Hero image: Finch & Archie screenshot. Image: Octarine Arts
The Aus Indie Showcase Winners Heading To Melbourne
PAX Aus runs at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 9 to 11 October. Among the stands will be the winners of the 2026 Aus Indie Showcase, where attendees can meet the developers and play the games.
This year’s showcase has six digital games and six tabletop games. These are the six digital winners, in the order PAX listed them.
Cozy Game Restoration, By Parasol Corp
Cozy Game Restoration is a restoration simulator about bringing old video game cartridges back to life. PAX describes tearing packing tape, peeling stickers and lifting away grime, with “No pressure or failure”. The Steam page lists a 4 November 2026 release.
Key Fairy, By Owl Machine
A hand-drawn, pacifist, folkloric bullet-hell. Players grapple and dance around monsters to collect their shattered stars. Key Fairy is already out on Steam, where it is A$29.50.
Finch & Archie, By Octarine Arts
An episodic co-op noir murder mystery set in the Great Depression. In Finch & Archie, one player is detective Jack Finch, the other his police dog Archie, who uses a sense of smell to find evidence. It is A$17.75 on Steam.
The Last Exterminator, By Ironworks Games
A 90s-style action shooter with “corny humour and explosive set-pieces”. PAX says it runs on a custom engine built in-house by Ironworks Games. The Steam page has no release date yet.
Mission Delta, By Polarity Games
A co-op action roguelike shooter set inside Delta Corp’s skyscraper, fought floor by floor as one of its escaped experiments. Weapons can be fused into combinations. Aiden from Polarity Games told PAX the team first applied in 2024, and that “we can’t wait to present Mission Delta in person for the first time this October”.
A Real Life Party, By Silakka
A Real Life Party is a comedy game about Anton, stuck at his friend Henry’s flat warming party with three peculiar roommates. It uses first-person, grid-based movement, and its visuals are photos and videos. The Steam page lists it as coming soon.
The showcase is sponsored this year by Superloop, and PAX says each winning team receives 12 months of free internet and an eero 7 modem.
Source: PAX Aus – 2026 Indie Showcase Winners, Steam – Cozy Game Restoration, Steam – Key Fairy, Steam – Finch & Archie, Steam – The Last Exterminator, Steam – Mission Delta, Steam – A Real Life Party