If you’re a fan of Stranger Things and RPGs, then you might want to check out this Steam freebie for a promising upcoming 2026 release.
It feels like every year, the standard of indie games continues to raise the bar. Fez, Super Meat Boy and Braided felt like rarities back in the day, but now it seems like the next indie banger is just around the corner.
In 2025 alone, we had the likes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, The Alters, and Dispatch, each feeling more like an AAA offering rather than a small indie title, and it looks like 2026 will continue that upward trend.
At the end of January, we were treated to the indie game, Cairn, a game that earned GAMINGbible’s first 10/10 of 2026.
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“Cairn has now become one of my favourite games of all time. I absolutely love the game’s reactive climbing mechanics, the tough-but-fair difficulty, and its entire presentation is simply gorgeous,” said Olly in his review.
“Even though there aren’t really any changes between playthroughs, this is a game I’ll be regularly coming back to, if only to continue experiencing the thrill of the climb over and over again.”
There’s plenty more to look forward to though, especially with Steam Next Fest on the way.
What Else Can We Look Forward to in 2026?
One other indie game that might be worth your attention is the upcoming action-adventure, developed and published by Cococucumber, Echo Generation 2.
“Embark on a sci-fi tactical turn-based adventure. In this demo, step into a world of secrets, psychic power, and unknowable forces lurking just beyond reality. Collect cards, craft your character and break free from a shadowy facility,” reads the synopsis of the game on Steam.
The gameplay trailer for Echo Generation 2 gives me Stranger Things vibes, at least with its visuals, but also has a sense of exploration, combat and upgrade mechanics that might be favourable to fans of turn-based RPGs. In a nutshell, the game looks like it could be a lot of fun.
Echo Generation 2 does not have a full release date at the time of writing, but you can at least download its demo right now to get a taste of the game. If it ends up being your jam, you can also wishlist it, so that you can be notified of its full launch.
You might also be pleased to know that Echo Generation 2 is also coming to Xbox Series X/S and will be included in Game Pass.
