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Indie and indie-like games have been hotbeds of creativity and innovation for many years, offering new gameplay experiences that sometimes surpass even blockbuster AAA titles.
In 2024 alone, we got the excellent rogue-like RPG Ravenswatch, a challenging but addictive Rain World and a very unique gambling PvP game Liar's Bar. Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, the landscape is teeming with highly anticipated releases from small dev teams across the world.
From atmospheric horror games like Replaced and Routine to heartwarming narratives such as Deer & Boy, the indie devs in 2025 aim to push the boundaries of storytelling and design. Whether you're a fan of fast-paced action or gripping mysteries, there's something in the pipeline for everyone.
Before we dive into this awesome lineup, there are a few things that you need to know. First, some of these games are not technically indie since they have a publisher but most of them are low-budget projects made by small dev teams, which is why many people consider them indie or indie-like.
Secondly, if some particular game did not make the list, it's simply because these are our most exciting indie and indie-like games in 2025. That being said, we will be updating this list with more games, as they are announced in the coming months.
Top 25 Indie Games in 2025 and beyond
- Altered Alma
- Astral Rot
- Bye Sweet Carol
- Butcher's Creek
- Compound Fracture
- Core Decay
- Deer and Boy
- Greenfield
- Holstin
- Low-Budget Repairs
- Luna Abyss
- Mixtape
- Mouse: P.I. for Hire
- Pharos Light
- Ratatan
- Reanimal
- Replaced
- Routine
- Slay the Spire 2
- Solarpunk
- Spine
- Sword of the Sea
- Truckful
- Wheel World
- Will: Follow the Light
Altered Alma
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC
- Developer:2Awesome Studio
- Genres: Platform, Adventure, Fighting
- Publishers: 2Awesome Studio, CRITICAL REFLEX
- Release date: To be confirmed
Altered Alma is a promising platform adventure that fuses classic Metroidvania gameplay with unique RPG mechanics and dating sim elements, all wrapped in a visually striking pixel art style.
Set in the futuristic cyberpunk world of Neo Barcelona, it's a playground to explore and dominate. It has something for everyone, whether you want to fight with brutal combat, solve mysteries across the wide city, or develop relationships through its story-rich dating mechanics.
Astral Rot
- Platform: PC
- Developer and Publisher: Abstract Digital
- Genres: Action, Adventure
- Release date: To be confirmed
Astral Rot is a survival horror game set in a haunting sci-fi universe, brought to life by the co-creators of Tormented Souls. It's one of those horrors that aims to deliver a classic scare with the fixed-camera perspective, akin to older Resident Evil games.
Players will take on the role of Adler, a space mining engineer who becomes embroiled in a desperate fight for survival when he finds himself on an asteroid colony which is being terrorized by a mysterious sickness called the Stardust Disease, which mutates its victims into grotesque threats.
Bye Sweet Carole
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X|S
- Developers: Little Sewing Machine, Meangrip
- Genres: Action-adventure
- Publishers: Maximum Entertainment, Just For Games S.A.S.
- Release date: 2025
Bye Sweet Carole is an atmospheric narrative horror game from Chris Darril, the mind behind the critically acclaimed Remothered series. Drawing inspiration from timeless animated films, the title mixes a fairytale-like art style with a dark and cold storyline, offering a horror game you don't see every day.
Players are tasked with the disappearance of Carole Simmons and delve into the mysterious situations of the Bunny Hall Orphanage. A place that was once so innocent is now full of mysterious and dark truths to be unfolded.
Butcher's Creek
- Platform: PC
- Developer: David Szymanski
- Genre: Action
- Publisher: David Szymanski
- Release date: To be confirmed
Butcher's Creek is another indie horror on our list that aims to capture that classic, nostalgic feeling of creepy and scary atmosphere with its art style and gameplay. It reminds me a lot of the Condemned series, which older gamers will remember from the Xbox 360 era.
In Butcher's Creek, you play as a "troubled loner" who is heavily into gore videos. Following the rumours about snuff film tapes, the protagonist ends up in a desolate place called Butcher's Creek, where he's hunted by a gang of serial torturers and killers.
It's one of those stories where the protagonist finds himself trapped in the reality that only existed on his screens and mind. Eerie.
Compound Fracture
- Platform: PC
- Developer and Publisher: Iteria Games
- Genres: Action
- Release date: To be confirmed
Set in the smog-plagued skies of 1996 New Manitoba City, this game propels players into a dystopian world where corporate greed and taboo technology go head-to-head.
