Hello everyone and welcome back to another blog post. Oh, look who came back. Did you really think one list was enough? Cute. The internet runs on sequels, reboots, and the quiet desperation of people like you searching for something—anything—to fill the void between lunch and your next meeting.
So here we are. Part Two. A fresh batch of ten 2D indie games that weren’t on the first list. No repeats. No filler. And absolutely no Silksong jokes, because apparently some of you took that personally last time. (I’m kidding. Silksong is still not on this list. It never will be. Move on.)
Now, let’s get to the games. Or don’t. I’m not your life coach.
1. TetherGeist (For People Who Found Celeste Too Forgiving)
Released in May 2026, TetherGeist is what happens when a developer looks at Celeste and thinks, “You know what this needs? More spiritual existentialism and a tether mechanic that makes you question your spatial reasoning.” You play as Mae, a young traveler whose astral projection is limited by a literal tether—meaning every jump, every dash, every “I definitely meant to do that” is constrained by a mechanic you’ll either master or rage-quit over.
The pixel art is hand-drawn and gorgeous. The instant respawns mean you’ll fail fifty times without losing your mind—or at least not all of it. And the Atropa Blossoms (this game’s version of Strawberries) will absolutely make you replay levels you swore you’d never touch again.
It’s Celeste’s DNA with its own identity. The tether system evolves in ways that feel genuinely clever, not gimmicky. And unlike certain games, it actually respects your time.
Play this if: You like precision platformers and have a healthy relationship with failure. Or want one.
2. Deep Space Exploitation (Capitalism, But Make It Asteroids)
This one won an Editors’ Choice nod at IndieDB’s 2025 awards, and for good reason. You’re a future asteroid miner working for a corporation that would happily replace you with a slightly cheaper robot. The 2D pixel physics are destructible, the resource management is tight, and the emails you receive from your employer are passive-aggressive in ways that feel uncomfortably familiar.
It’s not flashy. It’s not trying to be the next Hades. It’s just a genuinely well-designed game about exploitation, both of asteroids and of yourself.
Why it’s here: It’s the anti-power fantasy. You’re not saving the world. You’re paying off fines. And somehow, that’s more compelling than half the “chosen one” narratives out there.
Play this if: You enjoyed Dave the Diver’s management loop but wanted more existential dread about labor.
3. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (Yes, That Ninja Gaiden. In 2D. In 2026.)
Okay, technically this dropped in 2025, but the PC port and continued updates have kept it relevant into 2026. The Game Kitchen—the people behind Blasphemous—took the classic Ninja Gaiden formula and made it fast, brutal, and shockingly good. You play as two fused-together ninjas with a dynamic that’s genuinely interesting, not just “edgy protagonist #47.”
The combat is snappy. The platforming is precise. And the difficulty is the kind that makes you feel like a genius when you finally nail a section, not the kind that makes you wonder why you’re doing this to yourself.
It’s a legacy series done right in 2D. No nostalgia bait. No half-measures. Just a hard-as-nails action platformer that earns its name.
Play this if: You liked Blasphemous but wanted less Catholic guilt and more “I am a blade.”
4. Replaced (Cyberpunk, But Actually Interesting)
Replaced is a 2.5D platformer with visuals that look like someone spilled Blade Runner into a pixel art program and decided to ship it. The environments are detailed, the action is sleek, and the cyberpunk setting doesn’t feel like a checklist of tropes for once.
It’s not out yet—slated for late 2026—but it’s on this list because if you’re going to wait for something, wait for something that looks like it actually has a vision beyond “neon and rain.”
Because sometimes the best games are the ones you haven’t played yet. And because the 2.5D aesthetic in a 2D list is a bold choice I’m willing to defend.
Play this if: You’ve been waiting for a cyberpunk game that doesn’t make you sigh.
5. Mina the Hollower (Yacht Club Games’ Next Thing)
From the people who brought you Shovel Knight comes a top-down 2D action-adventure that looks like it crawled out of a Game Boy Color and decided to stay. Mina is a mouse with a whip, a burrow mechanic, and a gothic horror aesthetic that’s more “atmospheric” than “try-hard.”
It’s not out yet—2026 is the window—but it’s been playable at events, and the impressions are consistent: it feels good. Like, “I want to keep playing this” good. That’s rarer than it should be.
