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The best indie games offer up a wide variety of genres and stories for players to enjoy. But in this, at times, overwhelming sea of games, it can be hard to find out which one is right for you. Let this piece help you.
Take a look at our indie games recommendations and use this table of content for your convenience:
In no particular order, here are some of the must-play indie games for 2025 you can have fun with.
Genre: Alchemy Sim | Platform: PC | Developer: RocketBrush Games
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Ways of Alchemy is a narrative-driven card game, inspired by alchemy and the hardships of medieval life. It’s a game that shows you that, if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything, even if you start from scratch and aim to find the secret of a Philosopher’s Stone.
You can grow your own ingredients or hunt for them, brew potions by either following trusty recipes or straight up experimenting and discovering something truly unique. You can also hire adventurers and send them to expeditions to dangerous places for precious rewards. Be careful, though, an Inquisitor and Tax Collector will gladly make your life a bit more difficult than you expect – you have to learn how to deal with them.
Another important thing that makes Ways of Alchemy so interesting is that, even though it’s a card game, it feels alive and fun to explore: different obstacles on your way that require a certain solution, regular customers seeking out different, more complex potions, artifacts that make you stronger and complications that force you to think out of the box and so on. It never gets too boring and has 13 endings, which makes it fun to replay and see what else you can possibly achieve in it.
Why play it?:
Genre: Adventure | Platform: PC/Xbox/PS5 | Developer: Dogubomb
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Blue Prince came out of nowhere in 2025, and for a while, it seemed as if everyone has been playing it and loving it! At this point, roguelite elements are expected in indie games – they make every playthourgh different. But no one has previously combined classic puzzle adventures and roguelites!
At its core, the main location of Blue Prince is the mansion you inherited. Its layout changes with each new try and consists of rooms full of secrets, puzzles and tricks you’ve yet to discover. You have several hours to explore it, after which you start again.
Blue Prince has a remarkable, dream-like feel to it, doesn’t test your reaction but focuses on deduction and a-ha moments. The visuals have a very tasteful gothic surrealism touch — muted tones, Escher-like architecture and carefully placed artifacts that hint at a larger backstory. And just like the story continues, players discover layers of a deeply personal mystery accompanied by cryptic notes and room layouts themselves, making exploration not just a mechanical task, but a narrative act. It seems that Blue Prince is going to make it in the top indie games of 2025 lists fairly easily.
Why play it?:
Genre: Roguelike | Platforms: PC/Xbox/PS/Switch | Developer: Supergiant Games
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Rather than reinventing the formula, Hades II… refines it. The real-time combat is back from the original game, but faster and more fluid, introducing new magical abilities, such as Omega moves, and tools like a Witch’s Staff and Twin Blades.
It has a layered progression paths, such as Arcana tarot cards, incantations and resource gathering, which all give more meaning to each run — whether you’re delving into Tartarus or the surface world. Boons from gods like Apollo and Hestia now interact with mechanics in new and surprising ways, opening up deeper strategic builds.
What makes Hades II truly special is its expanding mythology. Supergiant’s signature storytelling returns with thousands of lines of fully voiced dialogue, dynamic relationships and character arcs that evolve with each death and victory. Melinoë’s journey is personal, introspective and filled with revelations that challenge the nature of traits like fate and rebellion. It’s basically as good as the first Hades: with Hades II, lightning strikes twice.
Why play it?:
Genre: Puzzle | Platforms: PC/Switch/Xbox/PlayStation | Developer: Witch Beam
If you're looking for the perfect way to spend a cozy night, Unpacking is an excellent choice. In this relaxing indie game, you follow a girl's life through various moves, witnessing her growth, challenges, and eventual settling down, all through the process of unpacking boxes.
Unpacking is incredibly satisfying as you find places for each item you unload, with the freedom to organize them as you wish. While this indie game isn't particularly long, it remains a standout experience and is worth your time. Unpacking is among the best indie games of all time, offering a unique and heartwarming journey.
Why play it?:
Genre: Roguelite | Platforms: PC/PS/Xbox/Switch/Mobile | Developer: Poncle
For the price of a coffee to go, Vampire Survivors can take over your life. This is both a recommendation and a warning because if you enjoy idle games or those that require repetitive actions, Vampire Survivors is highly addictive.
In this visually simple game, you're attacked by hordes of monsters. You fend them off with various weapons and buffs until you inevitably lose. The fun, as with any roguelike, is seeing how long you can last and gradually mastering different weapons and strategies. Rounds in Vampire Survivors are short, making it perfect for quick sessions on the Steam Deck. However, it's a game you'll want to play repeatedly. Consider yourself warned.
As one of the best indie games of 2024, Vampire Survivors offers a compelling and endlessly replayable experience.
