External Discovery
10 indie games in this list, released 2015–2026, from developers such as K Bros Games, THE BROTHERHOOD, Free Lives. 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 K Bros Games · South Africa
Albert & Otto is a 2D puzzle platformer planned as four stand-alone episodes, the first of which is titled The Adventure Begins. Its art style takes cues from Tim Burton's early stop-motion films, and its story is set in Germany just before the Second World War. It was developed and published by the South African studio K Bros Games, with the first episode arriving in October 2015 for Windows and OS X.
By THE BROTHERHOOD · South Africa
Beautiful Desolation is an isometric point-and-click adventure set in a post-apocalyptic future version of South Africa. After alien technology hurls two brothers forward in time, they have to find a way to return home. It was made and self-published by The Brotherhood, a South African studio, and released in February 2020 for Windows, Mac and Linux, earning a Metacritic score of 76.
By Free Lives · South Africa
Broforce is a side-scrolling run-and-gun game in which players control a roster of bros modeled on famous action movie heroes such as John Rambo and Ellen Ripley. Missions revolve around freeing captured bros while tearing through environments that can be heavily destroyed. Its development began as a game jam entry in April 2012 by the South African studio Free Lives, went through early access, and was published by Devolver Digital in October 2015.
By QCF Design · South Africa
Desktop Dungeons is a single-player game that blends roguelike dungeon crawling with puzzle design in a condensed form. Players clear a monster-filled dungeon and face a final boss, working out how best to spend items, spells and upgrades while preserving their health. Made by the South African studio QCF Design, it won an Excellence in Design award at the 2011 Independent Games Festival, and a remake, Desktop Dungeons: Rewind, arrived in April 2023.
By Free Lives · South Africa
Genital Jousting is a party game designed for groups of players, with action listed among its genres. Available descriptions go little further than that, so the specifics of how a match plays out are not covered here. It was developed by the South African studio Free Lives and released in 2018 on Windows and macOS by publisher Devolver Digital, and it holds a Metacritic score of 68.
By Team Lazerbeam · South Africa
Shroom and Gloom is a first-person roguelike deckbuilder from Team Lazerbeam, a studio in South Africa, published by Devolver Digital. Players collect and grow cards across two decks at once, chaining large combos to defeat hostile fungal creatures in a moody setting. A demo was available on Steam in May 2025, and the full game entered early access in September 2026.
By THE BROTHERHOOD · South Africa
Stasis is a science fiction horror adventure played point-and-click style from an isometric viewpoint, built around using computers, combining items and solving puzzles. John Maracheck wakes from stasis aboard the abandoned spaceship Groomlake and must search for his missing wife and daughter as the ship sinks deeper into Neptune's methane clouds. It was developed by the South African studio The Brotherhood with the Visionaire Studio engine and released in August 2015.
By Free Lives, Clockwork Acorn · South Africa
Terra Nil flips the usual city-building formula: instead of expanding and consuming resources, players place structures to rebuild damaged ecosystems and bring nature back. The game draws on the climate crisis and on the ideas of the rewilding movement. It was developed by the South African studio Free Lives together with Clockwork Acorn, published by Devolver Digital, and released on March 28, 2023, with mobile versions offered through Netflix Games.
By RuneStorm · South Africa
Viscera Cleanup Detail is a science fiction simulation that hands players the grim job of mopping up after disasters such as repelled alien invasions and zombie outbreaks. The work is all about clearing away the bloody mess left behind once the fighting is over. It was developed and published by RuneStorm, an indie studio based in South Africa, using Unreal Engine 3, and it entered Steam Early Access in April 2014 before fully releasing in October 2015.
By Nyamakop · South Africa
Semblance is a puzzle platformer in which you can deform the world: press into a surface and it stays bent, reshaping the level into the path you need. Playing with that single mechanic, the game keeps finding fresh puzzles in soft, squashable terrain. It was developed by the South African studio Nyamakop and is a good example of one idea explored thoroughly.