Whether you crave fast-paced platforming thrills or the gentle relaxation of home decoration, tinyBuild has you covered during Steam Next Fest!
SEATTLE – Feb. 23, 2026 – tinyBuild has not one but TWO surprises for eager players during February’s Steam Next Fest event. Right now, players can discover new demosand trailers for two of the publisher’s hotly anticipated upcoming releases: Come On Studio’s serene home renovation game Hozy and Fair Play Labs’ fiercely competitive high-speed platformer SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed.
Hozy’s Steam Next Fest demo whisks players away to the ultimate home renovation and decoration experience. With over 300,000 wishlists, Hozy showcases four of its levels in this new demo: the Attic, Workshop, Blackout Loft, and the small but packed Apartment Suite. This is the first demonstration of the game’s interactive hub world, giving players a small taste of how their renovation efforts will affect the neighborhood over time! There might even be early signs of a bigger story just waiting to be told…
Hozy will release on March 30, 2026, on Steam via PC and Mac. Play the new demo, wishlist the game today, and prepare to unleash your inner designer!
SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed’s Steam Next Fest demo ignites your competitive spirit, offering a taste of the legendary platformer series’ next lightning-fast iteration. Experience the chaos of the 64-player elimination tournament – or perhaps the intimate but friendship-testing custom matches are more your speed? Honoring the genre-defining appeal of its predecessor, SpeedRunners 2 is a battle of wits and reflexes worthy of the speediest of speed demons!
SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed will release later this year on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. Play the new Steam Next Fest demo now, wishlist the game, and outpace all who dare challenge you!
AboutCome On Studio
A small, passionate team of graphic, visual and web design professionals, working on their first game, Hozy.
About Fair Play Labs
Fair Play Labs is a game development studio dedicated to crafting high-quality, engaging interactive experiences. With a strong track record in both original and licensed IPs, we specialize in creating visually striking and mechanically polished games across multiple platforms, including the critically acclaimed Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, nominated for Best Fighting Game of the Year. www.fairplaylabs.com
About tinyBuild
tinyBuild started as an indie game developer and morphed into a developer-publisher you can’t miss. The company’s dedication to creating long-term partnerships and elevating recognizable franchises has resulted in many successful collaborations with talented developers from all over the world. The company has released dozens of games, including the Hello Neighbor series, Graveyard Keeper, SpeedRunners, DUCKSIDE, The King is Watching and more. Although headquartered in the Seattle Area, USA, the company has established a strong global presence with studios across the US, Netherlands, and Eastern Europe. https://www.tinybuild.com
There’s a reason some classic games never go out of style and part of it is thanks to the fact that, not only were they revolutionary at their time, they happen to be the very same games that modern day developers look to for inspiration. One such indie developer, Slime King Games, has clearly taken a lot of inspiration for their first ever game Under the Island, looking to put their own spin on things and set players out on an island spanning adventure filled with puzzles, collectables, and four key objects to find scattered across the land. The question is, does this indie game stand up on its own or does it fall short of what it aspires to hearken back to?
Story
Nia is a tomboy who wishes she could spend her summer playing with her friends, but unfortunately her archeologist parents are dragging her to the remote Seashell Island over the summer to investigate the unique history and many ancient ruins that dot the landscape. With the island being surrounded by terrible storms for three months, there’s little Nia can do but explore and soon find herself coming across the local shrine and town native Avocado who warns her not to touch it. Yet, of course, Nia does, and triggers a pitfall that sends both Avocado and herself into a strange ruin where an even stranger being from a species long-forgotten by history warns them that the island is in danger.
Four gears that were meant to maintain the island’s inner-workings have gone missing and without them the island will sink beneath the waves. Heeding the advice that these gears trigger strange events whenever they appear, Nia and Avocado (but almost entirely Nia) must track down these gears to save the island and perhaps find even more secrets along the way as there is far more than just Koala Village and some lovely beaches under this island.
