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My key observation from the recent indie games event was a delight to watch, my biggest takeaway was perhaps unexpected: I am certain that 2026 will be the definitive year for frogs in video games.

Exactly five of the highlighted projects—Frog Sqwad, Stretchmancer, Unshine Arcade, Awaysis, and Big Hops—incorporate these amphibious creatures. Given that a band of frogs is termed an army, it appears they are staking their claim.

A Legacy of Leaping

Frogs are far from new to the gaming landscape. Looking back at titles like Frogger to the iconic froggy chair in Animal Crossing, they have long held a cult following. But, their visibility has noticeably surged in recent times.

A quick search for "frog game" on Steam unveils an absolute deluge of results. While, some of these are obscure titles, a significant portion are legitimate titles centered on frogs.

Charting the Croak Comeback

To understand this rise, I conducted a deep dive into the last half-decade of amphibian-themed gaming on Steam. My criteria was somewhat arbitrary, focusing on games with frogs in the title or prominently displayed in screenshots.

The findings tell a compelling story: a consistent uptick from under 20 titles in 2020 to close to 60 in 2025.

This significant surge prompts the question: where is this interest coming from? The amphibian's growing prominence in the broader culture is also apparent elsewhere, for example the revival of Frog and Toad as Gen Z icons. However, the trend in gaming seems especially pronounced.

Designing for a Sticky Tongue

Honestly, this is a movement I can wholeheartedly support. Frogs possess built-in creative potential for game developers.

• Charming Creatures: They are ideally shaped to be designed as memorable characters that tend to be a standout feature in any game.
• Unique Gameplay: Their elastic legs and sticky tongues lend themselves to a myriad of creative gameplay ideas.

A number of the featured titles clearly utilize these traits. Examples include the tongue-grappling in Big Hops and the extra-long limb puzzles of Stretchmancer.

The Leap Into 2026

So, what is the outlook for 2026? Given five frog games already announced before the year has even started—and the potential for more—the trajectory is clear for it to be the biggest year so far.

When these games perform well—and traditionally, games from this showcase tend to succeed—we could very well be on the verge of a true amphibian entertainment revival.