March 2026 Indie Games Preview: 6 Picks You Should Not Miss

March 2026 is stacked. Between a beloved franchise returning as a brand new game, a Game Pass day one sequel, and one of the most anticipated early access launches of the decade, you will have no shortage of things to play. Here are the six indie games we are most excited about this month.

Scott Pilgrim EX (March 3)

This is not the remaster. Scott Pilgrim EX is a completely new game from Tribute Games, the studio behind the beloved 2010 beat ‘em up. Bryan Lee O’Malley, the original comic creator, wrote a brand new story that takes Scott and Ramona across fractured timelines and the streets of Toronto.

Seven playable characters. Four player local and online co-op. New music from Anamanaguchi’s fictional in-universe band Sex Bob-omb. If you played the original to death, this picks up exactly where your nostalgia left off and pushes it somewhere entirely new.

Available on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

Slay the Spire 2 (March 5)

You already know about this one. Slay the Spire 2 enters early access on March 5 with two playable characters, co-op multiplayer, and a completely rebuilt engine. The original sold over 10 million copies and single-handedly created the deckbuilding roguelike genre. The sequel has been the most wishlisted game on Steam for months.

We have covered this one extensively. Read our deep dive on the co-op reveal and five characters or our look at how other indie devs are adjusting their release schedules to avoid launching the same week.

Planet of Lana II (March 5)

The first Planet of Lana was a visual masterpiece. A hand-painted cinematic puzzle platformer that told its story without a single word. The sequel doubles down on everything that worked. Lana is older now, more agile, and the world is bigger.

Wishfully Studios is bringing back the wordless storytelling, the orchestral score, and companion Mui, while adding wall jumping and fluid movement that makes the platforming feel closer to an action game. Planet of Lana II is day one on Xbox Game Pass, which makes it the easiest recommendation on this list. Just download it.

Available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.

Bubblegum Galaxy (March 11)

Here is a weird one. Bubblegum Galaxy is a cozy narrative building game where someone deleted the entire galaxy and you have to rebuild it tile by tile. You design planets, complete missions, explore your office, and befriend your coworkers while trying to figure out who wiped everything.

Developer Smarto Club is blending tile placement puzzle mechanics with workplace comedy and cosmic mystery. It sounds absurd. That is exactly why it is on this list. Hundreds of unique story events promise that no two playthroughs feel the same.

Available on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

Collector’s Cove (March 12)

If Stardew Valley took place on a boat, you would get Collector’s Cove. This cozy farming adventure puts you on the high seas with an animal companion, sailing to uncharted islands, cultivating a floating farm, and filling a Compendium with every crop, fish, and curiosity you discover.

No combat. No time pressure. Just you, your boat, and an ocean full of islands waiting to be explored. Solo developer VoodooDuck is self-publishing this one, and the art style alone makes it worth wishlisting.

Available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.

GRIDbeat! (March 26)

Close the month with something completely different. GRIDbeat! is a rhythm dungeon crawler where every move, attack, and ability pulses to the beat. You have hacked into the biggest corporation in the world and stolen an absurd amount of data. Getting in was the easy part. Getting out means navigating a digital maze, solving puzzles, and battling AI security programs while staying on rhythm.

Think Crypt of the NecroDancer meets a cyberpunk hacking thriller. Developer Ridiculous Games nailed it with their Steam Next Fest demo, and the full game arrives March 26.

Available on PC and Nintendo Switch.

Notable Absences

Three games originally planned for March have been pushed back:

• Coffee Talk Tokyo moved from March 5 to May 21, 2026. The developer cited the need for final polish.
• MOUSE: P.I. For Hire slipped from March 19 to April 16. Developer Fumi Games and publisher PlaySide Studios said they want extra time for “an experience to remember.”
• REPLACED shifted from March 12 to April 14. Sad Cat Studios is incorporating feedback from their Steam demo. Still day one on Xbox Game Pass when it does arrive.

All three are worth watching when they land. For now, March has more than enough to keep you busy.

The Bottom Line

March 2026 is one of the strongest months for indie games in recent memory. Scott Pilgrim EX and Slay the Spire 2 alone would make it a standout. Add a Game Pass day one sequel, a cozy galaxy builder, a nautical farming adventure, and a rhythm dungeon crawler, and you have a month where something launches for every type of player.

Wishlist the ones that interest you. Your wallet might not survive, but your backlog will thank you later.