Under the Island tells a fairly simple and straightforward tale that is a bit more childish in nature as many of the encounters and events that take place are far more unique than one would expect. While we won’t spoil them here, most boss battles in the game don’t simply involve beating down a bad-guy that stole a gear, but doing some unusual task or series of tasks to assist someone instead or, if it does come to a beatdown, it is usually for something just as ridiculous in nature which is quite humorous. It is a bit unfortunate that the game doesn’t quite live up to its potential in some areas however as the townsfolk have just enough personality to feel interesting but not enough to actually go anywhere.
For example, a few characters will spring extra side-quests on the player to resolve a conflict or fix an issue for a reward but that’s about it, despite featuring the entire town of Koala Village and numerous other smaller villages players will travel to. This lack of potential also arises from the various secrets and hidden locations that players can find. Hidden notes, tucked away ancient artworks, and even entire facilities and locations that hint at more than what is eventually revealed are either entirely optional or given no further elaboration. This is a bit of nice extra content for fans that want to do everything available, but also leaves fans wanting more from a world that isn’t quite deep enough to deliver.
Gameplay
Nia’s journey through Seashell Island is a familiar one that isn’t too complex but one that is filled with possibilities and plenty of hidden secrets to unveil. Since the legendary sword was apparently already taken, Nia wields a hockey stick in its place and utilizes a three-hit combo string to attack and defeat enemies. The game’s combat is quick and fairly responsive with players being able to run out of the way and keep an eye on enemy movements to properly time Nia’s swings to knock them back. Depending on how much extra exploration players undertake, Nia can trigger a small shockwave with her final attack and even perform a series of dashing attacks as well.
This means that Under the Island is far from a hard game, though players may find themselves falling prey to enemies that are far stronger than others if they go too far, though usually Lemon, a cartographer in the game and collector, warns players if they are entering a tough region and aren’t upgraded enough. Upgrades come in a variety of forms but the key one happens to be heart coins that are scattered all over the island. They are in chests, buried behind rocks, hidden in tree-stumps, locked in lockers, and even in an arcade machine. For every four heart coins players obtain M. Uscle, a bodybuilder, will add an extra heart to Nia’s total health gauge and most bosses will also reward a free heart as well.
Other upgrades vary fairly wildly and also depend on how much players tend to explore and want to unlock since some of them are entirely optional. They are also incredibly mislabeled. A mystic bear in Koala Village will upgrade most of the tools that Nia finds in her journey to increase their damage, how much they heal, treasure detection, and more. Each upgrade costs a certain amount of money as well as materials obtained either from enemies or honey located hidden throughout the world in a manner similar to heart coins. The only problem is, at least on the Xbox version of the game, every item displays honey (the hardest to come by material) as being required for every upgrade of every item. That isn’t the case however as the actual ingredient needed is displayed to the left, but this can make players hesitant to waste their resources if they are trying to save up and unaware of the glitched labeling.
True to the game that inspired it and the adventure RPG genre as a whole, Under the Island is more than willing to make players backtrack to areas they’ve been before once they’ve progressed the story and obtained new exploration tools. Various paths will be blocked off by holes in the ground that can only be filled with a shovel, boulders blocking a path that can only be blown apart by a bomb, or even switches or weights that can only be reached with a bird companion. This does encourage retracing steps for those that want to see everything the game has to offer, especially since some incredibly powerful items are the most optional ones, including one that lays deep within a haunted location and another that requires solving multiple mini-puzzles within Koala Town itself, but is a bit annoying as there are also no indicators where these locations previously were. This means players will either need to rely on memory or simply explore again and hope they remember where the shortcut or hidden pathway can now be accessed.
That being said, with so many tools at the player’s disposal for exploration it also means that the puzzles also have just as much variety to work with and that is where Under the Island really shines. None of them are truly mind-benders, though a few require some outside the box thinking, but there is so much variety here that players will stay engaged all the way through until the very last dungeon. Speaking of dungeons, while the standard enemies are fairly run-of-the-mill and a bit generic with re-skins in various locations, the boss battles are exceptional. As mentioned earlier most boss battles feature unique elements that differ from simply beating down an enemy. These are often little puzzles in their own right trying to figure out the proper way to expose an opening or trigger the required effect, keeping players engaged even if they’ve explored the entire island and gathered nearly every collectable.
