Vancouver Game Garden 2026 Picks
I attended Vancouver Game Garden 2026 on Saturday, and I think they’re getting better at this! This year’s event prioritised more space for foot traffic over density of exhibitors and I think everyone sighed in relief at how much more chill and also… cooler it was in the Roundhouse. In any case, there were still plenty of exhibitors with new stuff to show, as well as some familiar faces.
So, in no particular order, here are the games that excited me at this year’s Game Garden!
Abyssal Merge by Time Flies Studios
Slated release: November 2026
The Lovecraftian horrorchild of Suika Game and a vertical shooter, Abyssal Merge is at its heart a fishing game; collect and merge fish in your net while horrors descend from the top of the screen.
Your boat can shoot upwards to start with, but can be upgraded in a multitude of ways. If the horrors reach your net they get in the way of matching your fish.
Initially it feels a little like rubbing your belly while patting your head but once you get the rhythm it’s hypnotic. A charming spin on the two formulae I can foresee sinking a lot of time into on my Steam Deck!
Open playtest available now on Steam
Desktop Explorer by Recurring Dream
Slated release: 17 July 2026
I’m so glad we have a good name for these now; an Interface Mystery. It’s a computer from the 90s. You are exploring it to find out about what happened. It’s clearly been crafted with a lot of love and care for how computers were in the era. I didn’t get a chance to play the demo at the event, but I did hang about for a good while watching how things played out.
Demo available now on Steam
SporeBloom by Antigen Interactive Inc.
Slated release: ???
SporeBloom is a fascinating little turn-based strategy game wherein you are a fungus trying to be the dominant mycelial network in your area. Think Civ but if you were a cute little mushroom instead of Caesar. You get different traits and abilities depending on what type of fungus you are.
Honestly I think I’m doing a poor job of explaining it - suffice it to say I spent a while playing it (and constantly checking that was okay! haha) on the floor. It gripped me. One to watch, I think!
Demo available now on Steam
The Labyrinth At The End Of Time by Debonair B. Bear
Slated release: When it’s Done
Alex describes this game as having a “PS1 plus” aesthetic and I think that’s a good way to put it; not content to simply ape the limitations of graphics hardware of the time, Labyrinth instead feels more like an FMV cutscene of the era come to life. Plenty of polygon and texture detail, but presented in imitation 240p.
Fast and fluid, this is a platformer in the vein of Mario, but that wants to challenge players rather than hold their hands.
Wishlist now on Steam
Moon Drop Miners by chipMicro
Slated release: 2026
In Moon Drop Miners, you are charged with retrieving resources from a moon. To do so, you are provided with several classes of structure, each of which will contribute to your mission in different ways; some provide power, others consume it, some will mine a little bit, some a lot, but you have to be conscious of the order of operations, and make sure you don’t get too greedy and have the whole moon implode.
They caught a lot of eyes with their Commodore monitor showing off their mime-esque mask character on the side. Sadly the game won’t ship with CRT support :P maybe in a patch.
Demo available now on Steam
Cabs of Chaos by Macrocosmic Software
With how Sega have dishonoured the legacy of the beloved franchise, Cabs of Chaos may be the take on Crazy Taxi we need right now.
Okay, that’s out of the way, let’s talk about it on its own terms; this one is going more for a couch competitive chaos type vibe; you’re all competing for each fare and to be the fastest cabbie in town.
The graphics and typography feel a little simplistic for 2026, but I hope that maybe with some more polish (maybe lean into the Simpsons Hit and Run of it all) alongside the gameplay it can stand on its own.
Wishlist now on Steam
Jumper by Extremely OK Games, Ltd.
Slated release: ???
Jumper is the next title from Extremely OK Games. It’s a Maddy Platformer, very clearly building on the foundations she and her team have made over the course of several releases, but the obvious comparison is Celeste. Maddy herself suggests it has more momentum and jump height over Celeste, and I would agree.
It’s familiar but new, at least to me, and I’m excited to see where it goes. Naturally when I played it there was already someone in a Games Done Quick hoodie trying to find the speed tech, and even in my clumsy hands the early levels already feel challenging in a nice way.
Have a feeling I’m going to be sacrificing another set of Joy-Con sticks to Maddy with this one 😅
So yeah, that’s the crop of games I saw that I was particularly excited about! Did you spot anything interesting I missed? Let me know!