Yacht Club has a track record. Mina looks like it’s continuing that streak. And a mouse with a whip is inherently more interesting than whatever you were doing five minutes ago.
Play this if: You liked Shovel Knight’s precision and charm but wanted something darker and weirder.
6. Hollow Knight: Silksong (Just Kidding. Here’s Pipistrello Instead.)
No. Stop. Put your pitchfork down. I’m not doing this again.
But since you apparently enjoyed my pain last time, here’s the actual number six: Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo. Someone looked at the GBA-era Zelda formula and said, “What if the hero used a yo-yo and was in debt?” And somehow, it works. It’s a 2D top-down action-adventure with a nonlinear structure, a charming Brazilian setting, and an upgrade system based on paying off debt with money you don’t have. The yo-yo serves as movement, puzzle-solving, and combat. It’s the kind of game that shouldn’t exist but does, and more people should be talking about it.
Because it’s actually good, and it’s the closest thing to a new 2D Zelda that isn’t just another Hollow Knight clone.
Play this if: You miss the Game Boy Advance era and want something that feels like a lost classic, not a nostalgia cash-grab.
7. The Ballad of Bellum (The One Nobody’s Talking About)
This is the sleeper pick. The one that’ll be on “best games you missed” lists in two years while everyone pretends they knew about it first. The Ballad of Bellum is a 2D action-adventure with a hand-drawn art style and a combat system that rewards aggression, not patience. It’s not trying to be Hollow Knight. It’s trying to be its own thing, and it mostly succeeds.
It’s not out yet—2026 release window—but it’s been demoed enough that the buzz is real, not manufactured.
Because the best part of indie games is finding the ones that haven’t been ruined by hype yet. This is one of those.
Play this if: You want to be the person who “found it first” at parties. (You won’t go to parties. You’ll be playing this.)
8. Littlelands (Cozy, But Not in a Way That Makes You Nauseous)
“Cozy” has become a dirty word. It’s been co-opted by games that are technically relaxing but emotionally empty. Littlelands, from what’s been shown, is the opposite. It’s a 2D adventure game with a hand-crafted world and a tone that feels genuinely warm, not focus-tested.
It’s not out yet. It might not be your thing. But if you’ve been looking for a game that doesn’t treat “relaxing” as a synonym for “boring,” this is worth watching.
Because not every 2D indie game needs to be a masochistic platformer. Some of them just want to be nice. That’s allowed.
Play this if: You’re tired of games that confuse “difficulty” with “personality.”
9. Darwin’s Paradox! (Platforming, But Weird)
Another 2026 release that’s been making the rounds at showcases. Darwin’s Paradox! is a 2D platformer with a central mechanic that’s genuinely novel—something about controlling two characters simultaneously, or maybe it’s about perspective, or maybe I’m being vague because the demos have been intentionally cryptic. Either way, it’s on the radar for a reason.
It’s the kind of game that could be a masterpiece or a mess. That uncertainty is half the appeal.
Because the indie scene needs more games that swing for the fences, even if they miss.
Play this if: You liked The Swapper or Braid and want something that makes your brain hurt in a good way.
10. Relooted (Heist Game, But 2D)
Relooted is a 2D platformer about stealing things. That’s the pitch. It’s not trying to be a commentary on capitalism or a meditation on morality. It’s a heist game in 2D, and that’s enough.
The animations are smooth, the levels look designed for speedrunning, and the whole thing has a confidence that’s rare in games that haven’t shipped yet.
Because sometimes you just want to steal stuff and not think about it. That’s valid.
Play this if: You liked Katana Zero’s pace but wanted less existential dread.
The Part Where I Tell You What to Do (You Won’t Listen)
Here’s the deal. Every game on this list is worth your time for a different reason—some because they’ll make you feel like a genius, some because they’ll make you feel like a chump, and at least one because it lets you pay off debt with a yo-yo. Not because they’re “important” or “genre-defining.” Because they’re good. And good games are worth your time, even if your backlog is already a monument to your own hubris.
Now go play something. Got a favorite 2D indie that wasn’t on either list? Cool. Tell me in the comments so I can add it to my backlog and then never play it. That’s the circle of life.