From cosy hotels to saving the world on two wheels, July is packed with indie gems that we feel deserve your attention. At InsideXO, we’re always watching what’s unique, fun, and flying under the mainstream radar.
We ranked these based on community buzz, innovation, visual flair, and sheer excitement in our Discord channels, so without further delay…
Here are five titles that we think are about to blow up – and why they should be on your wishlist!
5 – Wheel World
Release date: July 23rd 2025
Developer: Messhof
Genre: Adventure, racing, sports
Overview
Wheel World, developed by Messhof, is a soon-to-be-released bicycle racing game where you play as Kat, a young cyclist on a mission to save the world.
You can explore a massive open world, with races, hidden secrets and more, all whilst upgrading your ride, to take on elite cycling teams and wacky opponents
Inside Thoughts
This feels like such a cool concept for a game, theres such a nice feeling about being able to move with speed around a unique, well designed open world, whether it’s racing around on Forza Horizon, or driving on the highways with friends in GTAO, i know its enjoyable, and it looks like wheel world is managing to replicate that feeling very well, this is for sure going to be a great release, and we certainly cant wait to get our wheels on the open road!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1497460/Wheel_World/
4 – Bitcraft Online
Release date: June 21st 2025
Developer: Clockwork Laboratories, Inc.
Genre: Indie, MMORPG, Early access
Overview
Bitcraft isn’t just your typical MMO. There are no levels, no raids, just a vast open world to explore, cultivate, and shape with others. This one’s all about survival, craftsmanship, community, and working together to create lasting settlements. It’s visually minimalist and very ambitious in scope.
Inside Thoughts
I played this on the day of its Early access release, and got to experience firsthand the developers truly caring for its community, as any MMORPG release it had its issues, crashes, lag, queues to get in, but the whole journey felt well guided by the developers, who kept us up to date on discord with every problem that arose, and worked in real time to fix these issues.
They certainly impressed us with their commitment and efforts to satisfy their rapidly growing player base.
It’s a social sandbox we here at InsideXO are certainly keeping a close eye on!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3454650/BitCraft_Online/
3 – Reclaim The Sea
Release Date: July 14th 2025
Developer: 1LastGame
Genre: Adventure, Indie, RPG, Simulation, Strategy
Overview:
Reclaim the Sea is a roguelike adventure pirate game, where you take command over your ship, manage your resources, hire crew and upgrade your ship. With its visual flair and promising depth in its systems, it’s one of those games that could quietly hook a passionate fanbase once it hits early access. If you’ve ever wanted to experience life as a pirate captain, this one is right up your alley. It’s got randomly generated ships and maps, making each run unique, bringing you back again and again to hit the high seas.
The only question is, can your pirate skills defeat the final boss?
Inside Thoughts
Yarr Matey! This one only recently fell on my radar, and I’m so glad it did, it feels like a beautiful throwback to when I first started gaming, with upgrading a fort/base, fighting enemies and getting as far as I could, we here at InsideXO can’t wait to get in and start sailing, this one is quickly becoming a community hype favourite in our channels, so thats why we are placing on our list at number 3!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2096860/Reclaim_The_Sea
2 – Hotel Galactic
Release Date: July 24th 2025
Developer: Ancient Forge
Genre: Casual, Simulation, Early Access
Overview
This upcoming co-op management sim blends gorgeous painting-like visuals with base-building mechanics and cosy community vibes. You run a truly whimsical hotel filled with unique guests and deep lore. At InsideXO, we think it has serious potential to be one of the most talked-about cosy indies of 2025
Inside Thoughts:
Hotel Galactic looks like Spirited Away collided with a tycoon game, which is something that sounds like a deeply awesome experience. This style of management/building is a favourite of mine, and I am so excited to see how Hotel Galactic handles this. With such striking visuals and a growing sense of lore and character, this could set a new standard for cosy builder games. We can’t wait to check in!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2183670/Hotel_Galactic/
1 – Ground Of Aces
Release date: July 10th 2025
Developer: Blindflug Studios AG
Genre: Simulation, Strategy, Early access
Overview:
If you’ve ever wanted to be the brains behind a wartime airbase where you have to build a strong base layout and manage aircraft deployment in the dawn of WWII, then Ground of Aces is aiming straight for you. The art style is punchy and bright, with amazing models of aircraft from the Second World War, and well-thought-out buildings and decoration.
The gameplay promises a mix of construction and strategy, and there’s a clear inspiration from games like RimWorld and Prison Architect. This is one game that’s certainly taking off!
Inside Thoughts:
Where to start, I mean, what’s not to love here? The game promises unique stories of your air base crew, a good variety of realistic WWII’s most impressive aircraft, and a roadmap that looks amazing. We can’t wait to see what the game will add in the future, considering it already feels so solid and exciting now!
For anyone that is a fan of WWII era games, or just base builder management games, we think this is a must-add to your list, and is a game I will be keeping a close eye on as it continues to expand and add more content.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2308690/Ground_of_Aces/
What indie game are YOU most excited about this month? Let us know in the comments or join the XO Discord to chat with us in real time!
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