The joy of working with indies is never knowing what you’ll stumble upon next. Every year brings something unexpected and delightful, no matter what your genre of preference is. The indie-focused teams here at Sony Interactive Entertainment have bundled up some of their personal favorite indie games from the past year. Here are some of the games that surprised, enchanted, and tickled us in 2025.
Baby Steps
Developer: Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy
Publisher: Devolver Digital
An irreverent, physics-driven stumble-through-life adventure built on those wonderfully punishing physics that made Bennett Foddy’s Getting Over It so iconic.
Why we love it: We had a hard time really explaining the elevator pitch to our colleagues after we played it — this is one of those games you simply have to feel to understand. When we handed a controller to SIE’s Sid Shuman and his character immediately slid helplessly down a mountain in the most dramatic way possible, he broke into that tears-in-your-eyes kind of laugh. And it went on for a while. That’s when it clicked for us: the chaos, the tenderness, the humor — it all makes sense the second you take that first clumsy step.
Ball X Pit
Developer: Kenny Sun
Publisher: Devolver Digital
A chaotic, neon-soaked arcade blast where everything moves fast, loud, and just slightly unhinged.
Why we love it: A few of us got an early look at this one from Devolver, and we knew it was sticky when several folks on our team found themselves compelled to keep playing it long after they’d already finished writing up the review. It’s pure, joyful chaos — the kind of game that grabs you immediately and refuses to let go. And for me personally, seeing Kenny Sun behind this made it even better. I’ve followed his work since my early editorial days and loved his 2016 platformer Circa Infinity. Watching his evolution from those minimalist, mind-bending roots to something this loud, playful, and polished — all as a single developer — is incredibly cool.
Blue Prince
Developer: Banana Bird Studios
Publisher: Raw Fury
A surreal, shifting-room puzzle mystery that constantly reinvents itself as you explore.
Why we love it: There’s nothing better than a hypnotic, mysterious puzzle game that refuses to play by the rules, and Blue Prince nails that feeling. Several of us ended up having the same unexpected experience with it — even though it’s a single-player game, it became something we played alongside our partners or friends at home. We’d compare notes, swap theories, and brainstorm puzzle solutions together like we were part of some shared secret. That sense of quiet discovery, of unraveling something strange and elegant piece by piece, is exactly what makes this one so special. It’s stylish, clever, and lingers with you long after you stop playing.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Developer: Sandfall Interactive
Publisher: Kepler Interactive
A striking, painterly RPG about breaking a prophecy and claiming a future that was never supposed to be yours.
Why we love it: The art direction grabbed us immediately, and the combat hits that sweet spot between thoughtful and cinematic. Such a beautiful game with tremendous acting, tight gameplay, and possibly the greatest gaming soundtrack ever. Montpellier-based team Sandfall Interactive wears their inspirations on their sleeve — from European illustration traditions to the emotional arc and iconic gameplay of your favorite RPGs. You can feel those influences in every character, creature, and brushstroke. It’s bold, beautiful, and exactly the kind of creative vision we love.
Despelote
Developer: Julián Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena
Publisher: Panic
A grounded, slice-of-life adventure set in early-2000s Quito, capturing a neighborhood—and a country—caught up in Ecuador’s historic 2002 World Cup qualifying run.
Why we love it: Despelote captures a cultural moment that meant so much to so many Ecuadorians, and it does it through small, everyday details that feel incredibly personal. We were struck by how intimate it felt. The narrative is a step back in time drawn from the creators’ childhood memories in Quito. The art style adds to that effect with a gentle, dreamlike quality that makes the world feel both real and surreal. It’s warm, human, and a heartfelt celebration of their people.
Dispatch
Developer: AdHoc Studio
Publisher: AdHoc Studio
A sharp-witted episodic superhero workplace comedy where you’re not the hero, but the one sending them.
Why we love it: From the get-go, Dispatch had us hooked: it draws you in with its vibrant art style, razor-sharp writing, and versatile mechanics that fluidly shift from thoughtful narrative choices to challenging puzzles and the chaos of superhero dispatch management. What sets it apart, though, is how quickly these larger-than-life characters develop as you play. Beneath the capes and theatrics, they’re full of surprising warmth, messy emotions, and a delightful streak of pettiness that fuels hilarious office drama. It’s a refreshing twist on the narrative-driven adventure games and super hero content we’ve all grown accustomed to. Dispatch finds its own unique voice in that space, which is a superhuman feat in itself, and focuses on unmasking the larger-than-life personalities to study the flawed people behind the costumes. AdHoc reminds us why this genre continues to be so compelling.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Developer: Team Cherry
Publisher: Team Cherry
The long-awaited sequel to Hollow Knight, delivering sharper movement, richer combat, and a haunting new world.
Why we love it: Few modern indies have had the cultural impact of Hollow Knight — it became a touchstone for precision platforming, atmosphere, and handcrafted design. Silksong builds on that legacy with the same meticulous attention to detail that made the original so beloved. Team Cherry’s craftsmanship is extraordinary for a studio of their size, and once again, we found ourselves completely lost in their world. It’s elegant, ambitious, and a reminder of just how far great artistry can go.
Lumines Arise
Developer: Enhance
Publisher: Enhance
A modern evolution of the puzzle-rhythm classic, polished into a hypnotic little gem.
Why we love it: Enhance has been behind some of the most transcendent puzzle experiences ever made — from Rez Infinite to Tetris Effect — and Lumines Arise carries that same lineage of arcadey, synesthetic brilliance. They’re simply the best at what they do. When the visuals, music, and patterns lock together, it drops you into that unmistakable flow state where your brain finally exhales. It’s stylish, soothing, and one of those games we keep “accidentally” playing for an hour.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yo-Yo
Developer: Pocket Trap
Publisher: PM Studios
A stylish, fast-moving action-platformer built around a surprisingly deep, yo-yo-based moveset.
Why we love it: This is one of those games that feels instantly good the second you touch it. The movement is expressive, the combat has real snap, and the whole thing radiates personality. We were impressed by how they took such a simple mechanic and stretched it into something with real depth and momentum.
Sword of the Sea
Developer: Giant Squid
Publisher: Giant Squid
A serene sand-surfing adventure from Matt Nava and the team behind Journey, Abzû, and The Pathless.
Why we love it: Watching Nava’s artistic evolution over the years has been such a joy, and Sword of the Sea feels like a culmination of everything he does best — movement, atmosphere, emotional quiet. It’s already gorgeous and calming on its own, but what really elevated the experience for us were the subtle, innovative touches he layered in. The DualSense haptics in particular add this gentle, tactile dimension to surfing across the dunes — you feel the world in a way that’s impossible to describe until the controller is in your hands. It’s thoughtful, immersive, and one of those experiences that stays with you long after you sign off.
Honorable Mentions
- Citizen Sleeper 2
- Demonschool
- Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
- Hotel Infinity
- Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders
- Lost Records Bloom & Rage
- Ninja Gaiden Ragebound
- Promise Mascot Agency
- Rematch
- The Alters
- The Midnight Walk
- To a T
- Wanderstop
- Wheel World
These games represent just a fraction of the incredible creativity happening across the indie landscape. We’re thrilled to support such creative, genre-defying work and we can’t wait to see what’s next.
