This marks CGMagazine’s third edition of Indie Watch, our bi-monthly article highlighting some of our favourite indie games that you may have missed in the last two months. Our Must-See Indie Games — August & September 2025 list is full of more great indies that our team has been tirelessly working away on.
This edition of Indie Watch includes a variety of genres, like farming sims (of course!), word games, RPGs and more. Discounty brought some new mechanics to life simulators, while Easy Delivery Co. brought chill vibes and life on the road. Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution! Showed off that remasters haven’t lost their spark, and Strange Antiquities reminded us just how great sequels can be. There is plenty more on this list to check out, so here are our favourite indie games from the last two months!
Another Farm Rougelike: Rebirth
Developer: Zabbo Games
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Jordan Biordi
Like I said in my review of Ritual of Raven, if there’s one thing I love more than farming sims, it’s indie games with interesting ideas and Another Farm Rougelike: Rebirth is definitely one of those games. What is essentially an updated version of their first game, Zabbo Games has essentially cut all the fat off the farming sim experience and added just a dash of RNG to the proceedings in a way that is incredibly captivating and interesting.
Players still undertake the required function of running a farm: clearing the land, tilling the soil, planting seeds and reaping the harvest, but with some clever twists. For starters, at the start of every week, players must choose three positive and three negative effects to apply to each day—players need to make the required amount of money to pay their rent every Sunday. Performing any action is as easy as a mouse click; however, each action requires stamina, and once it’s done for the day, that’s it.
It’s an incredibly unique blend of strategy and farming sim, as maximizing your farm’s output requires careful consideration of every precise action. Adding to the random nature of the game, Another Farm Rougelike: Rebirth rewards every action players take with experience, and upon levelling up, they can choose a permanent upgrade. So, how you end up focusing your farm, or what upgrades are better in the long term, can be drastically shaped by the roll of a dice. If you’re looking for something familiar yet radically different, definitely give this one a look!
Artis Impact
Developer: Mas
Release Date: August 7, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Lane Martin
Artis Impact is one of those indie games that caught my attention as soon as I saw it. It’s a lovingly handcrafted RPG set in a post-apocalyptic future with some life-sim elements thrown in for good measure. Players take on the role of Akane as she lives her life, swings her sword, and deals with various AI creatures running rampant across the world.
The real hook of this game is its visuals. Every pixel is hand-drawn, which is great on its own, but the motion really breathes life into the world. When I first saw Artis Impact in motion, I could have sworn it was rotoscoped. It’s smooth, fluid, and somehow magical. Art aside, ot boasts a deep and interesting story with fun characters and simple, elegant gameplay mechanics. I haven’t seen anyone talking about Artis Impact, but it’s destined to be a cult hit at the very least.
Is This Seat Taken?
Developer: Poti Poti Studio
Release Date: August 7, 2025
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
Played By: Lane Martin
Puzzles in games can be tricky. In some indie games, puzzles can take the form of finding a hexagonal crank to slot into a similarly shaped hole, while others see players formulate a solution based on a series of increasingly complex rules that they may not have even been privy to in the first place. The former feels unsatisfying and barely even a puzzle, and the latter can become an exercise in frustration, often leading to a quick Google search. Is This Seat Taken thankfully avoids both of these pitfalls by presenting players with actual puzzles that, while challenging, never find their way into controller-grinding territory.
In Is This Seat Taken, players will be given a scenario where people might like to sit down, and then a supply of shapes who want to do some sitting. Those shapes will have quirks and preferences that affect where and near whom they would like to park themselves. A circle that wants to listen to loud music would likely upset a square that is hoping to sleep, and a triangle that forgot to shower today probably shouldn’t be near the rhombus who is sensitive to strong smells. Keeping these little guys seated and happy is the name of the game, and it is always a delight.
Whispers of The House
Developer: 元气弹工作室(GD Studio)
Release Date: August 27, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Jordan Biordi
I was eager to jump into Whispers of the House because it feels like, for both these lists and in general, I’ve relegated myself to somewhat familiar genres. It’s often roguelikes, RPGs, and life sims, so getting the chance to play a truly cozy game really spoke to me. Whispers of the House is a simple game with a simple premise—you clean and arrange spaces for people based on various requests. It’s effectively Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer with even fewer restrictions.
However, there’s a lot more going on with Whispers of the House than one might think. Its basic gameplay is incredibly generous, allowing players to place items wherever they please, with no real requirements—just do what looks cool to you. It is the perfect kind of podcast companion; the kind of game you can really unwind to. And while there’s no Unpacking meta-story to weigh on the player, there are secrets and even ghosts for the player to find. But the mysteries only add unique stories to the world and are totally up to the player to solve.
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution!
Developer: WayForward
Release Date: August 19, 2025
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Played By: Philip Watson
Have you ever just wanted to run to the right and abuse bad guys with your long purple hair? Now you can in this classic reborn, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution! The Shantae series stars an excellently designed half-genie named Shantae, and her mission is to keep Sequin Land safe from harm. Unluckily for her (and us), a self-proclaimed “Queen of the Seven Seas” pirate, Risky Boots (the same one from the title), wants to conquer Sequin Land while stealing magical relics along the way.
