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While I found the recent developer-focused presentation was undoubtedly entertaining, my biggest takeaway was perhaps unexpected: I am declaring that 2026 will be the unrivaled era for frogs in video games.

Exactly five of the highlighted projects—Frog Sqwad, Stretchmancer, Unshine Arcade, Awaysis, and Big Hops—prominently include these hoppy characters. Considering a gathering of frogs is called an army, it appears they are launching an invasion.

From Classic Icons to Modern Mania

Amphibians have been far from new to the world of games. Ever since the era of Frogger to the iconic froggy chair in Animal Crossing, they have enjoyed a niche presence. Yet, their visibility has noticeably surged in recent times.

A simple search for "frog game" on Steam yields an overwhelming flood of results. Granted, some of these are novelty titles, a sizable number are bona fide Frog Games.

Tracking the Tadpole Trend

To quantify this trend, I performed a thorough analysis into the past five years of hoppy gaming on Steam. My approach was admittedly subjective, focusing on games with frogs in the title or featured in screenshots.

The findings reveal an unmistakable trend: a steady increase from under 20 titles in 2020 to almost 60 in 2025.

This significant surge prompts the question: where is this interest coming from? The amphibian's growing prominence in the public consciousness is somewhat apparent elsewhere, for example the popularity of Frog and Toad as nostalgic figures. However, the explosion in gaming looks especially strong.

Designing for a Sticky Tongue

Honestly, this is a shift I can fully endorse. Frogs have built-in appealing traits for game developers.

• Weird Little Guys: They are perfectly suited to be designed as quirky characters that tend to be a standout feature in any game.
• Unique Gameplay: Their elastic legs and sticky tongues facilitate a wide array of unique mechanics.

A number of the announced projects directly leverage these traits. For instance the tongue-grappling in Big Hops and the extra-long limb puzzles of Stretchmancer.

The Leap Into 2026

So, what is the outlook for 2026? Given five frog games already announced before the year has even started—and the potential for more—the evidence suggests for it to be the biggest year for amphibian gaming.

When these games are received positively—and traditionally, games from this showcase tend to succeed—we could very well be entering a genuine croaking cultural moment.