2025 has been a wild ride for indie games, with SteamDB’s concurrent peak player counts showing just how much love these small-team projects are getting. From chaotic drug-dealing sims to cozy farming adventures, the indie scene is proving yet again you don’t need a massive budget to make a massive impact. Here are 15 most played indie games of 2025 so far.
Schedule 1
Schedule 1 is a phenomenon. This drug-dealing sim, created by solo developer Tyler, hit a peak of 459,075 players, making it the king of 2025’s indie scene. You’re building a criminal empire in Hyland Point, mixing cartoonish Rick and Morty vibes with open-world chaos like skateboarding and co-op heists. It’s raw, addictive, and a bit controversial, but the 98% positive Steam reviews speak for themselves.
R.E.P.O.
While “Lethal Company” clones often tweak familiar ideas, R.E.P.O. stands out, hitting a peak of 271,571 players in Early Access. This online co-op horror game mixes physics, proximity voice chat, and creepy monsters. You and up to five friends dive into spooky environments, using a physics-based grabbing tool to snag valuable items.
Sultan’s Game
Sultan’s Game brought 46,106 players at the same time to its unique oriental world. Inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, the game blends strategy RPG mechanics with resource management and choose-your-own-adventure storytelling. You take on the role of a royal advisor serving a ruthless Sultan, forced to participate in a deadly weekly card-drawing ritual.
Bongo Cat
Bongo Cat is a charming, simple game that’s sure to make you smile. This interactive desktop app brings an adorable animated cat to your screen, playing musical instruments based on your inputs. It’s super easy to use, just click the mouse to tap the bongos or press keyboard keys to have the cat jam on a piano, guitar, or DJ set. Every click triggers a matching sound, making it feel like a real music session.
Heroes of Hammerwatch II
This roguelike action RPG sequel hit 21,237 peak players, and I get why. Heroes of Hammerwatch II builds on the first game’s addictive loop with better visuals and deeper progression. You embark on challenging expeditions into the Dark Citadel, a dungeon with randomly generated levels filled with enemies, traps, and treasures. Between dungeon runs, you can return to your hub to upgrade buildings, enchant gear, and unlock new abilities.
Tiny Pasture
Tiny Pasture is your charming little farm simulator that cozies up at the bottom of your screen, keeping you company while you work or study, that peaked at 19,732 players. In this game, you can buy adorable baby animals, grow them, and collect coins dropped from them once they’re all grown up to rake in some sweet profits and expand your pasture. When you improve yourself and have fun, your little critters will grow with you.
Blue Prince
Blue Prince is a puzzle masterpiece, hitting 19,243 peak players and earning a 92 Metacritic score. You’re exploring a shape-shifting manor, choosing room blueprints to solve the mystery of Room 46. It’s eerie, clever, and demands a notebook. Your progress each day is shaped by the rooms you select to draft and the tools you find within them. Items in the game can also be used in a number of creative ways to fuel your exploration deeper into the house.
Tokyo Xtreme Racer
Tokyo Xtreme Racer is an arcade-style racing game by Genki and hit 15,824 concurrent players. Set in a sealed-off future Tokyo, you race customized Japanese cars on the Shuto Expressway, challenging over 200 rivals with unique storylines. Its signature SP Battle system drains opponents’ Spirit Points through skillful driving, blending racing and fighting game vibes. With 48 cars, deep customization, and Unreal Engine 5 visuals, it’s a nostalgic revival of the 1994-2006 series.
AI Limit
AI Limit’s soulslike action drew 14,480 players with its post-apocalyptic sci-fi world. You’re slashing through robotic enemies in a vibrant, anime-inspired setting. Players will have access to 20 to 30 types of weapons, each offering different fighting styles. Additionally, protagonists left hand can use special abilities, such as spells and skills, providing numerous strategic approaches during combat. The game also features a synchronization system called Sync Rate, which replaces the traditional stamina system seen in the Soulslike genre.
ENA: Dream BBQ
ENA: Dream BBQ is a surreal, free-to-play adventure game that hit 10,998 concurrent players on Steam, serving as the first interactive chapter of Joel G.’s ENA web series. You play as ENA, a dual-personality character with a red and pale yellow body, tasked with finding “the Boss” in a bizarre, dreamlike world. Chapter 1, “Lonely Door,” involves exploring uncanny environments, solving puzzles, and interacting with eccentric characters like Froggy and Dratula to clear smoke blocking the Boss’s path.
Rogue: Genesia
Releasing back in March from Early Access, and hitting 8,516 concurrent players, this action rogue-lite game lets you play as Rog, a versatile warrior battling hordes of monsters across procedurally generated worlds. With over 200 upgrades and 60+ weapons, you craft unique builds to defeat bosses and save worlds. Its bullet-hell gameplay, inspired by Vampire Survivors, features choices like fighting tough foes or resting at shops, and diverse playstyles.
Crashlands 2
Crashlands 2 is an open-world crafting RPG that hit 8,571 concurrent players. You play as Flux Dabes, an intergalactic trucker crashing on the vibrant alien planet Woanope. Explore handcrafted biomes, befriend quirky aliens, craft weapons like spears and knuckles, and build bases. The revamped combat system offers diverse playstyles, while the story dives into a mysterious “Withering” tied to the Bureau of Shipping.
Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days
Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days is a 2.5D side-scrolling zombie survival game set in Walton City, Texas, 1980, during a zombie outbreak. Released in Early Access, this title managed to hit 8,132 concurrent players, in which you guide survivors through scavenging, crafting, and fighting to escape the city. Manage shelters, balance needs like hunger and morale, and choose stealth or combat against zombies.
ALOFT
ALOFT is a skyfaring survival adventure that soared to 7,970 peak players. Solo or with up to eight friends, you transform islands into mobile skyships, gather resources, farm, and fight fungal corruption to restore the ecosystem. With glider-based exploration, vibrant visuals, and a focus on rewarding choices over punishing mistakes, it offers a chill experience. However, repetitive combat, technical issues, and limited content in Early Access need polish.
A Game About Digging A Hole
A Game About Digging A Hole is a minimalist simulation game that peaked at 7,477 players. You dig in your backyard to find treasure, collecting and selling ores to upgrade tools like shovels, jetpacks, and dynamite. Built in 14 days using Unreal Engine 5, it features voxel-based digging and a mysterious narrative twist involving giant moles.
Hrvatski 
English (UK)