So this seemed like a good idea at first… watch a few Not E3 trailers and shows, pick out the ones that look interesting, post them to the blog. But. They. Did. Not. Stop. So, SO many trailers. (and this isn’t even including Sony and Microsoft!) To be totally honest, there was simply too much for a Not E3 event. I watched it all because I’m an idiot and said I would. But for the average person? It is the literal definition of overkill. For next years Not E3, there needs to be far fewer games shown. The purpose of Not E3 is to replace old E3. This not only replaced E3 it created several more E3 like events, replaced those, then replaced the replacements with more Not E3 content. That said, there are just a ridiculous amount of cool looking games coming out in the next 18 months or so, many of which are highlighted below. I’m sure I missed a few this Not E3 season so feel free to jump on our socials and let me know. With that out of the way, here are my selections from all of the Not E3 week 2 shows broken down as best as I can remember. And if you want to play these Not E3 games, we have a ton of nice ways to do so.

Horror Game Awards Summer Showcase 2025

Quartermain: Cult of Cthulhu - Take up arms against Cultists, Nazis, Robots, and Lovecraftian monsters in this fast-paced action adventure. It’s down to you, Aloysius Quartermain, to sneak a 12,000 year old Artefact out of Nazi Germany by emptying lead into anything that moves.

Prop Haunt - Prop Haunt is a 4v1 multiplayer psychological horror game. Take on the role of spirits focused on expanding their influence on the physical world by haunting objects, or play as an investigator assigned to report on these hauntings to reduce the amount of paranormal activity in the world.

Phase Zero - A grotesque illness binds the town of Flint Peak. Two survivors try to escape with their lives as mysterious creatures roam the streets. Face horrific monsters, solve puzzles and escape the town in this classic survival horror. Can you make it till dawn?

Painted in Blood - Trapped in the haunting realm of an artist's twisted nightmare, engage in intense combat with grotesque enemies and monsters, experience unpredictable horror events that unfold dynamically, seamlessly blends classic retro FPS elements with modern elements.

Carimara - You are the Carimara, and your mission is to conjure a ghost by answering their questions using your cards. A short and creepy fairytale, full of surprises and mysteries.

Bye Sweet Carole - Bye Sweet Carole is a chilling narrative-horror game inspired by classic animation movies and created by Chris Darril (Remothered series). Follow the last known whereabouts of Carole Simmons to uncover the dark truth behind the Bunny Hall orphanage.

Quite A Ride - Pedal through the fog, but never look back.Trapped in a constantly shifting horror, you must ride, conserve your phone's battery, and decode cryptic messages to escape. Explore, survive, uncover the truth.

Void Martyrs - A grimdark survival horror about a nun in a space suit. Scavenge amongst drifting space cathedrals, balance your faith with survival, and craft the tools of your salvation.

Silly x Polly Beast - This is the story of a girl who, by the will of fate, faced the beast - and in order to become free, she was forced to study its nature. A story-driven shooter with aggressive gunfights and terrifying monsters awaits you. How far can you go in the fight for your freedom?

Office After Hours - Spot anomalies and uncover hidden clues to escape an office where overwork turns strange and experiments happen more often than coffee breaks.

One Way Home - Take on the role of a twelve-year-old boy in this puzzle platformer about the journey home through the most terrifying of nightmares. Each playthrough is unique: the choices you make affect the types of skills and locations, the story's progression, and its ending.

Grave Seasons - Grave Seasons is a narrative farming sim with a terrifying twist – someone in the town is a supernatural serial killer. Farm, romance, and investigate your way through the unsettling town of Ashenridge.

Tenebris Somnia - Tenebris Somnia is a 2D survival horror adventure game with live action cutscenes. Unveil the depths of a disturbing story by solving puzzles and fighting horrible creatures.

Best Indie Games Summer Showcase

Katanaut - Katanaut is a fast-paced action-roguelite blending fluid combat and cosmic horror. Slash, dodge, and wield powerful abilities as you battle through a station sprawling with twisted, once-human horrors. Adapt, survive, and descend into the shadows to uncover its darkest secrets.

Anomaly President - In this presidential rogue-like action game, gather votes and run for presidency by day, then transform into a warrior to take down your enemies by night! Master unique skills to become a swordmaster, a cyber mage, or anything in between, and overthrow the ruthless president!

