Our top indie games from GDC 2025
Our favorite thing to do at GDC is discover new games and meet the devs in person. Here are some of our favorites.
Confession time: our week at the Game Developer Conference is barely spent in the actual convention center. We usually find ourselves bouncing between coffee shops, hotel lobbies, and last minute meetups throughout San Francisco. 2025 was more of the same, calendars stuffed with conversations and very little time with official programming or the show floor.
One thing we prioritize: seeing every possible game on display. Whether at Day of the Devs before GDC officially starts, hidden corners of the expo, or a conversation in line for coffee.
Here are 10 games that grabbed our attention. These titles represent exactly what excites us about the industry right now — great vision, great execution, small teams.
Mindwave
"WarioWare on acid" feels like the most succinct description of this psychedelic micro-game collection. The surreal transitions between mini-games are just bonkers in the best way possible. You can really see vision and execution coming together.
The pacing is perfectly calibrated — each experience is brief but intense, requiring total focus before throwing you into something completely different. The range of mechanics spans from straightforward to utterly nonsensical, sometimes within the same mini-game.
It's a game that defies categorization but guarantees you'll be talking about it long after playing. In an industry that can sometimes play it safe, Mindwave is gloriously unafraid to be weird.
Jay & Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch
Knew this existed but seeing it action made me start paying attention. It's essentially Streets of Rage meets the Simpsons Arcade game, wrapped in View Askew's unmistakable humor.
The frame-by-frame animation is absolutely gorgeous, conveying weight and impact with each hit. But what surprised us was the mechanical depth — the combo and tag-team systems have genuine complexity that rewards player skill.
Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes' involvement shows throughout, with authentic writing that fans will appreciate. It's a love letter to arcade beat-em-ups that doesn't sacrifice gameplay depth for nostalgia.
Faraway
“Look at this gorgeous trail”, I said when I first saw Faraway in action. There’s something utterly mesmerizing about how it flows and billows. The rest of the art direction lines up, this thing is so simple yet so gorgeous.
It’s fun too. Gravity flings your trailing comet around in a satisfying way. What impressed us was how it turns accessibility into a strength — the controls are simple enough for anyone to grasp, but the skill ceiling keeps rising as you play. The learning curve is perfectly tuned, guiding players from basic flight to complex aerial maneuvers.
It's a testament to focused design; instead of adding unnecessary systems, the developers refined their central mechanic until it sings. The result feels both meditative and exhilarating.
Isopod
The aptly named Sbug Games first landed on my radar when they released Webbed, a super satisfying 2D spider platformer. Now, they’re shifting to 3D but sticking to bugs. I love pill-bugs so the idea of traversing the Australian outback with one is really compelling.
The mechanics are brilliantly matched to the concept — rolling into a protective ball, zipping around surfaces, and satisfyingly slamming into obstacles much larger than yourself. Each surface has a distinct tactile quality that genuinely feels "bug scale."
There's something uniquely empowering about taking down enemies many times your size as a determined little isopod. The David vs. Goliath dynamic never gets old.
My Arms Are Longer Now
There’s this scene in Thank Goodness You’re Here where a sausage (you had to be there) stretches across multiple screens wrapping itself around people and objects. Now, turn that sausage into an arm and let me control it. That’s what My Arms Are Longer Now delivers.
This detective-thief hybrid caught our eye with a compelling premise: an elastic, noodle-like limbs navigating a noir-inspired world. It's a literal interpretation of "reaching" for things that evolves into genuinely clever puzzle design.
It wears it’s weirdness on its non-existent sleeve and the art ties it all together really well. Also, great great name for a video game.
Neon Abyss 2
I love a good pixel art game with wild shaders thrown at it. Neon Abyss 2 just looks gorgeous in motion. I could watch some of those lightning effects on loop. The neon-infused visuals pop even more than in the original, with thoughtful procedural generation that creates meaningful variety rather than just random room placement. The weapon combinations feel endlessly creative without becoming overwhelming.
What struck us most was how respectful it is of player time — runs are substantial enough to feel rewarding but concise enough that failure doesn't feel punishing. That's the holy grail of rogue-lite design.
Shotgun Cop Man
Who knew that a title by the creator of My Friend Pedro would be an irreverent action-packed banger? The second I saw this thing move I was in. Gameplay looks tight and uncompromising while the art asks you to reconsider what should work. It’s a delight.
Probably the game I’m the most excited to play from this list. I can’t wait to rampage my way across hell with the help of weapons and a grappling hook. Keeping the hero airborn from the recoil of his guns just looks too satisfying to pass up.
Super Farming Boy
Hard to turn a corned without seeing a cozy farming simulator these days which is why I was surprised by how compelled I was by Super Farming Boy. The art definitely help. This thing is a vibe. A very specific vision that is being delivered with a lot confidence and energy. It’s great.
What's innovative here is applying combo systems and timing elements (typically found in action games) to farming activities. The result turns mundane tasks into satisfying skill challenges without losing the core appeal of watching things grow. It's basically Harvest Moon if it chugged three energy drinks and started wearing sunglasses indoors. We're here for it.
Time Flies
Panic is publishing this hyper minimalist 1-it fly simulator where you control a fly across multiple scenes just doing fly stuff.
The gameplay revolves around micro-terrorism — ruining food, annoying people, and generally being a nuisance. It carries the same energy as Untitled Goose Game but at insect scale.
Esophaguys
We had long arms, now we get long necks. Destroy friendships in this 4-play coop game features older gentlemen with elastic, extending necks. It all comes together I promise.
The physics-based chaos creates naturally emergent hilarity — stretching, biting, swinging from objects — all while maintaining surprisingly precise controls. It’s fun, chaotic and we need more studios sticking their necks out.