Daily Indie News Roundup #9 (27. 1. 2026.)

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Welcome back to Daily Indie News Roundup #9, your go-to place for everything happening across the indie gaming world and the wider industry. From new game reveals and release dates to major studio updates, market trends, and behind-the-scenes developments, we’ve gathered today’s most important stories into one easy-to-read roundup.

After the Wane Announced by Nova-box for Switch and PC

Award-winning French studio Nova-box has officially unveiled After the Wane, the latest entry in its acclaimed interactive graphic novel series. Following titles such as Seers Isle, Along the Edge, and Across the Grooves, the new project continues the studio’s focus on emotional storytelling and player-driven narratives. The game follows Lena, a young dancer navigating rival companies, romantic turmoil, and a mysterious inner voice that influences her decisions. After the Wane is scheduled to launch on Steam and Nintendo Switch in late 2026.

Anarchy Road Brings Post-Apocalyptic Car Combat in Q1 2026

Anarchy Road is preparing for release on PC and consoles in early 2026, offering fast-paced vehicular combat set in a devastated wasteland. Players race across hostile territories while battling robotic enemies and rival factions in an effort to save their hometown. The game combines arcade-style driving with physics-driven destruction and story-focused progression.

Fear The Timeloop Launches January 30

Publisher PlayWay and developer TacoEaters have confirmed that Fear The Timeloop will launch on January 30. The game is set in a deadly hospital trapped in a repeating time loop, where players control Sheriff James Cooper as he fights both supernatural threats and his own deteriorating condition.

Sword Hero Kickstarter Goes Live

Solo developer ForestWare, in partnership with Crytivo, has launched the Kickstarter campaign for Sword Hero, an open-world RPG inspired by early-2000s design philosophies. The game emphasizes player agency and systemic interaction over scripted sequences. Set on a quarantined ringworld island, Sword Hero features a seamless world with no level scaling, persistent NPC routines, and directional, limb-based combat.

Sonic Terror Turns Music into Tactical Warfare

Book Burner Games has revealed Sonic Terror, a turn-based tactical RPG set in an alternate version of 1984 where music has become humanity’s primary weapon against alien parasites. Players control a rebellious rock band whose performances double as battles. Combat abilities are tied directly to musical elements, while the adaptive soundtrack responds to player actions.

Project Songbird Launches March 26 on Consoles and PC

FYRE Games has announced that its psychological horror title Project Songbird will launch on March 26, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The game follows Dakota, a struggling musician who retreats to a remote forest cabin in search of inspiration. Over the course of a four- to five-hour cinematic experience, players confront surreal environments, psychological manifestations, and moments of combat while uncovering themes of creativity, obsession, and mental health.

Dwarf Legacy Challenges Players with Vertical Bullet-Hell Platforming

Dwarf Legacy combines precision platforming with bullet-hell combat inside vertically stacked dungeon towers. Instead of traditional horizontal layouts, the game focuses entirely on upward progression through dangerous environments. Players climb The Mountainhome in search of their lost heritage, managing limited resources while upgrading equipment and unlocking new abilities.

ReBlade: The Death Spiral is a Cyberpunk Roguelite Fusing Chinese Myth with Soulslike Combat

Chinese publisher Spiral Up Games, best known for the successful titles Back to the Dawn and Wandering Sword, has announced a new collaboration with developer ChillyRoom. Together, they are working on the roguelite action game ReBlade: The Death Spiral. While a release date has not yet been revealed, since ChillyRoom is also developing the action RPG Loulan: The Cursed Sand in parallel, it has been confirmed that the game will be available on PC via Steam.

Lost Lures Revealed as Thoughtful Fishing Simulation

Bonus Stage and Hatfuls Creative have announced Lost Lures, a fishing game that emphasizes patience, observation, and learning rather than arcade-style mechanics. The developers are focusing on realistic fish behavior, environmental factors, and strategic lure selection. The project features dynamic weather systems, time-of-day cycles, and a slow-paced structure designed to reward careful planning.

Lost and Found Co. Delayed to March 6

The developers of Lost and Found Co. have delayed the game’s Steam release to March 6, 2026. According to the team, the short delay will allow for additional polishing and quality assurance. They emphasized that development is nearly complete and that the extra time will help ensure a smoother and more stable launch.

Crosak Expands to Switch and Xbox Series

Spanish studio WildSphere has released Crosak on Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series platforms, expanding the game’s availability beyond its existing PlayStation 5 and GOG versions. The 3D platformer features multi-gravity environments, handcrafted clay-style visuals, local co-op support, and six interconnected worlds. Players control Crosak and Ena as they complete more than 60 missions across imaginative landscapes inspired by prehistoric themes.

Absolum Passes 500,000 Sales and Announces Free Update

Dotemu’s original beat ’em up Absolum has surpassed 500,000 copies sold worldwide. To celebrate the milestone, the studio announced a free update titled Threads of Fate, scheduled for release on February 12. The update will introduce a new Mystic Ordeal mode, Corrupted Regions, additional mounts, new rewards, and extensive balance improvements. The achievement represents a major success for Dotemu’s first internally created intellectual property.

