External Discovery
5 indie games in this list, released 2014–2025, from developers such as DoubleBee, Coatsink, GrizzlyGames, Stage Clear Studios, Osmotic Studios. Pick one to read our editorial note and jump to its store page.
These are editorial pages. The developers and publishers are not affiliated with The Gaming Nest unless explicitly stated.
By DoubleBee · Germany
A Game About Digging a Hole is a simulation game whose goal is to excavate the largest hole you can manage. Ores unearthed along the way can be sold at a barn, funding new tools and upgrades that let you dig further. It was released on Steam in February 2025 and is linked to a developer in Germany. The game was built in about 14 days and sold 250,000 copies in its first week.
By Coatsink, GrizzlyGames, Stage Clear Studios · Germany
Islanders is a minimalist city-builder from German indie studio Grizzly Games, whose members made it over seven months while studying game design at HTW Berlin. You score points by positioning buildings on a procedurally generated island, and points refill your stock, unlock new structures and let you move to fresh islands. A session ends when nothing more can be placed. It launched on Steam in April 2019.
By Osmotic Studios · Germany
Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You is an episodic simulation game that puts you in the seat of a government operative. Your job is to sift through surveillance material and personal data to identify people who might threaten national security, deciding what information to pass on. It was created by the indie developer Osmotic Studios in Germany and published by Daedalic Entertainment, with its release on Windows, macOS and Linux in 2016.
By Schine GmbH · Germany
StarMade is an open-world sandbox set in space, built in the mould of Minecraft and blending science fiction with building and exploration. It was developed by Schine GmbH, a company based in Germany, which first released it in 2012 as a public alpha on Windows, macOS and Linux. On Steam it is listed under action, adventure, simulation and strategy, and it remains an early access title there, having appeared on the store in 2014.
By Friedemann · Germany
Summerhouse is a relaxed sandbox town-building game where you assemble villages and dress up the scenery from a kit of building pieces and decorations. There are four environments to work in, a day-night cycle and extras that unlock as you play, such as animated objects. It is the first solo release of German developer Friedemann Allmenröder, published by Future Friends Games in 2024, and critics liked its open-ended design and visuals.