooms, solve gentle puzzles, and soothe magical creatures affected by mysterious corruption bringing warmth and peace back to the town. 🌸

Wishlist Design and Conjure on Steam here, and there is currently a demo available!

Dressmaker

Developer: Cozy Lives

Release Date: September 2026

Become a dressmaker! Choose fabric, cut out patterns, and sew them all together to satisfy (or sabotage!) townsfolk in this cozy crafting game inspired by real dressmaking.

Wishlist Dressmaker on Steam here.

Fields of Mistria

Developer: NPC Studio

Release Date: 5 Aug 2026

Start your new life! Build the farm of your dreams as you discover a world brimming with possibilities. Magic, romance, and adventure all await you in this nostalgic farming / life sim RPG!

Wishlist Fields of Mistria on Steam here.

Fourleaf Fields

Developer: BEHEMUTT

Release Date: To be announced

Welcome to the tiny world of Fourleaf Fields, a cozy farming life sim where you’re no bigger than a carrot. Grow towering crops, care for tiny farm bugs, and uncover a web of secrets fueled by gossip – solo or online with friends!

Wishlist Fourleaf Fields on Steam here.

Momento

Developer: Fat Alien Cat, Nomo Studio

Release Date: 6 Jun 2026

Momento is a cozy room decorator with a twist: the choices you make play out over the course of a lifetime! Decorate your room, choose which items are important to you, and discover how the objects you choose will alter the course of the story, in a winding ode to the power of everyday things.

Wishlist Momento on Steam here.

Moonlight Peaks

Developer: Little Chicken

Release Date: 7 Jul 2026

Welcome to your new vampiric life in the magical town of Moonlight Peaks. Raise mystical crops, learn spell-casting and potion-making, and befriend – or even romance – the local werewolves, witches, and mermaids in this heartwarming supernatural life-sim. Eternity awaits!

Wishlist Moonlight Peaks on Steam here. There is also currently a demo available!

Tiny Delivery

Developer: Sinica

Release Date: Q3 2026

Tiny Delivery is a cozy adventure about a small robot courier with a big job and questionable methods. Heartfelt moments, hidden secrets, and a little chaos – all in one route!

Wishlist Tiny Delivery on Steam here.

Toem 2

Developer: Something We Made

Release Date: Q3 2026

Step back into the shoes of a curious photographer and set off on a brand new adventure all about uncovering hidden details, helping friends along the way, and documenting the world’s little wonders in TOEM 2, the sequel to the acclaimed TOEM.

Wishlist Toem 2 on Steam and play the demo here.

I feel like this showcase truly featured something of the wholesome variety for everyone. If I have any impressions on the demos I will be sure to post them in demo impressions and on the Summer Game Fest 2026 page!

Watch the full showcase here.

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Noob’s Picks – Story Rich Showcase 2026

The inaugural Story Rich Showcase is presented by Fellow Traveller, the folk that bring us the LudoNarraCon each year, which happens to consistantly be my favourite steam event. The curation is top class and catered to my tastes, so here are the top 10 announcements that I struggled to narrow down!

The games are featured in alphabetical order.

A Line Held Tight

Developer: Humble Grove

Release Date: Q4 2026

Tensions both political and personal are rising at the Brightworld mining colony. In this dynamic sci-fi visual novel you must decide where your heart and loyalties lie if you’re to shape the future and save yourself.

Wishlist A Line Held Tight on Steam here. There is also currently a demo available!

Am I Nima

Developer: HO! Games

Release Date: 8 Oct 2026

Am I Nima is a psychological-horror game where you must convince your mom that you really are her daughter. Combine words together in your brain and use them to talk. Get her to trust you.

Wishlist Am I Nima on Steam here. There is also a demo available!

Apple Crumble

Developer: Happy Broccoli Games

Release Date: 2026

It’s your grandma’s 84th birthday party and nobody is trying to murder her. Stop suspecting your family members, and don’t worry about the strange man in your bedroom. A new creepy-cozy mystery thriller from the creators of Duck Detective.

Wishlist Apple Crumble on Steam here.

Burn-9

Developer: 14 Hours Productions

Release Date: 2026

14 Hours Productions reveals Burn-9, a spy thriller where you’re not the spy. Safe behind your screen, guide the last survivor of an elite black-ops team in a desperate attempt to salvage a mission gone horribly wrong. Burn-9’s demo is available to play now.

