ENDIX was a highlight of my year as an indie game lover

Going to gaming conventions and festivals is always a highlight of working as a games journalist for me. Seeing so many talented developers and studios come together to share their work is an experience like no other, and the community aspect is delightful, too.

While I’ve been to a fair chunk of gaming events already in 2026, there’s one that stands out as a highlight – ENDIX. ENDIX is a completely unique gaming convention that takes place directly in your PC, and Kyusai had the opportunity to attend as press, complete with our own lotus-themed booth.

A unique spin on a gaming event

The first 2026 edition of ENDIX took place from May 23 to May 26, 2026, inviting gaming geeks from around the world to explore a digital festival ground, celebrating all things indie games. It was an utter delight to attend.

If you’re unfamiliar, ENDIX is an entirely digital event – instead of having to fork out for hotels and train tickets, you can download ENDIX directly from Steam or the Epic Games Store.

Inside the event, you get to build an avatar and explore the world alongside other attendees, taking part in platforming challenges and chatting with other gamers over voice chat, checking out new gaming sites, and, most importantly, going hands-on with upcoming indie games.

I spend a fair amount of time attending events as a games journalist, including everything from trading card conventions to behind-the-scenes game previews, and so far, ENDIX is one of the highlights of my 2026 gaming calendar, largely due to the immense variety of stellar games on offer.

Kyusai was represented in the press line-up for ENDIX in May this year, meaning we had a booth in the press area while the event was live. While I did spend plenty of time making my character hop around for screenshots here, I spent most of my time during the event exploring the different indie games on offer.

The ENDIX world was split up into themed areas and booths, with everything from futuristic, metallic-looking hallways that peeled off into individual game booths, to a spooky section of the map dedicated purely to horror games, reminiscent of an old cathedral.

The majority of different game attendees had assets from their games in play to create a digital booth; some were cute and colorful, while others were dark and ominous. A good chunk of the games had demos that could be played directly, while others took the chance to show off their trailers.

I’m always astounded by the mish-mash of genres and creative combinations on display in the indie gaming world, but it couldn’t have been showcased more effectively than with ENDIX’s show floor.

In one booth, you might have a teddy bear-themed shooter like Stuffed, and in another, a painterly management game like House of Legacy. The variety was striking, and I’m already excited for the next edition of the event to roll around so I can see how many different types of game there are.

Making gaming events accessible

While the variety of indie games and developers on show was an exciting part of ENDIX, the best thing about it both as a journalist and attendee was the accessible nature of the event.

Going to gaming events is expensive, and while I do love attending conventions and shows, I must admit that they can be wildly inconvenient sometimes.

Tickets, hotels, transport, and food all cost money, the events themselves can be busy and hard to navigate – particularly if you’re someone with health or mobility issues – and it can be tricky to even get through the door in some cases thanks to ticket scalping or limited supply.

ENDIX managed to mitigate these issues entirely; if someone has access to Steam or the Epic Games Stores and can run Unreal Engine games to a decent level, they’re able to access the event.

I have a fairly low-range PC – it struggles with Infinity Nikki and Baldur’s Gate 3, as an example – but found the performance to be generally smooth throughout my time attending the event. Despite my computer having a little tantrum with the water effects in the outdoors area, it still ran decently.

I’m hoping to see many more events following in ENDIX’s footsteps and make strides to include fans digitally as well as in-person.

Not to get too bleak in an otherwise upbeat article, but we’re in what I’d describe as a global cost of living crisis, with things like travel and gaming seemingly becoming more expensive than ever before. Keeping community-centered events accessible is crucial for both players and developers, as no one deserves to be priced out of a hobby or passion project.

Letting players check out new and exciting games alongside their friends is vital for keeping the indie gaming scene alive; equally, giving developers the opportunity to showcase their work without having to pay for physical merchandising and a booth is essential, too.

In an ideal world, physical events could follow suit by having a digital event running at the same time for fans who couldn’t make it in person.

Think of Blizzard Entertainment’s BlizzCon, for example – folks who can’t make it over to Anaheim for whatever reason could still explore a virtual version during the event and connect with fellow players, perhaps hopping into game lobbies or checking out preview livestreams from the comfort of their PC.

Another edition of ENDIX is due to take place in November this year, meaning if you missed the chance to go hands on the first time around, you can jump in this time and bring along some mates to explore the event with. It’s well worth your time – ENDIX stands out from its peers as a wholly unique indie gaming event and I can’t wait to go back.

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