Every year I try to spotlight Australian studios that are doing interesting work. Not the biggest or most established — the ones that are about to break through or pivot into something exciting. Here are five studios worth watching in 2026.

1. Hollow Ponds (Melbourne)

Hollow Ponds has been making thoughtful, experimental games for years, including the beautiful I Am Dead. But their next project, still unannounced officially, has been described by people who’ve seen it as their most ambitious game yet. The studio’s approach — focused on emotional resonance over mechanical complexity — puts them in a space that few Australian studios occupy.

What makes them worth watching: they consistently ship games that feel genuinely different from everything else on the market. In an industry full of genre copycats, that’s increasingly rare.

2. Summerfall Studios (Melbourne)

David Gaider (of Dragon Age fame) co-founded Summerfall, and their debut game Stray Gods proved there was an audience for narrative-musical RPGs. It was a niche bet that paid off. Their follow-up project is in development and rumoured to expand on the musical RPG concept with a larger scope and more complex branching.

What makes them worth watching: they created a new subgenre. That almost never happens. If the second game builds on what worked and addresses what didn’t, they could define a style of game that other studios start imitating.

3. Forgotten Plains (Brisbane)

A small studio that emerged from the Brisbane game jam scene. Their first commercial release — a narrative farming sim set in the Australian Outback — generated buzz at PAX Aus 2025 that far exceeded their booth size. The team is six people, and the game’s art direction alone puts it in competition with studios ten times their size.

What makes them worth watching: the Australian setting is handled with genuine care rather than stereotype. The outback isn’t a joke or a postcard — it’s a real place with real people. If the game lands, it could be the Australian Stardew Valley.

4. Screwtape Studios (Melbourne)

Known for Damsel, a stylish action platformer. But Screwtape has been quiet for a while, and the silence usually means something interesting is cooking. The studio has expanded their team and hired several senior developers from other Australian studios. Whatever they’re working on has a bigger scope than their previous work.

What makes them worth watching: they’ve proven they can ship polished action games with strong art direction. A bigger-budget project from this team could be special.

5. Mighty Kingdom (Adelaide)

Adelaide doesn’t get enough attention in Australian game development conversations, and Mighty Kingdom is one of the reasons it should. They’ve primarily worked in mobile and contract development, but their shift toward original IP — including the excellent Overland Express — signals a studio ready to compete for a different audience.

What makes them worth watching: they have the team size and experience to execute on ambitious projects, and Adelaide’s lower cost of living compared to Melbourne and Sydney gives them a financial advantage in an industry where burn rate kills studios.

Honourable mentions

Lumi Interactive (Melbourne) — working on multiplayer experiences that blend competitive and cooperative play. Black Lab Games (Hobart) — Tasmania’s most prominent studio, consistently shipping quality indie titles. Cardboard Keep (Sydney) — small team with a track record of charming puzzle games.

The common thread across all these studios is ambition matched with track record. They’ve all shipped games before. They all have projects in development that could be their best work. 2026 is going to be a good year for Australian game development.