Is an indie revolution coming in 2026?

• Secret Sauce co-founder and COO Sophie Atkin, Revolution founder and CEO Charles Cecil, and game design consultant Jakub Remiar share thoughts on indies ahead of PGC London 2026.
• The exact definition of an indie is divisive, but many agree players are turning towards these titles.

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As 2026 begins, momentum in the indie games scene looks set to rise even higher.

While the question of what defines an indie may be more divisive than ever, accessibility of AI tech and tools like Unity and Unreal have outlined one clear expectation: an indie revolution is coming.

Ahead of their panel on the topic at Pocket Gamer Connects London (January 19th and 20th), we speak with Secret Sauce co-founder and COO Sophie Atkin, Revolution founder and CEO Charles Cecil, and game design consultant Jakub Remiar.

They explore the evolving definition of an indie, why players might be choosing them over triple-A experiences, and whether indies will grow their market share in 2026.

“I am reminded of the seismic shift that took place 20 years ago when Apple and Steam started offering digital distribution services, and others soon followed,” says Cecil.

“The majority of sales rapidly moved from retail, with its limited shelf space, to digital with an effectively infinite shelf space.

“The demand for double-A games written as ‘shelf fillers’, which had been dominated by companies like THQ, one of the biggest global publishers at that time, collapsed (as did THQ) as gamers migrated to either high production triple-A or innovative indie games, double-A offering neither satisfactorily.

“That status quo has pretty much held since then, but now we are seeing another seismic shift as gamers move from triple-A to indie.”

What is an indie?

Cecil argues that the definition of an indie studio has never been clear. He considers Revolution an indie company as it self-funds and self-publishes its games with “absolute freedom and control”. But he recognises that many wouldn’t consider Revolution an indie studio due to being well established.

He highlights Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive as another example – suggesting the studio earns indie status through creative control over its games and having no significant investment.

Cecil argues: “The fact that their game was later substantially funded by a publisher, Kepler Interactive, is irrelevant.”

Meanwhile, Atkin presents three key criteria that might define an indie: studio independence, development budget, or artstyle. Counter to Cecil’s perspective, she highlights how some consumers might see having a publisher as taking away indie status.

She poses: “What if you have a publisher and they bring on board devs for a particular skill set you lack?”

Financial performance and team sizes can further muddy perspective and Atkin raises the question of whether an indie project can actually end up becoming a triple-A game over time.

“Are you really an indie if you spend over $1 million on dev budget?” she asks. “What if you crowdfunded it? A lot of people don’t believe that investors allow you to be classed as independent either.”

For the purposes of our interview, Atkin defines an indie game as one with a development spend under seven figures.

Finally, Remiar raises two contrasting cases: Balatro and Palworld. While many would consider both titles indies, Balatro was made by a solo developer and Palworld by “quite a big team with a sizable budget”. Putting them in the same basket is “confusing”, he argues.

Thus, Remiar shares a prediction for the evolving indie space: “I think we will end up within the same ranking as the A-system inside the indie category, where there will be bigger budget indies and smaller budget indies and of course these one-man wonders.”

Innovation, autonomy, and the economy

Regardless of how our interviewees define an indie game or studio, all agree that players are turning towards these titles.

Remiar calls them “risk positive”, able to break away from the triple-A mainstream. Meanwhile, big-budget games are highly averse to risk, “which drastically lower their innovation potential”; and whether a remake, remaster, or the latest iteration in a series, he says triple-A games can turn out to be simply a “remix” of something that came before.

The consequence is that indie studios sometimes come out with novel experiences players “desperately” seek, but Remiar doesn’t neglect to mention “the endless graveyard of failed indie titles” surrounding those hits.

Cecil shares a similar sentiment, highlighting how indie devs can focus on “vibe” with the strengths of a small, passionate team. By leveraging Unreal or Unity, they can create games with high production value, innovative gameplay, and enthusiastic teams.

Atkin takes a more numerical approach. She suggests the rise of indies isn’t because players are turning away from triple-A, but rather there is a greater overall consumer base as more people come to play games. Furthermore, there are more indie titles being released than triple-A games and she suggests players are becoming fans of indies early on.

“So, statistically I think it’s fair that the hunger for gaming is reaching indie titles more and more.”

Price is also an important factor. Atkin notes how “the economy hurts right now for nearly everyone”, and indie games are often a more affordable alternative to triple-A experiences.

“With some types of indie titles it almost feels like a race to the bottom: you have some marketers making sure pricing sits below every Steam threshold (eg. games under $5),” she explains. “It sometimes feels like cat and mouse with game pricing.”

Remiar also believes players are weighing up purchasing decisions in the context of the world economy. Games are not a utility, so gamers must be selective. He suggests: “Players are definitely looking at the price per performance ratio of buying three solid indies versus one triple-A title that is usually a remix of the previous version.”

And Cecil adds that triple-A games need to increase their costs as sales stagnate, which only “exacerbates the problem”.

However, Atkin emphasises that people aren’t turning to indies purely because they’re a cheaper alternative, but rather because their quality is “getting better and better each year”.

The indie revolution

Entering 2026, expectations for indie games are broadly positive. Recent hits like Balatro, Silksong, Palworld, and Clair Obscur stand out as “great games”, but each had its own cause for success.

“If we knew exactly what went right then we’d all recreate it,” says Atkin, adding The Drifter, Skate Story, and Absolum to the list of 2025 standouts.

Remiar adds Megabonk to that list, another indie game by a solo developer, highlighting how a title can become a hit through deep understanding of system design rather than reinventing the wheel.

“Indies are extremely hit-driven, therefore we could have a dry year or we could have a very bountiful year, but overall I would guess a small increase within the 10% share,” Remiar predicts.

“I don’t expect indie to suddenly take over the market this year. I expect, hopefully, a steady flow of unique hits at least two to three each quarter being able to break through the noise and offer something not yet in the market.

“I would not call it an indie revolution yet – I think that will come later with more use of AI. But fundamentals are shifting where small teams can achieve more than big corporate teams and are much more efficient and agile,” he concludes.

Finally, Atkin reflects: “It’s been a rough few years for most publishers and developers in the indie space and it feels now much more positive and exciting as we step into 2026. We’re not entirely out of the woods but I anticipate we will see some incredible content coming out this year and next.

“If you speak to any game scout, they will tell you that their inbox is a hydra. Sort out one email and two more seem to pop up. I’d describe this period as more of a gaming creative renaissance.”

Remiar, Atkin, and Cecil will debate what makes an indie at Pocket Gamer Connects London on January 20th, expected to explore their impact on mobile, PC, and opportunities in disruption.

Tickets are available now.