10 indie games from 2025 that delighted the PlayStation Indies teams

10 indie games from 2025 that delighted the PlayStation Indies teams https://ift.tt/hRZMds2

The joy of working with indies is never knowing what you’ll stumble upon next. Every year brings something unexpected and delightful, no matter what your genre of preference is. The indie-focused teams here at Sony Interactive Entertainment have bundled up some of their personal favorite indie games from the past year. Here are some of the games that surprised, enchanted, and tickled us in 2025.

Baby Steps

Developer: Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy
Publisher: Devolver Digital

An irreverent, physics-driven stumble-through-life adventure built on those wonderfully punishing physics that made Bennett Foddy’s Getting Over It so iconic.

Why we love it: We had a hard time really explaining the elevator pitch to our colleagues after we played it — this is one of those games you simply have to feel to understand. When we handed a controller to SIE’s Sid Shuman and his character immediately slid helplessly down a mountain in the most dramatic way possible, he broke into that tears-in-your-eyes kind of laugh. And it went on for a while. That’s when it clicked for us: the chaos, the tenderness, the humor — it all makes sense the second you take that first clumsy step.

Ball X Pit

Developer: Kenny Sun
Publisher: Devolver Digital

A chaotic, neon-soaked arcade blast where everything moves fast, loud, and just slightly unhinged.

Why we love it: A few of us got an early look at this one from Devolver, and we knew it was sticky when several folks on our team found themselves compelled to keep playing it long after they’d already finished writing up the review. It’s pure, joyful chaos — the kind of game that grabs you immediately and refuses to let go. And for me personally, seeing Kenny Sun behind this made it even better. I’ve followed his work since my early editorial days and loved his 2016 platformer Circa Infinity. Watching his evolution from those minimalist, mind-bending roots to something this loud, playful, and polished — all as a single developer — is incredibly cool.

Blue Prince

Developer: Banana Bird Studios
Publisher: Raw Fury

A surreal, shifting-room puzzle mystery that constantly reinvents itself as you explore.

Why we love it: There’s nothing better than a hypnotic, mysterious puzzle game that refuses to play by the rules, and Blue Prince nails that feeling. Several of us ended up having the same unexpected experience with it — even though it’s a single-player game, it became something we played alongside our partners or friends at home. We’d compare notes, swap theories, and brainstorm puzzle solutions together like we were part of some shared secret. That sense of quiet discovery, of unraveling something strange and elegant piece by piece, is exactly what makes this one so special. It’s stylish, clever, and lingers with you long after you stop playing.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Developer: Sandfall Interactive
Publisher: Kepler Interactive

A striking, painterly RPG about breaking a prophecy and claiming a future that was never supposed to be yours.

Why we love it: The art direction grabbed us immediately, and the combat hits that sweet spot between thoughtful and cinematic. Such a beautiful game with tremendous acting, tight gameplay, and possibly the greatest gaming soundtrack ever. Montpellier-based team Sandfall Interactive wears their inspirations on their sleeve — from European illustration traditions to the emotional arc and iconic gameplay of your favorite RPGs. You can feel those influences in every character, creature, and brushstroke. It’s bold, beautiful, and exactly the kind of creative vision we love.

Despelote

Developer: Julián Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena
Publisher: Panic

A grounded, slice-of-life adventure set in early-2000s Quito, capturing a neighborhood—and a country—caught up in Ecuador’s historic 2002 World Cup qualifying run.

Why we love it: Despelote captures a cultural moment that meant so much to so many Ecuadorians, and it does it through small, everyday details that feel incredibly personal. We were struck by how intimate it felt. The narrative is a step back in time drawn from the creators’ childhood memories in Quito. The art style adds to that effect with a gentle, dreamlike quality that makes the world feel both real and surreal. It’s warm, human, and a heartfelt celebration of their people.

Dispatch

Developer: AdHoc Studio
Publisher: AdHoc Studio

A sharp-witted episodic superhero workplace comedy where you’re not the hero, but the one sending them.

