Fall turned out to be a pretty great season for indie games, and CGMagazine is back to highlight them with Indie Watch: Must-See Indie Games — October & November 2025. This edition brought a mix of titles that were clever, spooky, cozy, and just plain fun. Ocean Drive Studio gave gamers something fresh with Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch, while BALL x PIT quickly became one of the most talked‑about indie hits of the year. From roguelike twists to arcade throwbacks, there was no shortage of inventive gameplay to keep players busy.
Of course, it wasn’t all about mechanics—these months also delivered plenty of atmosphere and personality. Fading Serenades turned parcel delivery into something heartfelt, Livber: Smoke and Mirrors leaned into eerie storytelling, and Clawpunk reminded us that sometimes games are best when they’re loud and fast. Whether you’re into puzzles, horror mysteries, or just want to slash through enemies, CGM’s Indie Watch: Must-See Indie Games — October & November 2025 shows off the wide range of what indie developers are cooking up right now.
Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch
Developer: Ocean Drive Studio
Release Date: October 9, 2025
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Played by: Philip Watson
Fire Emblem and roguelike genre fans rejoice! Fans of the ‘go back to the start when you die’ genre have been eating well in the indie gaming circuit as of late, and Ocean Drive Studio took advantage of the roguelike craze by making a spin-off to 2023’s Lost Eidolons, a roguelike fused with Fire Emblem in Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch. In this new title, death is the beginning of each adventure instead of the end.
Rather than marching and building your army through a sprawling campaign, you command a small force of warriors/spellcasters against waves of monsters, where strategy is tantamount to victory, and it resets after each excursion of battles. Grid-based tactical warfare ensues, where players will put on their best army General hat, and each move by their units needs to be calculated, or they’ll start right back at the beginning. Embodying death in all aspects, players are even brought to a crossroads where the next battle choices are made. A deal with death indeed.
With an in-depth campaign, intriguing characters and companions, and a nod to the previous title, Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch is an easy recommendation to strategy RPG enthusiasts, roguelike fans, and everything in between.
BALL x PIT
Developer: Kenny Sun and Friends
Release Date: October 15, 2025
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox
Played By: Lane Martin
There is a fairly good chance that you have already heard of BALL x PIT, and rightly so. It came out in October and already boasts nominations for best indie game of the year. Honestly, I almost missed it myself, but I kept hearing its name, and I am happy that I did. If you’ve missed it so far, I’ll give you the rundown:
BALL x PIT can simply be described as the classic game Breakout mixed with the roguelike and progression mechanics of Vampire Survivors. Players choose a character who has unique mechanics and starting weapons, and begin working their way up a lane, hemmed in by walls on either side. Monsters come down that lane, destroyed by balls shot by the player that bounce off walls and enemies, only to be caught and shot back out by the player.
Enemies drop experience gems that players use to get different special balls or passive abilities, and those balls can later be fused together or further modified. It’s deceptively elegant, ridiculously addictive, and explosively fun. Definitely well worth a look.
Fading Serenades
Developer: Bernie Wick
Release Date: October 25, 2025
Platforms: Mac, PC
Played By: Jordan Biordi
When Dayna Eileen sent me Fading Serenades, I didn’t think much of it. It’s become almost routine for her to message me with a new farming sim or cozy game with the message, “LOOK HOW CUTE!” So to a certain degree, I knew what to expect…Or so I thought. While there’s no denying it is cute, I was anticipating something more akin to Story of Seasons, and what I got was closer to Death Stranding.
That’s a bit of a joke, but at its core, Fading Serenades is a game where players take on the role of a courier on a mysterious island slowly disappearing into irrelevance. It’s a game about the simple act of connection via the medium of parcel delivery.
And while it’s not a very large or long game, Fading Serenades has a genuinely sweet story and some really interesting mechanics to back up its delivery-sim gameplay. All backed by an engrossing soundtrack and a great aesthetic that blends more modern 8-bit style, with character sprites that lean more towards Game Boy Color, which I really liked.