It’s up to Shantae to return Risky to the sea, so off we go to the right on an adventure to thwart Risky once more! Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution! is an HD remaster of the original from 2004, and it updates the music and gameplay fiercely, along with the menus to make everything easier on the player’s eyes. The remaster comes with a Battle Mode option to duke it out against fellow half-genies from your couch, and an option to play the original title as seen on Game Boy Advance. If you’re a fan of platforming, tight controls, beautiful pixel artwork and a magic system that genuinely feels like one, Shantae is a must-play.
Discounty
Developer: Crinkle Cut Games
Release Date: September 21, 2025
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Played By: Jordan Biordi
I was immediately interested in Discounty when it came across my radar because, as I’ve said time and time again, the only thing I like more than a life sim or cozy sim is a sim with a good idea. Discounty feels a bit like Stardew Valley from the perspective of the JojaMart employee—and if JojaMart wasn’t a completely evil corporation. At the behest of their aunt, the player is called to the small town of Blomkest to run the local supermarket, but like with any small town, there’s more going on than you might suspect.
Players will need to manage their shops—laying out shelves, ordering inventory, operating the cash register and keeping the place clean. But there are a lot of small things players can do that really add to the experience. Players can print fliers to help advertise the store and attract customers, meet daily and weekly goals for points to order new items and even make trade deals with local businesses. Discounty blends an optimistic story with a dark sense of humour and a gameplay loop that is genuinely engaging.
Mini Words
Developer: Mens Sana Interactive
Release Date: August 26, 2026
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox
Played By: Philip Watson
From the developers at Mens Sana Interactive comes another cozy indie title to sharpen your brain with, and it doesn’t involve farming. Mini Words is a word search title that asks the player to find the word on the screen with a few hints. The number of letters in the word is viewable as well as what it starts with, so the beginning stages are a walk in the park. Players will have to start at the first letter, then find their way to the full word while hitting each letter in the word along the way.
Mini Words then kicks up the difficulty every 20 levels, but players can still relax while trying to figure out the puzzle. As a shake-up to the word-finding formula, when using a letter in each word, the lines you draw cannot cross one another, so there’s usually only one solution for each puzzle (I recognized this when I kept confusing BEGIN with BINGE). Mini Words also includes helpful hints to aid a stuck word finder, so it never gets that serious. As a bonus, Mini Words can be purchased for less than $5 and includes 721 stages to think through.
Wander Stars
Developer: Paper Castle Media
Release Date: September 19, 2025
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Played By: Jordan Biordi
I genuinely can’t remember how the indie game Wander Stars landed on my radar, but I do know that the moment I saw it, it landed on my wishlist. It was a game that looked so incredibly charming and backed by an incredible idea—a word-based turn-based RPG with an old-school anime flair. Once I started playing it, I genuinely couldn’t put it down; not only is it incredibly fun, but it’s a true love letter to 80s anime.
Combat is where Wander Stars is definitely the most interesting. Players are given a number of slots with which they need to combine words to create their attacks. This runs the gamut from attacks, modifiers, and elementals and can end up with hilarious names like “Amazing Super Fast Fire Kick.”
It wears its inspiration on its sleeve, evoking cliches from Saint Saiya and Dragon Ball specifically, but in an incredibly captivating way that reminds players why we fell in love with these anime back in the day. Its art style is incredibly endearing, mimicking the rough lines and textures of 80s anime, with characters that have overly expressive features and are extremely likable.
The Edge of Allegoria
Developer: Button Factory Games
Release Date: September 7, 2025
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC
Played By: Jordan Biordi
When I first saw indie game The Edge of Allegoria, I was initially captivated by its old-school Game Boy aesthetic, then absolutely hooked by its sudden turn into M-rated territory. If there’s one thing I love more than an RPG, it’s a subversive RPG, and this game certainly subverts. The Edge of Allegoria is crass, it’s foul-mouthed, it’s downright degenerate at times—but dang if it’s not unbelievably compelling and backed by a suit of interesting ideas.
It’s a pretty ingenious take on the traditional fantasy RPG story, but in a game that doesn’t seem to care much about it. The stakes couldn’t be higher, but it’s as if the most apathetic of terminally online people inhabit a fantasy RPG world. But The Edge of Allegoria has a particularly interesting battle system where players need to master weapons and armour in order to confer permanent stat boosts and weapon skills. Combine that with a charming aesthetic and a truly unhinged soundtrack, and you’ve got a game that pushes boundaries while also having something to say about them.
Also, it features references to both Homestarrunner and Ze End of Ze World, so you know its creators are on the level.