Wishlist Burn-9 on Steam here. There is also a demo available!

Desktop Explorer

Developer: Recurring Dream

Release Date: 17 Jul 2026

Rummage through the abandoned profiles of an old PC to unravel an inherited mystery. What secrets hide in this eerie adventure of cryptic games and outdated software? Who was using this computer? And what happened to them?

Wishlist Desktop Explorer on Steam here. There is also currently a demo available!

Detective Turner: If Looks Could Kill

Developer: Riker

Release Date: 2027

A text-driven noir murder mystery where you literally read the room. Search for clues in the text, photograph evidence, and interrogate suspects to solve the murder of fashion icon Margot Voss.

Wishlist Detective Turner: If Looks Could Kill on Steam here.

Duppy Detective Tashia

Developer: Spritewrench

Release Date: 8 Jun 2026

Help Tashia unravel the case of a heinous murder and find her cell phone in this point & click, mystery adventure based on Caribbean folklore!

Wishlist Duppy Detective Tashia on Steam here. There is also currently a demo available and you can read my full impressions here!

The Hearth & Harbour

Developer: Saltstone Studios

Release Date: 2026

Transform a run-down restaurant and build a new life for yourself in this management RPG. Decide what kind of restaurant you want to create and what kind of person you want to be. As a storm brews outside, every choice you make has consequences.

Wishlist The Hearth & Harbour on Steam here.

The Telwynium

Developer: Dave Lloyd

Release Date: 2027

A 90s fantasy adventure epic from the creator of The Drifter- It’s your first night away from Willows Dene, and you have first watch.

Wishlist The Telwynium on Steam or play the demo here.

Thousand Hells: The Underworld Heists

Developer: A Sharp

Release Date: Fall 2026

Recruit your team, choose your path, and descend into hell. Four heroes must overcome the trials of the underworlds in tactical narrative encounters. A new systemic storybook experience blending mythology and surrealism. From the designers of King of Dragon Pass and Six Ages.

Wishlist Thousand Hells: The Underworld Heists on Steam here.

A great first showcase and will certainly be my most anticipated in the future. Keep an eye out here and on the Summer Game Fest page as I make my way through more of the demos!

Watch the full showcase here.

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Duppy Detective Tashia – Demo Impressions

The cast are as vibrant as the colourful art style.

Duppy Detective Tashia

Developer: Spritewrench

Release Date: 8 Jun 2026

Help Tashia unravel the case of a heinous murder and find her cell phone in this point & click, mystery adventure based on Caribbean folklore!

With the full game of Duppy Detective Tashia due to be 2-3 hours, this 30 minutes slice showcased a fun, bubbly detective adventure that left no space for tedium. After unfortunately and unknowingly being struck from life, Tashia has a murder to solve in the afterlife. The stylish animations and UI tie the simple investigative gameplay together in a way that never felt like it slowed down.

The game is created by a tiny Jamaican studio eager to showcase their culture and as a result, the afterlife is populated with mythical figures that I am unfamiliar with. Cultures are unique but games are universal and indie games in particular remain an incredible medium to discover people, places and stories that you may never have encountered otherwise. I hadn’t even heard the word Duppy before (it means ghost!). This game has a flavour that couldn’t be produced be anyone else and I would love to see more.

What I didn’t expect was for the game to turn in to a narrative version of Among Us. You should play yourself to understand what that means as it gave me a good chuckle when the demo wrapped up the way that it did. An easy-going easily digestible way to spend some time and solve a mystery!

Demo Length – -30 mins
At a glance
+ Colourful and stylish
+ Characters based on not your everyday myths
+/- Gameplay is simple
+/- The game feels more about the narrative than a challenging puzzle

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Funeral for the Sun – Demo Impressions

When logic meets the surreal.

Funeral for the Sun

Developer: Nicolás Cid Delgado

Release Date: Coming soon

Search the ashes of an abandoned Latin American town and uncover 500 years of secrets. A non-linear mystery where you travel back in time and untangle the complex history of a community cursed by supernatural forces.

