7 Homebrew Games to Watch in 2026
From NES forests to Atari crayons… the retro revival is just getting started.
2025 was a huge year for retro gaming and a turning point.
Homebrew went from hobby to headline. Conventions felt electric. Kickstarter dashboards overflowed. CRTs suddenly became scarce again.
2026 is where we find out what this scene is truly made of.
If you want to know where the movement is going, these are the seven games that prove why the renaissance isn’t slowing down.
The most anticipated homebrew games of 2026 span multiple retro platforms: Banana Bash and Malasombra (NES), Children of Magia (GBC), Cronela’s Mansion (multi-platform), Kouyate (C64), Popeye (Atari 7800), and Murple (Atari 2600). Together, they signal a new era for physical media, cartridge releases, and retro-first design philosophies.
Quick Answer:
Seven homebrew games to watch in 2026 include Banana Bash (NES), Malasombra (NES), Children of Magia (GBC), Cronela’s Mansion, Kouyate (C64), Popeye (Atari 7800), and Murple (Atari 2600). These titles highlight the retro gaming revival across classic hardware and indie platforms.
🎮 1. Banana Bash (NES)
Genre: Arcade puzzle platformer
Studio: Work3 (ex-iNiS / Elite Beat Agents staff)
The pitch: Donkey Kong Jr. × Bubble Bobble × espresso shot.
Why it matters:
- 100+ stages on a 4-megabit ROM
- grappling-tail movement is wild
- demo already available
- Kickstarter incoming in 2026
Banana Bash feels like the game NES kids dreamed existed but never got.
🎮 2. Malasombra (NES)
Genre: Gothic action platformer
Studio: 4MHz (Spain)
A fairy tale forged in 6502 assembly.
Cast spells, swap dimensions, rescue romance. It’s equal parts folklore and Metroidvania moodiness.
Why it matters:
- parallax scrolling that shouldn’t be possible
- cinematic feel
- Kickstarter already funded
- cartridge available NOW
If NES had its own Castlevania IV, this might be it.
🎮 3. Children of Magia (Game Boy Color)
Genre: Light action-RPG
Studio: SkittlesFiddles / Starlab Games
Why it matters:
- crisp color visuals
- small but meaningful RPG systems
- charming character animation
- successful Kickstarter ($5,171)
This one shows the GBC is a storytelling canvas.
🎮 4. Cronela’s Mansion
Platforms: NES / SNES / GBC / GBA / PC / Switch
Genre: Point-and-click adventure
The emotional spine of the lineup.
Why it matters:
- multi-platform ambition
- chiptune atmosphere that feels haunted
- no combat, just tension
- Maniac Mansion energy, but more personal
If retro has a prestige genre, this might be it.
🎮 5. Kouyate (Commodore 64)
Genre: CRPG
Developer: Sarah Jane Avory
Why it matters:
- Ultima-style exploration
- sailing, spellcasting, and dungeon crawling
- EasyFlash 1MB build
- Dev has a proven track record (Zeta Wing, Soul Force, and the delightful witchy saga Briley Witch Chronicles)
Kouyate is the kind of game that makes people buy hardware again.
🎮 6. Popeye (Atari 7800)
Genre: Arcade port / Score-chaser
Developer: Darryl Guenther
Why it matters:
- faithful to 1982 Nintendo arcade original
- crisp sprites + authentic arcade feel
- digital + physical release
- on hardware that rarely gets spotlight
This is preservation through creation.
🎮 7. Murple (Atari 2600)
Genre: Puzzle-platform / Action
Developer: Justin Cuga (jcuga)
The surprise indie darling.
Why it matters:
- crayon-factory puzzle hook (!!)
- simple controls with surprising depth
- free to try
- NTSC + PAL60 builds available
If you want to understand why retro is alive again, it’s here:
a 2600 that feels new.
🎯 The Pattern
Across all these platforms —
NES, GBC, SNES, GBA, C64, Atari 7800, Atari 2600 —
one truth stands out:
Players are reclaiming identity.
These games feel like home.
🚀 Where to Next?
This roundup is just a taste of what’s inside RetroNomicon Quarterly (Issue 1).
If retro gaming is evolving, we’re evolving with it.
👉 Get Issue 1 (print & digital) — [Free]
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2026 our consoles really start humming.