Now, there are a few issues that plague Under the Island and while one happens to be rather difficult to control but, thankfully one time only unless players are aiming for the achievement, snowboard mini-game, there are a couple others that are significant issues. The first is the fact that at the moment the game does not properly save upon completing the game, giving players a chance to return to the island and “clean-up” anything they might have missed as intended, and secondly is another save issue that is far more dire. For unknown reasons that happened twice, the game refused to actually save despite saving at the various shrine-like locations scattered throughout the world.
Players cannot see their save slot to know that the save worked properly but are told that the game was saved properly, only to load the title back up to find that their save file is missing an entire dungeon’s worth of progress. In another case it required completing a number of side-objectives before the final dungeon once again just to gather items up again since the save file forgot entirely to actually save the game. Ironically, one of these discoveries came when the game hard-crashed due to an unknown error appearing when the player’s bird companion was damaged with a bomb, forcing a quit that also revealed that none of the saves had worked for over an hour.
Audio & Visuals
Seashell Island features a colorful and vibrant array of locations to explore and each area in Under the Island is surprisingly varied between deep-woods to mountains covered in snow and more. Each location will feature enemies designed, or slightly altered, for that location and the pixel character models themselves are quite impressive with their chibi designs. The few character portraits are also decent, though not too impressive overall.
The title does not feature any voice work but it does feature a rather nice collection of background music with there being eighteen songs in total that players can even obtain as collectables and listen to at any time in their home, though at the moment two tapes are currently glitched as well thanks to aforementioned save issues.
Overall
Under the Island does feature some rather underwhelming storytelling despite the potential it hints at but strong combat, varied and clever puzzle design, and a ton of optional but engaging side-content make this an adventure to remember even if it does wear its inspirations as clear as day. Unfortunately, between some generic re-used enemy designs and a number of bugs that are not only noticeable but can downright erase hours of progress if they trigger, let’s hope that Slime King Games can patch up these holes and make sure this island runs as smooth as it plays.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Featured in Indie Fan Fest, the Stylish Action Platformer Showcases Its First-Ever God Boss Fight
[February 23, 2026] – SoulQuest, the Kickstarter-successful 2D action hack-and-slash from SoulBlade Studio LLC, has released a newly updated demo now live during Steam Next Fest following its feature in Indie Fan Fest.
The game puts players in control of Alys as she battles mythic enemies, navigates precision platforming challenges, and rises to confront the gods themselves. Blending fast, expressive combat with a character-driven narrative, SoulQuest continues to build momentum as players dive into its evolving combat and progression systems. Published by indie.io, the title arrives at Steam Next Fest with its most refined demo yet.
Built around skill-driven encounters and deliberate traversal, SoulQuest draws inspiration from character action staples like Devil May Cry, bringing style-based combat and performance grading into a 2D action platformer. Players chain attacks, launch aerial combos, unlock new abilities, and push for higher combat rankings as difficulty increases, with encounters designed to reward mastery and precision.
Set against lore-rich, beautifully crafted pixel art environments, the game follows Alys on her emotional quest through a world shaped by gods and mythic forces.
This updated demo offers a sharper look at the game’s story pacing and level flow while expanding combat and platforming difficulty. Taking place shortly after the opening mission of the full game, it introduces a brand-new zone filled with new enemy types and increased challenge designed to showcase the depth of the combat system.
Expanding meaningfully on earlier builds, this demo also introduces the first-ever playable God Boss fight along with additional enemy encounters and new content for players to uncover. It provides both returning players and newcomers with a substantial hands-on experience during Steam Next Fest.
With Steam Next Fest underway, players can download the SoulQuest demo now on Steam and wishlist the game to follow Alys’s journey toward confronting the gods themselves.