It starts with an anonymous whistleblower coming forward to expose ChronoGas, a company that flouts federal bans on time travel. Things escalate when a health and safety enforcer is dispatched to investigate the claims, only to find a crisis that requires urgent and radical action.
Players take on the mantle of this enforcer as they work their way through an extremely hazardous and corrupted world in order to repair an awful mistake that jeopardizes the very fabric of time itself.
Core Decay
- Platforms: PC, Linux
- Developers: Ivar Hill, Slipgate Ironworks
- Genres: Shooter, Role-playing, Adventure
- Publishers: Ivar Hill, 3D Realms
- Release date: To be confirmed
It draws inspiration from seminal classics such as Deus Ex, Descent, and System Shock. Its gameplay and design reflect a blend of retro aesthetics with modern mechanics to offer a nostalgic yet fresh experience.
Core Decay takes players on a story-driven adventure set in a post-dystopian future beyond the limits of both man and machine. With central themes of transhumanism and existential philosophy embedded throughout, Core Decay does so by giving players high-action sequences along with choice-dependent outcomes in-game.
Deer & Boy
- Platforms: PC, Linux, macOS
- Developer: Lifeline Games
- Genres: Action, Adventure
- Publisher: Lifeline Games
- Release date: To be confirmed
Deer & Boy is an emotive, visually stunning platformer with a story of tragedy, escape, and companionship. The game narrates a tale of a young lad who was thrust into the changed life occurrence of tragedy and decided to break free into a hard, real world.
It was there he found this little fawn: an at-first timid but ultimately faithful companion. As the story progresses, it will see the fawn grow and develop into a critical companion to the boy, offering protection and companionship as key gameplay and narrative elements.
Greenfield
- Platforms: PC, macOS
- Developer: Six Foot Giraffe
- Genres: Adventure
- Publisher: Six Foot Giraffe
- Release date: To be confirmed
Greenfield is a narrative-driven puzzle platformer developed by a solo developer Kyle Smith in Unreal Engine 5. The game is set in a lonely and atmospheric world where players explore an abandoned facility to find a lost technology and uncover a dark mystery.
Greenfield promises stunning visuals, epic boss battles and unique narrative and abilities.
Holstin
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X|S
- Developers: Sonka
- Genres: Action, Adventure
- Publishers: Sonka, SONKA S.A.
- Release date: To be confirmed
Holstin is a psychological horror survival video game in development right now, where the player ends up in a cold town in 1990s Poland overrun by a repulsive force.
The gameplay strongly includes exploration, survival, and attempting to uncover the mysteries that enwrap this eerie setting. The player will interact with progressively suspicious townspeople, search the rotting corners of the town, and fight against shocking and otherworldly monsters to figure out what is going on.
Low-Budget Repairs
- Platforms: PC
- Developers: Gray2RGB
- Genres: Simulation, Indie
- Publishers: Gray2RGB
- Release date: To be confirmed
LowBudget Repairs is a light-hearted home renovation game where humour meets chaos. You play the role of a home renovator who takes home renovation projects in the most unorthodox ways.
The trailer shows that you can accept different jobs - from tiling, and plumbing to assembling furniture. It's less about precision and more about creating hilariously comedic scenarios as you chug beers and raise your middle finger to the complaining neighbours.
Be it tiles shattering from a poorly timed shelf installation or an accidental pipe burst from badly handled plumbing, every repair is one beer can away from a potential disaster.
Luna Abyss
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X|S
- Developer: Bonsai Collective
- Genres: Shooter, Platform, Adventure
- Publishers: Bonsai Collective, Super Dot Com Ltd, SuperGG.com
- Release date: To be confirmed
Luna Abyss is a single-player action adventure with fluid platforming and intense bullet hell combat. The game tells the story of Fawkes, a convict who is forced to rise through the cryptic and deadly landscapes of a mysterious alien structure.
Imprisoned but destined with prophecy, Fawkes shall try to unravel the mysteries of Luna while fighting relentless threats. Players will be pitted against waves of enemies in complex bullet hell-style encounters, requiring precision and quick reflexes.
Mixtape
- Platform: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5
- Developer: Beethoven & Dinosaur
- Genres: Adventure
- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
- Release date: 2025
Mixtape is a stunning narrative adventure with a unique and colourful art style that aims to take you back to the Summer Break days when your only concern was to have as much as fun as possible with a group of your best friends.
