A large number of Korean indie game developers will participate in the Taipei Game Show 2026 (TGS 2026), the first major game industry event of 2026, showcasing the power of K-indie. Held from January 29 to February 1 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center in Taiwan, the event is attracting attention as the largest indie game exhibition ever.
The largest-ever “Indie House” event features 190 developers from 23 countries.
Taipei Game Show 2026’s indie game exhibition hall, “Indie House,” has expanded by over 20% compared to last year, featuring over 250 indie games from 190 developers from 23 countries. Korean indie games will be showcased alongside global hits like Vampire Survivor and Falworld.
Of particular note is that Smilegate Stove, Korea’s leading indie game platform, has participated as the main title sponsor of Indie House. Stove will actively support the global expansion of Korean indie games by operating the “Stove Online Showcase” on-site.
Building a ‘Global Indie Game Pavilion’ in partnership with the Busan Indie Connect Festival.
In partnership with the Busan Indie Connect Festival (BIC), Stove is supporting the exhibition of outstanding Korean indie games at the “Global Indie Game Pavilion.” This year’s Taipei Game Show, in collaboration with seven strategic partners from six countries, has established the most diverse indie game platform in Asia.
The Busan Indie Connect Festival is Korea’s largest indie game festival, discovering and nurturing hundreds of indie games each year. Stove also participated in BIC 2025 as a Platinum Sponsor last year, leading the way in fostering the Korean indie game ecosystem.
Two Korean teams selected as finalists for the 2026 Indie Game Awards.
The Indie Game Awards (IGA) 2026, an international indie game competition hosted by the Taipei Game Show, also highlights the remarkable progress of Korean indie games. This year, a total of 515 works from 51 countries were submitted, a 1.5-fold increase over the previous year.
Thirty-eight teams from 16 countries were selected as finalists, with two teams from Korea making the cut. “Graytail,” developed by indie studio Concode, achieved the remarkable feat of being nominated in three categories, including Best Visual Art and Best Mobile Game. “Hermit Computer,” developed by VIA studio (Visual Interactive Art), also attracted attention as a finalist in the Best Student Game category.
In addition to indie games, domestic developers and publishers like Gravity and Studio Beside are also participating, targeting the Chinese market. Joycity will present “Biohazard Survival Unit,” a mobile strategy game based on Capcom’s popular IP, “Biohazard.”
In addition, Major Nine plans to set up a separate booth and run various promotions, including an exhibition of ‘Outerplane’ developed by VAGames, a cosplay model event using popular characters, and providing limited goods to visitors.
The B2B section also expanded by 30% year-on-year.
Taipei Game Show 2026’s B2B zone has been significantly expanded, with over 100 companies from 17 countries participating, a roughly 30% increase over the previous year. Organizers expect over 2,000 industry professionals from around the world to attend the event.
The Asia Pacific Game Summit, held over two days from January 29th to 30th, will feature a main stage and an AI stage centered around six core topics: game development, indie games, operations and marketing, generative AI, and new technologies.
Taipei is the bridgehead for K-indie’s global expansion.
The Taipei Game Show, held annually in January or February, touts itself as “the world’s fastest game show.” Launched in 2003, the event has become a gateway to the Greater China market and a barometer of Asian game industry trends.
A Smilegate Stove official said, “We have shown great interest in fostering the indie game ecosystem by holding the Stove Indie Awards every year,” and “We will actively support excellent Korean indie games to be recognized in the global market through this Taipei Game Show.”
The global competitiveness of Korean indie games has already been proven. In 2025, “Shape of Dreams” and “Sannabi” achieved global success , demonstrating the power of K-indie. Thanks to expanded government support and active investment from major publishers, the Korean indie game ecosystem in 2026 is more vibrant than ever.
