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Top Best Upcoming Steam Indie Games to Watch in 2025

2025 is leading another tour of the indie scene. Looking back, we had a great year in 2024. Balatro, Animal Well, and UFO 50: each put itself on equal footing with another and held its ground. But what's next? It’s a whole different story now.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector and Hyper Light Breaker open the show, while Pathologic 3 and Wanderstop are right there waiting in line. Whether you’re craving high-stakes stealth deck-building, moody mountain-climbing sims, or isometric roguelike shooters, a chef’s kiss lineup of experiences awaits you. With upcoming indie games flooding the platform, there’s never been a better time to explore.

Indie Games Are Thriving on Steam

Steam isn’t just a store. It’s an indie goldmine. If a game is breaking the mold, chances are it’s making waves here first. New Steam indie games release like loot chests, each offering something different: a turn-based horror roguelike, a zero-gravity survival sim, or a deck-builder where the cards talk to you. Whatever type of experience you seek, chances are there’s an indie dev working up precisely what you wish for — maybe even something you don’t yet know you want.
Heart Machine Indie Video Game
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/hyper-light-breaker-has-great-combat-impeccable-vibes-and-its-ambitious-randomized-open-worlds-actually-work-the-real-test-is-if-it-goes-the-distance-in-early-access/

Steam is where weird ideas aren’t just welcome; they’re celebrated. So it only makes sense that upcoming indie games would thrive there. Indie devs trap you in a time loop in a haunted CRT monitor, make you emotionally invested in a pet rock, or give you a fishing pole that doubles as a flamethrower. Each week brings a new shipment of genre-bending experiments and brutally complicated masterpieces that test your patience and skill.

And the variety is unmatched. Steam indie games cover all genres, from punishing survival horrors to wholesome farming sims, tactical deck-builds, 2D cinematic platformers, and everything in between. Early access allows players to get a front-row seat to a game's evolution, shaping it alongside its developers. Discovering a hidden gem before the crowds catch on? That’s a flex only Steam lets you pull.

So, what should you add to the list? We’ve compiled a must-play list of upcoming indie games so you can organize your backlog.

Top Best Upcoming Steam Indie Games

Afterlove EP

Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam
Release Date: February 14, 2025
Developer(s): Pikselnesia
Publisher: Fellow Traveller

Jakarta buzzes with activity, but for Rama, everything is muted. The city chugs on, but he remains stuck — haunted by the voice of his dead girlfriend, Cinta. His touring band encourages him to write again, to take out his guitar, and return to the world. Time is running out — a big gig’s a month away. If he can’t pull himself out of it, the music will travel on without him.
Afterlove EP Indie Game
Source: https://www.nintendo-town.fr/2025/02/13/afterlove-ep-nintendo-switch-le-test/

Each choice in Afterlove EP shapes Rama’s story. You’ll wander the streets of Jakarta for 28 days and nights, rekindle old friends, or invite new ones into your life. The late-night chats at the warung, deep conversations over coffee, and stolen moments of inspiration all matter. And when words fail, there’s always sound. Rock out with your band in rhythm-based sessions, let the chords say what Rama can’t, and maybe—just maybe—find a way to get unstuck.

Afterlove EP - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch

The Afterlove EP, backed by Soyatu’s striking manga-inspired art and an original soundtrack from Indonesian indie band L’Alphalpha, is a love letter to Jakarta’s indie scene. Developed by Pikselnesia, it is Mohammad Fahmi's (Coffee Talk, What Comes After) final project. His team is carrying his vision forward and ensuring his last story is told.

Wanderstop

Platform(s): PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam
Release Date: March 11, 2025
Developer(s): Ivy Road
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive

Alta isn’t here by choice. Once a champion fighter, she now works in a peaceful tea shop in a magical forest, brewing tea for anyone. But this is not the life she wanted. The shop is a cage; the tea is a distraction. Every fiber of her calls to leave, to go to the battlefield where she belongs. Yet, the forest waits. The customers keep coming. And the tea, for better or for worse, still needs to be brewed.
Wanderstop Indie Video Game
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/Wanderstop/?l=ukrainian

In Wanderstop, making tea is a ritual, not a race. Cultivate and harvest ingredients, finesse an unusual brewing system, and craft just the right cup for every passerby. Between customers, you can spruce up the shop, tidy the clearing, or just sit with your thoughts. The game resists frenetic expansion — your only way forward is through patience.

