If there’s one thing Game Con Canada 2025 made clear, it’s that the indie game scene isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Held once again in Edmonton, Alberta, the event was packed with unique, creative, and genre-defying games—many of them backed by local talent from Alberta and Saskatchewan, along with support from tech giants like ASUS. Whether you were there to discover hidden gems or meet the teams behind the games, there was no shortage of indie innovation on display.
Indie games are known for their variety, and this year’s lineup proved that no two projects are ever quite the same. While major reveals like the latest trailer from Void Crew and Cronos: A New Dawn drew plenty of attention, it was the indie games that truly stole the spotlight on the show floor.
Partnering once again with Game Con Canada, we at CGMagazine were proud to host the second annual Game Con Canada Indie Game Awards! This year’s awards spanned five categories: Best Studio, Best Gameplay, Most Innovative, Best Art Style, and, of course, Best Indie Game overall. With so much talent on display, narrowing it down wasn’t easy, but in the end, only one could win in each category. Here are the official winners of CGMagazine’s Game Con Canada 2025 Indie Game Awards!
Most Innovative: Highway Hijinks
Studio: Ode Software
Release: July 22, 2024
The team at Ode Software managed to surprise us with Highway Hijinks, an indie game that blends a range of concepts that, in theory, would not work together, but after playing it, they meshed perfectly. The idea is simple: combining the death mechanics of a roguelike with the gameplay of an endless runner, mixing in some synthwave style, and you have something oddly compelling.
The game is fun, easy to jump into and understand, and it managed to stick with us even as we worked our way through more than 60 titles on the show floor. Even though the concepts have been seen before in other games, Ode Software has blended them in a way that makes them unique and well worth people’s time. Combine that with a plethora of upgrades and challenges, and you have a winning combination for a game worthy of the Most Innovative Indie Game award from this year’s Game Con Canada.
Best Art Style: Grey Wake
Studio: Second Fiddle Studio
Release: Wishlist Now
There were many solid indie games at this year’s Game Con Canada, and many had stunning visuals and unique concepts, but it was Grey Wake that blew us away. Even for a game that has only been in development for a handful of months, the simple art style captured the haunting loneliness and charm of the setting in a way I did not expect. It was a game world that oozed charm and style, while giving you a sense of what you were about to explore and experience.
Subtle touches, such as the constellations as you pushed forward in your boat, were minor yet striking details that helped shape the experience and made it something truly magical to watch. Even in its early state, we cannot wait to experience more and see the art style and concept mature as it goes through development. But even in its present form, it earns our Best Art Style award for this year’s Game Con Canada Indie Game Awards.
Best Gameplay: Gothic Hell: Survivors
Studio: KIB Games
Release: Wishlist Now
Walking through the selection of various titles at Game Con Canada, we were floored by how many were genuinely fun, engaging, and unique. Despite many games catching our attention, Gothic Hell: Survivors still managed to stand out among the crowd. It brought a new twist to the Vampire Survivors formula. The fully realized 3D world offers new ways to experience the many creatures looking to make you their next meal. Additionally, it introduces new elements by incorporating missions and modifying the way treasure chests function.
The visuals, combined with the overall style the game aims to evoke, help it stand out among the many games that attempt to emulate the Survivors’ style of gameplay. Above all, it was generally fun to pick up, play, and push to see how far you could go. There are many aspects that could use some polish, but what the team at Kib Games has done with the title so far has us at CGMagazine excited to see more.
Best Studio: Moonspiregames
Game: Speechbound
Website: Moonspiregames
Moonspiregames won last year’s Most Innovative award because of their educational RPG, Speechbound. Speechbound is a self-described “language learning RPG.” It takes all the mechanics of an RPG but combines them with a game that can teach you a language, and does so in a way that makes you want to learn. There are countless language apps, but despite how they are packaged, they often feel like work, taking the fun and excitement out of learning a language. What Moonspiregames has done with Speechbound is something different and works with how we play games.
As you work your way through the game, the many puzzles, the ways you deal with NPCs, and the way you explore the world all help to teach and reinforce ideas you may have learned in a much more fun and intuitive way to learn and experience language. What is even more exciting is that the game is actually fun, engaging, and a unique experience in its own right.
What earns Moonspiregames our Best Studio at Game Con Canada 2025 award is the amount of work they have put in to make Speechbound a full-fledged game this year. They have taken the last year to create a world surrounding the original language battles, fitting of an RPG. Moonspiregames has also used social media to create a community surrounding their game, and have launched a Kickstarter to keep things moving. Speechbound is a testament to the commitment of Moonspiregames and a showcase of what a studio can do with a unique idea.
Best Game: Dust Walkers
Studio: Guide Stone Studios
Release: Wishlist Now
Dust Walkers was a unique kind of game that combined many ideas and concepts, but did so in a way that was greater than the sum of its parts. On the surface, Dust Walkers blends Souls-like concepts, The Survivors-style gameplay, and even resource management and team composition in the style of XCOM. Yet after playing it, the game felt fresh and incredibly fun. The team took time to build a whole universe that makes the missions, concepts, and overall gameplay make sense. More than that, each mission you play feels rewarding and full of consequence.
Set hundreds of years in the future, Dust Walkers follows those hired to go on incredibly dangerous missions to collect Dust, one of the most valuable resources in the galaxy. You must hire a squad, go on missions, and work to collect resources while struggling to survive on a harsh and unforgiving alien planet. It is a simple setup, but one that pulls the experience together in a satisfying way.
While we only played a small segment, what the team at Guide Stone Studios has done feels rewarding, fun, and full of replay value. We are excited to see more of the game as it continues development, and congratulate the studio on all the work they have done so far. Dust Walkers is an indie game to watch.
