by Johnny Chin

In March 2026, Game Market West returned to Guildhouse in San Jose, California. It was very exciting to appear on the local news! It’s not every day that indie tabletop designers get this kind of spotlight (editor's note: video linked at the bottom of this report). Seeing our community highlighted on a mainstream platform really shows that there’s growing interest in small, creative voices and the unique experiences they bring to games.

For the games at this event, several designs embraced cozy or wholesome play. Anti-Anxiety Card Game focused on mindfulness and connection, Barista of the Month captured the joy of serving customers, and Light Up The Night delivered a solo puzzle of chasing fireflies into star patterns. These games highlighted a trend toward emotionally driven and accessible gameplay.

Anti-Anxiety Card Game by Studio Cassava (Jared & Hannah)
It's a relaxing 1-2 player card game that helps reduce anxiety for college students and all ages through fun self-care prompts. Play alone or with a partner, connect with each other through mindfulness connections, and explore silly prompts like sharing your favorite joke, or Lo-fi song--or just forcing each other to go on a walk during the game!

Barista of the Month by Anthony Barbieri
Manage your ingredients to serve the perfect cup of coffee in this quick and competitive tabletop card game! I wanted to highlight this game as it was very much a labor of love. Each card was cut out by the designer one by one.

Light Up The Night by Andrew DiLullo
Run through fields of fireflies and chase them into the sky as a small child that believes that's how stars are formed. Light Up The Night is a single player puzzle game that sees you running through the firefly laden fields to chase as many fireflies as you can, while trying to form specific types of stars that tighten your movement choices. The fields wax and wane as you chase fireflies away, how many will you be able to launch into the sky in only 6 short rounds?

Designers also explored storytelling and RPGs.

Florafiora: The Storytelling Card Game by Emily Hancock
Co-op storytelling card game for 4 players. Each player takes a turn as the lead storyteller / (GM). Collaborate on a group backstory together, then explore the Storywheel (alternating location and encounter cards). Tell a full story with no additional game prep in an hour!

HeartBeasts by Charlie Huggins & Ajda Gokcen
HeartBeasts is a collaborative TTRPG filled with magical creatures and cinematic, episodic, fast-paced gameplay—inspired by video games and anime like Pokémon and Persona. Its flexible, unique system draws from "tabletalk" RPG favorites Ryuutama and Fabula Ultima to weave strategy with storytelling.

Overall, GMW Spring 2026 felt like a celebration of variety. Whether you came for quick party games, collaborative storytelling, or complex strategy, this season reinforced what we do best: showcasing bold ideas and the passionate designers behind them. We'll see you at the next Game Market West on September 13, 2026! You can sign up for updates or apply as a designer.

Youtube Video