MotionRec
Developer: HANDSUM
Release Date: October 27, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Jordan Biordi
MotionRec was one of those games that came across my social media feeds and immediately caught my attention with its interesting style and unique gameplay mechanics. Sometimes a game doesn’t really need to have all the fancy bells and whistles and just be well-designed and incredibly fun to play. MotionRec is exactly that. At its core, it’s a straightforward puzzle-platformer, but its main gameplay gimmick is what really makes it interesting.
Players are able to record their movement, and then replay it in order to move the little robot protagonist—appropriately named Rec—in unique ways. Like any good puzzle game, it starts off relatively simple, letting players get a feel for the mechanics and basic rules, and then starts throwing some really devious challenges in that really push them to think outside the box. It doesn’t do a lot, and it doesn’t need to because it does one thing so unbelievably well that you can end up getting lost in it for hours.
The Seance at Blake Manor
Developer: Spooky Doorway
Release Date: October 27, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Lane Martin
To be completely honest with you, I was a little disappointed with the slate of spooky indies on offer this Halloween season. I suspect that some were scared off by high-profile releases involving quiet geographic features or adventurous kid shows. Luckily, The Seance at Blake Manor knows no such fear and has plenty of twists and turns all of its own. Admittedly, The Seance at Blake Manor is more of a mystery game with horror trappings, but those trappings certainly fit the spooky bill.
Players take on the role of Declan Ward, a private investigator in 1897, called to the titular manor to investigate the disappearance of one Evelyn Deane. It isn’t clear who his employer is, if Evelyn Deane is actually missing, or why he keeps having the crazy, cryptic dreams. Blake Manor, itself, is filled with colourful characters, all with a set schedule and their own secrets to unearth. Mysteries have a deadline, and each action, from examining décor to questioning a suspect, eats up precious minutes. The deadlines are never as oppressive as they initially seem, but the mysteries are deliciously delightful to delve into.
Livber: Smoke and Mirrors
Developer: InEv Games
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Lane Martin
No matter the season, no matter the reason, I am always a sucker for a good ghost story. Especially if that ghost story comes with some lovely, dark impressionist art pieces. That’s what you can expect from Livber: Smoke and Mirrors, a spooky visual novel citing inspiration from ethereal heavyweights Disco Elysium and Slay the Princess.
That inspiration is apparent right from the start, as well as a few others, if the letter from the player’s dead wife has any say in the matter. Full of regret and woe, the player finds themselves back home to see the horrors and dark rituals that await them. The story is indulgently written, alluding to a deeply fleshed-out world obviously inspired by Disco’s own weirdness. Livber’s structure, however, is much more Slay the Princess, with numerous forking paths and endings. It’s a lovely, spooky, vibey game that is worth exploring, if you’re up for a little (a lot) reading.
Halls of Torment
Developer: Chasing Carrots
Release Date: October 28, 2025 (on Xbox)
Platforms: PC, Xbox
Played by: Philip Watson
Most roguelikes can be judged based purely on how easy it is to jump into a run and how hard it is to put the controller down after that run concludes. Based on these two metrics, I’m having a hard time finding time for anything else, but Halls of Torment runs, and its sudden inclusion on Xbox Game Pass.
Halls of Torment functions as a love child born of respect for both Diablo and Vampire Survivors and looks the part. Close your eyes and imagine Vampire Survivors deployed the Diablo aesthetic, now open them. What you’re probably locking eyes with at first sight is Halls of Torment.
In Halls of Torment, Players can choose between numerous classes (after they’re unlocked), and there’s lore and storyline underneath the surface for players who can’t get enough of piecing the “what happened here?” together. Just like Diablo, you can choose to follow along or not, and just like Diablo, the strategic slaughtering of enemy waves gameplay remains superb either way.