Wanderstop - Reveal Trailer | PS5 Games

From Ivy Road (the folks behind The Stanley Parable, Gone Home, and Tacoma), Wanderstop offers a premise that combines cozy shop management with a deeply narrative experience. With music by C418 (from Minecraft), the game dares you to slow down, drink some tea, and face something Alta can’t yet accept: maybe fighting isn’t the only way to live.

Psycho Patrol R

Platform(s): PC (Microsoft Windows)
Release Date: March 31, 2025 (Early Access)
Developer(s): Consumer Softproducts
Publisher: Consumer Softproducts

Step into the V-Stalker, a towering, mind-linked war machine built for the frontlines of neural warfare. Execute counter-psycho hazard operations in the crumbling state of Pan-Europa, where rogue minds and fractured egos threaten the very fabric of reality. The battlefield isn’t only city streets — it’s the collective subconscious of Terra, a hyperlinked mass of thought spiraling toward collapse. One moment, you’re racing down debris-strewn hallways, sidearm drawn, pulse-pounding. On the other, you’re wired into your mech, blasting 120mm plasma rounds into an abomination that had no business existing.
Psycho Patrol R Video Game
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1907590/Psycho_Patrol_R/

The rules fell apart long ago in a world where every job is a side quest. The planet's fate is failing, and the likelihood of success is at 0.001% — but that’s still enough to pull the trigger. If you’re looking for fresh, unfiltered action infused with psychological horror substance, Psycho Patrol R could be one of the best upcoming indie games for you. There are no straight lines, no preordained victories — just a fallen world, a machine engineered for justice, and an officer who understands that there is no such thing as mercy.

Psycho Patrol R Early Access Trailer

Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping

Platform(s): PC (Windows, Mac, and Linux) via Steam
Release Date: 2025
Developer(s): Happy Broccoli Games
Publisher: Happy Broccoli Games
Eugene McQuacklin is back — but this time, the real ghosts aren’t the ones haunting the campsite — it’s his failed marriage and crippling bread addiction. In the new Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping, our little feathered sleuth waddles his way into another case full of lies, drama, and carbs.

Duck Detective The Ghost of Glamping Video Game
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2714620/Duck_Detective_The_Ghost_of_Glamping/

But there is a twist: McQuacklin isn’t flying solo this time. A new partner enters the investigation, much to his annoyance. You’ll fill in the blanks, connect the dots, and piece together the truth, all with a side of beak-sharp one-liners. With fully voiced characters, a 2-3 hour cozy mystery experience, and plenty of opportunities to throw bread at justice, this stand-alone sequel to Duck Detective: The Secret Salami shows that crime never sleeps... but it does paddle from time to time.

Duck Detective: the Ghost of Glamping Announcement Trailer

Possessor(s)

Platform(s): PC
Release Date: 2025
Developer(s): Heart Machine
Publisher(s): Devolver Digital

From Heart Machine, the studio behind Hyper Light Breaker comes Possessor(s)—a fast-paced side-scrolling adventure set in the interconnected ruins of a devastated megacity. Players control Luca and Rehm, an unexpected pair tied to one another by a shared destiny who must roam a quarantined metropolis split by an interdimensional disaster.
Possessor(s) Indie Vidio Game
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2132890/Possessors/

With striking 3D environments, hand-drawn characters, and fluid, platform fighter-inspired combat, Possessor(s)delivers high-speed action, intricate exploration, and a deep, branching narrative. Expect tight movement, stylish aerial combos, and deadly enemies, all wrapped in a hauntingly beautiful and dangerously unpredictable world.

