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Press release:
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — Nov. 03, 2026 — MAGFest and Indie Retro, in partnership with creative-first indie video game publisher and developer Mega Cat Studios, are pleased to announce the finalists for the ninth annual MAGFest Indie Retro Homebrew Showcase, celebrating more than 20 of the most exciting games currently in development for classic consoles.

The previous Showcase featured nearly two dozen indie retro gems. Standouts such as Atarath Games’ Light From Within, Pixel Craft Games’ The Adventures of Panzer Frontiers, LocusMotions’ Wicked Plague, and Phonorail’s Tactus won over our panel of judges from across the retro landscape with their creative design, polished mechanics, and genuine love for the time-tested hardware they were built for.

MAGFest 2027’s Indie Retro Homebrew Showcase Finalists:

Glory Hunters (2think Design Studio, Game Boy)
Astro Burn (Beyond the Pixels, Game Boy Color)
Getaway the Primate (CrazyGroupTrio Games, NES)
A Journey Into the Unknown (Dale Coop, NES)
Amberly Hollow (Geonjaha, Game Boy Color)
Dracula: Burden of the Sea (Maxjk0, Game Boy)
Beyond the Pins: The 2nd Frame (KHAN Games, NES)
FLEARUN! (Lowtek Games, NES)
Toxic Crusaders (Retroware, Genesis, Game Boy, NES)
ESPecial Jobs (Miguel Ángel Pérez Martínez, Game Boy)
Mega Kaiju Boom Ball (Orebody Inc., NES)
Supermarket Spree DX (Pacdude Games, Game Boy)
Cursed Castella Requiem (PlayOnRetro, Genesis)
Darkula (Locomalito, Genesis)
The Book of Rynn (Sebotron, NES)
Rick and Alice: Retro Games Hunters (Selviha, Genesis)
Sky Paws Awakening (Signum Ludens, Genesis)
Flushville Fun (Smileco, NES)
Repugnant Bounty (Starlab Games, Game Boy Color)
Packet (Turtle Time Media, NES)
Fortune & Glory in the City of Cats (Video Game Story Time, Game Boy)
Billy’s Bad Day (Vintage Arcade Works, TurboGrafx-16)

In addition to these exceptional titles, we’ll reveal another finalist in the coming weeks.

To celebrate the announcement, MAGFest, Indie Retro, and Mega Cat Studios have released a new video showcasing each of these exciting titles!

Now celebrating its ninth year, MAGFest’s Indie Retro Homebrew Showcase embraces the passion and creativity of the homebrew community. The event features a CRT-filled gaming area where players can go hands-on with a massive assortment of new and exciting experiences for their favorite classic consoles.

MAGFest invites homebrew enthusiasts and retro gaming fans to join us at the MAGFest Indie Retro Homebrew Showcase from January 7 through 10, 2027. For more information about the showcase, please visit www.magfest.org.

About MAGFest:

The Music and Gaming Festival (MAGFest) is a four-day celebration of video games and video game music, featuring concerts, panels, a 24-hour arcade, and countless gaming experiences. Since its inception, MAGFest has grown into a vibrant community hub for gamers and musicians alike.