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Although I thoroughly enjoyed the recent developer-focused presentation was undoubtedly entertaining, my primary conclusion was perhaps unexpected: I am convinced that 2026 will be the definitive year for frogs in video games.

No fewer than five of the showcased games—Frog Sqwad, Stretchmancer, Unshine Arcade, Awaysis, and Big Hops—in some way feature these leaping protagonists. Given that a collection of frogs is called an army, it feels they are taking over the industry.

The Enduring Appeal of Amphibians

Croaking characters are anything but new to the interactive entertainment. From the arcade classic Frogger to the iconic froggy chair in Animal Crossing, they have enjoyed a niche presence. But, their prevalence has noticeably exploded in recent times.

A simple search for "frog game" on Steam yields an absolute deluge of results. Granted, some of these are low-budget titles, a great many are bona fide titles centered on frogs.

Charting the Croak Comeback

To quantify this phenomenon, I performed a thorough analysis into the recent history of amphibian-themed gaming on Steam. My approach was somewhat arbitrary, counting games with frogs in the title or clearly visible in screenshots.

The results paint a clear picture: a consistent rise from less than 20 titles in 2020 to almost 60 in 2025.

This significant surge prompts the question: why the sudden leap? The creature's growing prominence in the cultural zeitgeist is also apparent elsewhere, for example the resurgence of Frog and Toad as beloved characters. But, the explosion in gaming looks especially strong.

Why Frogs? The Game Design Advantage

In my opinion, this is a trend I can fully endorse. Frogs offer inherent design advantages for game developers.

• Weird Little Guys: They are ideally shaped to be designed as endearing characters that frequently end up as a standout feature in any game.
• Innovative Systems: Their long tongues and prehensile tongues enable a myriad of creative gameplay ideas.

A number of the featured titles clearly utilize these traits. Examples include the tongue-swinging in Big Hops and the stretchy arm puzzles of Stretchmancer.

The Leap Into 2026

So, what is the outlook for 2026? With five frog games publicly revealed before the year has even started—and the chance for more—the evidence suggests for it to be the largest year so far.

If these games are received positively—and traditionally, games from this showcase tend to succeed—we might just be entering a full-blown frog gaming renaissance.