External Discovery
86 indie games in this list, released 2012–2026, from developers such as SIV Games, Istikan Studio, Evolite Studio. 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 SIV Games · Tunisia
FoodPals Rush: Serve & Grow is a mobile restaurant game about serving customers quickly and growing a chain of eateries. Players deliver dishes for tips, upgrade helpers, speed and capacity, and unlock themed venues from bakeries and coffee shops to sushi bars, then decorate them. It was developed for Android by SIV Games, a game studio based in Tunisia.
By Istikan Studio · Iraq
Istikan Chai is a fast time-management game in which you run a tea cart in a busy Middle Eastern bazaar. Players take orders, prepare chai quickly and accurately, master recipes and upgrade the stall into a larger business while keeping customers from losing patience. It is available on PC and mobile. It is developed by Istikan Studio, based in Kurdistan, Iraq, and grew out of a GameJamPlus MENA 2023 entry.
By Evolite Studio · Saudi Arabia
Legacy Lens is a small photography game designed to introduce players to well-known heritage sites in Saudi Arabia. You are shown real photos of a landmark and must move and zoom the camera to capture matching shots, after which a QR code points you toward visiting the actual place. It was developed by Evolite Studio, a Saudi-based game studio from Jeddah.
By Knight Owl Games · Egypt
Mini Settlers is a minimalist city builder about settling islands and running supply chains. Players place houses and factories, then link them with roads, trains and ports so each building gets the resources it needs, growing the population to unlock new lands. The challenge comes from keeping logistics flowing without overloading the network. It is developed by Knight Owl Games, an indie studio in Alexandria, Egypt, and published by Goblinz Publishing and IndieArk.
By Zakeh · Lebanon
Pou is a mobile virtual pet game in the Tamagotchi tradition. Players feed, clean, dress and entertain a small brown creature, play minigames to earn coins and spend them on cosmetic items for their pet. It became one of the most downloaded mobile games of 2014 and now lists more than a billion Google Play installs. It was created by Lebanese designer Paul Salameh and is published under his company Zakeh.
By Zakeh Limited · Lebanon
Pou 3D is the sequel to the mobile virtual pet game Pou, bringing its character into three dimensions. As in the original, players look after the creature's needs and customise it, now in a 3D presentation. It launched in December 2025 under Zakeh Limited, the company behind the first game. Pou was created by Lebanese designer Paul Salameh, and the original became one of the most downloaded mobile games of its time.
By SIV Games · Tunisia
Psps Dream Mart is a supermarket simulator where every customer is an animal, mostly cats. Players stock and price more than 300 products across 15 licences, buy shelves, expand the store and manage their energy while serving picky shoppers who complain when shelves run empty. SIV Games, a studio based in Tunisia, developed it for Android.
By 2024 Studios · Egypt
Secrets of a Campfire is a free, calm atmospheric experience set at a lakeside campsite with a day-night cycle. Players walk the shore, row a boat, light a fire and can write down a personal secret or read letters, with ambient sound and acoustic music in the background. It is designed as a place to unwind rather than a challenge. The game comes from 2024 Studios, an independent Egyptian studio founded in 2014 with its office in Cairo.
By Moyuwan Games · China
Chinese Parents is a child-raising life simulation from the Beijing-based studio Moyuwan Games. You live a kid's life in China from birth to the end of high school, balancing study, friendships and family pressure on the way to the Gaokao exam. It became a bestseller on Steam and a notable success for the Chinese indie scene.
By Youthcat Studio · China
Dyson Sphere Program is a factory-building simulation from the Chinese studio Youthcat Studio, in which you grow a small workshop into an industrial network spanning a whole galaxy. You gather resources, design production lines and eventually harness the power of entire stars. It launched in early access in 2021 and quickly became a standout in the automation genre.
By Lazy Bear Games · Russia
Graveyard Keeper is a darkly comic management sim from the independent Russian studio Lazy Bear Games. An ordinary man wakes up in a medieval fantasy world and is put in charge of the village graveyard while he searches for a way home. Between crafting, farming and tending graves, the game keeps nudging you toward morally questionable shortcuts.
By Tuxedo Labs · Sweden
Teardown is a sandbox game with puzzle and action elements from the Swedish studio Tuxedo Labs, set in a world built from fully destructible voxels. Missions often ask you to plan a heist, then carve your own shortcuts through walls with vehicles and explosives before an alarm timer runs out. Its physics make every level a creative problem.
By Lucas Pope
Papers, Please puts you behind a border checkpoint desk, checking documents against a rulebook that grows stricter every day. The work is simple and repetitive on purpose, and the tension comes from the choices it forces: follow the rules, feed your family, or help the person in front of you. A small-scale game that became a lasting reference for storytelling through mechanics.
By ConcernedApe · United States
Stardew Valley starts with an overgrown farm and leaves the rest to you: plant seasonal crops, raise animals, fish, mine caves and get to know the people of a small town. There is no single right way to spend a day, which is exactly its appeal. Created by one developer, it became one of the clearest proofs that a solo indie project can define a whole genre.