10 most anticipated indie games of 2025

2024 was a great year for indie games, but 2025 could be even bigger with the likes of Hollow Knight: Silksong and Citizen Sleeper 2: Star Vector scheduled to be released throughout the year. For those looking for the next innovative indie experience or simply another cozy game to play, 2025 has a lot to offer.

The best indie games of 2024 offered players a diverse range of experiences, and 2025 looks set to offer the same. From massive Metroidvanias to subversive farming simulators, there are so many amazing titles releasing in 2025. While it may be a lot for people to add to their backlog, each of these games is worth checking out when they release.

10

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (Leap Beyond Age)

A sequel to one of India's best

Citizen Sleeper 2: Star Vector is the long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed indie hit Sleepy Citizen. It expands on the original game drastically while maintaining the complexity of its dice-driven RPG gameplay loop.excellent writing and focus on multi-layered characters. For example, players now have a ship that they will need to upgrade, as well as a crew to manage.

Sleepy Citizen 2 will be released at the end of January, making it one of the first indie games fans will get their hands on. It's a great way to start 2025, although it will be released as an Xbox console exclusive as well as PC. For those who love strong, narrative-driven RPGs with great art, music, and characters, Citizen Sleeper 2: Star Vector looks like the perfect indie to play.

9

Slay The Spire 2 (Mega Critical)

One of the best Roguelike deckbuilders returns

Kill the Spire 2 is the sequel to the deckbuilding roguelike that every other deckbuilder aspires to be, Slay the Spire. It will be released in early access on PC in 2025giving the community the opportunity to shape its future. Fortunately, it will launch with a plethora of content on day one, giving players access to a new set of cards, characters, and abilities to play with.

Kill the Spire 2 expands on the original in the only way a good deck builder can. It's introducing lots of new cards for players to try out while also seeing the return of familiar characters to join the two inputs. Kill the Spire is still one of the most played deckbuilders to date and we hope the sequel can live up to the high expectations it set.

8

Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)

Could finally be released in 2025

Fans have been waiting a long time Silk Corner and many of them gave hope that it would someday be released. However, for those who have remained patient, giving Team Cherry the respect and time they deserve, it looks like it could all finally be worth it in 2025. After Hollow Knight pretty much set the standard for all Metroidvanias, Silk Corner is expected to once again show how it's done with over 150 enemies to face and a whole new world to explore.

Silk Corner is also set to introduce new abilities, characters to meetand, of course, an entirely new protagonist. If 2025 sees the launch of Silk Corner - considering it was announced in 2019 - it would almost certainly be the best year for indie game fans. Fortunately, gamers have plenty of other titles to enjoy while waiting for their release.

7

Hyper light circuit breaker (heart machine)

An indie co-op style

Hyper light circuit breaker is yet another indie sequel – 2025 looks to be the year for long-awaited indie game sequels – this time for the game Hyperlight shunt. However, although that game was a 2D pixel art isometric RPG, Hyper light circuit breaker is a 3D third-person action title with procedurally generated worlds. It's also designed as a co-op experience, just like the first game, although fans can play it solo. Hyper light circuit breaker Glossy previews have already labeled it one of the best games of 2025.

In Hyper light circuit breakerplayers explore these vast procedurally generated worlds utilizing the various movement abilities while facing hordes of enemies. To help them, there are a variety of weapons and abilities to unlock and use. However, each race will become increasingly difficult, meaning players will have to adapt to the new challenges they face. There is still a story to unfold, just like in the original game, making Hyper light circuit breaker an ambitious roguelike experience.

6

Wanderstop (Ivy Road)

From the people behind the Stanley Parable

Stop for a walk is putting a unique spin on the farming simulation genre putting players in the role of Alta, a former champion warrior who now runs a tea shop. She will need to gather the ingredients to make the tea, put everything together and then serve it to the customers, who have their own stories to tell. It's clear that Alta has a past she needs to face and a future she pursues, and all of this prevents her from fully settling down.

