Forty percent of Steam's top-performing games in 2025 have been indie or small-scale AA titles. Steam has long been one of the most indie-friendly platforms, and in 2024 alone, it hosted 8,588 games from small and independent studios.
So far in 2025, 4,600 indie games have been published on Steam. If this pace continues, it could become the biggest year yet for independent developers. That said, things are already looking promising for small-scale games on Steam, with data suggesting they may soon overtake AAA titles on the platform.
Valve's iconic puzzle-platform game, Portal 2, slips into second place on Steam, with an adored game taking its spot as the highest-rated game.
As reported by TheGamer, eight of Steam's 20 top-performing games in 2025 come from independent or small studios. SteamDB data confirms that Schedule 1, R.E.P.O., Bongo Cat, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Peak, Rematch, and Sultan's Game have all recorded some of the highest concurrent player counts this year. These titles are either the work of solo developers or small studios with limited budgets. Still, they've managed to compete with major 2025 releases like Monster Hunter Wilds and Stellar Blade....
