Thinky Direct, Insider Gaming Showcase, Indie Quest, The MiX Summer Showcase, Midsummer Night’s Scream, Black Voices in Gaming, State of Play, Shacknews Indie Game Showcase, Latin American Games Showcase, Women-Led Games, EA Opening Drive, Access-Ability Showcase, Summer Game Fest, Day of the Devs, Southeast Asian Games Showcase, IGN Live 001, Wholesome Games Direct, Story Rich Showcase, Green Games Showcase, The Future Games Show, Gayming's Pride Parade, Frosty Games Fest, N3, IGN Live 002, XBOX Games Showcase, PC Gaming Show, Deutsche Indie Showcase, India Games Showcase, Nintendo Direct, 29 Not E3 presentations starting the last week of May and ending the second week of June. Honestly, it’s absurd and a terrible way to get attention on smaller titles. As someone who, again because I’m a glutton for punishment, watched all of this Not E3 coverage I can comfortably say that there are a ton of awesome games coming out in the next year or so, and an even larger amount of titles that I have already forgotten about because there is just too, damn, much. Each of these Not E3 shows was over an hour long so being conservative on the estimate, that's 30 plus hours of trailers in about a week and a half. I do not recommend watching all of these presentations next year. (that’s what you have me for) You’re much better off reading reviews/recaps of the Not E3 shows or listening to a podcast, like the Stone Age Gamer podcast available every week wherever fine podcasts are downloaded. And while I will do a much larger series of posts over the next week or so highlighting all of the Not E3 games that stood out to me from all of these different shows, I thought what might be more interesting for this blog post was a sort of “best of”, one game from each show that I think is worth your attention. (and skipping some of the big biggies because obviously…) And with all of these different games hitting different platforms, you’re going to need a way to play them that’s reliable, comfortable, and awesome. We just so happen to have some of those devices ready to ship so definitely check them out. With that out of the way, submitted for your approval, this is the Not E3 Best Of 2026.

Retro Mechanical Keyboard for Windows & Android Famicom Edition - 8BitDo

$99.99

Retro Mechanical Keyboard for Windows & Android N Edition About this Product: Inspired by the classics. Compatible with Windows 10(1903) or above, and Android 9.0...… read more

Thinky Direct

Light of Atlantis: November 2026

Explore the depths of the ocean in this 2D-Puzzle-Metroidvania! Control the water levels and switch between various robots to solve the ancient puzzles of Atlantis.

DekaDuck: TBA

DekaDuck is a 2D action platformer, featuring fully hand-drawn art and animation. Fight enemies using their own abilities and quirks to solve puzzles and defeat bosses, in a sci-fi world full of conspiracies! 

Thermocline: TBA, Free to play

A BLIZZARD RAGES. Lone survivor, you are STRANDED upon a FRIGID CORPSE-PLANET. THEY seek your warmth, sucking Soul from the shadows. AND TONIGHT, THE WIND IS YOUR CLOSEST SEMBLANCE OF A FRIEND.

Duskfade: TBA

Shatter the shackles of time as you jump, swing, and slash through a fantastic world in this love letter to classic 3D action platformers. Zirian, accompanied by his mechanical Cuckoo, must save his sister from a mysterious Clock Tower that has plunged the land into eternal night.

Dive or Die - Children of Rain: 07/21/26

Every descent is a deadly gamble. DIVE or DIE in the cursed abyss, face Eldritch horrors to uncover the mystery of the black rain. Scavenge and upgrade, recruit and sacrifice. Save your camp... The Flood is coming. 

Rollergirl: TBA

Choose your own vibe in this slice-of-life adventure. While exploring a small town on rollerblades, use your MP3 player to set the mood for your summer. Run errands for quirky neighbours, get entangled in local drama and stumble into a teenage romance.

Kemuri: TBA 2027

Players become Yokai Hunters and use the FOXWINDOW to uncover the hidden anomalies lurking within Kemuri City. By forming contracts with yokai and wearing their powers as Possession Apparel, players can change their appearance, their combat style, and the way they move through the city.

Blue Ridge Hunting: 08/2026

Blue Ridge Hunting is a co-op horror game set in the Appalachian Mountains. Solo or with friends, investigate, document, and hunt cryptids based on real sightings, legends, and eerie phenomena from the region. Are you brave enough to uncover the truth?

Artius - Pure Imagination: TBA 

ARTIUS is a fast-paced, momentum-based 2D platformer where you play as artists battling to preserve creativity in a world on the verge of artistic extinction! Dash, swing, and smash your way through a vibrant, hand-drawn world in this adrenaline-fueled platformer where art is your strongest weapon.

Fallosophy: TBA 2026

Use just two buttons to climb a colossal pinball table spanning the history of western philosophy. Fallosophy is a minimalist game that turns pinball into a quiet struggle against gravity. No score. No tilts. No savers. Falling down means climbing back up again. Why climb? What does it all mean?

