No Small Games

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

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

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

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

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