Silksong, Elastic Ropes, and Other New Indie Games You Need to Play

Hey everyone, welcome back to our indie game roundup! This week, the gaming world is buzzing because, well, *it’s finally here*. You know what I’m talking about: Silksong. We’ll definitely dive into that, but there’s a lot more going on. While some developers smartly dodged the Silksong hype train, plenty of others decided to stick to their release dates, giving us a fantastic lineup of new indies to explore.

But first, let’s talk sales! The Epic Games Store, which famously *doesn’t* have Silksong (yet!), is holding its End of Summer Sale until September 18th. There are some truly fantastic deals to grab. You can snag *Cyberpunk 2077* for 65% off the base game, or 50% off the Ultimate Edition, which includes the *Phantom Liberty* DLC (the DLC alone is 30% off if you already own the base game).

Other major discounts include *Red Dead Redemption 2* (75% off), *Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced* (50% off), *Assassin’s Creed Shadows* (33% off), *The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition* (80% off), and *Alan Wake 2* (70% off). Plus, a selection of PlayStation hits are on sale: *Marvel’s Spider-Man 2* (20% off), *The Last of Us Part 1* (50% off), *Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut* (33% off), *God of War* (60% off), and *God of War Ragnarok* (20% off). And as a bonus, you’ll get 20% back in Epic Rewards on all your purchases!

Don’t forget Epic’s weekly free games – no subscription needed! During big sales, they often drop some fantastic titles. Right now, you can grab the classic puzzle game *Monument Valley* for absolutely free until September 11th at 11 AM ET. After that, get ready for three more freebies: *Monument Valley 2*, the incredibly fast-paced *Ghostrunner 2* (a personal favorite, even if I’m awful at it!), and the strategy game *The Battle of Polytopia*. Mark your calendars for those!

And for Amazon Prime members, Prime Gaming always has a great selection of free games that are yours to keep forever, even if your subscription ends. This week’s highlight is the critically acclaimed strategy game *Into The Breach* – a must-play! There are many others, so be sure to browse the library.

New Releases

Check out the *Hollow Knight: Silksong* trailer!

After what felt like an eternity (seven years, to be exact!), *Hollow Knight: Silksong* has finally arrived! This highly anticipated indie gem is available now on consoles and PC for $20, and it’s even included with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. It’s already caused a stir, reportedly even crashing some storefronts and undoubtedly leading to a few frustrated (but loving) controller tosses after those infamous tough bosses.

*Silksong* is easily the biggest indie release of 2025 so far. Maybe if we keep talking about other long-awaited titles – *Kingdom Hearts 4*? *Beyond Good and Evil 2*? – they’ll miraculously appear sooner rather than later. Or, knowing our luck, in another five years.

Full disclosure: I’ve tried *Hollow Knight* a few times but never fully clicked with it. However, I’m absolutely committed to giving *Silksong* a proper, dedicated playthrough.

But hey, if *Silksong*’s not quite your cup of tea, don’t worry! There’s a whole host of other fantastic new games released this week for you to discover.

Check out the *Rogue Labyrinth* trailer!

When a game gives off serious *The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past* vibes (the best game ever, by the way!) in its visuals, I’m immediately interested. Luckily, *Rogue Labyrinth* looks like it’s a blast to play too! This action-narrative roguelite from Tea Witch Games and indie.io just launched on Steam. It’s normally $15, but you can grab it for 20% off with a special launch discount.

One of its coolest features? Your primary weapon is a “smacking stick” – perfect for turning objects (and even defeated foes!) into throwable projectiles. Combat blends frantic bullet-hell dodging with satisfying hack-and-slash action. As a roguelite, expect plenty of randomization with arenas, enemies, and powers on every run. The game also boasts dynamic narrative systems where you’ll form alliances with other characters, all while trying to survive a deadly reality show.

Check out the *Hirogami* trailer!

While many indies fled from Silksong’s launch, *Hirogami* bravely held its ground with a September 3rd release. I got a kick out of their press release title: “3D origami platformer *Hirogami* refuses to fold” – a simple pun, but effective!

This is a charming 3D platformer centered around origami mechanics. You can flatten your character into a sheet of paper to glide on wind currents, transform into an armadillo to smash through foes, become an ape to explore high canopies, or a frog for super jumps. Talk about a “bananza” of animal transformations! *Hirogami* is out now on Steam, Epic Games Store, and PS5.

Check out the *Fling to the Finish* trailer!

