No Small Games

By Kate Hunter & Emily MerrittLeisure Video Games Games

No Small Games episodes

October 31 Indie Game Roundup - October 2026
Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions.
To put it bluntly: we were fools. We somehow convinced ourselves that October would not be as busy, hectic and packed with new indie game releases as September. Boy, were we wrong. We've got indie game demos from several different events to share with you this month, from LudoNarraCon, to Steam Next Fest. Plus an assortment of new releases, including some games that were among our most anticipated titles of 2026!
We are also extremely excited to announce that we are once again partnering with Dark Cocooning on another Weird Days event! This time around, that includes hosting our very first games showcase! The Weird Days: Dark Tales by Warm Light kicks off on November 2 with a 90 minute showcase, featuring 70 indie games that all celebrate the creepy, yet cozy side of indie games, hosted by the two of us! The party doesn't end there, though! The festivities continue on Steam from November 2-9 with special deals, featured programming, developer interviews and more! You can check out the Weird Days: Dark Tales by Warm Light Steam Event Page starting on November 2, and don't forget to catch the showcase on YouTube and Twitch, premiering that day at 2pm Eastern.
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 - October 2026 Show Notes
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Intro
00:05:50 - Icebreaker Question
00:14:45 - Indie Game News
00:20:20 - Upcoming Anticipated Games - November
00:29:13 - Demos
00:57:18 - Dressmaker
01:06:00 - Forever Ago
01:09:48 - Truckful
01:14:00 - Shroom and Gloom
01:19:13 - True Love's Curse
01:24:00 - Backrooms Cleanup Crew
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
1 hr 30 min
October 22 Ep. 73 - Project Songbird
Project Songbird, developed by Connor Rush and FYRE Games, is a 2026 narrative horror game set deep in the Appalachian forests. Singer-songwriter Dakota is struggling with writer's block and needs to escape their intrusive, dark memories to focus on producing their music. Project Songbird combines survival horror gameplay with a traditional narrative walking sim experience. Players must help Dakota confront their inner demons and make it out of the woods in one piece.
In episode 73 of No Small Games, we're getting into the Halloween spirit by confronting the two scariest things we could thing of: horrifying monsters and emotional vulnerability. We discuss the triumphs and downfalls of this iteration on survival horror gameplay, along with our impressions of Dakota's journey. Best of all, we dig in to the themes of the story, that center around what it means to create things for ourselves, for other people, and how to survive the pressure of expectations.
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Intro
00:09:00 - Boss Battles
00:27:15 - Project Songbird Discussion
01:49:10 - Game Ratings
01:54:34 - 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
2 hr 4 min
October 08 Ep. 72 - Sovereign Tower feat. Robin Bea
Sovereign Tower, developed by Wild Wits Games and published by Curve Games, plucks you from obscurity and drops you atop the throne of a small, humble kingdom. Without warning, it becomes your role to listen to subjects and determine whose requests get granted, to develop relationships with potential allies, and to protect the sovereignty of your rule. To do this, you must gather a band of fearsome knights to your round table. You'll be able to choose their quests and strategically send them out on missions that require their specialized skills and hopefully also meet their goals for personal fulfillment. Yes, it is essentially medieval Dispatch, in the best way.
In Episode 72, we're joined by Robin Bea to discuss the many shenanigans we engaged in during our playthroughs of Sovereign Tower. You'll hear about our successes in dating around the tower, and who we chose to ally ourselves with. A heads up to anyone who wants to play the game: every choice matters and the narrative begins to branch meaningfully and quickly, so our narrative discussion will contain some spoilers, even before our official spoiler section. We had a delight chatting with Robin about this incredibly special game, and we hope you enjoy the chat!
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Intro
00:05:52 - Weekly Boss Battles
00:16:20 - Meet our Guest - Robin Bea
00:33:27 - Sovereign Tower Discussion
01:31:53 - Sovereign Tower Spoilers
01:39:21 - Game Ratings
01:45:14 - One Small Thing
Meet our Guest
Robin (she/her)
@robinbombus.bsky.social
Robin Bea is a games journalist and critic and the co-host of the video game podcasts Girl Mode and dotzip, and In Sequence, comics and manga podcast for everyone. Her voice in game media is one that we admire immensely.
Check out Robin on:
Girl Mode
dotzip
In Sequence
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
1 hr 55 min
September 30 Indie Game Roundup - September 2026
Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions.
If you thought your Indie Game of the Year pick or top 10 of 2026 was locked in, September probably threw all of that out of whack. It certainly made us question everything we previously thought, because this month was relentless with its deluge of incredible indies. From Well Dweller, to Woodo, to Sucker for Love, we really drew from every genre and vibe this month in our selection. We're also looking ahead to October, because 2026 does not appear to be slowing down with the game releases.
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 - September 2026 Show Notes
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:27 - Icebreaker Question
00:13:08 - Indie Game News
00:25:54 - Demos
00:35:14 - Kernel Hearts
00:44:25 - Sucker for Love: Crush Landing
00:51:47 - Well Dweller
00:59:16 - the mountain is as it always was
01:02:43 - Woodo
01:10:53 - TOEM 2
01:17:47 - Fruitbearer
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
1 hr 32 min
September 24 Ep. 71 - Wax Heads feat. Kevin Cortez
Wax Heads, developed by Patattie Games, is a slice-of-life visual novel mixed with a record store management sim. You'll spend your shifts at Repeater Records recommending albums to a parade of strange and charming customers, learning about the panoply of fascinating artists from the Wax Heads cinematic universe, and chatting with your coworkers. Everyone on staff at the store has a fascinating backstory to unpack, but none more than your elusive boss, Morgan Macintyre. But just as you're getting to know and love the store, your customers, and your colleagues, the threat of a closure begins to loom. Can Repeater Records be saved?
In Episode 71, we had the pleasure of chatting with content creator Kevin Cortez about this quirky musical-centered game. Everyone had their own personal experience of spending day in and day out recommending music to the Repeater Records customers, and you'll get to hear about everyone's favorite coworkers. Most importantly, perhaps, you'll also hear our definitive berry rankings!
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Intro
00:05:38 - Weekly Boss Battles
00:13:02 - Meet our Guest - Kevin Cortez
00:26:28 - Wax Heads Discussion
01:35:38 - Wax Heads Spoilers
01:41:12 - Game Ratings
01:46:02 - One Small Thing
Meet our Guest
Kevin (he/him)
@kevincortez.huffpost.com
Kevin Cortez is the Shopping Editor at HuffPost, a contributor to the gaming blog site Mothership, and a content creator who curates recommendations for a variety of fun product types, including gaming merch. We're big fans of all of his work and loved getting a peek into his process in this episode!
Check out Kevin on:
Tiktok
Instagram
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
1 hr 56 min
September 13 PAX West 2026 Recap
We're bringing you along for our first PAX West in Seattle! We're stoked to share all the indie demos, side events, and shenanigans!
Our very first PAX West in Seattle had us feeling like games media babies all over again. Two buildings, many floors of expo booths, panels, and programming, and so much to explore! But we played more indie game demos than ever at this PAX! We also got to attend some wonderfully indie-centric side events like the MIX Fall Showcase and the Seattle Indies Expo. We're a little loopy from all the travel, but we hope you enjoy this recap of all the games we got to check out, including some exclusive sneak peeks!
Curious to hear and see more about these games? Check out our roundup of 11 stellar indie games we got our hands on at the show, including our Game of the Show! Also, check out the full show notes for the names of and links to all of the games we talk about in this episode!
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:05 - NSG Off the Cuff: PAX Day 1
00:07:53 - PAX West 2026 First Impressions
00:19:10 - Unofficial Side Events
00:27:47 - NSG Off the Cuff: PAX Day 2
00:50:20 - PAX Indie Demo Highlights
01:15:20 - Interview - Manda Farough and Greg Rogers, Causeway Studios
01:33:34 - PAX Indie Demo Highlights Continued
01:38:18 - Interview - Ben Escobar, Genie Boy Games
01:42:56 - PAX Indie Demo Highlights Continued
02:12:21 - Interview - Quintin Pan, ambedo studio
02:20:20 - PAX Indie Demo Highlights Continued
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
2 hr 33 min
August 31 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
2 hr 32 min
August 20 Ep. 70 - Road 96 feat. RoganPlaysGames
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
2 hr 20 min
August 06 Ep. 69 - Mixtape feat. Brendon Bigley & AJ Fillari
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
2 hr 28 min
July 31 Indie Game Roundup - July 2026
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
2 hr 4 min

About No Small Games

From the publisher's feed

No Small Games is an indie game recap and review podcast brought to you by hosts Kate and Emily! They became friends while streaming on Twitch and bonded over their love of indie video games. In each…