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Digital Trends
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
6 under the radar games for the second half of 2025
Believe it or not, but we've already crossed into the second half of 2025. Depending on how you look at it, this year might feel like it has only just started or has been the longest six months of your life. In terms of games, though, we've already had a bounty of amazing games this year, with standouts being Monster Hunter Wilds, The Alters, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Death Stranding 2, just to name a few. Looking ahead, we have a fairly clear roadmap for what the big upcoming games of 2025 will be, such as Ghost of Yotei, Borderlands 4, and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. This felt like the perfect time to highlight some of the smaller games that you might not have heard of or maybe forgot were coming out in all the excitement. These are my 6 most anticipated games that might be flying under your radar. Shadow Labyrinth – July 17 Starting off in July, we have the strange reimagining of the classic arcade game as a dark Metroidvania. Shadow Labyrinth pulls out the horror elements that were always present in Pac-Man and fully embraces them. You will take control of a character known as Swordsman No. 8 who teams up with an orb called Puck, which is a direct reference to Pac-Man's original name. Besides standard action and exploration, alongside your usual progression systems of unlocking new moves, you will also be able to fuse with Puck to traverse the map as if it were a classic Pac-Man maze. While I was originally skeptical this game wouldn't stand up beyond its shock value, everything I've seen since its reveal has me convinced it will be a great new Metroidvania. Recommended Videos Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound – July 31 We're seeing a major resurgence in old ninja and samurai games between the new Onimusha and Ninja Gaiden 4 on the way, but we're also being treated to retro-style entries that call back to the series' origins. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound might be more exciting than the next big entry. Coming from the amazingly talented team at The Game Kitchen and Dotemu, it only takes one look at the pixel art to know this game will be something special. Just like the original NES games, Ragebound looks like a brutal but fair 2D action platformer that will bring modern sensibilities to a classic genre. Sword of the Sea – August 19 One of the newer games I added to my list is Sword of the Sea. This is the next game from developer Giant Squid, who you would know as the team that made Abzu and The Pathless. This next game looks like it is combining the vibes and tone of the former with the more advanced and satisfying movement of the latter. The footage shows off a mysterious character surfing through a dead world on a floating sword, bringing life back wherever they go. As water and life return, more areas to explore and restore open up. This game will be all about the world, vibes, and satisfaction you get from the movement. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance – August 28 Remember how I mentioned how many classic ninja games were coming back? Well, here's another one for you to check out in August. Shinobi was a cult classic title compared to its contemporaries, which makes the existence of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance all the more exciting. Like Ragebound, this game is sticking to the classic 2D action style, but with a smoother and hand-drawn art style. If I had to guess from the footage, I'd say this one will be a bit more forgiving than Ragebound, but we will have to see. While there is some clear overlap between the two games, I think there's more than enough room for two excellent 2D action games. Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree – September 18 The only roguelite to make my list is the charming Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree. The hook this game promises that is somewhat unique for the genre is the fact that choice and bonds will impact the game. That hasn't been detailed much yet, but the gameplay already has my attention. Action looks slick with tons of characters, plus the inclusion of co-op, but different quests will take you to different timelines. As time advances, the hub village and characters will change. Again, we need to see just how deep these systems go, but it sounds interesting enough right now for me to want to check it out. Digimon Story Time Stranger – October 2 The Digimon Story games have been underrated ever since the first Cyber Sleuth. While some still pass this entire franchise off as a Pokémon clone, the games at least have forged their own path as amazing RPGs. Sure, you will tame and battle with your digital monsters, but the battle system is leagues ahead of Pokémon, and the story and world are a clear step up. This entry will have over 450 Digimon to find and collect, but it is the plot featuring time travel, parallel worlds, and secret organizations that has my inner anime fan fully onboard. If you're not sure Pokémon Legends: Z-A will shake off the poor reputation the series has had as of late, you can always jump ship to Digimon Story Time Stranger.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Day of the Devs at SGF 2025: Everything Announced at The Indie Showcase!
