PlayStation has revealed its picks for the indie highlights of 2025 that gamers cannot afford to miss; however, the gamers’ reply to this has been… let’s just say it is a mood. The mixture has all been there from excitement to very serious side-eye and from the reactions of many players recommending their personal favorites that did not get picked to the great conversation. It is a kind of loud but very vigorous talk that could only come from indie games discussion where every participant has at least one hidden gem that he is ready to fight for.
What was it then that happened? PlayStation made a tweet wherein they expressed their joy for the event saying that it had been a “vibrant year for indies” and directing toward a recap of the best moments. What seemed to be very clear-cut at first? But then, the comments under the tweet rapidly turned into a battleground of opposed opinions, suggestions, and a few hot debates about the current definitions of indie games. It is a wild but in a good way scenario.
Never was it long before the players were out looking for new titles that were surely missing. The biggest one? Hades 2. Indeed, Supergiant’s sequel was not included in the list of most played games, and people certainly did not let that go. One player just stated, “No Hades 2,” and then a long row of laughing-crying emojis popped up, which was almost identical to the reaction of everyone else. Another player replied, “GOTY Hades 2 is NEVER EVER coming to Ps5,” and that was quite harsh. Although the whole thing about exclusivity and timing is a different matter that does not lessen the fact that the game this year has had such a strong influence over the entire indie scene.
Then the debate over what constitutes an indie game erupted. One user, McKeownPlayz, referred to a game called ‘Expedition GPT,’ declaring, “Expedition GPT isn’t an indie, it’s not even a real game” thrice. This started a mini-thread, with another player agreeing with him, saying a game “backed by a big publisher” isn’t indie. It is the age-old gamer debate—where exactly do you draw the line? Is it the price? Or the number of people in the team? Or just a gut feeling? PlayStation’s collection certainly contains some names that border on the limit and the community is always on the lookout.
But it is not only critics! The indie front is the one that gets the love the most. DomTheBombYT proclaimed “2025 the year of Indies” with a fire emoji, and that sentiment was echoed all around. One user posted, “Indies making PlayStation pop.” Another said, “Indies quietly carrying the most interesting ideas every year.” There is a heavy feeling that for a lot of players the most amazing and creative things happen beyond the triple-A big-budget area. One person even confessed “I’m at a point where I hardly play anything but indies.” That is a powerful statement.
The number of suggestions, needless to say, was huge. And this is where the fun begins. Gamers not only complained about what wasn’t there; they were also advocating for what should be. “Megabonk deserves, and I need, a console port!” one gamer vigorously claimed. Another shouted “Sword of the Sea” aloud. One even submitted “Pipistrello” appeal, saying, “That game is sooo good.” The titles “Spirit of the North 2” and “Tails of Iron 2″ were also among those mentioned. It is like a super-enthusiastic, crowdsourced alternative list.
Several games from the official highlight reel also got a lot of praise. One user commented, “Ball x Pit and Blue Prince are amazing,” while another just told “Ball x pit supremacy.” So even with the list, players have their champions. But then you come across the opposite point of view like the user niroversee who unreservedly said, “Half of these games including e33 were ass wtf yall mean ‘must play’.” That’s what I call unfiltered. Raw. And you have to respect it.
Moreover, there was an international perspective that brought in another significant layer. A gamer from Brazil, DefogoPlayOn, raised a very serious issue: “All of the games listed are more expensive on PlayStation than on other platforms… what a shame.” This is a reminder that the indie experience is not the same everywhere and that price can be a huge barrier.
So, what can we glean from this whole digital debate? A couple of things. Firstly, it surely appears that 2025 turned out to be nothing less than an absolute banger year for indie games on PlayStation and so much so that Sony had to celebrate it. Secondly, players are very much so personally involved in this, and the conversation often extends to other platforms like Xbox.