Already a hit on PC, the co-op platform racing game *Fling to the Finish* from SplitSide Games and Daedalic Entertainment has now arrived on consoles! Here’s the twist: you and a friend are literally tied together by an elastic rope. While it’ll often snag, you can strategically use it to swing each other across gaps or launch yourselves through the air!

The wacky, obstacle-filled courses have a *Fall Guys* vibe, and the power-ups you can use to sabotage opponents feel right out of *Mario Kart*. *Fling to the Finish* supports solo play, local multiplayer, and online multiplayer with cross-play – communication is crucial! Like *Overcooked*, you can even share a single controller with a friend, making it super easy for quick split-screen fun with a group.

Check out the *Jetrunner* trailer!

*Jetrunner* is a thrilling action-platformer from Riddlebit Software and Curveball Games, drawing inspiration from titles like *Ghostrunner* and *Neon White*. The developers themselves describe its gameplay loop as “Trackmania meets Titanfall” – which sounds incredibly exciting! You’ll be zipping through courses with parkour moves, shooting targets, grappling, and constantly searching for those perfect shortcuts.

Mastering the optimal route and executing it flawlessly is key to climbing the global leaderboards. You can even race against ghost replays of your own previous runs for direct comparison. Beyond the time trials, there’s a story mode where you follow Nina (voiced by Sara Secora) as she strives to become a legendary jetrunner, with commentator Mick Acaster (Matthew Mercer) tracking her journey. The visuals are absolutely stunning too!

*Jetrunner* is available now on Steam and the Epic Games Store for $20 (with a 10% launch discount on Steam). If you’re a speedrunning enthusiast, there’s a contest running until September 11th with a $2,000 prize pool – complete all campaign levels in marathon mode and follow the rules to compete! Interestingly, it seems that Silksong’s release actually *helped* *Jetrunner* gain more visibility on Steam, as other games cleared out of its way.

Upcoming Games

Check out the *Steel Century Groove* trailer!

Imagine a rhythm RPG where you can use your own music and tweak the BPM. Pretty cool, right? Now, throw in giant, repurposed mechs, and you’ve got *Steel Century Groove*! Developed by Sloth Gloss Games, this game puts you in epic robot dance battles, all to claim the championship title. These mechanical behemoths, once tools of war, are now pure groove machines.

*Steel Century Groove* is set to release on Steam on January 28th. Even better, a demo is available right now, and all your progress will carry over to the full game!

Check out *The Legend of Baboo* trailer!

When I first saw *The Legend of Baboo* for this roundup, my notes simply said: “big floof.” And that pretty much sums it up! This upcoming third-person action-adventure from Permanent Way and Midwest Games features Sepehr, a human hero, accompanied by the massive, adorable, titular dog, Baboo.

You’ll control both characters, tackling enemies, solving puzzles, and exploring dangerous landscapes. Defeating bosses unlocks powerful new magical attacks. But let’s be real, the best part? You can totally deck out Baboo with outfits and ornaments you find! He’s clearly the best boy and deserves to look fabulous. Oh, and yes, you can pet him, ride him, and even high-five him as Sepehr.

While there’s no solid release date yet, *The Legend of Baboo* is slated for Steam, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Check out the *Dreams of Another* trailer!

*Dreams of Another* looks genuinely unique – I haven’t seen anything quite like it. It leverages point cloud rendering for its absolutely stunning visuals, creating a truly dream-like fantasy world. From Q-Games (led by Baiyon, director of *PixelJunk Eden*), this exploration game lets you *create* the world around you by shooting at it!

Launching on PS5, PS VR2, and Steam on October 9th, this one might just inspire me to dust off my VR headset. A demo is currently available on Steam, but only until September 16th, so act fast!

Check out the *Tombwater* trailer!

*Tombwater* looks seriously cool. This 2D pixel-art Soulslike Western from Moth Atlas and Midwest Games throws you into a grim frontier against terrifying eldritch horrors, taking a clear page from FromSoftware’s book. Get ready for it on Steam this November 12th.

Check out the *Fantasy Football Tactics* demo trailer!

It’s always wonderful to see a passion project come to life! Former engineer John Lansing shared that nine years ago, he started building a “Final Fantasy Tactics-inspired football prototype.” Now, after 691 commits, he’s proud to present the *Fantasy Football Tactics* demo! This unique turn-based RPG focuses on outscoring your opponents on the football field, rather than just traditional combat.

The demo just launched on Steam this week. While there’s no official release date for the full game yet, it’s definitely one to keep an eye on!