Possessor(s) | Reveal Trailer

Cairn

Platform(s): PC (via Steam); additional console platforms to be announced
Release Date: 2025
Developer(s): The Game Bakers
Publisher: The Game Bakers

The peak of Mount Kami had never been reached — until now. As Aava, a pro climber pursuing the climb of a lifetime, you’ll scale sheer rock faces, struggle against exhaustion, and grapple with impossible choices in a survival-climbing experience in which every handhold might be your last. Created by the designers of Furi and Haven, Cairn serves up an ultra-true-to-life climbing sim with accessible mechanics, allowing you to place your hands, shift your weight, and battle gravity itself as you move toward the summit.
Cairn Indie Video Game
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1588550/Cairn/

With music and sound design by the people who did Limbo, Inside, and Control and art by the acclaimed comic-book artist Mathieu Bablet, Cairn is not just about getting to the top. It’s about finding out what you’re willing to give up to reach it.

CAIRN Reveal Trailer | Summer Game Fest 2024

Blue Prince

Platform(s): PC (Windows)
Release Date: Spring 2025
Developer(s): Dogubomb
Publisher: Raw Fury

Mt. Holly isn’t merely a mansion — it’s a puzzle, a riddle, a challenge that curves with time. In Blue Prince, opening each door determines your way through a shifting maze and a new world daily. Every morning, the estate hits reset, compelling you to develop new drafts of rooms, uncover missing secrets, and rework your strategies in a never-ending quest to reach the elusive Room 46.
Blue Prince PC Indie Video Game
Source: https://www.blueprincegame.com/

It all comes down to your choices. Some rooms contain helpful tools. Others are littered with cryptic clues, deadly traps, or the echoes of history. Every step deeper into the mansion reveals a twisted tale of blackmail, political machination, and a missing children’s book author whose story is still being written. The more you get into Mt. Holly, the more it reveals to you…but will it ever let you get out?

Blue Prince Announcement Trailer

REANIMAL

Platform(s): PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: TBA
Developer(s): Tarsier Studios
Publisher: THQ Nordic

From the original creators of Little Nightmares I and II comes a new co-op horror adventure that pulls you down to something darker, something much worse. REANIMAL follows a brother and sister as they traverse a nightmarish island, looking for their friends who’ve gone missing and a means of fleeing the horrors that stalk them.
Reanimal Indie Game
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2129530/REANIMAL/

Armed only with their wits — and each other — they must explore, outsmart, and survive. But every step forward pulls them deeper into a twisted world of monstrous secrets and shattered memories.
REANIMAL heads into oppressive tension, an unsettling atmosphere, and disturbing creatures that manifest childhood fears. This is all infused with Tarsier Studios’ signature eerie visual style. Whether solo or in online/local co-op, the shared, directed camera system amplifies the claustrophobia and slow-building dread, making it such that players need to stay close or risk getting lost in the dark. Already shaping up to be one of the best indie games on Steam, REANIMAL is horror with hope — but only if you can live long enough to discover it.

Reanimal - Announcement Trailer | PS5 Games

The Mermaid Mask

Platform(s): PC (Windows), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Release Date: 2025
Developer(s): SFB Games
Publisher: SFB Games

A legendary captain is dead. The mysterious Magnus Mortuga, commander of the weirdest submarines in the world, was discovered alone in a sealed room—accompanied only by an ancient stone cauldron, opened for the first time. Was it a curse? A murderous crew member? Or is something much stranger hiding in the depths?
The Mermaid Mask Video Game
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1696770/The_Mermaid_Mask/

Join Detective Grimoire and Sally in this narrative-driven mystery adventure as they interrogate strange suspects, reveal secrets hidden in the depths of the Mortuga Submarine, and examine fully interactive 3D clues. Featuring a fully voiced cast of characters and orchestral soundscape by the Budapest Art Orchestra, The Mermaid Mask is one of the most awaited game releases, with an atmospheric, undersea mystery where nothing is quite what it seems—and nothing is stranger than the truth.

