The Side Quests That Stole the Show

Summer Game Fest has become the go-to stage for high-stakes game reveals, where big studios drop cinematic trailers and franchises dominate headlines. But this year, something shifted. Tucked between the bombast of AAA powerhouses were a handful of smaller games that didn’t just hold their own — they redefined the spotlight.

The main SGF showcase, not just the indie-focused side segments, gave major real estate to emotionally ambitious, creatively risky, and visually distinctive games made by smaller teams. These weren’t just crowd-pleasers — they were conversation starters. Below, we take a look at five titles that turned heads not with scale, but with soul.

Fractured Blooms Revealed at Summer Game Fest

Psychological horror meets cozy sim

Revealed during the main SGF livestream, Fractured Blooms is a surreal blend of familiarity and dread. Developed by Serenity Forge, the game opens with pastoral calm — farming, crafting, and building relationships — before slowly unraveling into something much darker.

Developer Zhenghua Yang called the game “the most personal project I’ve ever worked on,” noting it was inspired by stories from his own family. The trailer, with its pastel colors and creeping horror elements, immediately drew comparisons to Doki Doki Literature Club and Silent Hill in coverage from PC Mag.

Though its release date remains unannounced, Fractured Blooms is already turning heads for its ability to blend cozy charm with psychological horror. What stood out wasn’t just the genre mix, but the emotional weight: the promise of a story that isn’t afraid to explore trauma in both subtle and startling ways.

Drinkbox Studios Stuns with Blighted Release

Psychedelic Metroidvania from the creators of Guacamelee!

Drinkbox Studios, the team behind Guacamelee! and Nobody Saves the World, unveiled their newest project at Summer Game Fest: Blighted, a vibrant yet brutal Metroidvania Action-RPG set in a surreal, infected world. In an interview with GameFragger, Drinkbox described the game as a blend of “a psychedelic western aesthetic with brutal, fast-paced combat.”

Players take on the role of a lone survivor in a ruined land, struggling to preserve the fading memories of their people while resisting the spread of a supernatural infection called the Blight. The gameplay leans into parry-driven melee combat, dynamically shifting environments, and memory-based progression systems. As players push deeper into corrupted territory, they not only fight for survival but risk losing themselves in the process.

Graham Smith, Drinkbox’s co-founder, called Blighted “our largest and most ambitious game to date,” and that ambition is visible in every animated frame. The title is scheduled for release in 2026 on PC and consoles, with haunting music by Jim Guthrie rounding out the studio’s most atmospheric project yet.

Announced at Day of the Devs: Snap & Grab

Photography-based heist with an ’80s twist

Unveiled during the Day of the Devs showcase at Summer Game Fest, Snap & Grab is the latest from No Goblin — the studio behind Roundabout and 100ft Robot Golf. Like those games, it leans fully into camp and spectacle, this time delivering a heist game that swaps blueprints for a camera lens.

In Engadget’s coverage, Ian Carlos Campbell describes Snap & Grab as “forging a different path by treating photography as a key ingredient in a good heist.” Players first “snap” their targets — everything from valuable art to obstacle-laden interiors — before “grabbing” them via a crew of thieves who follow your photo-based plan.

The aesthetic is pure cartoonish ’80s: pastel suits, high-fashion parties, shoulder pads, and a neon palette that lands somewhere between Miami Vice and Johnny Bravo. There are hints of puzzle strategy layered under the camp — photos aren’t just for loot, but may reveal environmental tools or even distractions (including, charmingly, the occasional dog).

Coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2026, Snap & Grab isn’t just streamable catnip — it’s proof that No Goblin is still inventing new genres on their own terms.

New from Tribute Games: Scott Pilgrim EX

Timeline-hopping beat-’em-up with all the combos from the start

Set after the Scott Pilgrim Takes Off anime, the story embraces a quirky, timeline-bending narrative co-written by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Developed by Tribute Games, the iconic team behind the original Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, it is packed with classic game references and wild, interactive environments.  Scott Pilgrim EX is an upcoming action-adventure beat-’em-up set in a large, interconnected world inspired by River City Ransom, where players can explore freely from the start. Unlike traditional beat-’em-ups, all moves and combos are available right away, and while the quests follow a linear progression, players can jump between areas at will.

Developers at Tribute Games describe the creative process as fast and collaborative, thanks to a tight-knit team and strong relationships with Universal and O’Malley.

Scott Pilgrim EX is slated for a 2026 release on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

LEGO Voyagers

Co-op adventure through a puzzle-packed LEGO world

A new LEGO game has entered the Summer Game Fest chat (actually two, including LEGO Party!) But that’s not the focus for today. LEGO Voyagers was revealed and is described as “Bricks who click together, stick together.” LEGO Voyagers is a new game that offers a peaceful, exploratory experience focused less on constructing dioramas and more on journeying through a beautifully crafted LEGO world filled with puzzles, platforming, and discovery. 

Developed by Light Brick, the same studio behind LEGO Builder’s Journey, this new title will bridge players together in this 2 player co-up. Think of it as It Takes Two, but in LEGO form, the possibilities and creations will be endless! 

No release date was revealed at Summer Game Fest, but it is set to be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC.

Why These Games Matter

These games matter because they represent the future of game design, not just as entertainment, but as art, expression, and innovation. They signal a continuing, meaningful shift in the gaming landscape, where emotional depth, creative mechanics, and personal storytelling aren’t confined to indie spotlights but are now taking center stage at major events like Summer Game Fest. 

What united these titles wasn’t big budgets or blockbuster studios; it was the distinct point of view each one brought. Every game offered its lens on a world, a feeling, or a gameplay idea, turning individuality into their biggest strength.

They also highlight an important industry trend: players are ready — and even eager — for games that slow down, open up, and delve deeper. These titles aren’t just entertaining; they’re emotionally ambitious while incorporating mechanical gameplay we don’t see every day. In a landscape often dominated by sequels and safe bets, indie devs take creative risks that major studios often won’t, and risk looks good for these games. 

Fractured Blooms pushes narrative boundaries and explores trauma in ways larger studios often avoid. The trailer showcases both therapeutic and unsettling elements, and that contrast is where indies often thrive.

Blighted shows that even familiar genres can feel entirely new when infused with strong aesthetics and gameplay depth, something indies excel at due to creative freedom.

Snap & Grab is a testament to how indies can take familiar mechanics and rebuild them into something wildly original.

Scott Pilgrim EX perfectly blends open-world exploration with classic beat-’em-up action, showing how indie developers can reinvent familiar genres while preserving the nostalgic charm that made them beloved in the first place.

LEGO Voyagers offers a quiet, thoughtful alternative. Its co-op focus and gentle puzzle-platforming are a reminder that games don’t need to be loud or fast to be impactful. Indies like this create space for connection, creativity, and calm.

These games mattered and left such a big impression on our team. They prove that small teams and unlikely ideas can create big moments.