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While I found the recent Day of the Devs showcase was a delight to watch, my main revelation was perhaps unexpected: I am certain that 2026 will be the unrivaled era for frogs in video games.

Exactly five of the showcased games—Frog Sqwad, Stretchmancer, Unshine Arcade, Awaysis, and Big Hops—in some way feature these hoppy characters. Given that a gathering of frogs is termed an army, it appears they are taking over the industry.

From Classic Icons to Modern Mania

Croaking characters are far from new to the world of games. Looking back at titles like Frogger to the iconic froggy chair in Animal Crossing, they have consistently maintained a special place. But, their popularity has seemingly exploded in recent times.

A cursory search for "frog game" on Steam yields an overwhelming flood of results. While, some of these are obscure titles, a great many are serious amphibian adventures.

Charting the Croak Comeback

To quantify this rise, I undertook a deep dive into the past five years of hoppy gaming on Steam. My criteria was somewhat arbitrary, prioritizing games with frogs in the title or clearly visible in screenshots.

The data reveal an unmistakable trend: a consistent uptick from less than 20 titles in 2020 to nearly 60 in 2025.

This notable escalation prompts the question: what's driving this craze? The amphibian's rising status in the public consciousness is somewhat visible elsewhere, such as the resurgence of Frog and Toad as beloved characters. But, the explosion in gaming seems particularly pronounced.

Why Frogs? The Game Design Advantage

Frankly, this is a shift I can get behind. Frogs offer inherent appealing traits for game developers.

• Weird Little Guys: They are perfectly suited to be designed as memorable characters that tend to be a standout feature in any game.
• Dynamic Mechanics: Their long tongues and prehensile tongues enable a wide array of creative gameplay ideas.

Many of the showcased games clearly utilize these traits. Examples include the tongue-swinging in Big Hops and the stretchy arm puzzles of Stretchmancer.

What the Future Holds

So, what does this mean for 2026? Given five frog games already announced before the year has even begun—and the possibility for more—the evidence suggests for it to be the most significant year for amphibian gaming.

If these games are received positively—and based on past trends, games from this showcase often do—we may indeed be on the verge of a full-blown frog gaming renaissance.