Gloomy Eyes
Developer: Atlas V, Be Revolution Gaming, 3Dar, Fishing Cactus, ARTE France
Release Date: September 12, 2025
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Played By: Jordan Biordi
Gloomy Eyes caught my gloomy eyes primarily because of its art style. At a glance, it reminded me of Lost In Random and reminded me that when I took a chance on that game, I ended up really loving it. Apparently, lightning can strike the same place twice, because as soon as I started playing it, I immediately fell in love with Gloomy Eyes. It’s a playfully spooky and incredibly sweet story about love despite differences and the power of togetherness.
Gloomy Eyes combines a fun premise with compelling game design—effectively working as a Burton-esque Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. In a world where the sun has disappeared and zombies now walk the earth, a zombie boy named Gloomy and a young girl named Nena work together to find a way to bring the light back to this world. It’s a really well-thought-out puzzle game where every level is a small diorama that combines the two unique abilities.
Gloomy has freaky zombie strength and can’t hit targets with bones and bricks, but can’t step into the light. Nena is a bit more mobile, able to climb ladders and jump gaps, and can activate certain machines. Players freely swap between the two in order to help each one get a little further in the level. Each level is beautifully crafted through the game’s claymation-styled aesthetic, and has a lot of fun with colour and its silly horror sensibilities.
Strange Antiquities
Developer: Bad Viking
Release Date: September 17, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Lane Martin
Strange Antiquities is the follow-up to 2022’s Strange Horticulture, shocking, I know. Just like its predecessor, players take ownership of a shop of strange and mysterious curiosities. Customers appear from the fog of the world with some sort of desire, and it is up to the player to suss out just what it is that they need. Obviously, while in Horticulture it was a matter of doling out the correct bit of greenery, now players will need to figure out which of their multitudes of eldritch and cursed artifacts will be the one that gets the job done.
Strange Antiquities feels very much like a refinement of what came before it. The sources of information players will need to comb through are more varied, and the ways to identify an object are even more contorted. It may be as easy as a look, maybe even a vibe, or you may need to hold an artifact over a candle’s flame and see if it changes colour. The world hosts even more secrets to uncover, the shop has even more puzzles to discover, and there is always a lovely shop cat to appease.
Easy Delivery Co.
Developer: Sam C
Release Date: September 18, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Lane Martin
There is something really enjoyable about driving late at night with no one else with me, when there is no one else on the road. It’s peaceful, calming, and a little bit creepy. Easy Delivery Co., from Sam C., manages to capture that quiet, somewhat alien feeling. Players take the role of a cool little cat with a rad little truck, doing deliveries across a few, mostly empty, Silent Hill-esque towns.
Each delivery will net a little bit of money, which will subsequently be spent on coffee and energy drinks, and often involves some sort of bizarre conversation with a shopkeeper here or there. If you have ever wanted to jam out to some relaxing tunes as you drive to and fro in a quietly alien landscape, then Easy Delivery Co. is exactly what you need.
Consume Me
Developer: Hexecutable
Release Date: September 24, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Jordan Biordi
Indie games like Consume Me are a stark reminder that the indie scene will always be infinitely more interesting than the “AAA” scene ever is or has been. An autobiographical game that uses life-management sim elements combined with Wario Ware-styled microgames to tell a gut-wrenching story about the issues with self-image, body positivity and general anxiety that not only the creator Jenny Jiao Hsia faced, but that all teens face in relative silence. It’s one of the most beautiful and deeply upsetting indie games I’ve played in a while.
This may not seem like an endorsement, but for almost the majority of my playtime with Consume Me, I wanted to cry. Players need to manage the main character Mei’s daily eating with a Tetris-styled block puzzle, keep her calorie intake (or “Bites” as this game calls it to dissuade connections to calorie counting) under a certain threshold, all while managing the daily stresses of academics, an impossible to please mother and more.
While it presents itself through a cheerful veneer and silly microgames, it does the job of making the player feel an overwhelming sense of dread and the shame that comes with dieting and societal standards of “conventional beauty” that teens need to navigate largely on their own. While its themes can be harsh, it’s proof positive that these kinds of indie games and stories can be an outstretched hand to those who need it, and it’s brave enough to try and pull those people in rather than sand the edges for wider appeal.
CloverPit
Developer: Panik Arcade
Release Date: September 26, 2025
Platforms: PC
Played By: Lane Martin
The lovely folks over at Panik Arcade might have some things to say about gambling, capitalism, and crunchy, PSX-style graphics. That is, if CloverPit is any indication. In CloverPit, players must play slots in a nasty, claustrophobic room to reach periodic quotas. Fail to earn enough, and they’ll be dumped down into a dark, intimidating hole. The key to this cell is hung tantalizingly on the wall, though the requirements to acquire it are initially obfuscated.
Luckily, players are blessed with everyone’s favourite method for incremental successes: rogue-like mechanics. Apart from the sweet, life-extending cash players receive, they will also get tickets that can be cashed in for up to seven rule-altering trinkets, plus cryptic phone calls that may provide even further buffs (Or even curses). The random nature of CloverPit can be frustrating, but that seems like part of the point, and the soaring highs will see players coming back to mindlessly take another spin.
