Indie games are more important than ever. With the AAA market experiencing a mix of results and more layoffs than ever, it may be safer to lean toward indie development. It’s worked out for many of the world’s best titles, and Insider Gaming’s 2025 Indie Game of the Year highlights why.
The lines between an Indie game and AA or even AAA titles are becoming more blurred by the second. Some releases appear to have been created by a single person—which is often the case, as seen with LocalThunk’s Balatro—whereas others seem like premium, high-priced packages. From Schedule 1 to Ball X Pit, this list has picked out the best Indie games of 2025, and there’s one winner.
Best Indie Game Of 2025 Winner—Hollow Knight: Silksong
It would be remiss if Insider Gaming didn’t clarify two things: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hasn’t made this list, as the budget and development team (which is obviously more than the originally claimed 30 people) does not classify to IG as ‘indie,’ and the other point being that this award could’ve gone to one of two games, quite easily.
That being said, Hornet gets to wear the silky crown! Team Cherry’s Silksong never quite hit the ridiculous GTA 6 levels of hype, but there’s probably no indie game in history that garnered as much attention, anticipation, wishlists, and topped virtually any other metric for an upcoming indie title. Hollow Knight: Silksong had to be as good, if not surpass, than the immense legacy of the original Hollow Knight.
Siliksong is a technical and entertainment masterpiece from start to finish. It still edges out Ori for the most incredible environmental design, and the combat and exploration mechanics have gone up a notch. Boss battles are electric, and there’s an ever-present danger wherever you go. The almost shameless ceiling of difficulty is never masked at any point, but you’re rewarded for your perseverance and persistence with secret areas, enchanting NPCs, and side quests.
With the Sea of Sorrow DLC on the way, enhancing an already criminally low price point, Silksong is a sumptuous banquet of indie excellence.
Best Indie Game of 2025 Nominations
Hades 2
We said this award could’ve gone either way, and Hades 2 will be many people’s pick for Indie GOTY, and rightly so. Supergiant Games already has a GOTY award in the trophy cabinet thanks to the original Hades. This put a burden on the sequel’s shoulders that even Zeus might struggle to shoulder. Thanks to early access (which played a small part in this decision), Hades 2 has taken an already solid foundation, updated it, and tweaked it into a Herculean-looking work of art.
You might not be able to go back to Hades 1 after playing the follow-up! With the added diversity of going above ground as well as slaying below it, and more Boons and combat systems to consider, Hades 2 is a more than worthy successor, and rightly took its place alongside Silksong in the overall The Game Awards 2025 GOTY nominees.
Ball X Pit
If you’ve not heard of Ball X Pit, you need to; if you have played it, it’s SO good, isn’t it? Ball X Pit doesn’t require inch-perfect timing, lightning-quick reflexes, and its skill ceiling isn’t outrageous. This is easily one of the most chill games of 2025, and it’s another roguelike. You can comfortably sit back and relax for most of your runs, and all you need to do is just move the left analog stick around. But your progress is determined by your on-the-fly decision-making when it comes to Balls and Passive Abilities.
Ball X Pit might not seem skillful at first, but it can take a few in-game hours to understand the nuances of the gameplay: How to angle your shots, where to concentrate your attacks, which synergies are superior, and how to make the game’s most broken combinations. It has one of the best soundtracks of 2025, and you’ll have a ball playing it.
Blue Prince
In terms of methodical pacing, nothing comes close to Blue Prince. Every move and decision you make is taken one room at a time as you seek to find Room 46—if it even exists. This is the third of four roguelikes on this list—is the industry trying to tell us something? You have a limited amount of time to map out a route in your inherited house to find Room 46.
Along the way are key items that you can use on subsequent runs to make more progress, discover, and solve more mysteries. The idea is to repeat this process repeatedly, as it all helps you to eventually find Room 46. Its masterful environmental storytelling and intrinsic gameplay and teachings make this an easy-to-pick-up and play game. Wonderfully atmospheric and ever-intriguing, the punny-named Blue Prince (Blueprints?) has earned its place.
Did any shooter that’s not Battlefield 6 get your vote for best shooter of 2025? Is it something that didn’t even make it onto our list, like a certain Black Ops 7? Be sure to let IG know through the official Insider Gaming Discord Server.
Also, check out the best PC Gaming Accessories of 2025, as well as the 5 best games like Escape From Tarkov.
Andy is Insider Gaming's Senior Evergreen Editor and has been in the games journalism sphere in one way or another for over 7 years. His video game taste is as…
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