The SUGOI Showcase Shows How Indie Gaming Needs To Be Supported Now More Than Ever

My apologies, folks! I would’ve written up this bad boy much sooner, but my girlfriend and I had to catch up on Invincible (100/10 show so far, by the way). Speaking of catching up, I finally had time to watch the 2025 SUGOI Showcase. Many, many stellar upcoming (or freshly released) indie titles were shown off, and I genuinely would love to play each and every one. So, first, if you haven’t seen it yet?

You got some watchin’ to do. So, a staggering 34 indie games were shown off for the SUGOI Showcase. Interspersed with some incredible transitional animations. Unfortunately, we only have time here for my personal standout titles I’ll need immediately. (Though, to be clear, all the games will 100% get played/talked about here!)

sugoi showcase 2025 indie highlight #1: ‘leftovers ko!’

Confession Time: I’ve never played a Punch Out! game. However, Leftovers KO! seems to be just the solution to make up for lost time. It’s gorgeous, for starters. It’s weird as hell, a bonus. And my leftovers get to catch a fade for merely existing? Hell yeah. Additionally, there’s a demo for it that you can play right now on Steam!

“After a long day at work, you come home to find that your uneaten food has come to life — and it’s here to beat you up… with its hands! Defeat them all and uncover the truth! This hand-drawn animated game is as simple as the classic NES titles, but with some extras! Every leftover has a distinct fighting style, moveset, strengths, and weaknesses. Adapt, be quick, and turn them back into a pile of ingredients.”

sugoi showcase 2025 indie highlight #2: ‘Henry halfhead’

Henry Halfhead is just the kind of wholesome puzzle game I can’t resist. As Henry, you can possess a multitude of objects to achieve your goals. Also, you can enjoy this indie juggernaut with a friend! While there currently isn’t a demo for it, take a moment to wishlist the game on Steam to give it the visibility it deserves!

“Henry Halfhead is a quirky sandbox adventure game about an odd little character with the ability to become any object within their reach. Discover every object’s unique properties and abilities and cleverly combine them to take Henry through their not-so-ordinary everyday life.”

Final sugoi showcase 2025 highlight #3: ‘out of hands’

Now, Out of Hands made me audibly cheer when it showed up! This one wasn’t new since it appeared at an indie showcase already. But, it’s a weird deckbuilder where you’re trying your damnedest to escape the dream world. By mixing up body parts, using a variety of weapons, and just witnessing a whole lot of nightmare fuel. Hell. Yeah. You can play a demo of it on Steam, and I highly recommend checking it out!

“Muster what remains of your shattered psyche and do battle with foes formed of contorted memories, of crushing emotions. Innovative card-game mechanics mean everything’s a weapon. So keep your cool, consider your moves, and decide: will you play it safe, or go for the throat?”

in a troubled gaming landscape, the indies need all the attention they can get

I would hope it’s no secret by now that the indies are supremely meaningful — to me and the rest of the team. When I think of people who complain that the games industry is “stagnant,” I can’t help but consider all the less-publicized games that could be perfect for someone but never get their time to shine.

Sure, it’s virtually impossible to cover all the passion projects people have poured their love and expertise into. But we try. And we’ll continue doing just that. If you’re an indie developer and you happen to see this: you’re the lifeblood of the games industry. You’re the raw creativity we desperately need. Keep fighting to keep this tortured medium as beautiful and authentic as possible.