2025 has been a pretty year for gaming. Though we saw some major cancellations and delays, plenty more long-awaited games finally arrived in 2025. We got the long-rumored The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivioni Remastered and highly-anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong, among others. It’s also been a great year for indie games, with great new releases like Hades 2 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 winning nomations and accolades at The Game Awards. But with so many hyped titles this year, it’s easy for some truly amazing games to fly under the radar.
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Sometimes, it’s easy to feel like everyone is playing the same handful of big games. Certainly, it would be hard to get through 2025 as a gamer without hearing about Expedition 33 or Silksong. But then, there are the hidden gems, the games that came out and impressed the people who played them, but never quite got the same amount of buzz. In particular, these 5 indie games that came out this year are ones you won’t want to miss.
5) Kokoro Kitchen
Platform(s): PC via Steam
Price: $11.99
If you enjoy cooking management sims like Lemon Cake or look fondly back on the Diner Dash days, you won’t want to miss this new indie. Kokoro Kitchen is the debut title from Mango Leaf Games, and the new indie studio delivered on the charm and the coziness.
Kokoro Kitchen is a Japanese-inspired cooking sim with light farming elements and a handful of mini-games for prepping certain ingredients. It has adorable 3D graphics, with food illustrations that are guaranteed to make you hungry. A few of the mechanics are a little rough around the edges, but overall reviews for the game have been Positive on Steam since its release. For cooking sim lovers like me, this is the 2025 release you don’t want to miss.
4) Cinnabunny
Platform(s): PC via Steam, Switch, Switch 2
Price: $24.99
I think a lot of people overlooked this game because the cover art doesn’t match the adorable art style at all. Despite the odd cover art, however, Cinnabunny is a hidden gem of an indie game. It is part farm sim, part cooking sim, and a little bit Tales of the Shire thanks to the Hobbit house designs. Those who have played it give it a Very Positive overall rating on Steam, and I’d put it no my personal list of top games of the year.
Now that it has made its way to Switch, I’ve started to see more people findind the game. Which is a good thing, because Cinnabunny is a slow-paced cozy game that’s perfect for the winter months, or any time you need a relaxing game to play. It also offers co-op, so you can be bunny baker buddies with your friends.
3) Absolum
Platform(s): PC via Steam, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch
Price: $24.99
This game did get nominated for Best Independent Game award, but I still haven’t seen that many people talking about it. That category was absolutely stacked this year, and Absolum has gotten a bit overshadowed by the hype for its fellow nominees this year. Yet the game’s Overwehelmingly Positive rating on Steam speaks for itself.
Absolum is a beat ’em up fantasy roguelite with RPG elements. It has beautiful hand-drawn imagery, and fans praise its storytelling and variety in both levels and builds. Many say it’s a blend of Hades 2 and classic beat ’em ups, with a unique art style all its own. If you enjoy RPGs or roguelites at alal, Absolum is one you shouldn’t miss.
2) Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
Platform(s): PC via Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Price: $24.99
This game came out in January, so it’s fallen a bit off the radar in a year stacked with new releases. However, it’s Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam basically speaks for itself. This game is the spiritul successor to Ender Lilies, bringing players a brand-new Souls-like Metroidvania to dig into.
Ender Magnolia is a gorgeous side-scrolling platformer, and many reviewers say it improves on almost everything from its predecessor. The story, gameplay, art, and music have all gotten high praise, making this game an incredible addition to the Metroidvania space. If you’re looking for another game to scratch the Silksong itch, this indie is well worth adding to your list.
1) StarVaders
Platform(s): PC via Steam
Price: $24.99
When I was poking around Reddit to see what games I personally missed this year, I could not escape StarVaders.This roguelite deckbuilder has an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam. Its bright, anime-style visuals are eyecatching, and you get to pilot a mech suit and fight off an alien invasion. What’s not to like?
In a time when deckbuilders are coming out left and right, StarVaders still manages to stand out with fans. Many of its positive reviews say the game deserves more love for its deckbuilding mechanics and challenging strategy. It has a good variety of enemies and combinations to keep things interesting, with a great soundtrack to boot. This just might be the most underrated hidden gem to release in 2025.
What is the best indie game you played in 2025? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