If you want a title that can provide story, an infectious gameplay loop, a good time sink with progression and bonuses, and you’ve done it all on Vampire Survivors, it’s hard to find anything on Xbox Game Pass better than Halls of Torment.
1000xRESIST
Developer: Sunset Visitor
Release Date: November 4, 2025 (on Xbox)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox
Played by: Philip Watson
One of the runner-ups to Indie GOTY 2024 has eluded me since it has been available only for Steam since its launch. As luck would have it, Sunset Visitor’s smash hit 1000xRESIST has finally been welcomed onto the Xbox Game Pass platform for console users to get their first crack at it in 2025.
1000xRESIST is set in a dystopian future where you play the Watcher, an immortal clone of a teenage girl called Iris, who, with five other siblings, must keep order in a new society called the Orchard. A mysterious alien race referred to as the Occupants has wiped out humanity by bringing a disease to their doorstep (unwillingly), and the only survivor is a teenage girl named Iris, who now serves as the ALLMOTHER.
As the Watcher, you are tasked with reliving the ALLMOTHER’s memories and gathering information as to what happened before the creation of Orchard and relay this information to the rest of society in a process called ‘Communion’. After your sibling, known as Fixer, spills the beans that the ALLMOTHER isn’t what she seems, it’s up to you to figure out what really happened and what the ALLMOTHER’s motives and goals are.
With its atmosphere, mystery, excellently designed puzzles and pacing, 1000xRESIST is a game that can’t be missed.
GIGASWORD
Developer: Studio Hybrid
Release Date: November 13, 2025
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Played by: Philip Watson
Have you ever wanted The Legend of Zelda to return to the 2D plane of gaming? Studio Hybrid does, and that’s what they brought with their latest title GIGASWORD. GIGASWORD starts off by telling a tale of greed and the lust for power, with gorgeous pixel art presentation. The Nocturne (a species of Owl-humanoid) guard the powerful Gnosis artifact in the Nestrium, and the humans that live near the Gnosis are ravaged by famine and plague. After Ezra witnesses the depths of human greed with their invasion of the Nestrium, he makes it his mission to scale the Nocturne home and exact vengeance on the people who invaded for godlike power bestowed by the Gnosis.
GIGASWORD smartly uses its title to its advantage and constantly throws puzzles at the player, revolving around the sheer size and weight of the colossal weapon. The sword itself is a hallmark of the Nocturne and is a key for nearly any lock in the Nestrium, so it’s up to Ezra to continue climbing to complete his mission of revenge (at least at the start). Studio Hybrid’s excellent level design, smart combat, and compelling story make this a must-play for Metroid-like fanatics.
Clawpunk
Developer: Kittens in Timespace
Release Date: November 14, 2025
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Played By: Jordan Biordi
Clawpunk was a game that came across my socials and immediately captivated me, so much so that I had completely forgotten we were offered it for this list a month ago. It was something that was so refreshing to play since, usually, for these lists, I tend to get a lot of sim games or deeply emotional journeys that require a lot of mental investment. When a game comes around that is just pure arcade-style fun, it’s always a solid reminder that while games are art, they’re also GAMES.
There honestly isn’t a lot to say about Clawpunk because it benefits so thoroughly from being both simple and effective. It’s an old-school arcade-style slash ‘em up where players must descend through a series of stages across four levels, destroying everything in their path and surviving until the end. Players will need to hack their way through both enemies and the terrain, so there’s a frantic pace that never lets up and never gets old.
All of it is backed by a cast of nine playable Cats—oh, I just got that!—all of whom have their own unique traits and stats, allowing players to find a cat that best suits their style. Players can also collect equippable cards to apply buffs to their character, so there’s tons of freedom in approaching the mayhem. All of it is backed by a classic 80s cartoon aesthetic and an insane metal soundtrack that really brings the tone of the game to life—the intro theme is particularly awesome.
