The Rogueies: Best Indie Game nominees

Small studios tend to get steamrolled in GOTY coverage by big studios and, frankly, safe nominations. We wanted to make sure that they would get recognized, even if they don't get GOTY.

We don't draw the line at "this small game has a publisher," but we also don't think something like Expedition 33 is an indie (sorry, Game Awards).

9 Kings

If you want to read a much longer breakdown of why 9 Kings is so damn good, you should see why it’s nominated for our best strategy game of the year and why it’s my personal #3 on my GOTY top 10. But I’ll summarize.

9 Kings is a city-building strategy game where you have a bunch of buildings, troops, and magic cards that you play and place together so you create an unstoppable kingdom. There are tons of difficulty options and even some quests that set you up with some astoundingly unique scenarios.

But the reason it’s here for best indie is because Sad Socket, the devs who make it, have absolutely smashed their early access window so far. This game has gotten 20 patches since the end of May, and I’m still begging, crying, and throwing up hoping that we’ll get another before the holidays. Each new update adds so much to the game’s already super exciting strategy lair, and I just can’t say enough nice stuff about it. 

— RG

Absolum

Absolum is the kind of indie game that looks and feels very expensive. To the degree that you play it and pay for it and wonder “how many people actually made this thing? (positive)”

It’s a combination beat-em-up roguelite, and it offers some of the most gorgeous art I’ve seen in a game all year. Plus the combat is tight, the story is fascinating, and each character has a totally unique moveset, so there's a ton of replayability. And that’s before you even factor in the game’s multiplayer offerings.

Absolum is just a really wonderful package that we’ll definitely still be thinking about for years to come.

— RG

Blue Prince

I’ve already talked about Blue Prince at length — it won my Jeff’s Choice award. Blue Prince is everything that makes an indie game great. It’s so clearly a passion project by one developer (who founded an indie studio in the process). It’s meticulously crafted with just the right amount of clues and explanation to get through its many puzzles. It’s beautiful. It’s a love letter to the concept of puzzles.

It’s also a game that a big studio just wouldn’t put out — there’s a reason Blue Prince will be (spoiler) on our Biggest Surprise list later this week. The genre and the gameplay just aren’t safe enough to gamble on. But it’s exactly the right bet for an indie studio, and what they created is an absolutely outstanding game.

— JP

Keep Driving

YCJY Games made the underrated Sea Salt and the trippy corridor shooter Post Void, and their new game is something completely unexpected. Keep Driving is a management RPG based around a roadtrip, You’re young, your schedule is wide open, and the roads are a’calling. This isn’t a hardcore challenge; there’s some Tetris-style inventory management, keeping your car gassed up and a healthy supply of snacks at hand, but mostly the game is focused on letting you enjoy the trip.

Keep Driving is set in the 2000s, and it’s nice to just drive along scenic routes and listen to alternative music without having to worry about the current apocalyptic concerns that linger at the back of my mind. One of the best features of the game is the ability to randomly pick up a hitchhiker, which provides extra complications, but some interesting company. It’s a streamlined little experience that’s just plain pleasant to enjoy, and I’m excited to see what the developer comes up with next.

— CM

Skate Story

If playing as a skater made of glass on a quest to battle philosophers and consume the moon doesn’t sell you on Sam Eng’s Skate Story, I don’t know what will. There will always be a special place in my heart for the arcade-style skate sim, but it's refreshing to see a game that diverges from the genre's established mechanics and aesthetics, which have remained largely unchanged. 

Published by Devolver Digital, but developed by just one dude, Skate Story emphasizes slick, rhythm-based tricks accentuated by a surprisingly chill soundtrack that’s just wall-to-wall bangers. The capital-A aesthetic of Skate Story may not vibe with everyone, landing somewhere between Vaporwave and The Yellow Submarine, but there’s an undeniable magnetism and technical complexity that makes Skate Story an easy nominee for our best Indie title of 2025. 

— AJ