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 23, 2026) –Beastro is back on the menu, as Timberline Studio confirms the cozy culinary adventure will feature an updated playable demo during Steam Next Fest, which is available right now. For returning players, or those stepping into the kitchens of Palo Pori for the first time, its unique blend of cooking, farming and deckbuilding combat is a feast for the senses.
The Next Fest demo introduces players to several of the game’s Caretakers, each representing a different taste that shapes combat and character dynamics:
Oyshi, the Umami Caretaker, is a gentle, comforting soul with a natural affinity for animals and people alike. His name references the classic umami ingredients of mushrooms (“oyster,” “shiitake,”) and oishii, the Japanese word for delicious.
Kalan, the Bitter Caretaker, is a more…acquired taste. First encountered alone in the wilds, resistant to help and proud of his independence. Winning him over requires patience, but discovering his favorite dish becomes a real turning point, proving that even those most guarded can be won over by the right meal.
The updated demo also includes a variety of new content, including brand-new NPCs breathing new life into Palo Pori, increased language support for both in-game content and external feedback with improved access to the town map alongside a heap more of quality-of-life features. The full list of upgrades can found here.
In Beastro, every meal players prepare becomes their cards in a flavorful deckbuilding system, powering theatrical puppet-style combat encounters, where strategy and seasoning matter just as much as timing. As Panko, the talented Caracal chef, players must keep the villagers and adventurers well fed, as ravenous monsters begin to destroy the spirits outside of your home.The only way to defeat them is by keeping bellies full.
Prepare to cook up a storm and support the heroes of Palo Pori when Beastro launches this spring on PS5, Steam, Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass. For more information, visit https://store.steampowered.com/app/2417470/Beastro/
About Timberline Studio: Timberline Studio is an independent game studio based in Los Angeles, CA and our homes. We build games that explore vibrant worlds with unexpected characters and stories. That desire stems from our diverse team, which brings varied perspectives, identities, and backgrounds into our creative process. We pride ourselves on building a team combining both experienced members of the industry and untapped talent who are seeking to find their place to shine and grow. Timberline is built on the mindset that we are here to make great games and better ourselves as a team and studio.
Cosmic Competitive Puzzler Scramble Star Crossing Releases New Demo For Steam Next Fest
Constellate and crush the competition! Scramble Star Crossing tosses you into frantic 2-4 player battles to clear lines of stars and unleash powerful character abilities. A new demo releases February 18th as part of Steam Next Fest!
[February 23rd, 2026]: Scramble Star Crossing starts you off in the shoes of Alice, a novice Star Clearer with a spunky energy and endless enthusiasm. As she navigates the unexpected twists and turns of her first Star Clearer’s Competition, she encounters a colorful constellation of characters, each with their own stories and relationships, as well as their own special abilities. Help her find her place among the stars!
Scramble Star Crossing’s extra modes are where characters truly come to life: with up to fifteen playable characters, all with unique abilities which activate as they clear row after row. Team up with your friends in two-on-two battles or hold your own in free-for-all mode! Knock your rivals out of the sky in one-on-one versus. Hone your skills in solo modes such as Time Trial, Arcade, Zen, and countless others!
Scramble Star Crossing brings a sparklingnew demo to Steam Next Fest on February 18th, giving players a chance to paint themselves across the sky, and experience the game’s supernova of fast-paced action and reaction firsthand!
Watch the trailer for Scramble Star Crossing below.
Key features of Scramble Star Crossing include:
15+ Character Roster. Up to fifteen playable characters, each with their own unique abilities, mean that the action is always fresh, and there’s a way to play for everyone!
Countless Game Modes. Both single-player and multiplayer have a wide variety of experiences, from team battles, free-for-alls, and one-on-one versus battles, with different rulesets and conditions to mix things up! Fly solo in Zen Mode, Arcade Mode, Marathon Mode, Clear the Crossing, Time Trial, and more!
Stellar Storyline! Help Alice chase her dreams! Interact with the colorful cast of fellow Star Clearers as Alice works her way to the top in her first-ever Competition! Explore bitter rivalries, unexpected friendships, and shocking twists and turns, as she finds her own place among her childhood heroes!
