Indie games have dominated 2025, and that is a fact. The previous year was, in fact, a year for indie games, and the proof of that is public. More than 50 percent of the GOTY nominations were of indie games. If you count Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 as an indie, then the percentage is over 50. However, even without doing so, 50 percent of the nominees were indie games, which is a solid achievement.
The domination did not just stop there. On Metacritic, the top five best-rated games of 2025 are none other than indies. The domination still does not stop there, as even the top five best-rated games on Steam are indies. This is arguably a solid achievement and one that deserves all the praise.
Indies Completely Dominated 2025
Steam250 has revealed the top 250 best-rated Steam games of 2025. The top five best-rated games on Steam are Schedule 1, Repo, Dispatch, Clair Obscur Expedition 33, and Deltarune. These are all excellent games and have a strong rating.
Schedule 1 ranks first with a score of 6.2 and a rating of 98 percent. The second, third, fourth, and fifth spots are taken by Repo with a score of 6 and a 96 percent rating, Dispatch with a 5.98 score and a 98 percent rating, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with a 5.97 score and a 96 percent rating, and Deltarune with a 5.97 score and a 99 percent rating.
The number of reviews a game received may have also accounted for something in the ranking. However, these five games have one thing in common: they are all indies.
This shows exactly how much people valued indie games over AAA titles, despite major releases like Monster Hunter Wilds. This shift in the industry may bring even better upcoming games, which is nothing but a win for the gamers.
Even The Top 20 Best-Rated Games List Is Dominated By Indies
In the top five, there are no AAA games. However, when it comes to the top 10 best-rated games of 2025 on Steam, there is only one game that is not indie: Split Fiction.
This game is made by an independent studio, but EA provided the budget for its production and marketing. Similarly, KCD2 at 10th place is considered AAA by some, but it is mainly considered an indie because Warhorse is an independent developer and publisher.
The top 20 also shows a strong indie presence, as the only AAA game from 11 to 20 is Stellar Blade. If you scroll further, you can see even more indie games on the list, and they appear in much larger quantities than AAA titles.
While indie games may not be able to compete with AAA titles when it comes to budget, they are offering better quality.
For more interesting news and features, please check out the links below:
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- Players Appear to Be Cancelling Black Ops 7 Pre-Orders After Beta
- Battlefield 6 Vs. Black Ops 7: Why Battlefield May Have The Edge This Year
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Deserved The Best RPG Award At TGA 2025
- Expedition 33 Wins All Its Nominations At The Golden Joystick Awards
Obaid Ur Rehman is a lifelong gaming enthusiast with a deep passion for writing about video games. While he enjoys all genres, he specializes in RPGs and Soulslike titles. After tackling some of the toughest bosses, he often unwinds with a cozy game to relax. Outside of gaming, Obaid enjoys watching anime, bingeing TV series, or staying active at the gym.