Forestrike
Developer: Skeleton Crew Studio, Thomas Olsson
Release Date: November 17, 2025
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC
Played By: Jordan Biordi
When I first saw Forestrike, I thought it looked incredibly cool, but I was a little skeptical of its premise. A fighting game where you map out your attacks before you execute them? Wouldn’t that completely defeat the purpose of it? However, apparently, I’m 36 years old and still learning every day, because Forestrike combines so many unique gameplay elements with its central hook in order to make an arcade fighting-style roguelike both interesting and insanely satisfying.
Forestrike is effectively a series of small combat challenges arranged somewhat like logic puzzles. Players need to enter their Forestrike state in order to see how the battle will play out, and plan accordingly—it’s basically practicing minigames in Mario Party. If everything goes right, then you can execute without a hitch. However, it’s not always so simple—much like in life, things don’t always go according to how you perceived them, and players will still need to think on their toes.
It’s got an incredibly satisfying gameplay loop, all enhanced by rougelike elements like choosing how to progress along challenges for different rewards, being granted special attacks and passive abilities, or, in the meta sense, how the entire adventure is just the main character envisioning how he is going to go about EVERYTHING. I genuinely wasn’t expecting to be so surprised by Forestrike, but true to its form, it was much more than I had envisioned.
The Berlin Apartment
Developer: btf
Release Date: November 17, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Lane Martin
A great thing about games is that they can be many things. Some games are electric trials of dexterity and muscle memory, and some, such as The Berlin Apartment, are vehicles with which one can tell a story. The Berlin Apartment explores the lives of the former tenants of an apartment, their lives, and the times in which they occupied that space. I am always a fan of seeing a space change over time, and it’s a trick that The Berlin Apartment pulls off effectively.
Each story pulls at your heartstrings from a different angle, using minigames, mechanics, and a tone unique to its section. One moment sees a lovelorn botanist throwing paper planes across the Berlin Wall, while the next spotlights an aging photographer packing his bags to leave pre-war Germany. The stories are powerful, with lovely voice performances throughout. It won’t be your cup of tea if you’re looking for fast action, but it tells some great stories for those who might like something more reflective.
News Tower
Developer: Sparrow Night
Release Date: November 18, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Jordan Biordi
As a journalist, it makes sense that I’d have an interest in a game like News Tower. Ever since I graduated from the journalism program, I’ve taken a bit of pride in characters who are either reporters or work at news-related outlets—remember that Frank West covered wars? But we rarely see games about the actual act of covering the news, let alone running a newspaper, which is precisely why I was so intrigued by News Tower.
What’s great about News Tower is how intricate it is, while being quite easy to understand and get into. My first thought when playing it was, “Oh, so it’s Fallout Shelter, but you run a newspaper!” And that might seem like a glib interpretation, but it’s essentially the nuts-and-bolts of the game.
What makes it more interesting is how you go about constructing your actual building, upgrading your reporters, arranging your layouts and targeting local demographics. It becomes an incredibly engaging and strategic sim game that it’s easy to lose yourself in for hours, all backed by an incredible jazz soundtrack that really captures the spirit of the era.
A Better World
Developer: Ludogram, Arte France
Release Date: November 18, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Lane Martin
There are a lot of games that can be considered work simulators. You have your Stardew Valley, a whole army of first-person, some-sort-of-shop simulators, and the appropriately titled Job Simulator. However, now you can break your war into the lucrative field of timeline management in A Better World.
A Better World sits players in front of a desk with a decent enough view, gives them a task, like making an ordinary person extraordinary, and allows them to travel through time, making changes to achieve that goal. Do a good job, and promotions are abound. Also, in theory, the world will just be a better place (in theory).
The gameplay really boils down to answering a series of questions about how things should go (such as: should this nation ally with another or maintain its national identity), and seeing how things play out years down the line. There is no set path to success, and players are encouraged to play through missions multiple times to achieve different results.
