Over the last year, the indie game space has shifted in some noticeable ways. Certain genres have surged, others have reshaped themselves, and a few hybrid forms are starting to feel like the next places real innovation might come from. What ties these trends together isn’t just mechanics, it’s how players want to experience games now: socially, emotionally, and in short, satisfying play loops.

Game design is the art of crafting worlds, gameplay, and stories that captivate players and make them forget about their problems. If...