Six One Indie’s 13 Favorite Games from PAX East 2025
PAX East 2025 was an event packed with passionate creators, enthusiastic fans, and bombastic games. Even though we’re still recovering from the festivities, we’ve created this list of thirteen indie games that were among our favorites of the show.
TANUKI: Pon’s Summer (Denkiworks/ Critical Reflex)
From developer Denkiworks, TANUNKI: Pon’s Summer has players follow Pon, a well meaning Tanuki with a part-time job at the Post Office. Though a bit lazy, Pon works to deliver packages, make friends, and strives to get the shrine ready for the big festival before the summer’s end. Though there is no release date yet, you can Wishlist the game on Steam here.
VILE: Exhumed (Final Girl Games/ DreadXP)
VILE, by Final Girl Games, is a horror game where you explore a computer to uncover a story of what happened to actress Candy Corpse. As you browse through files, websites, emails, chat logs and you’re challenged to stitch together the consequences of obsession, misogyny, and entitlement. While you wait for VILE: Exhumed to release, be sure to Wishlist the game on Steam and check out our interview with the developer, Cara Cadaver.
Revenant’s Reach (Shatter Flask Syndicate)
Revenant’s Reach is a captivating 2.5D side-scrolling action platformer that draws inspiration from the traversal of Celeste with the gameplay of a From Soft game. With its dynamic, fast-paced combat, you’re challenged to guide the protagonist on his quest for vengeance as he hunts down those who betrayed him. You can Wishlist the game here on Steam.
GIGASWORD (Studio Hybrid/ Akupara Games)
With GIGASWORD, you’re given a giga-sized sword to not only fight your foes, but solve challenging puzzles. The battle between brain and brawn weighs heavily on this game as you slash your foes to recover the God Crystal within the mysterious chambers. You can Wishlist the game and play the demo right now on Steam.
Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson (Ritual Studios/ Playdigious Originals)
Developed by Ritual Studios, Fretless mashes up classic turn-based RPG mechanics with the power of music! In this game, you wield powerful legendary instruments, gather mighty riff attacks and save the land from devilish goons and musical hybrid monsters. The game is planned for a Summer 2025 release, but you can check out the Steam page to Wishlist and play their demo right now.
Everdeep Aurora (Nautilus Games/ Ysbryd Games)
An ongoing apocalyptical meteor shower has forced the world’s population to settle underground. As a feline child name Shell, you awaken to find her mother missing. As a love letter to SteamWorld Dig, you drill downward from the surface layer through a tile-based underground and discover the Everdeep. You can Wishlist now on Steam.
Demon Tides (Fabraz)
As the follow up to Demon Turk, Demon Tides is a 3D platformer where you explore the open seas and uncover a kingdom’s dark secrets while exploring dozens of locales and upgrading your gear. You can check out the Steam page to Wishlist this game.
Mind Diver (Indoor Sunglasses/ Playism)
In this immersive murder mystery game, players utilize an experimental technology that allows you to dive-in and explore a person’s mind to fix memories, uncover secrets, and reveal the truth on a twisted case. Mind Diver is planned for a 2025 release and you can Wishlist on Steam.
Drowned Lake (Monumental Collab/ Critical Reflex)
When Bento, an amateur documentarian vanishes, three strangers are drawn to the Drowned Lake to find him. As the lake’s dark past comes to light, so do the secrets buried deep within them. Explore, survive, and investigate the dark waters in this fishing survival horror game. You can Wishlist the game here on Steam.
The Lacerator (GamesFrom The Abyss/ DreadXP)
In this survival horror game, losing a limb isn’t an automatic Game Over screen. Instead, it’s a gameplay mechanic where you’ll just have to suck it up and keep on moving. The Lacerator is scheduled for a 2025 release, but while you wait, you can play the demo and Wishlist on Steam.
Monster Train 2 (Shiny Shoe/ Big Fan Games)
As the sequel to the original Monster Train, Monster Train 2 returns with new clans, new enemy factions, and new modes in this roguelike card game. Though the release day is a mere few days away on May 21, 2025, if you can’t wait, you can play the demo and Wishlist here on Steam.
Militsioner (Tallboys/ Critical Reflex)
As an adorable cat who is starting their job in a big business corporate company. While you’re fulfilling your duties, you also need to solve your colleagues’ problems while uncovering some nefarious shenanigans. You can Wishlist the game here on Steam.
The Berlin Apartment (btf/ ByteRockers’ Games)
One apartment, many stories: Witness turning points in the lives of the inhabitants of an apartment in Berlin over the course of a whole century. You can Wishlist the game and play the demo here on Steam.