Seven indie games that will upgrade your downtime this fall

We all know there’s a lot of tech to potentially upgrade in your life, but for those who want to upgrade their downtime with inexpensive, relatively short video games, I have good news. 2025 has already featured a wealth of excellent titles to spend your time with, including ones from smaller and independent developers that you can complete in a few sessions. If you’re looking for a good new game to play (and aren’t already deep into Hollow Knight: Silksong), here are some great options from this year.

This new take on the classic side-scrolling versions of Ninja Gaiden from Dotemu and The Game Kitchen has gorgeous pixel art, tight platforming, thrilling combat, and a soundtrack that feels ripped straight from a cheesy action movie. The game can be pretty tough, which is fitting given its lineage, but there are Assist Mode features for those who want to make things a bit easier. It hits all the right notes for a great retro action game, yet it still feels very modern.

If a chill puzzle game is more of what you’re hankering for, Is This Seat Taken? should fit the bill. In the game, you’re tasked with finding the right seats for adorable little shape people while taking into account their various needs. Some may request to sit near a window, or to be far away from a stinky person. It’s all very relaxing and charming, and there’s no time limit or major penalty for not seating everyone exactly as they want. When you do find the right seats for everyone, it’s extremely satisfying.

The Drifter has all the hallmarks of an old-school point-and-click adventure game, like beautiful pixel art, many interesting people to talk to, and lots of items to experiment with. But unlike goofier stalwarts, such as the Monkey Island series, The Drifter uses the genre to tell a gripping thriller story. It’s a refreshing take on a classic genre, and like a great novel, I couldn’t put it down.

Rift of the NecroDancer is a Guitar Hero-like music game that’s packed with excellent original music, including some catchy remixes of tunes from the hit roguelike Crypt of the NecroDancer. I was a huge fan of Rift’s story mode, which uses a lightweight narrative to introduce you to the more than 30 songs in the game. There are also silly rhythm-based minigames and epic bosses. It’s foot-tapping fun, and if you’re like me, you’ll be humming the songs long after you put the game down.

Toby Fox’s parallel story to the indie classic Undertale has been in development for years and still isn’t finished. But even with four of seven planned chapters available to play right now, it feels like a complete experience. Deltarune is packed with just as much humor and oddities as Undertale, and the battles that blend RPG and bullet hell mechanics are just as entertaining to figure out in the in-development game. Deltarune is the longest game on this list — it took me about 15 hours to get through all four chapters that are out now — but every minute is worth your time.

Despelote, set in Ecuador in 2001, puts you in the shoes of a soccer-obsessed kid who’s swept up in the excitement of Ecuador competing to qualify for the World Cup. It features a stunning art style that puts black-and-white characters in an oversaturated world, and according to my colleague Andrew Webster, you can finish the game in about two hours. He called it a “picture-perfect portrait of childhood obsession,” so if you’re looking for a game that might make you feel a bit nostalgic — even if you didn’t grow up being into soccer — this might be one to check out.

Sometimes, you just want a game that encourages you to turn off part of your brain, and A Game About Digging a Hole can do just that. The game gives you basic tools that you can level up to dig, dig, dig your way down. There isn’t some late-game twist that breaks the fourth wall. You dig a hole, monitor your remaining health and power levels, mine valuable treasures, and reemerge to upgrade your gear so you can go even deeper. It’s mesmerizingly simple, and a good game to check out if you’re exhausted by games with upgrade trees and endless quests.