There isn’t a single objective ranking of the best indie games to play in 2025. This retrospective guide brings together 21 picks: games released in 2025 and older games that remained strong choices to play that year. They’re grouped by the kind of experience they offer, not ranked by a shared score. Platform availability can vary by edition, so check the store listing for your system before buying.
2025 releases to start with
These selections appeared in PlayStation’s December 22, 2025 year-end feature, which highlighted games that delighted its PlayStation Indies teams. That makes them a useful snapshot of the year, not an objective verdict on every indie release.
Blue Prince
A puzzle mystery built around rooms that shift, offering a fit for players who like exploring a space while piecing together how it works. PlayStation included it in its 2025 year-end indie selection.
Despelote
A slice-of-life adventure set in early-2000s Quito. Its specific setting and everyday-life focus distinguish it from fantasy quests and action-led adventures. It is among PlayStation’s featured 2025 indie games.
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- Start your own cult in a land of false prophets
- Venture out into diverse and mysterious regions to build a loyal community of woodland Followers
- Repay your debt by building a loyal following
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Dispatch
An episodic superhero workplace comedy, a natural choice if you want character-driven storytelling and a lighter take on superhero life. PlayStation’s year-end feature included it among its selections; PC Gamer also lists it in its current PC recommendations, a list that includes games from multiple release years.
Sword of the Sea
A sand-surfing adventure for players drawn to movement through striking environments. PlayStation described it as a sand-surfing adventure in its 2025 selection.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
A major 2025 release in the year-end selections. Into Indie Games lists its release date as September 4, 2025, and names Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows as platforms. Nintendo’s catalog separately lists a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition; check the listing for the exact edition you intend to play. See the game’s entry in Into Indie Games’ 2025 feature and PlayStation’s year-end picks.
Baby Steps
One of the games PlayStation’s indie teams highlighted among their 2025 favorites. It is a useful pick to investigate if you want something outside the familiar action-RPG or puzzle-adventure mold; the cited selection establishes its inclusion, not a specific genre description. PlayStation’s year-end feature.
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Ball X Pit
Another title in PlayStation’s 2025 list. The selection confirms it as one of the team’s picks, though it does not provide enough detail here to make a more specific genre or play-style comparison. PlayStation’s year-end feature.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Included in PlayStation’s selection of indie games from 2025. It gives the list a larger-scale adventure option alongside the more distinctive premises of games such as Despelote and Blue Prince. The source establishes its place in the selection, not a comparative quality ranking. PlayStation’s year-end feature.
Rank #3
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Lumines Arise
A 2025 pick in PlayStation’s feature. Consider it if you’re browsing the year’s indie selections for something distinct from narrative adventures, but confirm the current platform and edition through the relevant store listing. PlayStation’s year-end feature.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yo-Yo
PlayStation included it among its indie highlights from 2025. Its name points to an unusual central object, but the cited feature is not enough to substantiate additional gameplay details here. PlayStation’s year-end feature.
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A 2025 entry in PC Gamer’s current PC recommendations, which also includes older games. That makes it relevant as a PC pick to explore, but not evidence of a 2025-only ranking. Check the current PC listing for availability and system requirements. PC Gamer’s PC recommendations.
Rank #4
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- Experience the complete journey of Ori
- Master new skills and face larger-than-life bosses
- Get bonus physical items: set of art cards and digital soundtracks
Older indie games still worth playing
These games were recommended as worthwhile choices, not identified as 2025 releases. Their inclusion answers a different question: what indie games could reward your time during 2025, regardless of launch date?
Balatro
A deckbuilder that applies poker rules to its card combinations. It suits players who enjoy building a strategy from familiar rules and seeing how far that system can bend. TechRadar lists it for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch; verify the current store page for your edition. TechRadar’s indie recommendations.
Tunic
An adventure centered on secrets and dungeon exploration, suited to players who like working out what a world is hiding rather than being led through every answer. TechRadar lists console and PC availability; check your platform’s catalog for the current edition. TechRadar’s indie recommendations.
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- Explore a captivating universe, full of wonder and artistic curiosities. Interact with the Vessel’s environments to learn more about its past and memories.
- Earn game-changer abilities to help MIO progress through this twisted and interconnected space. Climb walls like a spider or float through the air with your Glide power. Master precision, rhythm, and timing to find the perfect flow!
- Face off a diverse array of over 30 enemy units and 15 formidable guardian bosses. Use your arsenal of powers to adapt to every encounter. Evade foes using your Hook, unleash orbs as powerful projectiles, and even create decoy clones to strike from unexpected angles. It’s always your choice!
- Enhance and customize MIO abilities by scavenging components. Spice up your fighting skills with many Modifiers and transform MIO into a formidable force tailored to your playstyle.
Dredge
A fishing adventure with ominous elements. Its contrast between a familiar activity and an unsettling atmosphere makes it a distinctive choice if you want exploration with a darker edge. TechRadar’s indie recommendations.
Night in the Woods
A dialogue-driven coming-of-age adventure. Choose it for character-focused storytelling and conversations rather than a combat-first experience. TechRadar’s indie recommendations.
Dead Cells
A challenging action game, recommended for players who want combat and a demanding test of skill. TechRadar includes it among its broader indie picks, not as part of a 2025-release-only list. TechRadar’s indie recommendations.
Cobalt Core
A sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder, bringing card-driven decisions into a science-fiction setting. It is a good genre match if you want strategic runs rather than a traditional action adventure. TechRadar’s indie recommendations.
Rain World
A PC Gamer recommendation that illustrates why a “games to play in 2025” list is not automatically a list of 2025 launches: the page includes this older game alongside newer releases. Check PC Gamer’s current PC recommendations and your store for platform and edition details.
How to choose—and check the right version
- For puzzles and secrets: start with Blue Prince for a shifting-room mystery or Tunic for secrets and dungeon exploration.
- For cards and strategy: compare Balatro’s poker-rule-inspired deckbuilding with Cobalt Core’s sci-fi roguelike deckbuilding.
- For a story-led experience: consider Despelote’s Quito setting, Dispatch’s superhero workplace comedy, or Night in the Woods’ dialogue-driven coming-of-age story.
- For action: look at Dead Cells, or check the current store listing for Hollow Knight: Silksong on your platform.
- Before purchase: confirm the platform, edition, and current availability in the platform holder’s store. A recommendation page may list a game broadly, while a catalog entry can refer to a specific edition.
PlayStation’s roundup is an editorial selection attributed to Shawne Benson, Director, Head of Portfolio, Global Third Party Relations, and describes itself as “A curated look at some of the indie games that defined the year.” That is the publisher’s framing, not a measured consensus or a score-based ranking.
Quick Recap
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