The final demo that I tried from the Thinky Direct 2026 was the demo for a game that I already had on my wishlist, Funeral for the Sun. We play as a historian on her attempt to unravel the past of a town doomed to flames and time.

Of all the games that I have tried that have evoked Return of the Obra Dinn in some way – my favourite game of all time might I add – Funeral for the Sun has come the closest to capturing that magic so far. Don’t get me wrong, Funeral for the Sun has its own soft, painterly art style, its own story to tell and its own unique way of telling it, but exploring the environments, discovering clues from the past and encountering the drama along the way is reminding me of the reasons that I like the genre. It is not only for the deduction of the logic puzzles – however smart that makes me feel when I have some success – but the story that unfolds along the way, the surprises, unexpected turns, and the oddities that provide another level of intrigue.

In less than 45 minutes I was given enough clues, enough fulfilment and enough strangeness to really want to continue beyond what is currently available. Exploring the same scenes in both the past and the present in order to fill out our journal, put names to faces and make the connections between them is an endlessly satisfying process, presented seamlessly. I will be keeping my eye on this one!

Demo Length – 30min-1hr
At a glance
+ A satisfying deduction system
+ I have no idea where the story is going to go
+ Drama ramps up quickly
+ The way the past and present work together to present puzzles and solutions
+ The colour palette is evocative and art style recognisable
– Only being able to save a limited amount of journal entries felt restricting

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Deductopia – Demo Impressions

A clever, cozy use of a deduction style format.

Deductopia

Developer: Nightwell Games

Release Date: Coming Soon

Explore the scenes, find clues, and sort out people, pets, and belongings in this cozy slice-of-life detective puzzle game. Fans of Duck Detective, Little Problems, and The Case of the Worst Day Ever will enjoy this new deduction game for all ages.

I have tried a lot of demos for Obra Dinn and Golden Idol likes (admittedly I still have yet to play Golden Idol beyond the demo), and Deductopia has been my favourite so far. It is a logic puzzle to its core and it did all of the right things. The UI is intuitive, the clues are just enough, and it pushes you in the deep end, giving that delicious initial overwhelm that unravels through exploration, turning ‘how the heck am I ever going to do this?’, to ‘if this is this then that must be that’, at a satisfying fast pace. It throws you in a scene, provides you with some questions, some clues and some solutions, and says, ‘have fun’.

Something that I really appreciate about Deductopia are the difficulty options. There is the option to experience these levels in two different ways. Easy mode checks your answers as you go, informing you if you are correct or potentially going down the wrong path. Hard mode waits until you have inputted all of your answers and deduced the entire scene to reveal whether you made any mistakes. Hard mode was exactly the kind of challenge that I am after. If you give me a way to brute force a puzzle I will, I just can’t resist it so for me, easy mode would have had me gaming the game rather than playing the game. I only bring this up because, while I am glad it exists for the folk that prefer to play that way, a lot of the reward of a deduction games for me is the dopamine flood I get when I get confirmation of my answers. From my experience so far, this is always 10x better when lots of information that you have been chipping away at all gets approved at once. These options allow me to flex whatever brain muscles that this works, while also providing reassurance that if I get stuck later down the line, I am not hung out to dry, easy mode will be there for me.

The demo offered 3 of 12 scenes to explore and solve. It took me 30 minutes total, so this is not going to be a long game. It does however seem like it is going to be an extremely satisfying version of what it is. Low stakes, sit down with a cuppa and a biscuit, and be the observation hero that everyone needs.

Demo Length – 30 mins
At a glance
+ Difficulty settings
+ Thoughtful UI
+ A good ratio of clues:deduction so far
+/- Trusts that the player doesn’t need handholding
+/- Short

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Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School – Demo Impressions

Stupid-smart puzzles. Genius, dumb fun. Clever all around.

Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School

Developer: Coin Crew Games

Release Date: To be announced

Class is (back) in session with Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School! Get a first look at next year’s curriculum with this new playable demo. Escape from a death-defying introductory puzzle course, kick it with new and familiar faces on campus, and enjoy a sneak peek at our brand new quest system!

There is something to be said for frantically zooming around a scene, on the clock, clicking on every little thing to help find your puzzle solutions and at least 50% of the time being provided with a pun instead. Whether the jokes land or not doesn’t matter, it is a delightful experience and surprisingly enough, the majority of them do.

Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School is the upcoming sequel of Escape Academy, where you are student at Escape Academy, learning to… well, escape. The pressure is high and the consequences for failure can be deadly, but that is just another day at the prestigious school. The entire premise and the writing alongside it are the dumbest of fun and I couldn’t have more affection for it. The sequel feels like an expansion of the formula of the first game in the most exciting way.

The writing is fun, the vibes are peak, and the gameplay is equally strong. There are themed escape rooms galore and the demo gave a wonderful and substantial taste of the variety ahead. Between main puzzles there are optional side puzzles, an abundance of your peers to chat to with the best – and worst – names, and an ever expanding environment to explore as you prove your capability by not dying in class.

I am usually allergic to rushing, in games and in real life, but in the case of Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School, I do recommend choosing the timed option, providing you are at least a semi seasoned escape roomist. The urgency adds a lot to the atmosphere of the game and so far I had enough time for every puzzle while also thoroughly exploring every nook and cranny of the room. You will never know whether a one liner will be worth the 10 seconds of your precious time until after you have read it, and that was a gamble that was always entertaining to take. If you prefer though, you can turn the clock off and take the game at your own pace.

Everything feels so serious and yet so light-hearted simultaneously. You will solve a puzzle so intelligently to be greeted by the dumbest joke. The puzzle itself may be a dumb joke. That is what sets this game above so many other puzzle games for me, and why I recommend it so highly. Despite the silliness, I even had to pull out a note book a couple of times! There are local and online co-op options available too.

Demo Length – 1-2 hours
At a glance
+ Engaging puzzles
+ Abundant jokes and amusing writing
+ An improvement of an already great game in the way that great sequels are
+ New open world providing more opportunities for laughs and brain scratchers
+ Substantial demo really shows what you are getting into
+ Snappy pacing
+ Difficulty options

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Indie Showcase – Summer Game Fest 2026

Here you can find all of my coverage of the Summer Game Fest 2026 season.

Check back often to see the latest posts!

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Noob’s Picks – Thinky Direct 2026

Thinky Direct features, as you may have guessed, games that make you think. Every variety of puzzle that you can imagine, and some that you can’t.

Considering I am so hit or miss with puzzle games – more of a reflection of my thinky abilities and perseverance than the games themselves – I am delighted to have a full, top 10 picks from the Thinky Direct 2026!

The games are in alphabetical order for convenience.

Deductopia

Developer: Nightwell Games

Release Date: Coming Soon

Explore the scenes, find clues, and sort out people, pets, and belongings in this cozy slice-of-life detective puzzle game. Fans of Duck Detective, Little Problems, and The Case of the Worst Day Ever will enjoy this new deduction game for all ages.

Wishlist Deductopia on Steam here. There is also currently a demo available and you can read my full demo impressions here!

Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School

Developer: Coin Crew Games

Release Date: To be announced

Class is (back) in session with Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School! Play in solo or co-op and explore an all-new campus, escape life-threatening puzzle rooms, and unravel a conspiracy as old as the school itself — all before the bell rings.

Wishlist Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School on Steam here. There is also a demo available, you can read my full demo impressions here!

From Ruins – A Detective Adventure

Developer: DigiTales Interactive

Release Date: 2027

A new-gen detective adventure combining deduction gameplay with a gripping story full of twists and turns. Gather clues, establish connections, and solve a series of increasingly challenging cases. Will you uncover the feud that began at the end of the world?

Wishlist From Ruins – A Detective Adventure on Steam here.

Funeral for the Sun

Developer: Nicolás Cid Delgado

Release Date: Coming soon

Search the ashes of an abandoned Latin American town and uncover 500 years of secrets. A non-linear mystery where you travel back in time and untangle the complex history of a community cursed by supernatural forces.

Wishlist Funeral for the Sun on Steam here. There is also a demo available, you can read my full impressions here!

The Granny Detective Society

Developer: Team Empreintes

Release Date: 2026

Play as Madeleine, a retired granny recruited by the Granny Detective Society (basically the FBI… but add dentures). Investigate your neighbors, figure out their names and professions, and uncover all their secrets in this no-murder detective game full of white hair and mugs of tea.

Wishlist The Granny Detective Society on Steam here. There is also currently a demo available!

