Seriously slick and responsive to play, The Rogue Prince of Persia will likely win you over instantly thanks to its stylish traversal. Add to the mix some wonderful storytelling, a world that's a joy to explore and challenging (but rewarding) combat, and you have one of the best roguelike platforming games of recent years.
A puzzle game about meeting everyone's demands when finding them somewhere to sit, Is This Seat Taken? is as challenging as it is cosy. You can enjoy it at your own pace, and thanks to its wonderful animation, it's a joy to play.
Dear Me, I Was looks absolutely stunning, with every screen of the game feeling like a work of art in its own right. But taking less than an hour to complete, the story here lacks substance, and being told entirely through visuals makes it more difficult to connect with.
You may be limited as to how much you can do each day in Hello Kitty Island Adventure, with many of its missions being tied to a real-time clock. But it's hard to mind too much when the game is so delightfully charming and just a joy to spend time with.
Beautiful and charming, Tiny Bookshop is a game for literature lovers, tasking you with selling and recommending books to the residents of the fictional town of Bookstonbury. Its charm wears thin rather quickly though, and a lack of variety and depth will likely see you getting bored in a matter of hours.
A standout entry in the Survivors-like genre, Achilles: Survivor looks great, plays well and mixes things up by adding in tower defence elements. There's a huge amount of content on offer here, including plenty of characters to unlock and levels to play through, and given the game's budget asking price, consider it an absolute must-have.
Pac-Man in a Metroidvania game? Yeah – Shadow Labyrinth is an intriguing use of a much-loved IP, but the end result leaves a little to be desired. There's fun to be had here, but frustrating design choices, such as a lack of checkpoints and healing options, mean it's a middling Metroidvania, outshined by plenty others in the genre.
A wonderful open world adventure filled with racing and exploration, Wheel World is a joy to behold thanks to its intuitive controls and stunning cel-shaded art style. Even if you're not a fan of bicycles, this gorgeous little game is well worth your time.
Deserving of a place in the point and click hall of fame, The Drifter is a pulpy thriller with fantastic storytelling, excellent puzzles and truly stand-out voice acting. Undoubtedly one of the highlights of 2025, make sure this is on your radar if you're a fan of adventure games with unforgettable narratives.
Wonderfully zen and relaxing, Islanders: New Shores is the city building game for people who don't want to get bogged down with nitty-gritty. All you need to worry about here is placing buildings and getting the highest score possible — and if even that sounds too stressful, there's a sandbox mode that simply lets you design your own aesthetically-pleasing townscape.
It may be cute and colourful, but that's practically all that Tamagotchi Plaza has going for it. Essentially a collection of minigames, the activities on offer here are mostly dull and repetitive, and as there are no tutorials they are fairly inaccessible to younger players. One or two of the games are somewhat entertaining, but certainly not enough make this a title worth recommending.
Monster Train 2 is a solid upgrade over what was already an excellent roguelike deckbuilder. New features, new character classes, new cards and a new story all make the experience richer and deeper than ever before.
Running your own train doesn’t sound all that engrossing, but Locomoto makes it an absolute dream. Improving your train over time, all while visiting quaint little towns and helping out the townsfolk, is a wonderful way to spend time, so consider this a must-play if you’re a cosy game fan.
Move over, Kevin McCloud: there's a new architect in town, and it's me. Architect Life is a great deal of fun for anyone who likes to get creative with designing houses. Career mode provides structure while free play lets you go wild with your ideas, and whichever mode you opt for, it's bolstered by intuitive controls and easy-to-learn mechanics.
Camper Van: Make it Home is squarely aimed at Unpacking fans: people who want the zen-filled joy of finding a home for a range of items. This time, though, you're dealing with the limited space of a camper van. It's great fun and it looks wonderful, but the fiddly controls and camera can sometimes take some of the meditative spirit away.
Still Wakes the Deep: Siren's Rest takes you back to the Beira D 10 years later, exploring the wreckage as it lies on the sea bed. It's an incredibly clever way to introduce an expansion, and the Beira D is perhaps even more eerie and atmospheric than it was the first time around. I've loved every moment with it — I just wish it was a little longer.
For the most part, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is the same game as it was when it released back in 2020: a great deal of fun for fans of both Tetris and Puyo. But the addition of a new mode and the implementation of Switch 2's excellent GameShare functionality make this absolutely the best version yet.
Absolutely heaving with personality, it's clear a lot of heart and soul has gone into making Date Everything. Its characters are beautifully brought to life, but trying to meet everyone (which you'll want to do) can feel a bit of a slog.
One of my favourite roguelikes of recent years, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die takes the world of 2021's excellent Lost in Random and turns it into something new. It's a whimsical, action-packed adventure, with combat that feels smooth and satisfying. Even facing the game's ferocious bosses is seriously exhilarating. It's just a shame there's not a little more variation between runs, but that's to be expected.
You likely won't have played anything like Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo before. Combining puzzles, combat and adventuring, this game is an utter joy — and using a yoyo as both a weapon and a tool never gets old. Well written and incredibly accessible thanks to its difficulty options, this is a true indie gem.