Want to check out recent games from 2025 and 2026 that may have passed you by? This happens every time a big game comes out. Players may pursue the new, shiny AAA experience and ignore the smaller ones for a variety of reasons. The price might be too high at first, it might be part of a series you've never played before, or the gameplay might seem intimidating.
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Underrated doesn't even begin to describe this amazing, rarely reviewed indie game.
Ender Magnolia: Flower in the Mist and The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon These are two fairly recent games that can stand next to the biggest names in the industry. It's not a perfect action game, but it's a lot of fun with other choices.
Rearranges covers into correct US release order.
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Rearranges covers into correct US release order.
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Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
two souls, one body
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound It's a NES-style 2D action platform game. Ninja Gaiden The game has had a few tweaks to give it a more modern feel. Players start with Kenji, a fellow ninja of the Hayabusa clan. And then there's Kumori, a female ninja and rival of the Dragon Ninja Clan. After a chance encounter, the two characters fuse together and share a body. When the player wants, they can switch between the two, with each character having multiple specialties, such as Kenji being better at close range and Kumori being better at ranged.
Players can collect items and then purchase upgrades from a store, and there is a world map with mission information with slightly non-linear progression. The action and platforming are top-notch, the visuals are a Pixel fan's dream, and it also has great support features that make it more accessible to a wider audience. Ninja Gaiden 4 may have been the series' big comeback in 2025, but ninja fans shouldn't ignore it. Ninja Gaiden: RageboundBecause it does many things better.
Ender Magnolia: Flower in the Mist
Metroidvania Persona
Ender Magnolia: Flower in the Mist It's a 2D metroidvania with RPG elements. Players take on the role of Lilac, a girl with amnesia. She has the power to bond herself to beings known as homunculi, which players can use for combat or exploration purposes. It's like getting a persona. persona Series (excluding action games)
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Indie games are always overlooked, even if they have good reviews, but these games are just too good to be part of that club.
For example, players can learn how to hang on to surfaces or air dash, and since there's non-linear exploration, the map opens up in different ways with each new power-up. Some homunculi attack at close range, while others can attack from a distance. Most of them are basic but can be upgraded to enhance or unlock new attacks in an essential upgrade loop. Ender Magnolia: Flower in the MistLike the best Metroidvania games, it tells an atmospheric story with world-building through interactivity and stunning visuals.
Absolem
A fighter with roguelike tendencies
Absolem It's an old-school fighting game using a roguelike framework. Players can initially choose to play two heroes, but more heroes will be unlocked as they progress. Galandra has a large sword and is gifted with some magical abilities, while Karl is shorter and better with his fists and gunplay. Each unlocked character has basic attacks and skills that require time to recharge through varying meters. Players can gain temporary upgrades to boost their power when running, along with permanent boosts from the hub world.
Unlike most roguelike games Absolem There is less randomness in the map as areas are reread each time the player restarts, but it has some nice features to keep things interesting. Players can make branching decisions as they run, allowing them to move to a different location each time. Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystaracould inspire AbsolemBecause he is one of the best fighters of all time. It's the little things that make a run more unique, but what really makes it stand out are the striking hand-drawn visuals.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon
The best of both RPG worlds
overhead trail The series are difficult to get into because the names are very long and it is difficult to know which series are directly connected to others. The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon It is the latest game and sequel in the series. The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak 2This may deter beginners from taking the plunge. That said, it does a great job of getting beginners up to speed, and has some nice design choices for an RPG game. First, when players dive into a dungeon, they can use some sort of map that demarcates the rooms to determine their route.
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If there's one thing that almost all gamers agree on, it's that this is a high-quality title with very few flaws.
Players can then explore larger spaces where enemies roam around in real-time, allowing players to engage in action combat. Players can decide to slow down and have turn-based combat instead, making for a very flexible combat system. With tons of characters, equipment, and abilities, the game has many in-depth ways to progress. The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon It can make gameplay rewarding. It may be scary, but there's never been a better time to check out this series.
BlazBlue Entropy Effect
From fighter to roguelike
BlazBlue Entropy Effect It is a 2D action roguelike game derived from the fighting game series. Blazblue. The game is essentially a simulation where players can choose one of several avatars and unlock others along the way. There are many iconic characters to choose from, each with their own unique weapons and abilities. Ragna is slow but powerful with a large sword, while Noel is more agile with an extremely large gun.
There are also guest characters such as the main character of . dead cells. No matter who players choose, the map will be randomized each time and filled with a variety of monsters and temporary upgrades, from new abilities to stat boosts. Build as far as you can, die, repeat. The action is as fluid and visually appealing as any major fighting game. Besides, you don't need to know anything Blazblue before playing BlazBlue Entropy EffectSo give this 2D roguelike game a try.
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