At Summer Game Fest 2025, Day of the Devs unleashed their very own showcase filled with what's to come on the Indie gaming landscape for 2025. As anticipation for the big Summer Game Fest 2025 presentation fizzles following the showcase that aired right before Day of the Devs, fans look forward to the actual Day of the Devs Indie presentation that takes place right after the main show. This year, Indie gaming has improved with a torrent of sequels and world premieres that will grab gamers partial to any genre, proving that there's something for everyone, like every year prior. Day of the Devs' mission statement is to 'To celebrate the creativity, diversity and magic of video games' and they do that by providing a platform for emerging or underrepresented talent. Day of the Devs ultimately connects players with developers and their games, building upon a community of developers and fans who commonly want the best video games have to offer. At the Day of the Devs SGF 2025 showcase, developers brought many anticipated titles (and a few surprises) to the stage. All of the revealed titles and their premiere trailers shown at Day of the Devs SGF 2025 can be seen below. A new title is coming from the developers at No Goblin, and it's a heist game called Snap & Grab. You are Nifty, a famous photographer who deals in heists and photographs, and it's up to players to plan the perfect heist. Snap & Grab will be available TBD in 2026 for PS5, Xbox, and PC. From the developers behind Untitled Goose Game comes another title that explains less than required in its title. House House brings Big Talk to fans, which is aptly all about walking and talking. Proximity chat plays a big role in the title, and in the trailer, the way you communicate with others (including echo effects in cavernous spaces) will play a big part in gameplay. Big Walk is all about teamwork and will require outside-the-box thinking with friends to complete challenges. Big Walk features walking, talking, light platforming, and the joy of solving things together. A release date is still TBD for 2026. From the developers at Giant Squid, a new atmospheric adventure game has been introduced called Sword of the Sea. Like the studio's previous title, Journey, players will enter a serious flow state while surfing on their sword-board through sprawling landscapes. Music from Austin Wintery will envelop players in immersion, and Giant Squid mentions old Tony Hawk Pro Skater titles as inspiration for how movement works in-game. Sword of the Sea comes out on August 19. A sequel to the fan-favourite Escape Academy has been announced by Coin Crew Games at Day of the Devs SGF 2025 presentation. In Escape Academy 2, players can explore the entirety of the academy. Fans will find that nearly nothing is off-limits and secrets are tucked in every nook and cranny to give adventurous players a reason to search the academy from top to bottom. Escape Academy 2 has a TBD release date, but it can be wish-listed on Steam now. From the creators behind The Artful Escape comes Mixtape, a 'psychedelic retrospective' coming-of-age journey starring three friends, and the whole game feels like a Mixtape of its own (which the devs say is by design). The entire title, from the music to gameplay and events that transpire, 'is a mixtape' designer Johnny Galvatron explained. Big bands like The Cure and Smashing Pumpkins are featured on Mixtape's soundtrack, and fans will be able to explore a teenage wasteland with reckless abandon when Mixtape launches on PlayStation, PC and Xbox Game Pass Day One at a TBD date in the future Drinkbox Studios' (known for Guacamelee! and Nobody Saves the World) new title (and first foray into 3D) Blighted brings hardcore Metroidvania action to a dynamic difficulty system that gets as strong as the player is. As the lone survivor of the Blight's start, you'll need to find ways forward through Blighted enemies and huge Blight-riddled bosses. Blighted and its challenges launch at a TBD date. The next title from Outerloop Games (known for Thirsty Suitors), which premiered at the Day of the Devs SGF 2025 presentation, is an RPG called Dosa Divas One Last Meal. A 'flavourful turn-based' battle system is deployed, and players will need to strategize to succeed. Players will have to deliver delicious meals to create communities in-game and use everything at their disposal to keep the last meal going. Dosa Divas is out in early 2026. Heart Machine's next title is a side-scrolling action title called Possessor(s). Sensu has been overrun by demons, and players embody a demonic pact maker, Luca. Luca makes a deal with a demon for both parties to survive, forcing Luca to piece together events that have happened to Sensu to escape. A demo is available today, and Possessors will be out later this year. A fresh look has been given to Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault after being introduced at ID@Xbox earlier in the year. Combat has been improved from the original game, giving enemies a variety of ranged attacks for fans to contend with. Even bosses throw endless projectiles at players, giving a new layer of challenge to the rogue-like Moonlighter 2. The Endless Vault will arrive in the Summer of 2025. From the creators of Please Touch the Artwork and Please Touch the Artwork 2 comes a spot-the-difference title called Please Watch The Artwork. All artwork in the game comes from Edward Hopper, and fans will need to spot differences in the unsettling atmosphere of Please Watch the Artwork. Notably, the title has no jump scares or horrific imagery, so while unsettling, players can rest assured their blood pressure won't spike. Please Watch the Artwork will launch around Halloween 2025. From the creators behind TMNT: Shredder's Revenge comes a new Marvel Heroes-based