Canadian video games take centre stage at Montréal International Game Summit

On a recent International Gaming Summit in Montreal (MIGS), the excitement in the Canadian gaming industry was palpable. Along with Ontario and British Columbia, Quebec leads Canada in video game production. Montreal in particular has the highest concentration of game studios in the province. While MIGS has a global appeal with a packed schedule of talks and panel discussions, its focus is distinctly Canadian, and rightfully so.

MIGS brings together developers and studios looking to showcase their games to potential investors and publishers, so you have plenty of time to practice and play. This time, the crowd-favorite Indie Zone on the top floor of the conference showcased more than 20 games in development and close to completion. Their creators get to watch visitors play the games they work on and give us a glimpse of what's coming to our collective Steam wishlists in the near future.

It was great to see that the vast majority of studios and developers in attendance were from Canada, with many studios representing MIGS' hometown of Montreal. Here are just a few of the games we've tested at MIGS from Canadian studios and are now looking forward to launching in 2026 and beyond.

Clerks and Quirks

Developer: ALTKEY Games (Quebec, Quebec).
Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: TBA

Part sim, part pure chaos, Clerks and Quirks is a co-op roguelike management game designed with multiplayer in mind, although you can definitely try it out solo if you dare. The action takes place in a fantasy store where legendary heroes come to stock up on weapons, potions and trinkets, and you, the salesman, try to sell them things without getting burned. The goal is to survive 15 work days in a row, and it gets increasingly difficult. Every day brings new challenges, more demanding clients and technology that comes to life and catches your eye. Literally. A successful completion will reward you with permanent unlocks and, most importantly, the knowledge and wisdom to do it again and not fail…maybe.

This game is a lot of fun to play and it's definitely a lot easier to play with other people. When they inevitably get in your way, that's part of the experience! The necessary cooperation reminds Digestedbut the roguelike aspect makes it more streamlined. Developed by city studio ALTKEY Games from Quebec. Clerks and Quirks was a favorite at MIGS and won the Indie Games Showcase as voted by visitors. Testing will take place in mid-December.

Almanac: About Empires and Witchcraft

Developer: Foretold Entertainment (Montreal, Quebec).
Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: TBA

Fans of 4X games, this is for you. Almanac: About Empires and Witchcraft is a rich turn-based strategy game set in a world in a constant cycle of rebirth. Lead warriors, scouts and settlers to new lands, found cities, build neighborhoods and manage resource extraction, food sources, trade and war. Watch out for mysterious incidents and hidden dangers. Run away from the lions!

There's a lot to do in the game, even in the initial demo, and even more to learn, especially for those new to the genre. (The MIGS demo allowed me to do about 70 rotations, which took a good half hour.) What it does Almanac The interconnectedness of the worlds in which you live is interesting. According to the developers, each new game is set in a new era, and the choices you make in the previous one affect your experience in the current one. The demo doesn't give a clear idea of ​​this yet, but the game will be interesting to watch because of these mechanics alone.

North Shore

Developer: Ravine Studios (Toronto, Ontario).
Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: 2028

North Shore is a top-down adventure and exploration game set in surreal versions of the wintry landscapes of Southern Ontario and Southern Quebec, heavily inspired by the paintings of Cornelius Krieghoff, Lauren Harris and the G7. The game has already won over closed audiences at testing events and indie events in Toronto this summer. At MIGS, I finally got to meet one-on-one with the technical and creative director of Ravine Studios and play a demo of the game. North Shore.

The creative team describes it as “Zelda-like”, which is admittedly a big umbrella to work with! The game is visually stunning and pays close attention to movement and skating physics, as well as the psychology of rapidly changing landscapes and moods. It feels playful and dangerous at the same time, and that's exactly the feeling Ravine Studios is going for. They are currently working on creating a closed beta and plan to release the full game in 2028.

Goland: The Adventure of a Seagull

Developer: Maarti Games (Montreal, Quebec).
Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: TBA
Demo

You were a goose in a game without a name and may have wreaked havoc by being a goat; What about the main villain of the coastal city – the seagull? You can become a city criminal, knocking over trash cans and stealing cherries from the orchard. Or you can become the caped hero, returning soccer balls to children, protecting wildlife, and saving the seas from pollution. How many bananas will it take to win the Tic-Tac-Poo game? How quickly can you escape from prison? It's up to you to find out!

The work of the individual developer continues, Goland: The Adventure of a Seagull is a fun and addictive sandbox style game with mini-quests, puzzles and the usual shenanigans, with a great art style and great potential for endless open world exploration. The demo available on Steam provides over an hour of entertainment and I can't wait to see more.

Button Man

Developer: Styrax Studios (Halifax, NC)
Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: 2026
Demo

Button Man made a great appearance at Gamescom this year, and it's still a highly anticipated release for those of us who love games set in real-life places and cities, especially in Canada. The story takes place in Prohibition-era Nova Scotia. Button Man follows Bruce, a former henchman of a local kingpin, who returns to the town of Kingsport to investigate the murder of his boss. Bruce can run around the city, talk to NPCs, recruit companions, fight bullies, and even pet cats. What else do we need? The game looks amazing, has sharp dialogue and is overall promising. You can play the demo on Steam right now.

Sherwood Chef

Developer: Porcelaine Games (Montreal, Quebec).
Platform: PC, tablets
Release date: summer 2026
Demo (itch.io)

This is for life simulation fans – you're in for a real treat, pun intended. Sherwood Chef takes on the story of Robin Hood, reimagined and told through the eyes of the royal kitchen's cook, Prince John, whose (your) only goal is to cook well in order to survive the whims of the royal family. The game's core mechanic is a collection of cooking mini-games, some of which are quite challenging, requiring timing and precision, as well as a level of attention not often found in games like this.

Apart from cooking, the game also asks the player to be strategic about how they spend their day, what ingredients they purchase and when. Not everything is available every day; The amount of food you can get is limited, as is the time you have to shop and meet the townspeople. Not to mention, interacting with certain NPCs can reduce (or increase) the royal family's dissatisfaction. Upset them too much, and then it's not dinner, but your head on the chopping block.

Sherwood Chef will be released on PC and mobile devices in the summer of 2026, but you can also play an extensive and very fun demo on itch.io right now.

Embers: Cozy Fantasy Magazine

Developer: Studio Lazulite (Montreal, Quebec).
Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: Coming soon

Coals is not a game, but rather a journaling tool with gamification elements. It fits well into the growing trend toward idle games and productivity tools, having the potential to appeal to both audiences without being either. Fans of the cozy simulator genre will appreciate its influence on Coalswith pixel graphics and gentle, unobtrusive animation. While the demo version gives you a single thought and journal prompt to complete the ritual, the full version of the game (tool?) will have much more, including the ability to save and re-read entries.

Source: Save the Forest

Developer: Riccardo Giol, Games Greenhouse (Chilliwack, British Columbia)
Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: December 5, 2025
Demo

Source: Save the Forest is a 2D pixel art puzzle game developed by Riccardo Giol and Games Greenhouse, a video game studio based in Chilliwack, British Columbia. You play as Drop, an environmental hero who can put out forest fires and is made entirely of water. As you progress through the levels, the puzzles become more difficult, but Drop also gains new abilities and weapons to fight fires. The game has an educational component about the different biomes, flora and fauna that Drop protects, and is overall very family friendly. The release is scheduled for next month, but the demo version is already available on Steam.

Image credit: Steam