PAX West is all about independent games, and 2025’s lineup was absolutely solid. I got to go hands-on with dozens of them, but that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of how many quality titles were playable and coming in the near future. From chaotic first-person brawlers to traditional turn-based RPGs, and everything in between, my time with indie games at PAX West 2025 was a great experience. Here are some of the indie games I was fortunate enough to play that I think you should keep on your radar.
Rebel Engine
Described by the developers as “1st-person Devil May Cry”, my time with Rebel Engine was exhilarating. This is a melee-focused, story-based super fast action game that clearly draws inspiration from other games like Doom and Borderlands. You’ll get to uses dozens of different weapons, and even though its combat is primarily centered around melee attacks, you’ll still use guns for support. You can uppercut enemies into the air with a well-placed punch, land a couple of shots, then jump in the air to finish your melee combo. The possibilities are endless, and the absolute chaos was a super fun time.
Be My Horde
If you’ve played Vampire Survivors, then Be My Horde is for you. It comes with a twist, though: you’re a necromancer, and every enemy you kill on screen has a chance to be resurrected to fight for you. It’s a unique take on the survivors formula, and was incredibly addicting. My demo was about 30 minutes, and only scratched the surface of what the game has to offer. There are countless permanent upgrades and power-ups to unlock throughout your multiple playthroughs, offering seemingly endless content. It launched in early access on Steam back in June, and I highly recommend you check it out.
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
The Astroneer universe grows even bigger with Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions. This is a huge, standalone multiplayer experience that has players working together in squads to complete various missions. You start on the ESS Starseeker, the game’s hub, then launch onto planets to gather resources, log creature info, and build bases. Cooperation is the most important aspect of the game, and you’ll have to work closely with the rest of your squad to finish each mission.
During my hands-on time, I was partnered with creative director Adam Bromell. We played an early-game mission that required us to climb to the top of a mountain to reach a radio signal. We each had different spacesuit loadouts with different abilities, and were able to manipulate the environment to reach our destination. It was some of the most chaotic, ridiculous, and fun times I’ve had with a lighter-toned multiplayer game in awhile.
Rogue Labyrinth
Rogue Labyrinth is a top-down action roguelike in the same vein as something like Hades. Sporting a gorgeous and vibrant GBA-inspired art style, you’ll traverse around multiple arenas fighting cute little enemies like acorn guys and frogs. Deflecting attacks is at the core of Rogue Labyrinth’s combat, so timing your club swings is imperative to a successful run. In classic roguelike fashion, you’ll earn currency and upgrades at the end of each room, building out your loadout to suit your playstyle. From what I’ve played so far, it’s actually fairly difficult. Don’t be surprised if it takes a bit to get used to. This released the day after my hands-on time on September 1. Check it out on Steam for 20% off!
Shrine’s Legacy
I wouldn’t blame you if, at first glance, you thought Shrine’s Legacy was just Secret of Mana. Because it is. But it’s also super fun! I got to play roughly 30 minutes and the type of gameplay, combat, and puzzle solving you’d expect from the SNES classic is here in full force. The story is intriguing and the characters compelling. It may be a heavily inspired to a point that it’s almost derivative, but the two playable heroes are unique and play in their own dynamic ways. It’s also co-op, so I’ll be keeping my eye on this when it comes out.
Obakeidoro 2: Chase & Seek
One of my indie highlights from the entire show, Obakeidoro 2: Chase & Seek is essentially Dead by Daylight for kids, which is a compliment. The adorable chibi artstyle fits this type of game well, and the gameplay was fun, intuitive, and super engaging. It’s an asymmetrical 3v1 multiplayer game. One player takes on the role of a ghost chasing the other three down to capture them. The other three work together to evade the ghost and break their companions out of the cage if they’re caught. This is launching as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, so I’m hoping it does well enough to get a release on other platforms.
Starbites
Starbites rules. It’s a turn-based mecha RPG with a combat style highly reminiscent of what we’ve seen in games of its ilk like Octopath Traveler. Each enemy has weaknesses to certain attributes, and your party members possess attacks that deal damage using these attributes. Go figure. It’s pretty straightforward, but strategizing a way to wipe out the entire enemy party in one turn cycle is extremely satisfying.
Starbites adds a unique mechanic with Driver’s High, which is essentially the game’s answer to a Limit Break. You can enter Driver’s High in real-time to interrupt enemy moves, adding a much deeper layer to combat, and your party member will deal increased damage in this state. The anime art style is great, and the team told me this will be about a 12-15 hour experience. So if you’re a JRPG fan who’s limited on time like me, Starbites is one to keep an eye out for.
Ambrosia Sky
Self-described as Powerwash Simulator meets Metroid Prime, Ambrosia Sky is a super stylish emotional sci-fi first-person puzzle game. We got hands-on with this during Summer Game Fest, with Temple of Geek’s Kurosh Jozavi coming away impressed. At PAX West, I played around a half hour and share his sentiments. The story beats and moment-to-moment gameplay are solid, although I did have a few performance issues when my character would get clipped into the environment, rendering me unable to move. But the spray mechanics and changing nozzles are intuitive and fun, and the vibes alone are keeping my interest piqued.