Ruffy and the Riverside - In Ruffy and the Riverside, you wield the magic SWAP to Copy & Paste textures - turn ice into lava or waterfalls into vines! Explore, fight, skate on straw bales, and unleash your imagination in this quirky open-world action game. Dive into an adventure that lets you literally change the world!

Sacrifire - SacriFire is an upcoming RPG boasting a unique combat system, elaborate pixel art, and music by genre legend Motoi Sakuraba. Ezekiel Ridan, a young priest, struggles to keep his faith as the world he loves is threatened by a war between gods and demons. The adventure begins!

Fallen Fates - Venture into a vast 2D pixel-art fantasy world, face relentless battles and forge your destiny with vivid companions as you unravel the truth behind the falling crystals.

The Great Coffee Caper - The Great Coffee Caper is a cute and cozy RPG where it's up to Detective Hootsworth to figure out who stole the town's coffee beans! Uncover clues in fast-paced clue battles, question the charming townsfolk, and figure out hoooo dunnit!

Winnie’s Hole - Join Winnie on a new adventure, from within! Play as a virus in his body and mind. Capture cells to mutate and build a deck of actions to unleash in combo-driven combat. A genre-blending roguelite with a dark yet charming story. Embrace discomfort - Sometimes we can't help being seen as a monster...

Off - “I’m the Batter. I’ve been entrusted with a sacred mission.” -- One of the most influential RPGs of the last 20 years is finally coming to Steam. Take control of the Batter as he seeks to purify an uncanny and hopeless world haunted by specters, guided by a cryptic, grinning cat called The Judge.

Solateria - Explore the world of Solateria as a young flame-born warrior, on a journey to search for the Primordial Flame, the last hope to save the world from the Shadow Plague. This parry-focused metroidvania features stylish, intense combat. Set in a ruined world, battle monstrous bosses and find the truth.

A Gentleman’s Dispute - Be the last gentleman standing in this slapstick party brawler! Stack insane perks and wield preposterous items to cause maximum chaos. Anything it takes to prove yourself the most gentlemanly of them all!

Folder Dungeon - Explore unique zones, discover secrets, adapt to unexpected events and create most broken builds by collecting powerful items and modifying them in this OS-themed roguelike dungeon crawler!

Hotel Barcelona - From the creators of DEADLY PREMONITION + NO MORE HEROES. A marshal possessed by a murderer. A hotel full of killers. CHECK IN, WIPE ‘EM OUT.

Rue Valley - Rue Valley is a narrative RPG about a man trapped in a time loop, surrounded by a colorful cast with complex emotional stories, each hiding unexpected secrets. Dealing with mental challenges, the main character must rise from the depths, delving into the anomaly to uncover its enigmatic origins.

The Guardian of Nature - «The Guardian of Nature» is a hand-drawn, size-changing adventure. Embark on a magical journey with botanist Henry, use your size-changing ability to explore nature in big and small and solve solarpunk puzzles to put nature back in order.

Chainstaff - ChainStaff is a brutal action-platformer with a transforming spear and grappling hook, blazing weapon upgrades, and a rocking soundtrack. Aliens have attached to your head! Swing, shoot, and spear your way through mutating hordes and bone-shaking boss fights, and get this thing off your head!

Green Hawk Platoon - GREEN HAWK PLATOON is an action-packed, single-player & multi-player FPS that immerses you in the world's smallest army! Pick your favorite class & team up with other plastic toy soldiers to wage war for control of the kitchen, bedroom or back yard!

Chronicles of the Wolf - Hunt the legendary Beast of Gévaudan in Chronicles of the Wolf! Step into the boots of Mateo Lombardo in this epic adventure featuring brutal bosses, vast castles, and secrets to uncover. Narration by the legendary Robert Belgrade and other special appearances!

Sanatorium - The year is 1923. The lines between modern psychiatric treatments and pseudoscience are still vague. Enter the Sanatorium to diagnose and treat your patients. Struggle with moral decisions and society’s expectations – but tread carefully, as your supervisors may discover… that you are an impostor.

The Bench - Relax on a park bench, find hidden objects, solve quirky puzzles, and fend off pesky pigeons in this charming, interactive adventure. Enjoy beautifully stylized, colorful levels keeping you entertained!

The Perfect Pencil - Lost in the kingdom of the white beast, will you find your way out? The Perfect Pencil is a story-driven action platformer that throws you into the innermost depths of the human mind. Navigate surreal worlds punctuated by bizzare personalities, tense boss battles and secrets. She’s waiting for you.