Why we love it: From the get-go, Dispatch had us hooked: it draws you in with its vibrant art style, razor-sharp writing, and versatile mechanics that fluidly shift from thoughtful narrative choices to challenging puzzles and the chaos of superhero dispatch management. What sets it apart, though, is how quickly these larger-than-life characters develop as you play. Beneath the capes and theatrics, they’re full of surprising warmth, messy emotions, and a delightful streak of pettiness that fuels hilarious office drama. It’s a refreshing twist on the narrative-driven adventure games and super hero content we’ve all grown accustomed to. Dispatch finds its own unique voice in that space, which is a superhuman feat in itself, and focuses on unmasking the larger-than-life personalities to study the flawed people behind the costumes. AdHoc reminds us why this genre continues to be so compelling.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Developer: Team Cherry
Publisher: Team Cherry

The long-awaited sequel to Hollow Knight, delivering sharper movement, richer combat, and a haunting new world.

Why we love it: Few modern indies have had the cultural impact of Hollow Knight — it became a touchstone for precision platforming, atmosphere, and handcrafted design. Silksong builds on that legacy with the same meticulous attention to detail that made the original so beloved. Team Cherry’s craftsmanship is extraordinary for a studio of their size, and once again, we found ourselves completely lost in their world. It’s elegant, ambitious, and a reminder of just how far great artistry can go.

Lumines Arise

Developer: Enhance
Publisher: Enhance

A modern evolution of the puzzle-rhythm classic, polished into a hypnotic little gem.

Why we love it: Enhance has been behind some of the most transcendent puzzle experiences ever made — from Rez Infinite to Tetris Effect — and Lumines Arise carries that same lineage of arcadey, synesthetic brilliance. They’re simply the best at what they do. When the visuals, music, and patterns lock together, it drops you into that unmistakable flow state where your brain finally exhales. It’s stylish, soothing, and one of those games we keep “accidentally” playing for an hour.

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yo-Yo

Developer: Pocket Trap
Publisher: PM Studios

A stylish, fast-moving action-platformer built around a surprisingly deep, yo-yo-based moveset.

Why we love it: This is one of those games that feels instantly good the second you touch it. The movement is expressive, the combat has real snap, and the whole thing radiates personality. We were impressed by how they took such a simple mechanic and stretched it into something with real depth and momentum.

Sword of the Sea

Developer: Giant Squid
Publisher: Giant Squid

A serene sand-surfing adventure from Matt Nava and the team behind Journey, Abzû, and The Pathless.

Why we love it: Watching Nava’s artistic evolution over the years has been such a joy, and Sword of the Sea feels like a culmination of everything he does best — movement, atmosphere, emotional quiet. It’s already gorgeous and calming on its own, but what really elevated the experience for us were the subtle, innovative touches he layered in. The DualSense haptics in particular add this gentle, tactile dimension to surfing across the dunes — you feel the world in a way that’s impossible to describe until the controller is in your hands. It’s thoughtful, immersive, and one of those experiences that stays with you long after you sign off.

Honorable Mentions

• Citizen Sleeper 2
• Demonschool
• Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
• Hotel Infinity
• Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders
• Lost Records Bloom & Rage
• Ninja Gaiden Ragebound
• Promise Mascot Agency
• Rematch
• The Alters
• The Midnight Walk
• To a T
• Wanderstop
• Wheel World

These games represent just a fraction of the incredible creativity happening across the indie landscape. We’re thrilled to support such creative, genre-defying work and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

Behind the scenes of Lumines Arise with Enhance

Behind the scenes of Lumines Arise with Enhance https://ift.tt/xzH5cwy

Hello everyone! I’m Takashi Ishihara, the Game Director and Art Director for Lumines Arise at Enhance. It’s been a little over a month since we released Lumines Arise, a reimagining of the Lumines puzzle game series originally introduced in 2004, on PlayStation 5 with optional PS VR2 support. Hopefully, you’ve been enjoying playing through the Journey mode, exploring the Mission mode and its Training missions and Challenges, battling other players around the world in Burst Battle, or taking part in Weekend Loomii Live events.

I’d like to give you more insight into the development of Lumines Arise and how the team at Enhance brought this project to life.

Defining next-generation Lumines

We already knew that after Tetris Effect: Connected, we wanted to revisit Lumines. The big question in our heads at that time was, “What defines the next Lumines?” An image began brewing in my head, and I spent time thinking about key words and colors that would represent the new game. It was all very abstract at first, but slowly the main idea took shape. This is when I sat down with Executive Producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi to align on the core concept and where we’d like this iteration to go. Once that was agreed upon, I went full tilt in designing individual stages, picking out moments or feelings I wanted to see visualized, including the UI/UX, getting an idea of the musical styles that might pair with each.

