It was another absolutely stellar year for gaming in 2025. We experienced all sorts of adventures, role-playing, magic, mystery, cards, swords, guns, and action that punctuated different points of our year. You’re going to hear about all of it across our wide variety of Shacknews Awards. But before that, we’d like to share some of our personal picks for 2025.
We will be sharing our main Game of the Year lists in the weeks ahead, but for this week’s Shack Chat—the last of 2025—we want to highlight which indie games made up our number one picks of the year. Have a look below!
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### What is Your Indie Game of the Year 2025?
#### Hades 2
*Ozzie Mejia, Back to the underworld*
Supergiant Games cannot be stopped. The team’s efforts on *Hades 2* can’t be praised enough, taking what it built in the previous *Hades* and creating what can be considered Supergiant’s best work to date. Incredible characters, a refined and more engaging combat system, and so much to explore make this game stand out.
Failure almost never feels like failure here, and for those moments that it does, it only fuels my desire to fight harder. I won’t be forgetting Melinoe and her supporting cast anytime soon, mostly because I can’t stop diving back into the underworld.
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#### Hollow Knight: Silksong
*TJ Denzer, Senior Tryhard*
Many of my favorite games this year were uplifting and filled with emotion about the world’s state and my hopes for it. *Hollow Knight: Silksong* was not that kind of game. Instead, it evoked righteous fury and a desire for vengeance as it challenged me mercilessly with every possible nasty gameplay trick and twist.
But I loved it.
Team Cherry created an amazing platformer that feels smartly assembled from top to bottom. Every boss, jump, and new bit of technique or gear added another layer to the impeccable controls and game feel. It was a thrilling give-and-take of triumph and tragedy as I struggled to overcome each challenge.
I ran half the game doing no-hit runs on bosses and found it to be one of my most exciting challenges this year. I intend to finish that list over the break, so stay tuned!
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#### Skate Story
*Asif Khan, Hasn’t skated since snapping his board in half in 1994*
I absolutely love skateboarding video games, and *Skate Story* is one of the very best ever created. From its art style to the story, the game is a wonderful celebration of skater culture intertwined with a narrative unafraid to poke fun at modern-day American consumerism and bureaucracy.
You play as a devil made out of glass trying to eat the moon—and while that sounds crazy, it isn’t even the most absurd part of this wonderful game. *Skate Story* combines a gameplay toolkit with unique boss battles to create a brand-new skateboarding experience.
It’s my indie game of the year, and Sam Eng deserves all the flowers for shipping such a polished game without an abundance of developer resources.
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#### Dispatch
*Bill Lavoy, Shackmaps Overlord*
Not only was *Dispatch* my Indie Game of the Year, it was nearly my overall Game of the Year. In 2025, there was no other game I couldn’t put down. When I thought about going to bed, I convinced myself to play just one more episode.
It was a masterpiece from start to finish, a game I’ll happily return to in the future to discover alternate outcomes.
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#### Hollow Knight: Silksong
*Sam Chandler, Bugman*
Long awaited, 2025 finally delivered one of my favorite games of the year—and my favorite indie game: *Hollow Knight: Silksong*.
The game blew me away with its art style, movement, platforming, and intense, punishing combat. Every new area tested my skills, and once I proved myself, I was rewarded with new tech that made progress easier.
Even just standing around in small villages, talking to bugs, or gazing into the distance felt cozy. There’s a deep warmth under Silksong’s tough exterior. I’m so proud of what Team Cherry, a small Australian studio, achieved by staying focused on passion and dreams.
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#### Look Outside
*Dennis White Jr., Community Manager*
*Look Outside* hits a sweet spot for me with its mixture of dope retro visuals, excellent character building, and Lovecraftian cosmic horror.
I really enjoyed the creatures I encountered while trying to survive the night, as well as the turn-based RPG elements. The soundtrack is awesome, switching from creepy ambiance to hype battle tunes that had me charging down hallways (One track is called “Blood Ghoul Orgy 3,” for example).
I also liked the enemy mechanics—where foes reveal their terrifying true forms as you get closer, making you question whether the encounter risk is worth the shiny trinket around the corner.
Party members are fun, and there are interesting NPCs as well. The body horror and designs are nightmare fuel, but I love it. The retro style keeps the horror from becoming too realistic, which suits me perfectly.
The game has received quality updates recently, so I definitely suggest horror fans check it out.
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#### Dispatch
*Donovan Erskine, News Editor at SDN*
*Dispatch* is easily my Indie Game of the Year. I fell in love with its characters and world. Logging in every Wednesday from October to November to experience new chapters was magical.
I loved seeing players’ reactions online; it was the first interactive narrative game to capture the cultural zeitgeist since Telltale Games’ prime in the 2010s. AdHoc Studio delivered an unforgettable debut, and I’m already one of their biggest fans.
*Dispatch* holds a special place in my heart, and I suspect I’ll spin up another run in the coming months.
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#### Gigasword
*Steve Tyminski, Carry a Big Sword!*
What was my indie game of the year for 2025? There were many great games from both AAA developers and indie studios, but I narrowed it down to two: *Ball X Pit* and *Gigasword*.
I was drawn to *Ball X Pit* after seeing it on a Nintendo Direct. It feels like a modern take on *Arkanoid*, where you use balls to break or attack blocks and enemies. I started playing during Shacknews Game of the Year deliberations and couldn’t put it down. The quick rounds let you play for hours without noticing.
However, I found myself playing *Gigasword* just as much. I first saw it at PAX East a few years ago and fell in love. It plays like a classic platformer/Metroidvania. Besides playing the demo at PAX East and on Steam, I eagerly requested a review code on Nintendo Switch.
I adore this game. It’s one of the rare titles where I’ve been able to report bugs and glitches to developers to help improve the experience.
2025 was a great year for gaming. 2026 will have some big shoes to fill, but I’m sure it will manage.
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Stay tuned for our full Shacknews 2025 Game of the Year awards, coming soon!
https://www.shacknews.com/article/147270/shack-chat-indie-game-2025
