Indie Arena Booth is turning up the heat for gamescom 2025 with “Watch us Cook!” lineup reveal

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The Indie Arena Booth (IAB) will be back at gamescom 2025 with its boldest showcase yet. From August 20–24, Hall 10.2 will transform into the ultimate test kitchen for interactive creativity, where over 200 hand-picked indie games from more than 40 countries will be waiting for curious minds and quick hands at booth F010g – E019 – now with a size of a whooping 2,000 qm!

With this year’s theme, “Watch us Cook!”, IAB invites visitors to taste-test the freshest ideas from the indie scene – served with a brand-new original soundtrack and a striking visual concept that’s as spicy as the games themselves.

From delightful snacks to full-course meals, the lineup covers every flavor of gameplay: Whether you’re slicing through atmospheric horrors, spicing it up with fast-paced action adventures, or chilling out with cozy puzzles and narrative gems, the Indie Arena Booth has something on the menu for everyone. Every year, Indie Arena Booth has the honor of featuring a multitude of fist public demos like the clockwork 3D action platformer Duskfade, the crazy creature collecting RPG Fae & Fauna or the handcrafted exploration and tower defense game GARBAGE COUNTRY set in a post-industrial wasteland.

Other notable games on the menu are the tabletop-inspired heavy metal RPG MÖRK BORG Heresy Supreme, Prison of Husks a nostalgic soulslike where you play as a doll in the painted afterlife, the minigame-filled paramedic action drama Neo Harbor Rescue Squad, and many, many more.

This year also marks a new milestone in IAB’s mission to highlight the cultural power of games: For the first time ever, the “Games for Democracy” section – presented in collaboration with the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb) – will shine a spotlight on titles that tackle civic engagement, freedom of expression, and social responsibility through gameplay.

The full lineup can now be found on the website.