The Mixtape name also suggests this one is all about music while you skateboard, hit baseballs, put up a firework show from the backseat of your car and "make out" with your crush.
The devs promise tracks from Joy Division, Iggy Pop and The Smashing Pumpkins to name a few so that's a pretty good indication we're getting one lit playlist.
Mouse: P.I. for Hire
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X|S
- Developer: Fumi Games
- Genres: Shooter
- Publishers: PlaySide, Playside Studios Ltd
- Release date: 2025
Mouse: P.I. for Hire is an upcoming first-person shooter by Polish developer Fumi Games and publisher PlaySide Studios Limited.
This unique "boomer shooter" caught our eye thanks to its incredible art style that draws inspiration from the early Mickey Mouse cartoons, creating a nostalgic yet fresh look.
It's gameplay looks tight too with smooth traversal mechanics and very impressive animations. The game is certainly unlike anything we've ever seen which is why we're including it on our list.
Pharos Light
- Platform: PC
- Developer: Alice Games
- Genres: Survival, Horror, Action, Adventure
- Publisher: Alice Games
- Release date: To be confirmed
Pharos Light is an atmospheric survival horror game in which you play the role of a lighthouse keeper on a distant mysterious island. Sounds familiar?
As you've probably guessed by now, the game draws inspiration from the eerie tone of Robert Eggers's film The Lighthouse, combining resource management with psychological horror.
You will need to tend to the lighthouse beacon, which will be the most crucial part of your survival while investigating some very dark secrets hidden on the island. The devs also promise a non-linear story, meaning your choices will impact the narrative and ultimately determine how the experience ends.
Ratatan
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One
- Developers: Ratata Arts, TVT Co. Ltd., PH Studio inc.
- Genres: Action, Musical, Indie game, Adventure
- Publisher: Game Source Entertainment
- Release date: 2025
Ratatan is a musical adventure developed by the creators of the Patapon series, combining rhythm-based battles and expeditions with guiding an army of creatures called the Ratatans and their companions, the Cobuns.
Each of them has their own outstanding abilities. It challenges you to master the rhythmics that coordinate the actions among your army: from attacking enemies to defending or evading opponents.
Beyond combat, you will manage the upgrades and skills of your army, customizing troop abilities to fit your playstyle.
Reanimal
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC
- Genres: Adventure
- Publisher: THQ Nordic
- Release date: To be confirmed
Reanimal is an upcoming co-op survival horror adventure game developed by Tarsier Studios, who you may know as the devs behind the critically acclaimed series Little Nightmares.
In Reanimal, you will be playing as a brother-sister duo who must come face to face with their fears to save their friends. The game will be playable in single-player but also local or online co-op which features one shared camera for maximum claustrophobia.
Replaced
- Platforms: Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X/S
- Developer: Sad Cat Studios
- Genres: Platform, Adventure, Shooter, Fighting
- Publishers: Coatsink, Thunderful Group
- Release date: To be confirmed
Replaced is a game of fast-paced, free-flow combat mixed with a dystopian narrative, bringing players in a world shaped by greed and corruption in the aftermath of a catastrophic nuclear disaster. The setting, Phoenix City, is a no-go area where human lives and organs are traded as commodities by those in power.
In the game, you're R.E.A.C.H. - an artificial intelligence forced into a human meat sack who finds it challenging to adapt to human life.
Replaced's harsh cyberpunk world with stunning pixel-art visual style made it one of the hottest new titles after the initial reveal at the Xbox Showcase three years ago. Since then, the game was delayed several times but it's now expected sometime in 2025.
Routine
- Platform(s): Windows; Xbox One; Xbox Series X/S
- Developer: Lunar Software
- Genres: Shooter, Horror, Adventure
- Publisher: Raw Fury
- Release date: To be confirmed
Routine is a creepy first-person sci-fi horror game set in an abandoned lunar base.
What's interesting about this one is the development cycle. Routine was initially announced way back in 2012. After many development hurdles and a lack of financing, the project was paused in 2012 but luckily, it's alive and well now under Raw Fury as a publisher.
Routine gives me strong Alien Isolation vibes with cat-and-mouse gameplay where you must avoid creepy robots that wander the desolate base.