Gorgeous Cosmic Vibes. Colorful characters, vibrant backgrounds, and a fantastic original soundtrack pulls you fully out of this world!
Scramble Star Crossing is releasing a new demo on February 18th as part of Steam Next Fest.
About Dusk Sharp
Dusk Sharp is an indie game development collective based in New York City, focused on taking classic formulas in new directions. Scramble Star Crossing is their first major release, a competitive match-3 puzzle-game with a stellar twist. It has a new demo arriving February 18th, as part of Steam Next Fest.
About Scramble Star Crossing
The first major major release of Dusk Sharp studios, Scramble Star Crossing is a competitive match-3 puzzle-game with a stellar twist. It has a new demo arriving February 18th, as part of Steam Next Fest.
Kalypso Media and Kite Games Storm a Demo on the Shores of Steam
Bracknell, UK – February 23rd, 2025 – Publisher Kalypso Media and Developer Kite Games have today announced that Sudden Strike 5, their upcoming Real-Time Strategy WWII game and latest installment in the Sudden Strike series, will have a playable demo during the Steam Next Fest from today, February 23rd, up until March 2nd. This comes following a successful Closed Beta period last year and nearly a decade since the previous game, Sudden Strike 4, released in 2017.
Generals, prepare to fall in line and command the forces of two out of the three factions across two specially selected missions, “Attack on Monte Cassino” (Western Allies) and “Defence of Sevastopol” (Soviets) – the final game will also include the ability to play as the Axis forces. These two missions are just a taste of the full game, which will include a massive 25-missions across the three faction campaigns, ranging from icy tundra to the blistering heat of Northern Africa. At launch, the full game will feature 25 missions, multiplayer modes, along with additional balancing, and improvements not present in this demo.
Check out the demo for Sudden Strike 5 now, exclusively on Steam Next Fest until March 2nd. The team at Kalypso will be showcasing the demo live at 4 pm BST on the Kalypso Media YouTube channel, and if you missed the AMA past week, highlights of the Q&A from Kite Games are available on Steam.
The full game will launch later this year across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation®5, and will bring with it more than 300 unique units and even more tactical possibilities.
Sudden Stike 5 Features:
Command massive battles: Sudden Strike 5 delivers a truly immersive strategy experience 25 missions across huge, diverse maps and the highest unit counts ever seen in the series, setting the stage for large-scale tactical warfare.
Deploy a vast arsenal of WW2 units: Command over 300 authentic units – including more than 190 vehicles and 110 infantry units – such as the Sherman tank for the Western Allies, the Messerschmidt Bf 109 for the German troops, and the T-34 for the Soviet troops.
Shape your strategy in dynamic mission gameplay: Utilize unprecedented strategic freedom by choosing your own tactics, units, and objectives to complete the mission goals. Seize and defend key locations like Field HQs, Supply Depots, and Train Stations to gain critical advantages, while using recon, sabotage, alternative routing, and smart unit combinations to outmanoeuvre your enemies.
Adapt your tactics with customisable commanders: Choose the Commander that best fits your playstyle and tactics – whether offensive, defensive, or more tactical. Each brings unique skills that can turn the tide of battle, such as deploying smoke grenades to provide cover on the battlefield or boosting the accuracy of your artillery.
Take full control of the battlefield: Extended camera options let you zoom out for full strategic oversight or zoom in for a closer look at the frontline action, giving you better control over every aspect of the battlefield.
Challenge yourself and others: Test your strategy against real opponents or AI enemies across multiple difficulty levels, offering competitive PvP challenges.
About the Kalypso Media Group GmbH Kalypso Media Group GmbH is an independent publisher, developer, and marketer of interactive entertainment software with over 200 employees at 10 locations across Germany, England, France, Japan, and the USA. The Kalypso Media Group includes Kasedo Games, the digital label of Kalypso Media Group, along with four development studios: Realmforge Studios (Dungeons series), Gaming Minds Studios in Gütersloh and Paderborn (Railway Empire, Port Royale, Tropico 7) and Claymore Game Studios (Commandos: Origins).