Why play it?:
Genre: RPG | Platform: PC/PS5/Switch | Developer: toby fox
Deltarun is an anagram for Undertale, the massive hit from 2015 developed by a single developer, Toby Fox. It was deeply inspired by EarthBound, its ROM-hacking scene and Toby’s time composing tunes for the Homestuck fandom. He aimed to craft a game that reflected his love for quirky storytelling, emotional depth and subversive gameplay. While Deltarune shares DNA with Undertale, it's not a sequel – perhaps it could be described as a parallel world with different rules, born from ideas Toby had even before Undertale’s release.
Combat is a defining pillar in Deltarune: it’s a seamless fusion of classic turn-based role‑playing and frenetic bullet‑hell mechanics. Players manage actions like FIGHT, ACT, MAGIC, SPARE, and DEFEND, guiding a heart icon through intricate attack patterns to tactically build tension points for powerful abilities.
Each chapter hilariously subverts RPG tropes with humor and emotion. Witty, self-aware storytelling meets inventive gameplay mechanics, in which your UI is acting strangely. It all glues so well and becomes incredibly charming with each new episode – we totally forgot to mention the episodic nature of the game, which makes fans go crazy every time a new game show is hosted!
Why play it?:
Genre: Metroidvania | Platforms: PC/Xbox/PS/Switch | Developer: Motion Twin
If you’re looking for a game that’s as unforgiving as it is fun, try Dead Cells. This game draws inspiration from roguelikes, Metroidvania, and even Dark Souls, creating a unique action experience that will test your limits and skills. It's one of the best indie games for PC because of the sheer variety of activities and playstyles available.
Each playthrough feels fresh, and while you’ll lose some progress each time you die—and you will die a lot—the game becomes more rewarding as you master its complex and fluid combat. Dead Cells has not only grown in content over the years but has also become more accessible, allowing you to enjoy it at a less punishing difficulty if needed.
Why play it?:
Genre: Adventure | Platforms: PC/Xbox/PS/Switch | Developer/Publisher: Infinite Fall
Night in the Woods is an unconventional side-scrolling adventure game about Mae, a 20-year-old who drops out of college and moves back in with her parents. This quirky addition to the indie game scene features a story driven by dialogue choices and mini-games that turn mundane tasks, like carrying boxes and eating pierogies, into engaging activities.
The game is a timeless coming-of-age tale set in middle-class America, seen through the eyes of a personified cat. Every interaction is likely to make you laugh, and the subject matter, along with the growth of Mae and her friends, makes it a standout in narrative-driven games. Night in the Woods is a genuine gem in the indie genre.
Why play it?:
Genre: Farming Platforms: PC/PS/Xbox/Switch/Mobile Developer ConcernedApe
If you’ve ever played a Harvest Moon game, you're likely familiar with Stardew Valley's premise: a farming game where you become both a successful farmer and a local community member. Eric Barone, the sole developer, aimed to create a Harvest Moon experience that was as good as or better than the original. Many believe he succeeded, making Stardew Valley one of the top indie games.
In Stardew Valley, you farm, tend to livestock, fish, and explore the local abandoned mine. The farming is easy to pick up and fun, offering a great way to unwind. The game is filled with secrets, town events, characters to romance, and much more. If you're playing on PC, you can also explore its brilliant modding community, which adds even more features to this engaging simulation RPG.
Why play it?:
Genre: Roguelike base-builder | Platforms: PC/Xbox/PS/Switch | Developer: Massive Monster
Ah, video games. Where else can you play as a cute cartoon lamb leading a cult of colorful animals? Cult of the Lamb combines several genres with a quirky theme. As a loyal follower of a demon, your task is to grow a cult. This involves satisfying your followers' needs, increasing your power by fighting monsters and clearing dungeons, and sometimes making sacrifices.
The game blends elements of Stardew Valley and Hades, allowing you to marry, eat, and even resurrect your spouse. It's tough to put down, which is a hallmark of the best indie games of all time. If you want to fully immerse yourself in this roguelike, there are guides available on how to bring followers back and how to marry them.
Why play it?:
Try Deltarune: Chapter 3, Blue Prince, Nine Sols, Little Kitty Big City and Hades II — they're leading 2025's indie scene with strong and fun design, storytelling and innovation.
Perhaps the universal choice would be Hollow Knight, Undertale, Hades, Celeste and Disco Elysium: these remain absolute must-plays for their timeless gameplay, art and narrative impact.
When it comes to indie games, it's very important to support small teams. Check Steam, itch.io, GOG or the Epic Games Store. Most indie hits are available digitally and often generously discounted during major sales.
Indie games are usually made by smaller teams with creative freedom, lower budgets and experimental ideas while AAA games aim for mass-market appeal and high-end production.
So many great games, so little time! After playing so many amazing indie games, you even may start thinking "This seems easy! I can do it!".
We also enjoyed playing through heaps of indies over all these years and gained a lot of experience at making them from scratch as well as designing art, animation and even sound. Check out The Unliving and Ways of Alchemy, our two very different, but passionate projects we developed recently.
Making these was not only fun, but also provided us with great amount of expertise and experience. If you're searching for a collaborator to make your indie games dream come true, say hello@rocketbrush.com and let's see what we can build together!
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