The Mermaid's Tongue - Official Trailer | Day of the Devs The Game Awards Edition Digital Showcase

Slay the Spire 2

Platform(s): Initially releasing on PC (Steam) in Early Access
Release Date: Planned for Early Access in 2025
Developer(s): Mega Crit
Publisher: Mega Crit

The Spire has awakened with a hungrier and deadlier defense than ever. Slay the Spire 2 revives the legendary roguelike deck-builder, tasking players with building mighty decks, discovering arcane relics, and fighting their way through a maze of unknown horrors.
Slay the Spire 2 PC Video Game
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2868840/Slay_the_Spire_2/

With new and returning characters, new mechanics, and a constantly shifting climb, no two runs are alike. Hammer out your playstyle with a continually changing stash of cards, relics, and potions while unlocking game-altering abilities and high-risk, high-reward choices. Coming to Early Access, Slay the Spire 2 will once again evolve with the help of its passionate community.

Slay the Spire 2 - Official Gameplay Trailer

Wheel World

Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam
Release Date: Early 2025
Developer(s): Messhof
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive

Welcome to Wheel World, where cycling is not a sport but a spiritual calling. As Kat, a rider chosen by ancient cycling spirits, you’ll have to race elite teams, perform gravity-defying tricks, and hunt down stolen Legendary parts to complete The Great Shift — an overdue ritual that could keep the universe from going off the rails.
Wheel World Upcoming Indie Game
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1497460/Wheel_World/

This semi-open world adventure blends fast-paced racing with stylish exploration, letting you customize your bike with rare, hard-earned parts to fine-tune your speed, handling, and trick potential. From the makers of Nidhogg, Wheel World is already one of the most original and gripping Steam indie games—so hop on the wheel, cycle hard, and never look back.

WHEEL WORLD | Gameplay Trailer

Enter the Chronosphere

Platform(s): PC (Windows and Mac)
Release Date: 2025
Developer(s): Effort Star
Publisher(s): Joystick Ventures and Gamera Games

Inside the Chronospheres, reality warps, time bends, and only those who adapt survive. In this psychedelic roguelike, you lead a crew of alien misfits, each with its abilities, as they fight through gigantic, reality-eating objects. These world-sized dungeons don’t merely consume worlds — they reforge them into chaotic, ever-shifting biomes of interlocking parts, welding together clockwork lifeforms, parasitic insect hordes, diesel-chugging mole-men, and bombed-out hellscapes.
 Enter the Chronosphere Indie Game for PC
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/enter-the-chronosphere-is-a-super-creative-roguelike-strategy-game-where-time-only-moves-when-you-move-and-you-can-try-the-open-beta-now/

Spoiling the boundary between real-time action and turn-based tactics, Enter the Chronosphere lets you control time. You move, the world moves with you; you stand still, and everything freezes. Gather your crew, build wacky weapons and ability combos, and learn to wield the paradoxes that break the laws of physics within each Chronosphere.

Enter the Chronosphere - Official Gameplay Trailer | Publisher Spotlight 2024 (Joystick Ventures)

Tenjutsu

Platform(s): PC
Release Date: To be announced
Developer(s): Deepnight Games
Publisher(s): Devolver Digital

Secret Garden City is a neon jungle suffocated by corruption. Four syndicates control the streets, each more brutal than the one before. You? You’re a former enforcer who’s now a problem they can’t afford to ignore — a martial arts master with a vendetta and the skills to deliver on it. But it won’t be easy to take them down. And the longer you wait, the more powerful they become.
Tenjutsu Steam Indie Game
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1363940/Tenjutsu/

Drawing from the tactical, high-intensity action of John Wick and Jackie Chan films, Tenjutsu offers fluid, one-against-many combat where every move matters. Chain brutal melee attacks, wield deadly weapons, and leverage the environment to your advantage as you dodge, counter, and strike with surgical precision. Every win transforms the city itself—disabling shops, shortcuts, and upgrades that make your future runs easier.