Specializing in the development of strategy and simulation games for a global audience on multi-platforms, Kalypso Media Group’s IP portfolio includes full rights to the Tropico series, Commandos, Port Royale, Dungeons, Sudden Strike, and Railway Empire, among others. Kalypso Media’s most recent releases are The Inquisitor, Commandos: Origins and Disciples: Domination. Recent releases from Kasedo Games include Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop, Sweet Dreams Alex, and Rise of Industry 2, with upcoming titles such as Warhammer 40000: Mechanicus II and Life Below. Find out more at www.kalypsomedia.com.
Kalypso Media Group offers a wide range of merch products and clothing in the newly opened Kalypso Media merch store. The products available include Kalypso Media’s best-known franchises, including Commandos, Railway Empire, Dungeons, and Tropico.
Lesquin, February 23, 2026 – NACON is pleased to invite players and the press to its annual online conference, NACON Connect, which will take place on March 4, 2026, at 11:00 AM PST / 8:00 PM CET. This key event will highlight the publisher-developer’s future releases as well as the latest from its accessories department. The program will include game announcements, the broadcast of new videos and gameplay presentations for anticipated titles such as Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss, The Mound, Edge of Memories, and Endurance Motorsport Series.
The conference will also be an opportunity to reveal new projects that will enrich NACON’s catalog in the coming months.
For a sneak peek, watch the event teaser now:
The broadcast will be live on NACON’s official channels on March 4 at 8:00 PM CET / 11:00 AM PST.
Tune in to watch live: YouTube:NACON | Twitch:NACON
Join us on NACON’s official channels on March 4 at 8PM CET / 11AM PST to follow the announcements and react live. #NACONCONNECT
Stay tuned! More information will be revealed very soon. Find all NACON games and accessories on nacongaming.com
About NACON A company within the BIGBEN group, NACON was created in 2019 to optimise its expertise and leverage synergies in the video game market. Comprising 16 development studios, AA game publishing, and the design and distribution of premium gaming peripherals, NACON brings 40 years of experience to benefit the world’s gaming community. This unified centre of excellence strengthens NACON’s position in the market and creates unique opportunities for innovation and competitive advantages. https://corporate.nacongaming.com
Build defenses around your diner, survive waves of monsters, and turn their remains into questionable cuisine in this narrative-driven management thriller
Bangkok, Thailand (February 23, 2026) | Today, Rising Tide Publishing and developer Hidden Chest Studios announced that Midwest 90: Rapid City, a story-rich restaurant management survival game, will debut a new demo as part of Steam Next Fest. Combining diner simulation, tactical base defense, and branching narrative decisions, Midwest 90: Rapid City challenges players to keep their doors open, their town alive, and their souls intact during a full-scale monster apocalypse.
In Midwest 90: Rapid City, players operate a small-town diner in Rapid City, where desperate times call for desperate measures. Monsters are both a threat and a resource, and by setting carefully crafted traps, diner owners can defeat eerie beasts, harvest their remains, and turn them into unique dishes to fuel their business while preparing for the next attack. Nothing is wasted in Midwest 90.
Each day brings tough decisions. Invest in research to unlock new monster recipes, upgrade kitchen equipment to handle demanding customers, or reinforce defenses to survive monster assaults. Dialogue and characters are rich, peculiar, and consequence-driven, with strategic planning and moral choices directly influencing the story’s direction and the fate of Rapid City.
Midwest 90: Rapid City Key Features:
A restaurant sim with real steaks… err, stakes: Manage menus, research monster ingredients, upgrade equipment, and satisfy customers while surviving an unfolding apocalypse.
(Tower) defend your diner: Set traps, reinforce structures, and prepare for unpredictable monster incursions that threaten your livelihood.
Meaningful narrative choices: Decisions affect relationships, morale, and the long-term future of Rapid City.
Haunting ‘90s-inspired aesthetic: An early Fallout-inspired perspective meets an eerie orange-and-red supernatural vibe.
