GameCentral names the most promising indie games which should be on your radar in 2025, including big sequels and stop-motion nightmares.
While , : Shadow Of The Erdtree, and other blockbusters led the gaming conversation in 2024, indie games arguably deserved the spotlight more. , , , , , , and , were just some of the highlights, and offered more novel variety than the big-hitters.
Everything about 2025 suggests it’ll be , with and the leading the way, but the expansive gaming landscape today means a hit can strike out of nowhere. Nobody anticipated Helldivers 2’s success or Palworld’s sudden grip on the conversation (for and ) for a solid month.Â
Based on what we can predict, we’ve collated a 2025 indie game selection box where every title could potentially rival a Crunchie – whether through a unique concept, being an anticipated sequel, or based on the developer’s past work.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
Formats: Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC
Release date: January 31
was one of the best surprises of 2022, blending tabletop role-playing mechanics and a meditative sci-fi landscape. The sequel looks like a natural evolution of the original’s highs, with more meaningful choices and a larger expanse to navigate.
Trying to market its compulsive dice-throw loop through a trailer feels about as effective as skimming a novel, but another dive into developer Gareth Damian Martin’s creative dystopia is an easy sell for anyone who fell for the original’s magic.
Demon Tides
Formats: PC
Release date: 2025
If you’re a fan of platformers, was one of the genre’s unsung gems in recent years. It was stylish, packed a killer soundtrack, and was expressive in its movement, something which only evolved in its refined, bitesize sequel .
For this follow-up, lead character Beebz has been fully realised in 3D, in a vibrant open world. The switch to a softer art style is a clear push for wider appeal, but all the charm and variety appears intact in this ambitious refresh.
Slay The Spire 2
Formats: PC
Release date: 2025 (early access)
If you’re wondering where all these roguelike deckbuilding games like Balatro, and the sorely neglected , have come from in recent years, was the catalyst. Six years after its full release, developer Mega Crit is now looking to reclaim its dominance with a sequel.
Slay The Spire 2 might struggle to have the same impact, but the sequel certainly seems to have a bigger budget and has had plenty of time to come up with new ideas. It’s set to enter early access in 2025, so while it will likely be a couple years before it’s released on other formats it’s still going to be attracting plenty of attention right from the start.
Morsels
Formats: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC
Release date: February 2025
Annapurna Interactive has always been a very reliable stable of indie hits, and while the games division has behind the scenes, the publisher’s slate for 2025 looks just as strong, as evidenced by this roguelite headlined by a hungry mouse.
Morsels looks like The Binding Of Isaac crossed with a nightmare vision of Pokémon, as you rotate through different monsters with special abilities throughout each run. The striking art style is by Toby Dixon, who previously worked on Nidhogg 2 and Atomicrops.
Skate Story
Formats: PC
Release date: 2025
A delayed leftover from our , Skate Story is a skateboarding sim set in the underworld’s demonic streets. Two years after its reveal, the psychedelic, crystallised visuals and unnerving setting have kept this one firmly in our minds.
Skateboarding games were on the upswing a few years back, between Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and OlliOlli World, but the absence of a big-hitter since then feels like a prime opportunity for Skate Story to steal some thunder.
Bionic Bay
Formats: PlayStation 5 and PC
Release date: March 13
A physics-based platformer with a whiff of Limbo, Bionic Bay is a gravity-manipulating, time-stopping, and body-shifting leap through a biomechanical world.
The combination of mechanics screams like a speedrunner paradise, so hopefully the game pushes its potential for extraordinary acrobatics to the extreme. There’s also a mode where you can race against the ghosts of other players, if you fancy a ragdoll giggle.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Formats: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC
Release date: 2025
The developers behind have been given the keys to Ninja Gaiden, in what’s pitched as a mash-up between the series’ side-scrolling roots and the 3D entries. Based on the stylish, throwback trailer, it certainly appears to skew towards the former.
There hasn’t been a mainline game in the series since 2012’s Ninja Gaiden 3, so this quais-reboot is certainly welcome. Developer The Game Kitchen has made its name on Metroidvanias, so it’ll be interesting to see how they handle a more traditional action game.
Wanderstop
Formats: PlayStation 5 and PC
Release date: March 11
A former warrior seeks to heal her trauma by maintaining a tea shop in this narrative-driven adventure. It’s billed as a ‘cosy’ game, but considering this is from the same designer behind and The Beginner’s Guide, expect some subversive twists.
Even without the promise of sharp writing, Wanderstop is visually comparable to a lost Pixar movie from the studio’s peak. Of all the games on this list, this one has awards contender written all over it.
Rematch
Formats: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC
Release date: Summer 2025
You might think there’s little room for reinvention in the realm of video game football, but Sifu developer Sloclap is giving it a shot. Rematch looks to blend the intricate systems of its brawler predecessor with the presentation of Rocket League in online 5v5 matches.
The crucial change is the third-person perspective and your singular control over one player, so it’s all about perfecting your individual ball skills while coordinating with others. Whether it captures the minds of casual EA Sports FC 25 players remains to be seen, but it certainly looks like a creative shake-up for a genre that’s long been stuck in the mud.
Cuffbust
Formats: PC
Release date: 2025
The developer behind viral hit Choo-Choo Charles may strike Twitch gold again with Cuffbust, a multiplayer ruckus where you coordinate a prison breakout as a group of Koala bear-looking aliens, aptly called Jailiens.
It looks primed for goofs, with proximity chat and chaotic destructible environments, but there appears to be some strategic depth beneath the hijinks, with the ability to hijack intercoms, dig tunnels with spoons, and even gang up on opposing teams within the same prison.
Sleight Of Hand
Formats: Xbox Series X/S and PC
Release date: 2025
A former witch infiltrates her old coven in this third person stealth noir game where you wield a deck of magical cards. The card abilities echo the tricks of Dishonored, allowing you to set up traps, teleport through smoke, or abduct enemies from afar.
The flexibility in its mechanics might be the deciding factor in its success, but this looks to be a homage to espionage at large. Sleight Of Hand’s lead character, Lady Luck, is voiced by Debi Mae West, who you may know as the voice of Meryl in Metal Gear Solid.
The Midnight Walk
Formats: PlayStation 5 and PC
Release date: 2025
Moonhood Studios, founded by the creators of , is championing claymation horror for its first game. Every asset in The Midnight Walk was first sculpted in clay before being 3D-scanned and animated in a stop-motion style, hence why it looks so unsettlingly tactile.
While little is known about the gameplay itself (other than it’s also compatible with PlayStation VR2), the production alone looks to be a monstrous treat.
Baby Steps
Formats: PlayStation 5 and PC
Release date: 2025
The developers behind the excellent Ape Out have swapped gorillas for unemployed men in their thirties, in this literal walking simulator. You play as Nate, a lazy, disappointing son who suddenly discovers the power to walk, albeit with more than a few stumbles.
Gameplay-wise, it appears to hit comedic beats seen in other games hinged around limb control, but the wit in its presentation might elevate this into something special. More importantly, it could be a breakout moment for the stained grey onesie.
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