Tenjutsu | Reveal Trailer

Morsels

Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC
Release Date: 2025
Developer: Furcula
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive

The cats rule the city, but the revolution starts in the sewers. In Morsels, you play as a clever mouse, transformed by a magical fatberg into a shifting, shape-changing fighter known as a Morsel. With the ability to collect, switch, and fuse into powerful new creatures, you’ll climb from the depths, outwit feline overlords, and take back the world above—one fight at a time.
Morsels Indie Video Game
Source: https://www.ign.com/games/morsels

Combining fast-paced roguelite combat with an unusual creature-collection system, Morsels allows you to build a diverse and rotating roster of oddball and powerful forms, each with unique abilities, afflictions, and power-ups that drastically alter your battle approach. As you delve deeper into the city, expect to encounter hidden levels, wild art transformations, and unexpected gameplay twists and turns, all of which keep every run feeling fresh. The cats might have the upper hand, but mice? Mice have a strategy.

MORSELS – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Platform(s): PC (Windows, macOS, Linux), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: To Be Announced (TBA)
Developer(s): Team Cherry
Publisher: Team Cherry

After years of anticipation, Hollow Knight: Silksong may finally arrive in 2025, and the payoff looks enormous for those who have waited patiently. Team Cherry’s sequel to one of the most celebrated Metroidvanias ever made promises a vast new kingdom, over 150 deadly enemies, and a fresh combat style that builds on everything that made Hollow Knight legendary.
Hollow Knight Silksong Steam Video Game
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1030300/Hollow_Knight_Silksong/

This time, players take the reins of Hornet — the princess-protector of Hallownest — as she explores a world ruled by silk and song, seeks out truths, encounters dreadful foes, and masters a fluid, acrobatic combat system. Each fight is a deadly dance that demands precision and strategy. From mossy grottos to golden citadels, the exquisitely designed settings breathe life into the hand-drawn universe, backed up by Christopher Larkin’s gorgeous orchestral score.

Hollow Knight: Silksong - Xbox Game Pass Reveal Trailer - Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022

Silksong is poised to redefine the Metroidvania genre once again. Whether it launches in early 2025 or later, one thing is certain—when it arrives, the wait will have been worth it.

The Future of Indie Gaming on Steam

Indie developers have redefined entire genres—roguelikes, Metroidvanias, and deck builders all owe much of their resurgence to indie ingenuity. Games such as Hollow Knight, Hades, and Slay the Spire didn’t merely succeed; they redefined their genres. The climb of Early Access has also provided builders with real-time player feedback and community-driven development that fine-tunes gameplay long before it goes live.

Beyond mechanics, indie games have also become storytelling powerhouses, tackling complex themes. Between the intimate narratives of games like Spiritfarer and the existential horror of Inscription, indie devs show that gaming can be deeply personal, thought-provoking, and emotionally powerful.

Looking ahead, several key trends are shaping the future of indie gaming:

Procedural Generation & Emergent Gameplay
Games like Noita and Balatro use randomized mechanics to create endless replayability. Expect more AI-assisted level design and sandbox mechanics that adapt dynamically to player choices.

Retro Aesthetics, Modern Design
Pixel art and lo-fi visuals aren’t just nostalgia—they’re a stylistic choice that enables fluid, innovative gameplay. We’ll see more titles that blend old-school aesthetics with modern mechanics, much like Octopath Traveler’s HD-2D approach.

Cozy & Wholesome Gaming
The demand for low-stress, feel-good experiences is soaring. Games like Dredge, A Little to the Left, and Unpacking prove that relaxing, narrative-driven games have a significant audience.

Horror & Psychological Thrillers
Indie horror is evolving past jumpscares into profound, unsettling experiences (Signalis, Lethal Company). Expect more psychological narratives, analog horror aesthetics, and experimental survival mechanics.

Cross-Platform & Subscription Models
With Steam Deck, Game Pass, and cloud gaming rising, indie games are becoming more accessible than ever. Expect more devs to design with portability and instant playability in mind.

Now, it’s your turn.

Have an indie game idea waiting to break out of your mind and onto players’ screens? Whether you need concept art, full-cycle development, or just a partner who understands your vision, Argentics is here to help. Let’s build the next indie gem—one that players will remember for years to come.
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