15 MENA games to look forward to in 2026

Happy New year! As the calendar resets, it is a natural moment to pause and reflect on the year just gone, but for us we're looking ahead to some of the exciting games coming out in 2026. 

Our list includes 15 Middle East and Africa-made games and we've made the intentional decision to include only games that we are certain are launching this year and have playable demos. 

From inventive puzzle titles and story-led adventures, these projects offer a glimpse into where the region’s developers are heading and why the year ahead should be a particularly exciting one to watch. 

1- Highway Drifter: Hajwala Simulator - Jan 22nd

Made by Jordan’s Mad Hook Games, Highway Drifter: Hajwala Simulator brings Arabian drifting culture to PlayStation with realistic physics, customisable cars, and steering wheel support. Wishlist on Steam. 

2- UnderMire 

Built by Saudi Arabia’s Table Knight Games, UnderMire is a 1-4 player first-person co-op roguelite where you descend into a shifting magical bunker, craft weapons from junk, and fight fear-born monsters. Wishlist on Steam. 

3- Orbital - Q2 2026

Developed by Saudi-based Classy Games, Orbital is an infinite survival game where players control entire planets to outrun a supermassive black hole and delay humanity’s extinction. 

By mastering each planet’s abilities, earning Quanta, and unlocking new worlds, players push for high scores on the global leaderboard. Orbital is set to launch in Q2 and you can wishlist to Steam. 

4- Slime Attack Survivor - Jan 26th

Built by Doomasher Games Studio, Slime Attack Survivor launches on January 26th as a fast-paced bullet-heaven roguelike with unlockable heroes, combat pets, gear, and relentless waves of enemies. You can wishlist on Steam. 

5- Beyond: Fire & Ice

Nigeria-based studio Raven Illusion revealed that its latest title Beyond, is a mythological action RPG where Fire and Ice collide. 

Players can switch between two protagonists: Shangdi, the Emperor of Flames, and Skadi, the dethroned Ice Queen. Beyond: Fire & Ice is shaping up to launch in 2026 and you can wishlist on Steam. 

6- Amer: The Chase - February 2026

Mad Hook Games the upcoming console title as a “hit and run” style experience that’ll see players take on the role of Amer, a street hustler working his way up through a city, from dense urban blocks to wide open desert areas. 

Amer: The Chase first launched on mobile in 2023 but is now getting set to make its console debut, driven by player choice rather than strict linear missions and cop chases. Amer: The Chase is available to wishlist on PlayStation.

7- Bargan's Treasure - Q1 2026

Saudi-based Up One Games is set to release its first game of the year with Bargan's Treasure, a puzzle adventure where players restore a ruined village after a disaster cut off power and water. 

By solving puzzles left behind by fleeing villagers, players work to bring the community back and revive the settlement. The game is set to launch in Q1 2026 and you can wishlist on Steam. 

8- Noor

Developed by Saudi Arabia’s Evolite Studio, Noor is a stylized top-down action adventure inspired by Arabic mythology, where you use a magical lantern to restore lost memories. The game is set to launch in 2026, and you can wishlist it on Steam.

9- Rasta Santa: Retribution

Developed by Nigeria's Deluxe Creation Studios, Rasta Santa: Retribution is a story-driven 2D action platformer that blends shooting and slashing with old-school gameplay, reggae music, and strong Lagos street culture influences. 

Set on Christmas Day in Makoko, the game follows Rasta Santa as he hunts down child traffickers after discovering a corrupt orphanage and missing children. The title already made its mobile debut but is shaping up to launch on PC later this year.

10- A Heavy Morning (demo available)

Made by Saf Interactive, A Heavy Morning is a narrative adventure about a young woman trying to start her day as simple tasks become emotional hurdles. You can wishlist the title on Steam and try out the demo.

11- Shroom and Gloom (demo available)

Developed by Team Lazerbeam in South Africa, Shroom and Gloom is a first-person roguelike deckbuilder where players battle hordes of monstrous mushrooms using two evolving decks. 

By combining and upgrading hundreds of cards, players create combos to fight through hand-drawn dungeons and push deeper into the heart of The Gloom. You can wishlist on Steam.

12- The InBetween (demo available)

Created by Nigeria-based solo developer VCD, The InBetween is a 2D, hand-drawn and pixel-art Metroidvania that blends fast-paced action with emotional storytelling. 

The developer described the title as one where players’ skills and moral choices shape both their fate and the survival of an infected underground world. You can wishlist on Steam. 

13- Tails of Fate (demo available)

Similar to The InBetween, Tails of Fate from developer Chase The Bunny, is a 2D action platformer with Metroidvania elements set in the fantasy world of Fauna. 

The game features hand-crafted pixel art that blends dungeon exploration, dynamic combat, and challenging, souls-like boss fights as players push back against encroaching darkness. With a planned release for 2026, you can wishlist Tails of Fate on Steam. 

14- Karmzah (demo available)

Karmzah from Kenya-based Leti Arts is a side-scrolling action-adventure that follows Morowa Adjei, an archaeologist with Cerebral Palsy who gains transformative powers through a mysterious artifact. 

By blending combat with puzzle-solving and exploration, the game promises a story-driven experience with voice-acted characters, a witty sidekick, and environments inspired by African mythology and culture. You can wishlist on Steam. 

15- Hammam Simulator

Developed by Dropout Code, Hammam Simulator puts players in charge of running a traditional bathhouse, combining hands-on bathing rituals like scrubbing and foaming with day-to-day management. 

The game focuses on atmosphere, inviting players to relax in a warm, immersive hammam setting rooted in tradition. Hammam Simulator is set to launch in 2026 on Steam.