The Protagonist

PAX Australia 2025 is done and dusted and I have begrudgingly climbed out the other end with post-PAX depression 😭. But, somewhere between the cosplay shenanigans and my recovering social battery, I present to you a list of cool indie games! Grab a coffee, cup of tea or energy drink and get comfy because there’s a lot to get through.

Why do demos matter?

In my previous PAX post, I mentioned that one of my favourite areas of the convention is PAX Rising. The games are authentic and made with so much passion from often very small studios- I literally counted the size of some of the teams on one hand! Even for a big AAA company with ample resources and budget, that journey can still take years. The dedication to the craft is nothing short of incredible.

It was fascinating to hear about the journey from the game representatives and their excitement for what’s next. Usually, a game that has made it to PAX Australia has reached Stage 5: Pre-Launch. A demo is produced and shared with the community. Feedback and engagement during this time allows developers to respond to any issues or do some fine-tuning before launch. You can check out this excellent article for more information on the stages of game development.

There were many awesome indie games that caught my attention and it was a difficult choice. I wanted to include everything, but alas, here are my top ten indie picks for 2025. I’ve included some reviews too👌.

If you want to see all of the indie games, here’s the full list from the PAX website.

Action/Adventure & Puzzle games

Enfant

Have you ever dreamt of being an elephant? The team at Zebrar were inspired by natural wildlife behaviour and ecology when developing Enfant. The result? This incredibly stunning game about an elephant embarking on a journey to find his herd. You feel the weight of what it’s like to be an elephant in a world where humans once existed.

A demo of Enfant was available at PAX Australia, however there is no official release date on Steam yet. You can stay updated here.

Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar

Think Portal x Stray. Mittens the cat is up to mischief in Abandoned Sheep’s new puzzle game. This ginger kitty uses its newfound quantum powers to evade pest control robots- in the name of justice!

My demo review:

This game is adorable. Very polished and plays smoothly. The cat voice effects, puzzles and mechanics were big highlights for me. Hell, you can even dress Mittens up! I played it with my keyboard but the game is controller-friendly. Overall this demo doesn’t disappoint and is sure to please cat lovers.

The demo for Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar is out on Steam and guess what? It’s split screen co-op. Grab a friend so you can share one ginger cat brain cell together 😂.

Letters to Arralla

This vibrant game developed by Little Pink Clouds is simply gorgeous. Meet the alluring yet troubled residents of Arralla Isle and discover their secrets by delivering (and reading) their mail. On this island, you are rewarded for “butting” into everyone’s business. When you’re not running your mail delivery service, relax or explore the island to learn about its history. Life sure is interesting as a turnip.

The full game of Letters to Arralla is available on Steam. Although only released on 16 September, 2025, it has received Very Positive reviews so far. Many players loved the visuals, story and Australian vibe. It was also a finalist for Excellence in Accessibility 2025, among other accolades.

Sandbox & Simulation games

Ooble Gardens

If you’re a cosy gardening or sandbox lover, I’ve got good news. In this game, you play as a gardener looking after Oobles, spirits that live in the fairy garden. Help them create their dream garden and they’ll give you all sorts of delightful furniture in return!

My demo review:

The demo was very easy on the eyes and the mechanics were straightforward. I see a lot of potential in this game. However, I think the game could use some more polish before launch in two months. There were many noticeable bugs with the interaction of the speech bubbles and inventory modals for example. I was also distracted by the many typos, punctuation and grammatical errors in the dialogue. That said, I appreciate the game’s style so I am still keen for the release.

The demo is available on Steam. Nova Games are planning to release the full game on 17 December, 2025.

Tingus Goose

When geese are involved, you know it’s going to be a wild time. Tingus Goose is a wacky goose simulator where the goal is to grow a goose tree and profit. From babies. Filthy baby money!

My demo review:

The game is hilarious and disturbing at the same time. I absolutely love the video game effects, they’re just so satisfying! Tingus Goose is a very well articulated game- from the pleasing aesthetics, instinctive visual cues and the humorous script. It feels like the game you need after a bad day and you just want no thoughts, head empty.

