Introduction: Every year brings a range of new gaming releases and among them are always so-called sleeper hits. These are gaming titles that many from the wider gaming audience initially miss but which slowly build their following and then turn into massive video games. 2025 seems like a year that will have a range of such releases, covering a range of different genres and publishers, out of which each game could become the next big thing few saw coming.
Article: There have been numerous sleeper hits in the past 12 months. Throughout 2024, several big names arrived in the international gaming markets without too much attention from the mainstream gaming press. One such game is Helldiver 2, which became a global phenomenon only after it gradually built up its audience through word-of-mouth promotion, as well as some atypical marketing decisions from its developers at Arrowhead Studios. However, when the same cooperative shooter first came out, many simply labeled it as a knock-off of the Starship Troopers universe and forgot all about it. But, due to its deep-rooted qualities as a great shooter and fun co-op game, Helldivers 2 became a pop-culture phenomenon that manages to average about 50,000 daily concurrent players. However, turning into a sleeper hit is not an easy feat and many games that have a similar level of quality never find their audiences. In 2025, there are a handful of video games that even now promise at least the potential of becoming big sleeper hits. Here are those games and the main reasons why some or all of them could unexpectedly shape the gaming market of the coming year.
Menace
Overhype Studios, the studio that is developing Menace, previously created Battle Brothers. This tactical RPG has a lot of fans and some great reviews on both Steam and GOG. Now, Menace offers a similar setup that merges an emergent narrative with an XCOM-like combat style. As a strategy game that is turn-based, the game is not exactly coming to a big audience, but for the fans of this genre, getting a high-quality release is always a big moment and its fans tend to spend money on their gamers. So, chances are that Menace will sell a lot of copies relatively quickly once it gets published. Also, Overhype Studios learned from its previous modest development of Battle Brothers and now Menace will offer a cinematic look and feel that could open it to a much bigger gamer base.
Solasta 2
The original game that started the Solasta series is Solasta: Crown of the Magister. It found a lot of traction among fans of the Firth Edition Dungeons & Dragons gaming and the next sequel promises to do the same. Not long ago, Baldur’s Gate 3 provided proof that D&D gamers can turn a title into a big hit, and Solasta 2 plans to take its fantasy offer to the same group of people. Presently, its release date has not been confirmed, but industry insiders are certain that its early access release on Steam will take place in 2025. If the stars align for it and the quality of its quests and gameplay systems, Solasta 2 will give Baldur’s Gate 3 and even Path of Exile 2 a run for their money in the coming months.
Hyper Light Breaker
This title operates in the generally same market segments as the much more famous Risk of Rain 2, meaning that it is an action roguelike in a rich, 3D environment. Besides this, the game is being developed by Heart Machine, an indie studio that previously released the incredible Hyper Light Drifter. This action-adventure remains one of the most beloved indie games of the 2010s, especially when it comes to its sleek pixel art style. Now, Hyper Light Breaker will offer both single-player and co-op modes for those ready to explore the dangerous and wonderful world of Overgrowth, situated in the wider realm of Hyper Light. Many of those who have already had a chance to check out the game believe that it could overcome the success of the much more famous Risk of Rain 2 in 2025.
Psycho Patrol R
Among all of the games on this list, Psycho Patrol R is probably the most unique one of the bunch. It is a first-person shooter that sets the player in a mech-like setup. However, unlike almost any mech game, this title will focus more on its bizarre world and a strange sense of very dark humor, all in a late 1990s 3D graphic style. Besides this, the game will also feature a level design based on immersive simulation principles, as well as a stock market that will respond in-game to player’s decisions. Psycho Patrol R was created by Consumer Softproducts, a studio that already created another very strange game called Cruelty Squad, which got a cult following. It is hard to say how well will Psycho Patrol R perform on the market in the coming months, but sleeper hits sometimes grow from the most unlikely titles. Psycho Patrol R clearly has that going for it in 2025.
Big Walk
2024 saw the rise of a gaming trend that was often overlooked by main gamers and that is co-op games that use proximity voice chat as its main gameplay mechanics. Most famous are the horror titles that used this co-op setup. Lethal Company is a game that utilizes this concept and it has reached a big audience in a completely unexpected way. Some believe that this trend is reaching its maximum potential pretty soon, but one game is trying to make it work in 2025. This is Big Walk, which labels itself as an online walker-talker. Here the players will get a chance to explore a huge world together and get a lot of comedic value from purely physical events like, especially when it comes to their main characters who look like drawings made by very small children. Here as well, players will be attracted by the sheer authenticity of the gaming world that makes up the Big Walk, as well as the randomness and adventure potential that each playthrough can offer. If it turns out to be a big sleeper hit, it will likely be due to the fact that people will discuss their gaming experience online and thus attract more and more people to try it.
There is no doubt that there are many other games out in the wild that have a chance of making it big without anyone noticing it at first. These titles have a lot of things going for them, many of which cover completely different audiences. But, what brings them together is the fact that each of them has the potential to become the big sleeper hit of 2025.
Author: Ivica Milaric, game designer and assistant professor of game design at the Novi Sada Academy of Arts, Republic of Serbia