MDEV, or the Midwest Developer’s conference in Madison Wisconsin, wrapped up last weekend. At MDEV 2026, dozens of booths showcase the works of students, industry professionals, and indie devs alike. And while I found enjoyable elements of nearly every game that I played, there were a few that stood out to me especially. So in no particular order, here are my favorite Indie Games that I saw at MDEV.
Ghost Truck Death Arena
Rocket League was already murderous enough, and this game feels like its roided up, bombastic cousin. Ghost Truck Death Arena is a four player arena combat game where you earn points for destroying the terrain and eliminating your rivals. Naturally, you do so by slamming your giant truck into pieces of terrain, as well as the other trucks in the field. The game is full of delightful neon lights, and has an incredibly unique art style. The game is free, and I highly recommend it for anyone who has one to three friends. You can find the game here.
Super Dungeon Designer
Super Dungeon Designer is a Top Down, Mario-Maker style game where you and other players get to create the levels. With a wide roster of traps, enemies, and puzzles, this game is great for people who like the design of levels as much as charging through them. The design elements are intuitive, and fighting through the dungeons is smooth and simple. You can purchase the game on Steam here.
Beetle Sumo
Beetle Sumo is a party fighting game where you play beetles with various powers. You and up to seven friends attempt to knock one another off the center of the arena. Beetles have a variety of stats and abilities. For a sumo game, I preferred using the beetles with a higher weight, especially the Stone Plod, to make up for my lack of dexterity. Beetles are collectible and can be traded over Steam. You can find the link here.
Pinblast Neon
Pinblast Neon is a puzzle platformer game where you use boosts, tethers, and cannons to navigate obstacles. Frankly, this game had me feeling like the infamous gaming journalist playing the Cuphead tutorial at times. That’s what I get for spending all my time in Turn-Based strategy land. But making it through levels, even at my myopic pace, is a lot of fun! You can find the demo for Pinblast Neon on Steam here.
Into Orbit
Into Orbit is a colorful top down shooter where you play an alien trying to survive waves of attacking enemies after crash landing on planets. The game’s aesthetic reminds me of Outer Wilds, and I had the privilege of attending the lecture where the developers behind the game explained how they created the effect. You can find the game on Itch.io here.
Conclusion
With thousands of games being released every year, there are plenty of fantastic games that get lost in the noise . I hope this has exposed you to a few more. And if you haven’t already, check out last year’s games that I highlighted from MDEV 2025. Many of them have since been published, polished, or updated, and have only gone up in terms quality.
What about you? What were your favorite games that you saw or played at MDEV? Let us know in the comments or on the Boss Rush Discord.
Featured Image Credit: Graphic by MDEV, Photo by Lev Working
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