External Discovery
21 indie games in this list, released 2009–2026, from developers such as QUByte Interactive, Team Colorblind, Ranida Games. 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 QUByte Interactive · Brazil
99Vidas, whose name means 99 Lives in Portuguese, is a retro-inspired side-scrolling beat 'em up. QuByte Interactive, a studio from Brazil, both developed and published it, bringing it to Windows, macOS and Linux toward the end of 2016. Sony console versions for PS3, PS4 and Vita came in 2017, and a Nintendo Switch edition followed in November 2018.
By Team Colorblind · United States
Aztez pairs side-scrolling brawler combat with a turn-based strategy layer, set in the Aztec empire in the years before the Spanish invasion. Players fight their way through areas across the empire, switching between hands-on action and turn-based planning. It was made by Team Colorblind, a studio from the United States, and released on August 1, 2017 for Windows, macOS and Linux, where Steam files it under action and strategy.
By Ranida Games · Philippines
BAYANI is an indie fighting game from Ranida Games, a developer based in the Philippines, whose roster draws on figures from Philippine history. Its alternate title, Kanino Ka Kakampi?, roughly asks which hero you will side with. The game arrived on Steam for Windows in June 2019 as an Early Access release, and its store listing also tags it with action, adventure, simulation and sports elements.
By Cranky Watermelon · Australia
Boomerang Fu is a fighting game in which players take control of cheerful food characters who battle each other with boomerangs. Beyond throwing and catching their boomerangs, fighters can grab various superpowers that change how each round plays out. It was developed and published by Cranky Watermelon, a studio from Australia, and launched in August 2020 on Windows, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One to generally favorable reviews.
By Angry Mob Games · Romania
Likened by outlets such as Engadget to the Super Smash Bros. series, Brawlout is a fighting game from Romanian studio Angry Mob Games, which both developed and published it. First shown at EVO in July 2016, it entered early access on Windows in April 2017, and later reached Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Steam lists it as a casual action title with an indie tag.
By Powerhoof · Australia
Crawl is a local multiplayer brawler set in randomly generated dungeons for up to four players or bots. One player is the hero while the others are spirits who possess traps and monsters, trying to kill the hero so they can take that role themselves. It was made by the Australian developer Powerhoof, first appearing in Steam Early Access in 2014 before its full release in April 2017.
By yeo · Russia
Fading Afternoon is a beat 'em up with action, adventure and role-playing elements, released for Windows in September 2023, with a Nintendo Switch version following in 2024. Yeo made it as a third project, following The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa and Arrest of a Stone Buddha, and it shares their themes and visual style. The developer is based in Russia, and IndieArk co-published the release.
By Digital Crafter · Taiwan
Fight of Gods is a one-on-one fighting game whose roster is drawn from the deities and legendary figures of world religions and mythologies. Matches follow the familiar versus format, pitting these divine characters against each other. It was made by Digital Crafter, an independent developer from Taiwan. Its religious subject matter led to bans in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, and briefly caused Steam access in Malaysia to be blocked for a day.
By Boneloaf, Rocket Science · United Kingdom
Gang Beasts is a party beat 'em up from Boneloaf, a developer based in England. After an early access period on PC that began in August 2014, it arrived on Windows, macOS, Linux and PlayStation 4 in December 2017. Double Fine Presents handled publishing at first, until Boneloaf took over publishing in 2020. Its store listing pairs action and casual tags with simulation, framing it as a brawler aimed at playing with friends.
By Passion Republic Games · Malaysia
GigaBash is a brawler about giant monsters, drawing on the kaiju tradition for its towering fighters and destructive battles. Its roster includes guest appearances from the Godzilla, Ultraman and Gamera franchises, alongside its own creatures. Passion Republic Games, an independent studio from Malaysia, both made and published it, arriving on Windows in August 2022 with additional console versions following a year later.
