Pixiel games: every game in the series
Pixiel is a series of games made by Pixygon, not a single game. Four titles carry the name so far: Dreadwager, Sparks of Life, Veilwalkers and Aetherfall. Dreadwager is the one you can play today. The rest are announced and still being made.
What Pixiel is
Pixiel is the name Pixygon puts in front of a group of its games. Each one is its own game with its own genre and its own way of playing, and the shared name marks them as part of the same body of work rather than sequels to one another.
That is the usual source of confusion. People search for Pixiel expecting one download and find several titles instead. If you only want the one you can actually play right now, that is Pixiel: Dreadwager.
Pixiel: Dreadwager
Dreadwager is the released game in the series. Every run drops you into the cursed forest of Limbo with a new mystery to unravel, so no two attempts lay out the same way.
It runs in a browser and it also has desktop builds for Windows and macOS. It is a paid game; the current price is on its own page, which is also where the download links live.
Pixiel: Sparks of Life
Sparks of Life is a platformer built on jumping, dashing and exploring through bright 8-bit worlds. It is announced and listed as coming soon, so there is nothing to play yet.
It is planned for the browser as well as Windows and macOS.
Pixiel: Veilwalkers
Veilwalkers puts you in charge of an expedition: you lead the group, shape what happens to them, and hold out against the Crimson Moon. It is the largest of the announced titles in scope and is also still in development.
Its listed platforms are the browser plus Windows, macOS and Linux.
Pixiel: Aetherfall
Aetherfall is described simply as a new adventure across worlds unknown. It is the least finished of the four and there is little to say about it yet beyond that it exists and is being worked on.
It is listed for the browser, Windows and macOS.
Where Pixiel games run
Every game in the series is built to run in a normal web browser first, with desktop builds alongside it. Nothing in the series needs a console or a storefront client.
In practice that means you can try Dreadwager from the page it sits on, without installing anything, and only download a build if you would rather play it that way.
Keeping track of the rest
Because three of the four are unreleased, the honest answer to when you can play them is that no dates have been announced. Release notes for everything Pixygon ships are posted publicly, and each game page updates when its status changes.
If you want one thing to watch, watch the individual game page for the title you care about rather than the series as a whole.
Questions people ask
What is Pixiel?
Pixiel is a series of games from Pixygon. Four games carry the name: Dreadwager, Sparks of Life, Veilwalkers and Aetherfall. It is not a single game, which is why searching for Pixiel turns up several different titles.
How many Pixiel games are there?
Four have been announced so far. One of them, Pixiel: Dreadwager, is released. The other three are listed as coming soon.
Which Pixiel game can I play right now?
Pixiel: Dreadwager. It is the only released title in the series. Sparks of Life, Veilwalkers and Aetherfall are all still in development.
Do Pixiel games run in a browser?
Yes. Every title in the series is built for the browser first, with Windows and macOS builds alongside it. Veilwalkers also lists Linux.
Is Pixiel free?
Dreadwager is a paid game, and its current price is shown on its own page. The unreleased titles have not settled their pricing, so the game pages are the only reliable place to check.
Is Pixiel the same as Pixygon?
No. Pixygon is the studio; Pixiel is one series of games that the studio makes. Pixygon also makes other games and tools that do not carry the Pixiel name.