Indie Releases That Proved Their Momentum, 10 Games Still Worth Playing Today

Continuously updated: This list of Indie Releases Gaining Momentum tracks which indie games proved their staying power, and which ones are still genuinely worth playing today.

If you still think indie games are just tiny pixel experiments, the last few years have already proved otherwise. A year later, these are the releases people are still recommending, replaying, and quietly turning into backlog priorities. This is not a hype list, it is a best indie games to play now guide built around games that either stuck the landing or kept growing after launch. If you want something creative, focused, and not stuffed with filler systems, start here.

Tiny Bookshop: Cozy capitalism at its sweetest

Wanderstop: Tea, trauma, and healing

A Game About Digging a Hole! Viral simplicity that works

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo: Retro done right

Neverway: Stardew’s creepy cousin

Toem 2: Snapshots of wonder

Mixtape: Coming of age with the volume up

Sword of the Sea: Surfing into serenity

Eternal Strands: Big indie energy

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, The next sci-fi chapter

Indie Releases Gaining Momentum And Where to find these gems

• Steam Indie Games
• Xbox Game Pass Indie Library
• Nintendo Indie World

BTF’s Quick takeaways

• Cozy still rules: Tiny Bookshop and Wanderstop prove the genre has grown up.
• Simple loops can soar: A Game About Digging a Hole! shows a clean hook plus polish can go viral.
• Retro has legs: Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo feels classic without feeling dated.
• Ambition scales: Eternal Strands and Citizen Sleeper 2 push scope without drowning you in bloat.

Why these are still some of the best indie games to play

Big budgets can buy fidelity. They rarely buy surprise. Looking back from 2026, these indie releases from 2025 mattered because they had focus, identity, and ideas that did not expire after the launch window. If you missed any of them the first time around, they are not “last year’s games,” they are proven backlog winners.

While you’re here, you might also like: Best Indie RPGs, Indie Games vs AAA, and our comfort-food piece on Grow a Garden (Roblox). If you want something light for low-spec rigs, try Free Games for Garbage PCs. For hardware nerds, check out my display crush: MSI AI QD-OLED Gaming Monitor Review. And if you love tiny critters with big attitudes, don’t miss Empires of the Undergrowth. Hades II is also a must-read if you are tracking indie excellence beyond 2025.