GameCentral names the most promising indie games that should be on your radar in 2025, including big sequels and stop-motion nightmares.
While Astro Bot, Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree, and other blockbusters led the gaming conversation in 2024, indie games arguably deserved more attention. Balatro, Animal Well, UFO 50, Lorelei And The Laser Eyes, Minishoot' Adventures, Sorry We're Closed and The Rise Of The Golden Idol were just a few of the highlights and offered more novelty variety than the big hits.
Everything about 2025 suggests it will be a banner year for the big guys, with GTA 6 and Nintendo's new console leading the way, but the current expanding gaming landscape means a hit can come out of nowhere. No one anticipated the success of Helldivers 2 or Palworld's sudden control of the conversation (for better or worse) for an entire month.
Based on what we can predict, we've compiled a selection chart of indie games for 2025 where each title could rival a Crunchie, whether through a unique concept, being an anticipated sequel, or building on the developer's previous work. .
Citizen Sleeper 2: Vector Starward
Formats: Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC
Release date: January 31
Citizen Sleeper was one of the best surprises of 2022, combining tabletop RPG mechanics and a meditative sci-fi landscape. The sequel feels like a natural evolution of the original's highs, with more significant options and a greater expanse to navigate.
Trying to market its compulsive dice-rolling loop through a trailer seems about as effective as flipping through a novel, but another dive into developer Gareth Damian Martin's creative dystopia is an easy sell for anyone who fell in love with the magic of the original.
Demon tides
Formats: PC
Release date: 2025
If you're a fan of platform games, Demon Turf was one of the unsung gems of the genre in recent years. It was stylish, had an incredible soundtrack and was expressive in its movements, something that only evolved in its refined little sequel Neon Splash.
For this sequel, the main character Beebz has been realized entirely in 3D, in a vibrant open world. The shift to a softer art style is a clear push for broader appeal, but all the charm and variety appears intact in this ambitious update.
Kill the needle 2
Formats: PC
Release date: 2025 (early access)
If you're wondering where all these roguelike deck-building games like Balatro and the much-neglected Midnight Suns have come from in recent years, Slay The Spire was the catalyst. Six years after its full release, developer Mega Crit is now looking to regain its dominance with a sequel.
Slay The Spire 2 may 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'll probably be a couple of years before it's released on other formats, it'll still attract a lot of attention from the start.
bites
Formats: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and PC
Release date: February 2025
Annapurna Interactive has always been a very reliable group of indie hits, and while the games division has undergone a dramatic overhaul behind the scenes, the publisher's slate for 2025 looks just as strong, as evidenced by this roguelite headed by a hungry mouse.
Morsels feels 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.
history of skating
Formats: PC
Release date: 2025
Skate Story, a delayed remnant of our 2024 list, is a skateboarding simulator set on the demonic streets of the underworld. Two years after its reveal, the psychedelic, crystallized imagery and haunting surroundings have kept it firmly in our minds.
Skateboarding games were booming a few years ago, between Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and OlliOlli World, but the lack of a big hitter since then seems like a prime opportunity for Skate Story to steal the thunder.
Bionic Bay
Formats: PlayStation 5 and PC
Release date: March 13
A physics-based platformer with a touch of limbo, Bionic Bay is a gravity-manipulating, time-stopping, body-shifting jump through a biomechanical world.
The combination of mechanics seems like a speedrunner's paradise, so hopefully the game takes its potential for extraordinary stunts to the extreme. There's also a mode where you can compete against other players' ghosts, if you feel like giggling like a ragdoll.
Ninja Gaiden: Furious
Formats: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC
Release date: 2025
The developers behind Blasphemous were given cues from Ninja Gaiden, in what is billed as a marriage between the series' side-scrolling roots and 3D entries. Based on the stylish flashback trailer, it certainly seems to be leaning towards the former.
There hasn't been a mainline game in the series since 2012's Ninja Gaiden 3, so this quasi-reboot is certainly welcome. Developer The Game Kitchen has made a name for itself with Metroidvanias, so it will be interesting to see how they handle a more traditional action game.
travel stop
Formats: PlayStation 5 and PC
Release date: March 11
A former warrior seeks to heal her trauma by running a tea shop in this narrative adventure. It's billed as a “cozy” game, but considering it's from the same designer behind The Stanley Parable and The Beginner's Guide, expect some subversive twists.
Even without the promise of sharp writing, Wanderstop is visually comparable to a lost Pixar film from the studio's peak. Of all the games on this list, this one has award 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 soccer video games, but Sifu developer Sloclap is trying. Rematch looks to combine the intricate systems of its fighting predecessor with the introduction of Rocket League in 5v5 online matches.
The crucial change is the third-person perspective and your singular control over a player, so it's about honing 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 been stagnant for a long time.
cuffs
Formats: PC
Release date: 2025
The developer behind the viral hit Choo-Choo Charles can take back Twitch gold with Cuffbust, a multiplayer rampage in which you coordinate a prison break as a group of Koala bear-like aliens, aptly named Jailiens.
It seems set up to make mistakes, with proximity chat and destructible chaotic environments, but there appears to be some strategic depth beneath the antics, with the ability to hijack intercoms, dig tunnels with spoons, and even join opposing teams within the same prison.
Prestidigitation
Formats: Xbox Series X/S and PC
Release date: 2025
An ancient witch infiltrates her former coven in this third-person noir stealth game where you wield a deck of magic cards. The card abilities echo Dishonored's tricks, allowing you to set traps, teleport through smoke, or kidnap enemies from afar.
The flexibility of its mechanics could be the decisive factor in its success, but it seems like an homage to espionage in general. Sleight Of Hand's main 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 Lost In Random, is betting on claymation horror for its first game. Each element of The Midnight Walk was first sculpted in clay before being 3D scanned and animated in a stop-motion style, hence why it appears so eerily tactile.
While little is known about the game itself (other than it is also compatible with PlayStation VR2), the production alone appears to be a monstrous pleasure.
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 and disappointing son who suddenly discovers the power of walking, albeit with more than a few stumbles.
Gameplay-wise, it seems to hit comical beats seen in other limb control-related games, but the ingenuity in its presentation could make it something special. More importantly, it could be a turning point for the spotted gray monkey.
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