The demo is available on Steam and Playsaurus have planned a release date before the end of this year.

Adaptory

Adaptory is a base-building adventure in space where you have to keep your fellow explorers alive after a crash-landing. The game design hooked me, and being a 2D space survival game, I anticipate an interesting story. If anyone fantasises about getting stranded in space, this one’s for you.

My demo review:

This demo is so neat! It was more detailed than I was expecting. The UI isn’t too overwhelming despite having heaps to do and explain. The game had a good amount of polish. I was impressed with the well written dialogue, music and overall style of the game. Very excited to play this when the full game comes out!

The demo is available on Steam and Stormcloak Games intend to release the game by end of the year.

Strategy & RPG games

Zodiac Mountain

There is something very fascinating about folklore, and Zodiac Mountain is exactly a game about that. Play as Panda in Ancient China, who is on a quest to become a Chinese Zodiac. Don’t let the beautiful design and storytelling distract you though- the game is all about strategic thinking to build the best deck and defeat your opponents.

My demo review:

The demo was a lot of fun. It was quite thematic and did a fantastic job at giving you a taste of the lore. The tutorial was brief in explaining the card play but it was straightforward enough to learn through trial and error. There’s strategy when you’re trying to maximise your score. I found some bugs but nothing significant.

Mystic Road have released a demo on Steam although the full game is TBC.

Dolven

Image: Dolvengame.com

This turn-based strategy game is not for the faint of heart. Dolven is a tactical RPG that blends party tactics and poker-inspired deck building together to defeat the dungeon master. You must command your mercenaries to face the undead- and each decision you make counts. A tactical RPG and deck building game in one? Count me in.

Dolven’s planned release date is 24 October, 2025 on Steam. Covyne Entertainment are also in the middle of creating Dolven: Runes Gambit. It’s the card game experience of Dolven, which opens up a whole other world!

Sinthetic

This game is very reminiscent of the Japanese RPG genre and caught my eye immediately. Enter Vacancy City, a city with a cyberpunk, sci-fi aesthetic. The crew work together to unravel the city’s biggest mysteries. There are eight playable characters, all diverse and with their own backstories, starting with Fawke Harvey.

Fun fact: when the game representative saw me in my Psylocke cosplay, he informed me that one of their playable characters is voiced by Aleks Le, the voice actor for Daredevil in Marvel Rivals. That’s so cool!

My demo review:

This demo has a very old school RPG vibe to it. From the way it opens up with a cinematic cut scene to the dialogue and game play, it feels nostalgic. I also enjoyed the voice lines and storytelling. The game has a gritty feel to it. A few things like script and movement needs polishing but to be expected at this early stage. The game can also be played in Japanese. I recommend it for the JRPG fans out there.

The demo by ArgentSoft is out on Steam, but unfortunately no planned release date yet. You can follow their updates here.

Blood Vow: Survive the Night

I was initially drawn to how this game looked and its smooth game play. Blood Vow is a strategic, tower defense game that requires you to defend against waves of enemies. It can be played with up to four players online, being one of the few multiplayer games on my list. Ship It Studios is a small indie company and I can only imagine the sheer effort required to develop an online multiplayer game.

There isn’t a demo available on Steam but the game is planned to be released in 2026. Be sure to wishlist it for updates on when the demo is ready.

Special Mention: Fallen Aces

Bonus content: Fallen Aces is a special mention because it’s my partner’s pick but I thought it was still worth including!

Kevin played the demo on the day (with one hand like a badass in his Winter Soldier cosplay) and these were his thoughts:

I just finished Dusk so was interested in checking out the New Blood booth. Decided to try out Fallen Aces. It was Max Payne x Bioshock vibes and with old school detective noir and FPS combat. The game seems well made.

When asked if he would buy the game, he said yes 😊.

Fallen Aces has been published by New Blood Interactive. It is in early access on Steam, with Very Positive reviews so far.

Look after yourself,

Elena