beat 'em up title called Marvel Cosmic Invasion. Embracing previous Marvel beat 'em ups, fans can don the claws of Wolverine, the cape of Storm, or any of the other Marvel Heroes on the roster to deal with waves of oncoming enemies. Marvel Cosmic Invasion launches Holiday Season 2025 ColdBlood Inc. introduces a new farming simulator starring Fiona, who decides to start a farm after escaping her dead-end job. Unlike other farming sims like Stardew Valley, Neverwake deploys a more horrifying gameplay loop. Different times of the day are advanced when major actions like spending time with another character happen (akin to Persona), so unlike other farming sims, the title moves along at the player's discretion. Fiona is indebted to a herald god, giving what would normally be a cozy title a sinister and bloody feel, complete with relationship-building and farming aspects The unsettling horror fantasy life sim co-directed by the artist from Celeste, NeverWay, launches at a TBD date. The developers at Nyamakop were up next to introduce a world premiere at the Day of the Devs SGF 2025. Nyamakop introduces a world where a new treaty has been signed between Western civilization and Africa, where all artifacts that are on display must be returned to their country of origin. But, there are some bad actors that continue to exhibit the artifacts without returning them (in underground viewing sessions), which is where the player's team comes in to steal back what's been claimed. Relooted brings real-life artifacts to the video game world, giving players a crash course on each real-life twin artifact of the same name, and details how selected artifacts have been kept from their home countries. There will be 70 artifacts to 'reloot,' as players will need to avoid security and make it out with relooted goods. Relooted is coming to Steam, the Epic Games Store and Xbox platforms soon. Fans have gotten a new look at Ratatan, the upcoming rhythm title from Ratata Arts, with a brand new trailer. The stylish rogue-like rhythm title, Ratatan, will launch in early access on Steam on June 25. OtherSide Entertainment and Warren Spector's new title, is a new take on stealth. The new multiplayer stealth action title is called Thick as Thieves, and in Thick as Thieves, multiple groups of players will be deployed on the same map instance, forcing players to work together against NPC AI and actual human player teams who have the same target. Thick of Thieves functions as a theft battle royale (similar to Sharkmob's Exoborne) and more information will be available soon. A new indie title from Playables demands players respond to their boss in Pocketboss. Pocketboss is a short title meant to explore the joys of manipulating data, and in short, players will need to solve requests from their boss as a remote worker. Pocketboss comes out later in 2025. Consume Me is a slice-of-life title about making Jenny reach her high school goals while also balancing life itself. Consume Me launches on September 25, 2025. The Day of the Devs SGF 2025 showcase then premiered a title from Mortis Ghost that inspired Undertale directly, and it was made 15 years ago. The creator made OFF with the sole notion of making 'something funny to show my friends and a few people on the internet.' OFF has the player navigate and defeat ghosts as a baseball player in an RPG inspired by traditional JRPGs. OFF launches on Nintendo Switch and Steam on August 15. Another world premiere followed in the Day of the Devs SGF 2025 showcase, and GameTeam6 brought along its new title Tire Boy. This action-adventure title sees players embody a literal Tire Boy, and gameplay reflects what can be seen in action-adventure platforming titles with nifty designs like Glover, and uses the player character's tire appearance to roll around the setting. More information regarding Tire Boy will be released soon. The next title from the developers at Something We Made is a direct sequel to TOEM, TOEM 2. TOEM 2 still retains its photography gameplay identity, despite being set a few years after the events of the original game. TOEM 2 has also entered the 3D plane and has introduced a brand new movement system, allowing players to explore the environment in new ways, breathing new life into the Toem formula. More storyline beats, updated visuals and a new movement system await fans in Toem 2, when it launches at a TBD date soon. That wraps all of the exciting world premieres from the Day of the Devs SGF 2025 showcase! Fans looking for more SGF 2025 coverage can check out all of CGMagazine's articles here, or the whole showcase from Day of the Devs 2025 on YouTube.
Engadget
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Sword of the Sea launches August 19
Giant Squid has announced that it's latest game, Sword of the Sea , will come to PlayStation 5 and PC on August 19. It'll also appear on PlayStation Plus from day one for Extra and Premium Subscribers. The fantasy adventure game marries surfing mechanics with the atmospherics of the developer's previous games like Abzû and Journey . Giant Squid showed off more gameplay in a new trailer as part of PlayStation's June 4 State of Play. "At its core, Sword of the Sea is all about surfing," the developer wrote. "You'll be carving your way across mysterious moving waves of sand on the ancient and powerful hoversword." Other scenarios include dreamy ice-scapes and oceans full of flying dolphins. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Giant Squid again teamed with creative director Matt Nava and composer Austin Wintory, who also worked on Abzû and Pathless . "As a surfer and snowboarder myself, I have felt the rush of movement and seen the beauty of nature in a way that only these extreme sports can deliver," Nava wrote about Sword of the Sea.
