A new indie puzzle game from the creator of ElecHead is one of the best releases of the year – and also one of the cheapest.

We are glad that Nintendo tries to highlight new indie titles, in their semi-regular Indie World showcases, but their irregular schedule and short running time means they can only cover a tiny fraction of all the games that are released. Add in the strange obsession with shadow drops – which means there’s often no way to review many of the titles until long after they’re out – and we’re not sure how much many of the games really gain from the exposure.

Öoo wasn’t in the most recent Indie World for the UK and we had no idea it even existed until a reader pointed out it has been in the Japanese version of the showcase. Given it has only two reviews on Metacritic, we’re clearly not the only ones. Why it wasn’t featured in the Western version we don’t know, but it’s unclear whether the companies have to pay to be included in the shows.

The game is primarily the work of just a single person, with Japanese indie creator Nama Takahashi having previously made 2021’s ElecHead. That’s also a game that escaped our attention the first time round, but now that we’ve become aware of Öoo we can confidently say it’s one of the best games of 2026.

We’re not sure how you’re meant to pronounce the game’s name, which is actually a pictograph of the caterpillar creature you play as, with the umlaut taking the role of his little antenna. That’s all very clever but as we’ve said many times before, indie games where there’s any confusion over how you say or spell their name are not a good idea and it’s infuriating how many times developers keep doing it.

To add insult to injury there is already a game called oOo: Ascension, which came out in 2018 and is also on the eShop. We’ve no idea what it is, but it doesn’t seem to involve exploding caterpillars.

There is no real story to explain what’s going on but the idea is that each segment of the caterpillar is made out of a bomb, which can ejected and exploded at will – assuming you’re on the ground at the time. If you’re within the blast radius you won’t be killed but will instead be launched forward, essentially allowing you to jump; what direction you move in depends on what side of the bomb you were sitting on when it went off.

At first you can only use one bomb at a time, but when you gain the ability to use two at once the puzzles get exponentially more complicated and interesting. Bombs can, in classic Zelda style, also be used to destroy walls and set off switches, and so you learn to not only launch yourself but also the other bomb, in order to get it where it needs to be.

That makes Öoo sound like a Metroidvania, especially as you’re stuck in a maze-like 2D world where some areas seem completely inaccessible at first. But while there are some small similarities with things like Animal Well the second bomb is the only extra one you get and all the new abilities you learn are really just tricks and exploits of the game’s in-built mechanics, that it’s entirely up to you to work out.

It may look like an old ZX Spectrum game, but Öoo is an incredibly clever sandbox puzzle game. It’s not a direct comparison but it reminded us very much of the superb Baba Is You, in the that the game sets up the rules for you at the start and you have to work out how to interpret and stretch them into solving the puzzles. Nothing is scripted and everything feels organic, as you slowly realise the logical extent of you powers and how they can be used to your advantage.

The game doesn’t just drop you off in the deep end though, as there’s a lot of what is the puzzle game equivalent of signposting, as new techniques are hinted at and then you ended up being teleported back to an earlier location, where you realise you can actually progress through it after all.

Unlike the cold and unforgiving The Witness, Öoo seems to actively want you to succeed and to not get frustrated. There are plenty of checkpoints, no penalties for dying, and while the game’s certainly not linear it won’t have you exploring aimlessly for too long; especially as areas are blocked off by frogs that require you to feed them flies before they’ll let you pass.

As with all good puzzle games, the obstacles seem absolutely impossible right up until the moment you work out what you’ve got to do, and you kick yourself for not realising how easy it was after all. Some obstacles require careful timing, which can be a little frustrating, but it’s a rare problem and for the majority of the time it’s brainpower and not fast reflexes that are most important.

Sandbox gaming might be more commonly associated with giant open world games but the much more modest confines of Öoo are infinitely more engaging and versatile than most titles a thousand times its budget. Your progress is impeded only by your own imagination, and the game is a master at stimulating it and making you feel like a genius for every problem you solve.

Formats: Nintendo Switch (reviewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Price: £8.50
Publisher: AMATA Games
Developer: Nama Takahashi
Release Date: 3rd March 2026
Age Rating: 7

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