Midwest 90: Rapid City is developed by Hidden Chest Studios, an independent Malaysian studio focused on immersive, system-driven storytelling experiences. The game will be published globally by Rising Tide Publishing, a Thailand-based publisher committed to helping Southeast Asia studios rise.
Players can wishlist and download the Steam Next Fest demo now on Steam.
About Hidden Chest Studios
Hidden Chest Studios is a Malaysian game developer dedicated to crafting thoughtful, system-driven experiences that balance creativity and technical design. The team is driven by a mission to build meaningful games while championing ethical employment practices and helping elevate the Malaysian games industry on a global stage.
About Rising Tide Publishing
Rising Tide Publishing is a Thailand-based indie game publisher founded to support niche studios across Southeast Asia. Guided by the belief that “a rising tide lifts all ships,” the company operates with a dev-first philosophy, fostering collaborative partnerships that help studios share momentum, visibility, and resources rather than compete in isolation.
Play the Steam Next Fest demo for Sunken Sky, a semi-open world Metroidvania featuring three playable heroes
Krępa Słupska, Poland (February 23, 2026) | Today, developer Codenightly announced that its upcoming anime-inspired Metroidvania, Sunken Sky, will participate in February’s Steam Next Fest with a playable demo. Beginning February 23 and running through March 2, players can explore the world of Sunken Sky, swapping between three distinct heroines, each with unique abilities used to uncover a vast semi-open world.
Set in a kingdom shaped by a long-standing conflict, Sunken Sky lets players step into the role of three unlikely heroes: a nameless girl eager to explore the world, a survivor driven by guilt, and a noble determined to prove their worth. Together, they must unveil their homeland’s history, overcome fearsome foes, and forge new connections in a lighthearted story centered on growth, hope, and discovery.
Blending Metroidvania and JRPG storytelling elements, Sunken Sky is designed to be accessible for newcomers while still offering meaningful challenges for genre veterans. Drawing inspiration from titles such as Ori and the Blind Forest and Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, the game establishes its own identity through hundreds of hand-drawn illustrations, with each frame showcasing a detailed world filled with hidden curiosities and treasures.
Sunken Sky Key Features
Switch between three unlikely heroes: Take control of three distinct characters, each with unique abilities and personal motivations that shape how players explore the world.
Battle fearsome foes: Face a variety of enemies, from smaller creatures to challenging boss encounters that stand in the way.
Explore a vast interconnected world: Traverse a labyrinthine landscape spanning hazardous mountains, enchanted forests, and more.
Dive into playful minigames: Step away from the main adventure with side activities such as cooking challenges and aerial flight segments.
Discover a beautifully handcrafted world: Hundreds of hand-drawn illustrations bring a vibrant anime-inspired setting to life, filled with personality and detail.
Experience an accessible adventure: Designed to welcome newcomers while offering satisfying depth for genre veterans, supported by a lighthearted story of hope and discovery.
“We are thrilled to be part of Steam Next Fest and to introduce the world of Sunken Sky to new players,” said Marcin Szmacinski, programmer and game designer at Codenightly. “Our goal during development was to bring a world filled with personality to life while making the adventure welcoming for newcomers and still retaining everything fans love about the Metroidvania genre. We can’t wait for players to experience the demo and take their first steps into the journey ahead.”
Players can wishlist Sunken Sky and download the Steam Next Fest demo now on Steam, or learn more at sunkensky.com. The full game is planned to launch in Spring 2026.
About Sunken Sky
Sunken Sky is an original anime-inspired Metroidvania that follows three unlikely heroes as they uncover the past of their kingdom, face fearsome foes, and form new bonds along the way. Blending classic Metroidvania exploration with JRPG storytelling elements, the game is designed to welcome newcomers while offering meaningful depth for genre veterans.
Set across a vast interconnected world spanning hazardous mountains and enchanted forests, players can switch between three unique characters, each with distinct abilities used to explore beautifully handcrafted environments filled with hidden details and discovery.