Uhhhh… Madden was shown off and boy oh boy did it look like Madden…

Access-Ability Showcase

Colorbound: 08/2026

In Colorbound, color is more than just hue. As Anku, an Aymara boy with a unique gift, you’ll harness the power of color to shape the environment itself, uncovering hidden paths to navigate challenging and complex puzzles.

SAND - Raiders of Sophie: 06/22/26

In SAND you build your highly customizable walking mech fortress. Squad up or go solo. Scavenge the dunes, gather loot, weapons, priceless artifacts, survive and extract. Clash with other players in a brutal procedurally generated desert set in an alternate 1910.

Mr. Records: TBA

Meet George, an old dreamer with an extraordinary gift that lets him transcend through music. After a lifetime of standing still, he breaks free from routine and opens the store he always wished for. 

Nightmare Circus: TBA 2026

Nightmare Circus is an action-adventure game where the player takes on the role of a Puppeteer trapped in the Nightmare Realm. Set out on a journey to find his friends and escape the nightmare!

Petal Runner: TBA

Hop on your bike and join Cali and Kira as they ride across the sun-soaked city of Sapphire Valley and become Petal Runners! Make deliveries, meet new friends, play minigames, and discover a solarpunk, pixel art-powered open-world RPG about life, loss, and what we carry with us.

Janet Dumornay Is A Slumlord (and a witch): TBA

RENT MONEY IS DEAD MONEY and your landlord is expecting payment IN FULL. Puzzle your way out of a maze of DEPRAVED magical appliances and the UNHINGED diaries of a DEBAUCHED faded television celebrity.

Doomsday Diner: 07/23/26

Chaos! Cooking! Combat! In a post-apocalyptic world where hot dogs are cheap and life is cheaper, you manage the last functioning hot dog diner. Cook hot dogs, brew coffee and serve bizarre orders. Upgrade your diner, keep it clean and shoot down raiders who want your hard-earned cash.

Don’t Fret: 10/01/26

A sentient guitar trapped inside a nightmare music school. Hide, distract, and survive horrifying creatures as you tune your way through musical puzzles and fractured memories to uncover the truth.

SHE (Seraphim Helix Experiment): TBA

A unique blend of tactical stealth action and survival horror, inspired by the classics. Trapped in a missile silo with an angelic entity and mutating personnel, new life grows in the belly of the lead researcher, the Sergeant has given you his orders, and an eerie voice sings through the walls.

Acting Out: TBA

Make movies with your friends! Acting Out is an online co-op multiplayer game where you film movie scenes. Choose scripts from different genres and cast your actors, then its lights, camera, action! Hit your marks, deliver award-winning performances, then watch your masterpiece on the big screen!

Oddbat: TBA

Have you ever wondered how vampires attain immortality? Join this vampire who transforms into a bat to overcome all the challenges that arise, in order to perform a ritual unlike any other!

Magicians - The Devil's Deal: TBA 2027

Magicians: The Devil’s Deal is a narrative driven FPS where stage magic becomes real. You play as Jacob Menteuro, a fallen illusionist bound by a pact with The Devil and cast into Hell. Master deadly tricks, steal the powers of rival magicians, and escape the infernal world of Theatreland.

Virtue and a Sledgehammer: TBA 2026

Go back to your hometown and tear it down with a sledgehammer in this narrative exploration game. Confront your past in a devastating story about feeling like you no longer belong in the place you grew up.

Recollage: TBA

Craft your way through this dark fantasy puzzle adventure. Use your creativity to transform yourself and the world around you. It’s the only way to break free from the shadows of your childhood.

Septurian Might: TBA

Everyone in Septura is smarter than you. In this hand-drawn science-fantasy adventure, steal their intellect to gain powerful abilities and master brutal combat to save a dying world.

Rhythm Heaven - Groove: 07/02/26

Time your button presses to the beat across a splashy collection of games that will challenge your rhythm. Catch flying veggies, bounce fruit off your biceps, swing sledgehammers, and more. Feast your ears on catchy original music while you focus, including tracks by renowned Japanese musician Tsunku♂.

JAB Controller for NES, PC, and Mac - Retro Fighters

$24.99

JAB Next-Gen Nintendo NES, PC & Mac Controller - Retro Fighters Not compatible with the NES Classic Edition – (NES Pro Adapter required) NTSC region...… read more

And that’s my Not E3 list. To hear what Kris had to say about this years Not E3 lineup, make sure to check out the pod through whatever catcher you use or on our very own Youtube channel. But I want to know what you think. Join the Stone Age Gamer discord, or you can find me on Bluesky to let me know your thoughts. In the immortal words of Billy Joel, “Life is a series of hellos (Not E3) and goodbyes (E3); I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again.” See you soon.