Narrative Adventure OPUS: Prism Peak Finally Finds Its Release Date

After several delays, studio SIGONO has announced when we’ll finally be able to dive into a world of photography and ghosts. OPUS: Prism Peak launches on March 26 this year for PC via Steam and for Nintendo Switch, and a new trailer once again highlights the game’s central themes of memory, loss, and farewell through the story of a photographer and a girl without memories.

Industry News

Subscription Services Boost DLC Revenue for Select Developers

A late-2025 report by Game Developer Collective indicates that subscription services such as Xbox Game Pass benefit certain developers, particularly those offering downloadable content.

The study found that around 17 percent of DLC-focused games experienced revenue increases after joining subscription platforms, while only 4 percent of premium-only titles saw similar gains. Games with long-term content strategies performed best, with titles like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Starfield seeing increased post-subscription purchases.

Valve Faces Major UK Lawsuit Over Steam Commissions

Valve is currently facing a lawsuit in the United Kingdom seeking up to £656 million in damages over alleged anti-competitive practices related to Steam’s commission structure.

The case argues that Valve restricts pricing on competing platforms, locks users into the Steam ecosystem, and enforces excessive commission rates. The Competition Appeal Tribunal has allowed the case to proceed, marking a significant step in ongoing antitrust scrutiny of digital storefronts.

Pantaloon Secures £150K to Expand Indie Publishing Platform

Indie publisher Pantaloon has raised £150,000 in funding to expand its operations and develop a new publishing platform. Backed by industry veterans and LootLocker, the company plans to grow its team and enhance its direct-to-consumer model.

Pantaloon intends to fund developers up to £100,000 per project and continue operating without traditional recoup structures. The company’s existing newsletter reaches more than 40,000 subscribers and serves as a major part of its outreach strategy.

GOG Admits Devotion Decision Hurt Its Reputation

GOG managing director Maciej Gołębiewski has acknowledged that the platform’s 2020 decision to remove Devotion damaged its reputation. He cited geopolitical pressure and internal uncertainty as contributing factors.

Gołębiewski admitted that the company lacked sufficient understanding at the time and has since worked to establish clearer policies regarding controversial content. GOG has taken stronger public stances in recent years in an effort to rebuild trust with both developers and players.

Study Finds Sequels Perform Better on Twitch

A study by Gamesight analyzing data from 8,079 content creators found that sequels generally perform better on Twitch than original titles. On average, sequels saw a 6.3 percent increase in viewership compared to their predecessors.

The trend was consistent across creators of different sizes, with franchises such as Borderlands seeing significant gains. The only major outlier was Death Stranding, which experienced a decline. The data challenges the idea of widespread sequel fatigue and suggests that strong follow-ups continue to drive engagement.

No Rest for the Wicked Co-Op Update Sends Action RPG to the Top of Steam Charts

Moon Studios’ action RPG No Rest for the Wicked has surged to the top of Steam’s sales charts following the release of its major new co-op update, overtaking heavy hitters such as Arc Raiders, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Forza Horizon 6.

The Diablo-inspired RPG first entered Early Access in 2024 and has experienced a turbulent development cycle. After Moon Studios regained its independence from Private Division, the game suffered through a poorly received patch that CEO Thomas Mahler once described as “probably one of the worst days of my life.” At the time, concerns were raised about the studio’s financial stability, though Mahler later clarified that the team was not in immediate danger.

Nintendo Revives the Virtual Boy With Classic and Lost Games in February

Nintendo is preparing to revive its most infamous console with the return of the Virtual Boy this February, complete with a lineup of classic titles and long-lost projects that never made it to market in the 1990s.

A newly released overview trailer revealed that the revived Virtual Boy experience will launch on February 17, bringing back seven original games: 3-D Tetris, Galactic Pinball, Golf, The Mansion of Innsmouth, Red Alarm, Teleroboxer, and Virtual Boy Wario Land. T

In addition to these classics, Nintendo is also releasing two previously cancelled projects. Zero Racers, a 3D F-Zero-style racing game originally planned for 1996, and the second lost title is Dragon Hopper, now renamed D-Hopper, a top-down action-adventure developed by Intelligent Systems.

Hooded Horse CEO Warns That Generative AI Is “Creeping Into Everything”

Tim Bender, CEO of Hooded Horse, has spoken candidly about the growing challenges posed by generative AI in game development, describing the technology as “cancerous” due to how difficult it is to keep out of production pipelines.

In an interview with PC Gamer, Bender explained that Hooded Horse has a firm policy against using generative AI in its published games. The publisher, known for titles such as Manor Lords and Against the Storm, has publicly committed to avoiding AI-generated assets and content. Despite this stance, Bender admitted that preventing AI from entering development entirely is becoming increasingly difficult.

Indie Fan Fest Sets February 2026 Date for Its Next Digital Showcase

Indie Fan Fest has officially announced the date for its next digital event. The upcoming showcase will take place on Thursday, February 19, 2026, starting at 10:00 AM PT. For European viewers, including audiences in Europe, that means a 7:00 PM CET start time.

Indie Fan Fest is a curated digital showcase focused on unreleased indie games. Its main goal is to help smaller developers reach players at the right moment, with a strong focus on games that are launching demos during Steam Next Fest. By timing its events around demo releases, the showcase aims to boost wishlists and player interest when it matters most.