By Tanuki Creative Studio · Netherlands
Jitsu Squad is a beat 'em up in which players fight their way through stages packed with enemies at close range. It follows the classic side-scrolling fighting format of the genre. It was developed and self-published on Windows by Tanuki Creative Studio from the Netherlands, launching in March 2022. ININ Games then handled the console editions, which arrived on Switch, PlayStation and Xbox systems in December of that year.
By Triternion · Slovenia
Mordhau is a multiplayer medieval melee fighting game focused on skill-based competition and deep character customisation. Its close-quarters combat draws loosely on historical techniques such as feints and redirects, and battles also involve ranged weapons, siege engines and mounted fighting. It was developed by independent Slovenian studio Triternion, partly funded by a 2017 Kickstarter, and launched on Windows in April 2019.
By Le Cartel Studio · France
Mother Russia Bleeds is a beat 'em up from Le Cartel Studio, an indie developer based in France, published by Devolver Digital. It belongs to the brawler tradition of fighting through enemies in close-quarters combat, and Steam lists it simply as action. The game launched worldwide on Windows, macOS and Linux in September 2016. A PlayStation 4 version followed that December and a Switch port arrived in 2018.
By Aether Studios · United States
Rivals of Aether is a competitive platform fighter that critics commended for the depth of its gameplay. It was created by Dan Fornace, released through Aether Studios in the United States, built in GameMaker, and arrived on Windows in March 2017. The game grew into a wider series set in the shared Aether fantasy world, including a dating sim, a deck-building game, a roguelike, a comic series and a full sequel, Rivals of Aether II, in October 2024.
By Sloclap · France
Sifu is a beat 'em up from Sloclap, a studio in France, built in Unreal Engine 4. Set in China, it casts you as the child of a martial arts master seeking revenge for their father's murder. A magical talisman revives you after each death but ages you, raising attack power while lowering health, and growing too old means permanent death and a level restart. It launched in 2022 and was reviewed positively for its combat, environments and story.
By Neverjam · Latvia
SpiderHeck is a party brawler starring spiders armed with laser swords. Players duel friends to the death or team up to hold off swarms of hostile enemies, swinging, stabbing, and shooting while pulling off acrobatic parkour moves. It was developed by Neverjam, a studio from Latvia, published by tinyBuild, and launched on Windows in September 2022, with Steam tagging it as a casual action game.
By Pelikan13 · Greece
The TakeOver is an indie beat 'em up that openly pays tribute to the Streets of Rage series, copying its style of play and graphics. It even includes some music by Yuzo Koshiro, composer of those games. The game was made by Greek developer Pelikan13, the alias of Antonis Pelekanos, and after early access it saw full release in 2019. Critics were mixed on its writing and polish but broadly considered it a worthwhile homage.
By Nabi Studios · Singapore
Toribash is a free-to-play fighting game viewed from a third-person perspective, where fights unfold turn by turn rather than in real time. Nabi Studios, a developer from Singapore, created it, with Nicalis as publisher, first on Windows in 2006, with OS X and Linux versions arriving in May 2014. A Wii port came out in 2010, and a sequel, Toribash Next, launched in January 2024.
By Mad Hook · Jordan
Amer Fighting is a party brawler for up to six players inspired by Arab family dynamics. Players punch, grab and throw each other and pieces of furniture around interactive maps until one fighter is left, with voice lines and slapstick comedy throughout. It is developed by Mad Hook of Amman, Jordan, and was one of the studio's first titles released as a physical PlayStation 5 game in the MENA region.
By SebaGamesDev · Uruguay
Fight'N Rage is a side-scrolling beat 'em up from the Uruguayan developer SebaGamesDev, inspired by the arcade classics of the 1990s and styled to match them. It is often cited as one of the best modern beat 'em ups, with deep combat and plenty of secrets for players who dig into it.
By ACE Team · Chile
Zeno Clash is a first-person fighting game with shooter elements and the debut title of the Chilean studio ACE Team. It is set in Zenozoik, a strange punk fantasy world, where Ghat flees his vengeful siblings through close, brutal hand-to-hand fights. Its bizarre, highly original world design made the studio's name.