Dreams of Another - A third-person exploration-action game built around the philosophical theme, “No Creation Without Destruction.” Rather than destroying objects by shooting, your shots materialize and create the world.

Media Indie Exchange

Becrowned - A surreal survival horror set in a world where fears come alive, and danger lurks at every turn. Explore the ruins of an ancient kingdom, fight monsters, and try to survive in this brutal world. Will you become its savior, or will you seek to destroy it? The choice is yours.

Billie Bust Up - Embark on a thrilling and imaginative odyssey in a 3D platforming musical inspired by your favorite timeless, magical animated films. Meet a fantastical cast of characters, take gameplay cues from the music—and try not to let the villains’ songs get stuck in your head.

Dead Finger Dice - Play a sinister game of poker dice against blood-thirsty demon billionaires who’ve trapped you on their mega yacht in this rogue-like dice builder.

Neon Inferno - NYC 2055: a city beyond salvation. Blast your way through this dense cyberpunk jungle in NEON INFERNO, an explosive fusion of 2D run-and-gun and gallery-shooter, and help the Family dominate its streets!

Absolum - Fight as the outcast heroes of Talamh in a fierce battle to retake magic from Sun King Azra’s grasp in Absolum, an original roguelite beat ‘em up by Dotemu.

Elusive - Elusive is a borrower metroidvania platformer where you ride by day, and engage with your community by night. Evolve your tools and reach the mysterious attic of a giant’s house.

Nectarmancer - NECTARMANCER tells the story of Aisa, the conscripted Nectarmancer for The Throne in this visually stunning action platformer and "gardenvania" by The Beauty Cult.

Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland - Explore a dream world as the iconic Little Nemo, armed with toys, candy, and stuffed animals in this cute & colorful Metroidvania adventure. Experience NES-era platformer gameplay in a vast, non-linear world that has been hand-animated frame-by-frame, as you unlock new abilities to progress.

Opus: Prism Peak - OPUS: Prism Peak is a narrative-driven adventure game where you play a weary photographer who finds himself caught outside of reality. Using your old camera, you’ll explore an ethereal realm and its ties to the world you left behind, uncover its mysteries, and ultimately find your way home.

Toxic Crusaders - The Toxic Crusaders return for an all-new, all-action beat 'em up for one to four players! Grab your mop, tutu and attitude, and get ready to clean up the mean streets of Tromaville, one radioactive goon at a time!

Death Howl - Journey through the sorrowful spirit world in a soulslike deck builder. Craft cards and claim powerful totems to defeat the woeful spirits lurking in the mystical lands. Unravel the tale of a grieving mother in her desperate attempt to defy death and bring back her son.

Shack news E4 2025

1000 Deaths - 1000 Deaths is a gravity-bending 3D platformer where your choices matter. What you choose defines the game's levels, mechanics, and story. Dash through platforming hubs and decide your character's fate while exploring surreal worlds. Speedrun, or don't!

Blood of Mehran - In Blood of Mehran, explore sweeping sand dunes, bustling bazaars and sprawling palaces. Go blade to blade with enemies, pick them off from a distance with your arrows, or slip by them like a ghost. Level up and build your legend.

Go North - Wander a world filled with cleverly-crafted mazes. Whoever can solve them all gets their wish granted by the Maze God. Explore beautiful mazes, discover unique items and help other maze explorers complete unusual side quests in the first immersive maze adventure ever!

A Planet Full of Cats - A Planet Full of Cats is a hidden object adventure with metroidvania-style exploration — in true Devcats fashion. Explore diverse biomes, unlock new powers and uncover ancient secrets!

Star Racer - Soar through concrete and cosmos in Star Racer, a retro-infused combat racer. Defy gravity, conquer wild Event Races, master the course editor, and crush the competition by any means necessary!

Vessels of Decay - Vessels of Decay is a retro-inspired action-adventure set in post-apocalyptic Scandinavia. You’ll follow siblings Freja and Mud as they navigate an overgrown world, one where monsters of myth and ancient folklore now reign…

Summer Game Fest

Mortal Shell 2 - Their Flesh Is Your Weapon. Mortal Shell II is a standalone sequel action-RPG with adrenaline-charged, high-stakes combat. Possess warrior Shells, dethrone false gods, redeem a ravaged world.