About Codenightly
Codenightly is a Poland-based game development studio focused on creating character-driven experiences and immersive worlds. Made up of developers from across the globe, the team brings diverse perspectives together to craft engaging narratives and thoughtful gameplay.
The studio’s debut title, Sunken Sky, explores a new approach to the Metroidvania genre, combining accessibility for newcomers with depth for longtime fans of the genre. Drawing on the team’s varied creative backgrounds, the project reflects Codenightly’s commitment to building memorable adventures shaped by collaboration and storytelling.
Madrid, Spain – 23 February 2026. Meridiem is pleased to announce that it will publish a physical edition of Dragon is Dead, a 2D dark fantasy hack-and-slash, roguelite action platformer that offers tons of customisation fun with different character skill trees and legendary equipment. Developed by Team Suneat and digitally published by PM Studios, the physical Guernian Edition of Dragon is Dead will be distributed by Meridiem across European specialist stores for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on July 14, 2026.
Meridiem is responsible for designing and manufacturing the physical Guernian Edition of Dragon is Dead for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, and will include a copy of the game, a special sleeve, character art cards and the Lore of Gernian document!
In this dark fantasy action roguelite, death is only the beginning. As an immortal Successor, slash through corrupted lands, master three distinct classes, and keep your legendary gear to return stronger after every fall. The Black Dawn awaits.
Play as an immortal Successor
You are a Successor, an immortal warrior empowered by the gods Lu, Ashuran, and Harnia. When you die, you revive with your gear, runes, and unlocks intact and head back out from Cliffshire to push further into corrupted zones.
Choose your Successor
You’ll start as the Spellblade and unlock additional Successors as you progress. Each has its own skill tree, weapons, and playstyle
Playable Classes
Spellblade – Element-focused hybrid with close and mid-range attacks built around fire, frost, and lightning.
Berserker – Heavy melee bruiser that trades its own HP and positioning for huge damage and armour.
Hunter – Mobile ranged fighter using thrown weapons, poison, and beast abilities to apply damage over time and control space.
2D Roguelite Hack-and-Slash Combat
Combat revolves around precise dodges, reading telegraphed attacks, and committing to aggressive combos. Areas are multi-layered 2D stages that reshuffle enemy layouts, hazards, and loot each run. When you fall, you lose gold and temporary bonuses, but your gear and runes stay with you and form the base of your next attempt.
Loot, runes, and artefacts
Hunt Elites and Bosses to claim Rune Stones, then craft them into Legendary and Mythic equipment. Runes and class skill trees interact to define your build, while artefacts you pick up mid-run stack into powerful synergies.
Uncover the Black Dawn
The dragon Guernian has fallen, and his Corruption twists the world. You must fight your way to the Citadel at the centre of the rift. But be warned: the history you know is a lie. Track down major bosses, piece together the fragments of the past, and discover what the Black Dawn is really doing with the Corruption.
Dragon is Dead – Guernian Edition will arrive physically for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on July 14, 2026.
About Meridiem
We are Meridiem, a video game publisher and distributor in love with its culture, which we protect and pass on in order to preserve it. We do this by fostering talent through investment in independent projects with potential, bringing back classic titles, promising indies and AAA games while continuing to support the physical format.
When we stop working on video games, we celebrate by playing video games. https://meridiem-games.com/ #PLAYTOREMEMBER.
About PM Studios
PM Studios is a game developer and publisher dedicated to championing indie innovation and delivering bold, unforgettable gaming experiences to players around the world. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Las Vegas, with international operations in Seoul, Korea, PM Studios brings deep expertise in development, distribution, and publishing — with a growing slate of acclaimed titles and popular franchises across console, PC, and mobile.
At PM Studios, creativity comes without compromise. We empower creators, connect communities, and invite players everywhere to unleash their wonder. Come play. www.pm-studios.com
About Team Suneat
Team Suneat is an indie game dev team made up of 4 industry veterans who have been working together for many years. A subsidiary of PM Studios, Team Suneat is bringing their action game expertise to Dragon is Dead – due to launch in 2024.