Hello Again

Developer: Soup Island

Release Date: To be announced

Hello Again is a time-looping adventure about mystical ruins, ancient secrets, and goofy weirdos. Play as a hapless ferret shipwrecked on a strange island, stuck inside a strange time loop. Explore forgotten ruins. Befriend silly strangers. Solve time-bound puzzles. Repeat for the rest of eternity.

Wishlist Hello Again on Steam here.

The Land Forgotten

Developer: Daria

Release Date: To be announced

A hand-painted adventure puzzle game where language is magic. Explore a mysterious land, decipher ancient scripts, and solve language-based puzzles to uncover the secrets of a lost civilization.

Wishlist The Land Forgotten on Steam here.

Lock In

Developer: FLEB

Release Date: 2027

An escape-the-room puzzle game. Solve locks to unlock locks. Unlock locks to unlock more locks. Lock in.

Wishlist Lock In on Steam here.

Pikku Adventure

Developer: Pikku Studios

Release Date: Q4 2026

A challenging puzzle adventure about learning an alien language. Explore a strange world and meet its cute inhabitants. Decipher the language and earn their trust. With every word learned, you will uncover more secrets. Can you solve the mystery of this world and decide the fate of the Pikku?

Wishlist Pikku Adventure on Steam or play the demo here.

Servant of the Lake

Developer: Rusty Lake

Release Date: Aug 2026

Death isn’t the end – it’s your last chance. Solve haunting puzzles and make choices that matter as you guide Vale across the underworld. Will regret follow her into eternity?

Wishlist Servant of the Lake on Steam or play the demo here.

What a start to the Summer Game Fest 2026 season, we have had with the Six One Indie Showcase and now the Thinky Direct. I have played 5 demos from the former and now have 5 downloaded from the latter.

All of these games are featured as part of the Cerebral Puzzle Showcase, where there are sales, bundles and even more demos. If I get a chance I might do a further highlight post but for now… go and fill your wishlists!

Watch the full showcase here.

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Deep Pixel Melancholy – Demo Impressions

Not even dystopic, just real.

Deep Pixel Melancholy

Developer: ok/no

Release Date: Q3 2026

Deep Pixel Melancholy is a visual novel about being stuck in a time loop inside a far northern city. Unravel the mystery, and decide whether escaping is really worth it.

A unique Visual Novel demo that works on every level for me!

I realised as I was gathering my thoughts that I wanted to describe what I have played of Deep Pixel Melancholy as dystopic. When I pondered on that for only a few seconds, I realised that actually, there is nothing dystopic about it. The game is just portraying everyday life for millions of people on the planet. We go to the job that we don’t want to go to to pay the bills that we have to pay to survive, while worrying about losing the job that we don’t even want in the first place, because we need it to survive. Of course this isn’t the case for everyone in the world. If you don’t relate on some level then I am genuinely so happy for you, but it is undeniable that this is a universal experience across countries and continents for many, and a sad but real part of the human experience.

A concern that I often have trying games with these kind of themes and atmosphere is that there is a thin line between bleak, and straight up, for lack of a better term, misery porn. Sometimes this kind of fiction, depending on the way it is written, makes me want to put it down immediately and play something else. But Deep Pixel Melancholy so far runs the line perfectly. I related to my characters thoughts, feelings and actions without ever feeling irritated or ever getting that ‘too real’ feeling that makes me run away. 

The pacing and prose make the story easily digestible. I am grateful for the bite-size, snappy sentances when dealing not only with a heavy world but a heavy mind. The game is written with present tense narration, guiding you as the player on what to do next, which you do by clicking on the stylised scene that you are in. You can also explore the scenes via descriptions and observations that you hover over. Each day they build on another which is another way that the game immersed me quickly. It is a subtle but true fact that my thoughts, even on a particular object, change each day depending on all sorts of internal and external factors and I loved seeing that represented.

Deep Pixel Melancholy has a gorgeously cohesive style, it presents just enough of a mystery to get its hooks in, and it has a relatable realness that I couldn’t help but want to see more. An immediate wishlist for me!

Demo Length – <1 hour
At a glance
+ Bleak but not overwhelming
+ Intriguing mystery
+ Unique visuals
+ Interactions feel more diegetic than a standard VN

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