As it came together, I made a pre-visualization video. That’s when a real team was starting to take shape so I shared it with them. We started talking about how to make the concept even better and improve on the foundation. After this initial shaping and polishing process, that’s when we really started building out the game.

Developing Stages over time

A common question that we get is how long does it take you to create a full stage from start to finish. Well, that’s a bit of a difficult one to answer, since during development we continually polish, improve, and tweak little things throughout. It’s become a bit of our house style at Enhance! At no point do we say, “OK, we’re done with that stage time to move to the next!”

The initial design for a single stage is quite broad—its visuals, music, and sound, and the feeling that we want it to evoke. Then, as we work, each person on the team, be it a visual designer or a member of the sound team, contributes tweaks and changes. This back-and-forth process doesn’t stop, but if you laid it all out on a timeline, it might show that it took three or four months per stage from start to finish! At times we would shift focus to certain stages and leave others to “breathe” and come back to them later. Every component of a stage—visuals, sound effects, music—needs to work together in harmony. The design informs the music, the music informs the design, and we change things throughout the process until the very end. When we reach the point where it’s in harmony and feeling good to play, that’s when we know the stage is working and everything is in its most polished, perfected state.

Speaking a little more about matching the music to a stage’s visuals, at the beginning it’s very broad. From what I just described, you could say our development style is very flowy. But at the start, we do a lot of music-related planning, analyzing sound waves, looking at the MIDI, timing and BPM data. However, it’s very similar to making something out of a mountain of clay. You have a plan, but as you’re creating it you take things away, add textures, or maybe you have to add elements back to it. Maybe a shape or curve you added doesn’t work anymore. You’re always perfecting and correcting, and our development style gives some room for that flexibility.

On the cutting room floor

Now, were there any stages we cut from the game? There were a few that we’d started working on very early in development that just didn’t fit thematically. One had an ocean theme, and another was a forest theme—in the end, these didn’t feel cohesive to the Lumines experience we were building. I’d set a high bar for what I wanted out of this new Lumines game. After working on these types of games over the last 20 years, focused on the core synesthesia experience, I had to dig deeper and it turned out that the more darker, cooler feeling tones worked better than the brighter and sometimes softer epic-scale vibes that fit more naturally in a game like Tetris Effect: Connected.

That VR feeling

This is the first time a Lumines game has been playable in VR, too—have you tried it in PS VR2? We wanted playing Lumines in VR to feel like being in the front row at a concert. The lights, the energy, the stage in front of you. It took quite a bit of tuning to get the camera positioning perfect to elicit these feelings, too. If you’ve played on PS VR2 you may have noticed there are lights and particles and things happening that are not visible when playing on a TV. Those little details, along with the headset vibration, help immerse you in the experience even further.

An Immense Task

The games in the Lumines series up to now were all built in 2D. With Lumines Arise, we’re bringing all this into 3D, which means we’re working with a ton of assets, lots of sound components, and music. Every stage’s visuals, music, sound effects are different across all 36 stages. It was so ambitious in scope that we increased our production schedule by six months to get it all done. The finished project hopefully appears effortless, but the scale and volume of making this happen were immense. It was an absolutely huge effort by our team over three and a half years. In that time, our team grew, we learned a lot of new technology that we hadn’t used before, tuned each stage to painstaking detail, and we shipped a game that plays on your TV, PlayStation Portal, and in VR via PS VR2.

I am so proud that we were able to overcome all the challenges that this game presented to us. Lumines Arise is available right now on PlayStation 5 with optional PS VR2 compatibility. If you’re a PS Plus Premium subscriber, there’s even a game trial available so you can try out the game for yourself.

Share of the Week: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Share of the Week: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 https://ift.tt/Bw3cMjP

Last week, we asked you take off and share your best moments in Microsoft Flight Simulator using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here’s this week’s highlights:

Akkan_Vader shares a birdseye view of their plane above a sprawling city

TheSkinnyRage shares their plane taking off into the night

Akkan_Vader shares their plane on the tarmac ready to take off

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Share of the Year
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on January 7, 2026

We’re wrapping up an incredible year in gaming. Share your best shots taken in games from 2025 using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured in Share of the Year!

Like A Dragon: 20th anniversary interview

Like A Dragon: 20th anniversary interview https://ift.tt/UaJflvG

Unforgettable stories and characters, outrageous combat, and some hilarious mini-games – the acclaimed Yakuza / Like a Dragon series has a massive following for all the right reasons.

With Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties’ launching on PlayStation 5 February 12 next year – and to celebrate the franchise’s 20th anniversary, with the first game Yakuza launching on PS2 20 years ago this month – it’s only fitting to mark the moment with some of the developers who know these hard-hitting titles best.

So we sat down with Executive Producer Masayoshi Yokoyama, Chief Director Ryosuke Horii, and Chief Producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto to talk about their thoughts on the series’ 20th anniversary, its journey so far, and the upcoming Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. 

How is the studio celebrating the milestone? 

Yokoyama: We envisioned the 20th anniversary to be similar to a ‘coming of age,’ reflecting on the history of Like a Dragon as one might look back on the years from birth to adulthood. We have various events and special footage planned that celebrate this journey, and in addition to the currently running ‘The Four Ceremonies of Life Exhibition’ in Tokyo, more initiatives are scheduled to roll out beyond December 8. We hope to continue celebrating with fans until December 7 of next year, so that the series will remain in the hearts of many for years to come.

When you compare how the series and the studio are now to when the franchise began, what are the things you’re most proud of? 

Yokoyama: Maybe people can finally say they enjoy the Like a Dragon series more openly (laughs). In the past, it wasn’t something you could really say out loud; its reputation and brand image made it hard to talk about publicly. Back in the early days, even some of the studio developers kept their involvement a secret from their parents or girlfriends. 

But about ten years in, more staff began proudly acknowledging their work on the series. There was even a case where being part of the project helped someone gain approval for marriage from their partner’s parents. That’s when it really sank in how much the series’ presence and perception in the world had evolved.

Now that RGG Studio is growing into a recognized brand, we want to continue nurturing it with care so that it remains something our staff, partners, cast and fans can all be proud of.

The series has evolved drastically since 2005, how would you say other modern releases have impacted your development approach? Would you say you always do your own thing, or are you influenced by current trends?

Yokoyama: I don’t consciously chase trends, but my environment today is vastly different from what it was 20 years ago, so my creative approach has naturally evolved. A major reflection of that change is our growing exposure to global culture. 

With the rise of streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix, we now encounter diverse cultures from around the world on a daily basis. This was unimaginable when the series first began in 2005.

Back then, our development studio was about 90% male and almost entirely Japanese. Today, more than 10% of our team members are from abroad, and the gender ratio is nearly an even 50:50. 

We went through a dramatic transformation in the past two decades, and I believe this evolving environment has naturally influenced our creative output. Looking ahead, we’ll continue to embrace these changes, trust in who we are now, and keep creating in our own way.

You’ve also earned quite the reputation for turning around games very quickly, with a very consistent release schedule – how do you maintain such a development pace and keep the quality so high?

Sakamoto: I believe this is thanks to the workflow we’ve perfected over many years of working on the series. Our team takes pride in refining quality while eliminating unnecessary tasks and consistently pursuing the most efficient approach to development. This strong awareness of quality, scale, time, and cost makes our achievements possible.

Yakuza/Like a Dragon games have become quite renowned for changing with the times, mostly taking place in their year of release – have there been titles in which that’s proved a challenge, or perhaps even advantageous?

Sakamoto: Entertainment districts like Kamurocho have changed drastically over the past 20 years. So, when working on the mainline titles set in the present day, we need to research the current landscape, which presents its own challenges. On the other hand, spin-off titles have more freedom since they allow for a certain level of creative freedom.

Since Y7 effectively passed the baton to Ichiban, were you surprised the audience liked him so much? Shifting away from Kiryu as the series’ main protagonist must have been a little nerve-wracking.

Sakamoto: Personally, I was never worried. I trusted that by the time players reached the end of the story, they’d grow to like Ichiban. The same goes for characters from past titles; if players can truly connect with the characters’ personalities, anyone can take the lead. That’s the kind of strength this series has.

There’ve been some amazing minigames across the series. What’s the creative process for those?

Horii: The heart of the Like a Dragon series lies in its drama, so every project begins by defining the story’s concept and choosing the setting that works best for it. From there, we craft side content that aligns with both the theme and the concept of the game.

For instance, in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Kasuga’s theme revolved around ‘rising to the top,’ which led us to develop the business management feature. In Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the Hawaiian setting inspired the ‘Dondoko Island’ resort-building minigame. Each piece of content is designed to deepen the player’s immersion in the story and setting, and that is at the core of our creative process.

