Hey Hangry Fam,

Ever sit back and think: “Wait — indie games are actually crushing it this year?” Because we’ve been watching, playing, wish listing… and yes: the numbers don’t lie. Small teams, big dreams, huge results. And it’s fuelling our excitement for Nom Nom Express even more. It’s the kind of motivation we need sometimes as a small indie team, building for impact, boot strapped, you know the deal.

Here are five indie titles we love that are absolutely crushing it in 2025, and why they matter to our journey as much as any AAA title showcase.

• Genre: Cooperative climbing adventure / physics-based comedy

• Sales: Over 6.5 million units sold, generating an estimated $45–55 million to date

• Why it resonates: Peak’s joyful chaos and unpredictable multiplayer antics make failure funny, not frustrating — a reminder that games thrive when they don’t take themselves too seriously.

• What it teaches us: Comedy and co-op can co-exist beautifully. If players are laughing as much as they’re losing, you’re doing something right.

• Target Audience: Teens and young adults (13+), co-op gaming fans

• Age Suitability: According to its EULA, players must be 13 years or older to access the game. There are online co-op aspects to this title.

• Genre: Vehicle-based delivery roguelike / sci-fi adventure

• Sales: 1.2 million units in early access, estimated $18–22 million revenue so far

• Why it resonates: A blend of roguelike strategy and exploration where every delivery feels personal. Fans love its hand-drawn style and quirky “cosmic postal service” theme.

• What it teaches us: Even early-access projects can find huge followings when the concept is strong and updates are transparent. It’s about community-driven growth, not perfection.

• Target Audience: Teens and fans of co-op suspense / monster chase games

• Age Suitability: Family Gaming Database suggests an anticipated PEGI 16 rating at this early access stage.

• Genre: Job simulation / exploration puzzle

• Sales: 2.8 million+ units, approx. $30 million in total revenue

• Why it resonates: It nails the slow-and-steady satisfaction loop — think “Job Simulator meets Studio Ghibli.” Every delivery feels rewarding, and its cosy, meditative pacing is loved by younger audiences.

• What it teaches us: Not every game has to be fast-paced. Slower, task-based gameplay can build incredible engagement through calm, mindful play and charming world design.

• Target Audience: Kids, preteens, simulation / delivery game fans

• Age Suitability: Based on genre and simpler mechanics, likely 8+ to 12+ would be reasonable — with parental guidance. No official rating at the time of writing.

• Genre: Turn-based action RPG / narrative adventure

• Sales: 5 million+ units sold, estimated $125–175 million in revenue

• Why it resonates: Its painterly visuals, emotional storytelling, and rhythm-infused combat make every moment feel handcrafted. A masterclass in world-building and tone.

• What it teaches us: A distinct visual and emotional identity can elevate smaller projects to global success. Style, sincerity, and atmosphere matter more than spectacle.

• Target Audience: Mature teens and adults who enjoy narrative, darker themes, RPG stylings

• Age Suitability: Official ESRB rating is M for 17+ (due to violence, gore, strong language, suggestive themes)

• Genre: Narrative adventure / road trip management sim

• Sales: 2.3 million+ units, generating $25–30 million in revenue

• Why it resonates: A mix of humour, discovery, and relationship-building wrapped up in a bright, painterly aesthetic. Its road trip metaphor mirrors the player’s own sense of progress and reflection.

• What it teaches us: Small games that lean into human emotion and nostalgia can achieve mass appeal — especially when supported by a compelling aesthetic and simple, heartfelt mechanics. Physics and getting it wrong, can be hilariously amusing with huge replay factor.

• Target Audience: Kids to teens (family narrative adventure fans)

• Age Suitability: Given its narrative and relatively mild content, a 10+ to 13+ bracket seems plausible (with parental discretion). No official rating is available at the time of writing.

We’re building our first game slowly but surely, titled Nom Nom Express — a game that blends fun mechanics, stack-based chaos, and quirky delivery mayhem. What we’re learning though R&D, and industry developments:

• Define your identity: Be weird, be simple, be memorable. 

• Leverage social share-ability: A delivery going wrong? Surprise alien attacks on food hauls.. That becomes a clip, a laugh, a hook. Virality is key (sharable moments).

• Engage early, iterate fast: Indie success is more about momentum than millions of dollars, we’re learning as we go, it’s a hard road, but a fun one.

• Focus on joy + community: Craft a smaller world that people want to revisit, stream, share. Again lessons learnt from the RPG vision we had.

• Purpose matters: We’re not just making a game. We’re building something with heart, that will help real world causes and feed the Hangryness for us all and importantly hose that need it the most.

Here's Hangry Andy playing with the early prototype in Unity from recent developments. We're focussing heavily on the replay ability right now, so visuals are the last thing on our mind! Pickups, how to influence the stack stability, how and what destabilizes it, terrain obstacles etc..

The indie successes of 2025 aren’t anomalies. They’re signals. Signals that good ideas, sharp focus, and loyal strong communities can still break through the noise. They inspire us to keep building Nom Nom Express — full of silliness, stacked food, chaotic runs, purpose and heart, full of the Hangryness we know we already have.

Thanks for being part of this ride. The world of games is vast, the noise levels are static at times — but with you, we’re tuned into the right frequency to make it happen. Your quiet encouragement is felt. 

Stay hangry, stay inspired, keep on gaming!
Team Hangry
www.hangryanimals.com

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