Stop for a walk is being developed by Ivy Road, a team made up of some of the most talented creatives in the indie gaming space. The team is made up of Davey Wreden, who created The Stanley ParableKarla Zimonja, who developed Went homeand Daniel “C418” Rosenfeld, who most notably made the iconic music for minecraft. Stop for a walk Could be the subversive farming simulator that helps update the genre and make it as memorable as some of the best cozy games ever made.

5

Reanimal (Tarsier Studios)

A little indie horror

Reanimal is the next gruesome adventure from Tarsier Studios, the masterminds behind the Little nightmares series. It's a co-op horror game about a brother and sister who must embark on a terrifying journey through a twisted world full of monsters. as they try to rescue their friends and finally escape. It's being labeled as the developer's darkest game, and the spooky visuals certainly speak to that.

For those who enjoy the best horror games, especially indie ones, Reanimal will likely offer the perfect experience. With a bigger scope and more scares to keep players on the edge of their seats, Reanimal looks set to be Tarsier Studios' most ambitious game yet. Of course, those who don't really like horror games should probably stay away from this one.

4

Tails Of Iron 2: Winter Whiskers (Odd Bug Studio)

A beautiful 2D action RPG

Another independent sequence, Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winteris the sequel to the handcrafted 2D action RPG Iron Tails. Famous for featuring Geralt of Rivia's voice actor Doug Cockle as the game's narrator Iron Tails was a critically acclaimed indie that absolutely deserved a sequel. Fortunately, not only is the team at Odd Bug Studio back with another bold and expansive adventure, but so is Doug Cockle as the narrator.

Iron Tails 2 Features settlement management, epic boss fightsand more of the excellent soulslike combat of its predecessors. For fans of fast-paced action RPGs or those who grew up on Red Wall books, Iron Tails 2 Mix of narrative and combat is sure to please. This is definitely an indie worth keeping an eye on in 2025 and one that will likely win Indie Game of the Year.

3

World Wheel (Messhof Games)

An independent open-world cycling

Wheel of the Worldformerly known as Ghost Bikeis a stylish open-world cycling game which sees players embark on an epic quest to save the titular Wheel World from destruction. To do this, they need to hunt for the Legendary parts, but along the way, they can also participate in races and a little exploration too. This is definitely a cozy indie game, for fans of cycling and beautiful picturesque views.

Players can also customize their bike with a multitude of fun partsalthough they have to hunt them down by cycling through the vast open world. Wheel of the World is being developed by Messhof Games, which is perhaps best known for Nidhogg series. Of course, Wheel of the World is very different from Nidhogg games, but it still retains a lot of the charm that made these games so great in the first place.

2

Blown by the wind (twin movement)

The next indie from the developer behind Dead Cells

Blown by the wind is the newest indie game from developer Motion Twin, the talented team behind dead cells. It's an extremely fast-paced roguelike game in which players take on the role of Leapers who need to save their peaceful village from being destroyed by the Vortex. To do this, they must repeatedly enter the Vortex and take down its defiant sentries. This involves brutally difficult but always fair fights that players will need to master.

Of course, this is a roguelike, and players can gradually unlock new abilities and weapons by absorbing the memories of the legendary Leapers who came before them. Blown by the wind is available in early access at the moment, but a full launch is planned for Q4 2025. There's a lot more content coming to this already expansive game that's doing incredibly well on PC.

1

Pieces (Furcula)

A unique creature collecting Roguelike

Pieces caught people's attention with its initial reveal trailer, featuring a surreal art style and a unique premise that helps it stand out from the rest of 2025's already impressive slate of indies. It's a roguelike creature-collecting game in which players start as a mouse who unlocks the ability to transform into Pieces. As players explore the weird and wonderful worlds of Morsels, they can transform at will into other beings to use their powers to overcome any challenge that comes their way.

Pieces is definitely one of the most unique indie entries coming in 2025 and is worth adding to people's wish lists. Of course, this means that along with all the 100-hour AAA releases coming out in 2025, gamers now also need to add a slew of amazing-looking indies to their backlog. Fortunately, there's such a wide variety of experiences that players are sure to find something that matches their interests, whether it's an epic Metroidvania like Hollow Knight: Silksong or a roguelike like Pieces.

Source: Hyper light circuit breaker/YouTube, Annapurna Interactive/YouTube