2025 is shaping to be a great year for games, both coming this year and announcements for games coming in 2026 and beyond. I could talk at length about how excited I am for the likes of Ghost of Yotei or Elden Ring Nightreign, but the internet is already inundated with hype around those titles, and rightfully so. There are a few games coming soon (or already released!) that I am pretty hyped for, both from indie and more well known developers, so let’s talk about a few games coming soon that can help tide you over in anticipation of the heavy hitters!
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive)
A few months ago I realized I must be living under a rock, because I hadn’t heard anything about this title until I caught a streamer I really like who was playing the demo on her stream. Some compelling narrative with turn-based RPG mechanics had me salivating like I was at an all you can eat sushi buffet. The gothic horror themes and steampunk vibes look fantastic, and the cast is great, featuring the likes of Jennifer English, who voiced Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Historically I have not been a huge fan of turn-based RPGs, but I relented after massive peer pressure to play Baldur’s Gate 3, and realized that if it feels immersive and more engaging than a Pokémon game, I can get hooked. This gothic horror steampunk beauty looks right up my alley, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it when I get the chance. The game released just a few days ago, and is breaking genre records over on Steam already.
2. Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori (Aesir Interactive)
Calling all my fellow horse girls of the late 90s and early 2000s: our time has come at last!
There’s no shortage of RPGs out there that give you a horse companion to ride about on your adventures, but not a whole lot of games that prioritize the relationship between player and horse. Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori, developed by Aesir Interactive, aims to blend vast open world with cozy management vibes, in a game where you play as a 13th century Mongolian courier tasked with breeding and caring for horses and expanding your courier services.
Their recent Kickstarter campaign was a massive success, and alpha testing for backers is slated to begin sometime this spring. With a formal release date not anticipated until sometime next year, there is unfortunately still a bit of a wait, however the hype of getting to live your childhood horse girl dreams eases the impatience. I can’t wait to brag about my horse army on the internet very soon.
3. My Little Puppy (Dreamotion Inc.)
Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way: you’re probably going to cry. A lot. You play as an adorably fluffy corgi doggo living his best life in heaven with all of his doggo friends. However, he suddenly catches the scent of his human, whom he lovingly refers to as his “daddy,” and realizes he is on his way to heaven to be reunited with him. Too excited to wait, our adorable doggo sets out on a perilous adventure outside the safety of the pearly gates to find his dad and live their happily ever afterlife.
The demo is free and available to play on Steam, and it gave me big Spiritfarer vibes when I first picked it up. It’s soothing, cozy, heartwarming, and will tear your heart through your chest, step on it repeatedly, and kiss it before hurling it at your face with the force of a 95 mph fastball. If you’ve recently lost a pet, I recommend tabling this one for now; but if your heart can take it, the one hour demo is a delight to play, and makes me so excited for what’s to come on this heartwarming adventure. My Little Puppy is slated for a full release sometime in 2025.
