Ukrainian Games Festival returns: the fifth festival will be held from August 17 to 24

The Ukrainian Games Festival online event will take place for the fifth time in 2026. The organizers have confirmed the dates: the festival will be held from August 17 to 24 on the Steam platform and will once again gather Ukrainian developers at one digital showcase.

The initiator of the event is the Palaye agency, which deals with the participation of studios and coordinates the festival program.

Applications are open until the beginning of August

Developers can submit their projects until August 1, 2026. Organizers emphasize that registration remains free, and selection is open to both small indie teams and large studios.

The participation format involves the inclusion of games in the general Steam festival collection, where users can freely familiarize themselves with the projects.

Demos, discounts and access to future releases

During the week of the festival, Ukrainian games will be available to players from different countries at reduced prices, as well as demo versions of projects under development. In addition, some participants will present materials about future releases, including early versions and test builds.

The festival traditionally serves as a platform where indie games first gain a wide international audience and feedback from the community.

Premieres and trailers

The 2026 program involves the publication of new announcements and trailers from developers. On the first day of the festival, the organizers will present a separate video in which the key premieres and most notable projects will be collected.

Earlier, as part of the Ukrainian Games Festival, such games as DDoD, Road of Dust and Sorrow, Valkyrie Iteration, Soul Shuffler, Comix Zero and Boxville 2, as well as dozens of other Ukrainian projects, were demonstrated for the first time.