Slay the Spire 2
- Platforms: PC
- Developer: Mega Crit
- Genres: Indie, Strategy
- Publisher: Mega Crit
- Release date: 2025
Slay the Spire 2 is the sequel to the popular deck-building roguelike Slay the Spire, coming to Early Access in 2025.
The players once again go through the ascension to the tower with all the new characters, events and enemies. Characters confirmed to play, so far, include two from the original: the Ironclad and the Silent, plus a brand new one, The Necrobinder.
It has also been speculated that the rest of the cast from the first game may appear, such as Defect or Watcher, with supposed relics and cards leaked with the trailer and other promotional media.
Solarpunk
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Developer: Cyberwave
- Genres: Adventure, Simulation
- Publishers: Rokaplay
- Release date: 2025
Solarpunk is a survival game developed by the team at Cyberwave and published by Rokaplay. It invites open cooperation or solo journeys meant for building, farming and exploration, with the availability of renewable energy sources based on sunlight, wind, and water.
Players can manufacture their homes in the air, build and harvest food supplies and other crops, craft certain technical gadgets, and automate general activities like resource gathering and irrigation.
The game also features an intricate airship-building mechanism in which players can reach faraway islands in search of more precious resources.
Spine
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X and Series S
- Developers: Banzai Games, Nekki
- Genres: Fighting, Shooter, Adventure
- Publisher: Nekki
- Release date: Late 2025
Spine is the upcoming action-packed beat 'em up developed and published by Nekki, arriving on Windows, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. It's an intense action-adventure storyline focused on Redline, a talented street artist whose life took an abrupt turn when equipped with sentient combat implant.
Fueled by the drive to save her brother, Redline wages war against a dystopian AI-controlled regime. Fast-paced combat and strategic challenges are promised in the game as players will use the advanced capabilities of Spine to defeat powerful enemies and unravel the engrossing storyline.
Sword of the Sea
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC
- Developer:Giant Squid
- Genres: Adventure game, Adventure
- Publishers: Giant Squid LLC, Giant Squid
- Release date: To be confirmed
Sword of the Sea is an atmospheric adventure game that combines stunning scenery with a fluid, rapid-motion mixture of skateboarding and snowboarding.
Coming from Giant Squid, the same independent studio behind Journey, Abzû and The Pathless, this quite different title invites players to surf through surreal, sinuous landscapes of the stunning and mysterious world called the Necropolis, full of secrets.
If About Sword of the Sea manages to reach the heights of the developer's previous titles, then we're potentially looking at another true video game masterpiece.
Truckful
About Truckful
- Platforms: PC, Linux, MacOS
- Developer and Publisher: MythicOwl
- Genres: Action
- Release date: To be confirmed
Truckful is a single-player, car delivery adventure where one goes on quests and errands for villagers while uncovering the ancient mystery tied to the nearby old forest.
Players drive their truck across picturesque countryside roads, dust-laden lowlands, and charming small towns while overcoming the challenges of various deliveries.
This game is all about vehicle upgradation-upgrading your pickup truck so that its speed and weight-carrying capability can transport more items over longer distances over increasingly worse routes. Delivery jobs may differ in size, shape, type, size, or urgency.
Wheel World
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X|S
- Developer: Messhof Games
- Genres: Racing, Adventure, Sports
- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
- Release date: To be confirmed
Wheel World caught my eye recently thanks to its stunningly beautiful vistas and unique concept of playing as a cyclist on a mission to save the world.
This cycling adventure will combine exploration and high-stakes racing in a single, vast open world. Players will be able to customise and upgrade their bikes in various ways that can result in some pretty eye-catching creations.
The game has a big story too so we wholeheartedly recommend you keep it on your list if these beautiful and artistic titles are your cup of tea.
Will: Follow The Light
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
- Developer: TomorrowHead Studio
- Genres: Adventure
- Publisher: TomorrowHead Studio
- Release date: 2025
No, I don't have a secret fascination with lighthouses. It just happens that Will: Follow the Light looks like a game that is right up my alley and it has a lighthouse.
This one is described as a peaceful, atmospheric first-person exploration adventure that takes you on a journey across the endless, icy waters.
You are cast as a lone sailor trying to make your way across harsh, open seas in search of your loved ones. Gameplay seems to rely more on exploration and being more introspective rather than being action-packed.
Visuals are hauntingly beautiful, showcasing landscapes, moody skies and a glowing lighthouse to act as a beacon in guiding you.
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