Hyped for video games – 2025 Edition

There are some obvious choices like Hyper Light Breaker, Slay The Spire 2, Crowsworn, or – for the third(!) year in a row – Silksong and Replaced. But these are on every list. Instead, let me focus on some lesser-known games that made it onto my wishlist – because of glorious graphics, an interesting art style, intriguing mechanics, a healthy dose of nostalgia, or just over-the-top weirdness.

1. Drop Duchy

Last year I was toying around with the idea of some kind of roguelike dungeon-crawler where the dungeon is build via Tetris-like tiles. This didn’t get anywhere cause I couldn’t get the main idea to work.

It looks like Drop Duchy found a way to make it work for realm-building. Much more detailed than anything I had in mind. And probably much more fun than anything I could have built.

This is a must-buy for me. Just to see how they incorporated the Tetris mechanic.

2. The Eternal Life of Goldman

Sure, another platformer. But this one is hand-drawn with frame-by-frame animations. It looks terrific. And who doesn’t want to play as an old man with an assistive cane?

3. Centum

A weird little indie horror game. I like.

4. Croak

Another fantastic looking platformer. Although this one is advertised as »challenging« and »precision platformer«. The first 15 seconds of the trailer alone are stress-inducing. I can already hear myself screaming at the screen. I won’t be surprised if this is a game I won’t finish.

5. Death Howl

I’ve stumbled across this trailer just yesterday on YouTube. Calling it a »soulslike deck builder« might be a touch too clickbaity. But I am willing to give it a shot because of the art style. Let’s hope, it won’t be released anywhere near Slay The Spire 2.

6. The Drifter

A Pixel Art Point and Click. A Pulp Adventure Thriller. With one of those always popular timeloop things going on. Just take my money.

7. Bye Sweet Carole

This one seems to be a bizarre Snow White / Alice in Wonderland / Disney / Horror - Mix. I am intrigued.

8. Moonshire

Looks like a neat little Zelda-like. Count me in.

9. The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest

Just like no. 8, this one ticks off all the checkboxes (for old people). Homage to Castlevania? Check. 8-bit Platforming? Sure. Parody? I hope so. Whacky title? Of course.

10. Blue Prince

I am not quite sure what to make of this one. You explore a house with 45 rooms. Searching for a mysterious 46th room. There are puzzles, but there also seem to be some roguelike elements? Let me finish Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and The 7th Guest first, then I am free for the next mystifying house.

I’m gonna throw two more games into the mix. These two will very likely not be published in 2025, but rather somewhere down the road.

11. The Midnight Walk

I don’t know why this list contains so many horror games. I usually don’t play those. But these graphics! I mean »Handcrafted in clay«! 

12. Shroom and Gloom

Here we have: first-person, roguelike deckbuilder, monstrous mushrooms, and mountains of mega-combos. Sure. This time around you are building two decks, one for combat, and one for exploring. Shroom and Gloom currently exists as a prototype, and the developers hope to evolve it into a full game.