Practically speaking, we start by presenting the concept to the minigame development team, such as outlining the experience we want to deliver and the nuances we hope to capture. From there, the team goes through weekly cycles of trial and error.

The most important thing is preserving the signature Like a Dragon humor. Whether it’s turning an ‘apology’ into a finishing move during a shareholders’ meeting or letting players build multiple cabarets on Dondoko Island, we put great care into capturing those playful, humorous moments and making sure every detail lands just right.

The series has featured some seminal arcade titles within its Club Sega recreations – how early does the conversation in picking which titles should feature in a game’s arcade begin during development? 

Horii: Our studio’s technical director, Itō, is well versed in retro games, so he leads the discussions on the lineup. Since we’re dealing with older titles, it’s not as simple as including whatever we want. Each game comes with its own unique challenges, whether that’s the difficulty of porting, licensing concerns, or other technical hurdles. Taking all of that into account, we select games that we love, that are feasible within our timeframe and technical limits, and that we genuinely want today’s players to experience.

Many of us, myself included, are passionate about retro games, so our biggest priority is choosing titles that are crafted with care, and those we truly respect and want to play again.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is billed as an “extreme” remake of the original, plus all-new content. What has shaped the decisions to so extensively retool the title, and do you feel that’s the ideal approach for any future adaptations of past works? 

Yokoyama: For now, we haven’t made any concrete decisions about remaking additional past titles. At RGG Studio, our ongoing mission is to create games that are fun to play in the present moment. Our philosophy, ‘do whatever it takes to make it happen,’ will continue to guide us moving forward.

That same mindset is reflected in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. These titles also feature significant elements that point toward the series’ future direction, so we hope fans who have already played Yakuza 3 will give it a try as well.

What can players of the original Yakuza 3 look forward to in Kiwami 3 – how is it different? Similarly, what can players new to the franchise expect?

Horii: The changes and evolution in Kiwami 3 as a game go far beyond what most people might imagine compared to the original Yakuza 3. While the core story remains the same, we’ve added many new cut scenes, characters, and voice lines. With the addition of major side content like ‘Life at Morning Glory’ and ‘Legendary Baddie, Bad Boy Dragon,’ the game’s overall design, pacing, and structure have been completely reworked. It’s a title that truly stands on its own as a brand-new release from RGG Studio. Whether you’re experiencing it for the first time or returning after playing the original, you’ll find a fresh and exciting experience that feels entirely new.

Can players brand-new to Like a Dragon games enjoy Kiwami 3’s story without knowledge of the wider series?

Horii: Absolutely. There’s a story recap feature for previous titles, and the game is designed so that even newcomers can jump right in, so we’d be delighted if new players gave it a try. 

That said, playing the earlier games will help you connect more deeply with the characters and story, so if you have time before the release of Kiwami 3, we’d love for players to play Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1, and Kiwami 2 as well.

What are your thoughts and future goals as you celebrate the 20th anniversary?

Horii: I never imagined the series would continue for 20 years, nor that I would end up spending nearly half my life making Like a Dragon. Each entry in the series, I’ve poured everything into it, thinking that it could be the last one, without worrying about what comes next. Looking back, I think that approach has served me well.

All forms of entertainment will come to an end someday. I don’t know when that will be, but I have no intention of simply wishing for the series to continue. I’d rather stick to a forward-looking mindset that even if it were to be the last one, I’d have no regrets. From here on, we’ll keep moving forward in our own way, fuelled by our love for the characters and deep pride in our craft.

Sakamoto: It’s hard to believe it’s already been 20 years. We’ve devoted ourselves completely to each game, so there’s been almost no time to reflect on the past. To push the Like a Dragon IP even further, we need to keep evolving and embracing new challenges in the years ahead.

Yokoyama: To be honest, I don’t feel particularly sentimental about it. For the past 20 years, my focus has always been on looking ahead and creating games every day, so I rarely find myself reflecting on the past.

That said, through the events celebrating the series’ 20th anniversary, I had a rare opportunity to look back on the history of Like a Dragon, almost from the same perspective as our fans. It gave me a renewed appreciation for the lasting appeal of the series.

I hope to carry the lessons and emotions I’ve gained from that reflection and channel them into creating something exciting moving forward. 

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Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties hits PS5 on February 12 so there’s not long to wait before you can reclaim these mean streets. But if you’re itching for action right now, join the crew via PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, where you can enjoy a selection from the series, including Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name*.

*Available on PlayStation Plus Game Catalog at time of publish.