Sonic Racing Crossworlds - Race across land, sea, air, space, and time in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds! Warp through Travel Rings into new dimensions where something new awaits around every twist and turn.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion - A cosmic battle awaits! Choose between 15 Marvel heroes in this frenetic action beat ‘em up to fight against the deadly Annihilation Wave threatening the galaxy. From New York City to the depths of the Negative Zone, the future of the Marvel Universe will be fought for across the stars!

Felt That Boxing - Felt That: Boxing is a comedic boxing game set in a world where the charm of furry puppets collides with the fury of boxing. Step into the shoes of Ezra "Fuzz-E" Wright, an unlikely hero with a big heart. His quest? Battle his way through the Tournament of a Million Punches to save an orphanage!

MiO - Play as android MIO in this mesmerizing metroidvania where you explore the Vessel, an enormous technological ark overgrown with machines gone rogue. Uncover its secrets, enhance MIO's abilities, and save the spaceship and its residents from oblivion.

Lego Voyagers - From the makers of LEGO® Builder's Journey comes a new 2-player co-op adventure about friendship and play. When two friends make it their mission to rescue an abandoned spaceship, they embark on a journey beyond their wildest dreams.

Mina the Hollower - Take control of Mina, a renowned Hollower hurtled into a desperate mission to rescue a cursed island. Whip foes, burrow through the ground, and explore a pixel-perfect world in Mina the Hollower, a brand new game from the developers who brought you Shovel Knight!

Mixtape - On their last night together, three friends embark on one final adventure. Play through a mixtape of memories, set to the soundtrack of a generation.

Acts of Blood - Acts of Blood is a Beat ‘em up, Action, 3rd person game which focuses on fast-paced, brutal hand-to-hand combat. Set in dystopian city of Bandung, Indonesia.

Scott Pilgrim EX - Join Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers in a brand-new brawling adventure across space, time, and the streets of Toronto!

Blighted - Battle your way through a psychedelic western nightmare to reclaim the memories of your people in this action RPG from the creators of Guacamelee! Harness the power of the deadly, reality-altering Blight and unravel the mysteries of a twisted world.

Wu Tang Rise of the Deceiver - Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver is a co-op action RPG with anime-style fighting and afro-surrealist aesthetic. Players will face increasingly challenging battle Chambers to the tune of reimagined Wu-Tang Clan tracks while decking out their own custom fighters.

Into the Unwell - Dive into The Unwell as one of several flawed and heavily medicated misfits in this delightfully despondent third-person roguelite game, playing alone or with up to two friends.

Hirogami - Explore a beautiful origami world as Hiro, a fan-wielding master of the art of ‘folding’. Embark on a mystical journey to save your fragile home from deadly digital invaders. Take on animal forms to traverse the landscape, solve puzzles, overcome enemies, and save the realm.

Day of the Devs

Snap and Grab - Do crimes using only your camera and your crew! In Snap & Grab, explore a puzzle adventure world where any photo you take could be the key to cool crime success. Travel to exotic locations, photograph treasures and reveal threats, then combine your photos in unique ways to create a rad heist plan.

Big Walk - Hang out and get lost with close friends in a big world. A cooperative online walker-talker from the creators of Untitled Goose Game.

Possessors - Escape a sprawling, flooded city overrun with surreal interdimensional horror in this fast-paced action side scroller.

Neverway - After quitting her dead-end job, Fiona starts over on a farm and becomes the immortal herald of a dead god. Make friends, fight through horrors and pay your debt in this nightmarish life sim RPG.

Devolver

Ball Pit - BALL x PIT is a brick-breaking, ball-fusing, base-building survival roguelite. Batter hordes of enemies with ricocheting balls and gather the riches of the pit to expand your homestead, generate resources and recruit unique heroes.

And that, finally lol, is it... except for part 2... (and minus the playstation and xbox showcases which will get their own Not E3 post at some point...) The sheer amount of content this Not E3 season is frankly absurd. I was and am completely overwhelmed by it but also, in all honesty, super stoked. There have been more trailers that legitimately got me excited this Not E3 season than any before, Not E3 or regular E3. I hope you've found a few in these lists that get your jimmies ruslin'. But I want to know what you think. What made your Not E3 list? Join the Stone Age Gamer discord, or you can find me on Bluesky to let me know your thoughts.