13 October, 2026 – Indie developer Distracted Coder has announced that their debut title Slide Soldiers, a cozy sliding puzzle game, will release on Steam on December 1, 2026. Unlike other games in the genre, the levels in Slide Soldiers don’t have exits, instead you glide, slash and dash your way to completion by wiping the board of all enemies. Players can slide into the demo now ahead of its Next Fest participation later this month.
Slide Soldiers carefully balances the thoughtfulness and planning of a difficult puzzle game with the slower pace and stress-free mechanics of a cozy game. While there is a perfect solution to every level, Slide Soldiers allows you to decide how you play. Whether that’s planning each move you make or gliding across the level until you clear the board, there’s no right or wrong way to win.
With 5,000 pre-generated levels, there’s no shortage of boards to clear. So if you’re the type of player to binge 100 levels in one sitting or someone who likes to complete puzzles at their own pace, this is a game for you.
The game also features two additional game modes outside of the standard gameplay for players who want to change things up. Hard mode introduces decoy enemies that will fool players who rush decisions and don’t scout out the entire board before moving. Adventure mode adds a level of exploration to the experience. Instead of having the full view of the entire board, this mode zooms the camera in on your soldier, limiting your view and forcing you to hunt through the level for every enemy. Your only guide is an old map showing enemies but not your own location!
As players progress through levels, the seasons will change and introduce new visuals and music. With no use of AI, it's all brought to life through a charming top-down art style with hand-drawn sprites that give the game the feel of classic handheld RPGs.
Speaking about the upcoming release, Distracted Coder said: "Slide Soldiers was an idea that lived in my head for 5 years. Honestly I’m so glad I waited because I’ve improved so much as a developer and I feel that Slide Soldiers really is the best it can be now."
Slide Soldiers will be available on Steam December 1st, with a playable demo available now and throughout Steam Next Fest. To request a review key before launch, contact Ethan Howe at ethan@gameifyouare.com.
About Distracted Coder
The solo development studio, Distracted Coder, is the brainchild of Alex Wagner, a video game developer who has been coding for more than half his life. Starting on a TI-84 calculator in 6th grade he has since then released over two dozen games. Slide Soldiers marks his most ambitious project to date.
Alex’s habits of being constantly preoccupied by other ideas and projects made the name Distracted Coder a perfect fit for this distracted coder.