2025's Best Free Story Games!
- Ori
- Dec 31, 2025
- 5 min read
As 2025 is coming to an end, I wanted to share some of my favourite free games that came out this year. Overall, it’s been a great year for not only story and indie games, but free-to-play games of that same category. This list includes just seven of my favourites, and I encourage anybody reading to share any free game recommendations that you have played this year, either in the comments or on Twitter!
Catgirl was released by City Girl Games on May 25th, 2025, but it feels like an absolute classic already. It’s an RPG with a heavy focus on the story, playing as a Catgirl trying to get your adorable dog back from the antagonist, Yumi. It perfectly encapsulates the indie-RPG feel with its beautiful pixel graphics and refreshing comedy style. You can clearly see the inspiration from other RPGs such as Undertale, but the gameplay and story provide a new take on the genre. Not only that, but the characters feel realistic and incredibly fun. It’s short, taking me about 3 hours to complete, but absolutely worth every second. If you’re looking for a new RPG, a fun free game, or something to fuel your internet addiction, this game has you covered.
DUET is a small but impactful fangame created for “Touhou Project” by Dolos Studios, released on the 2nd of May. Although I entered the game with no prior knowledge of Touhou Project, I still found the game incredibly enjoyable. It’s a point-and-click adventure, drawn entirely by hand. The unique art style absolutely makes it stand out, using a mix of pastel and vibrant colours to create striking artwork. The story is sweet as well - The game has no dialogue, progressing the narrative through small day-to-day actions and moments between the two characters. Watching the relationship bloom between the two girls is heart-warming. The game is only fifteen minutes long, so it won’t take up much of your time. It’s absolutely worth a play if you have any free time at all during your day!
Road Trip To The End Of The World is a fun visual novel released on the 31st of August, focusing on the female main character, Andy, and her imaginary fish friend. The story follows Andy and Fishy as they attempt to crash her ex-best friend’s wedding through a long road trip. Closure is definitely not included, though, so read at your own discretion. This visual novel is fun: while it’s linear, it still gives some dialogue options and choices. Most of it is point-and-click, though. The art style is just beautiful, reminiscent of the art you might find in a comic. The main reason to play the game is definitely the incredibly developed characters. I found the protagonist in particular to be very relatable. I don’t want to spoil the game entirely, so if you have a chance, definitely check this game out for yourself!
From the developer of “In Stars And Time”, insertdisc5 creates a new, short visual novel about a supervillain undergoing maintenance, released on August 5th. The supervillain cannot enact any evil deeds, so he spends the game monologuing about everything that he views as important: his past, his job, his life, and what being evil is to him. The game is honestly incredibly interesting: while the content is mostly a large monologue, it feels like more of a conversation. The supervillain, while being entertaining, makes for an in-depth protagonist. It’s a perspective we don’t see explored a lot, after all. Not to mention the beautiful design, atmosphere and premise of the game. Being able to track how many clicks you’ve used makes his time feel constricted: you’ll wish it could continue forever upon completion. It’s a game I absolutely recommend if you feel like changing your perspective a bit!
I couldn’t make this list without including one of the best visual novels that I’ve ever played. This is a linear visual novel with some of the prettiest art you’ve ever seen and a story that truly is like no other. The game, released on the 10th of November, lives up to its title fully. No matter what happens, no matter what goes wrong, Asya must love the world. Asya, the protagonist, dedicates her time to finding her missing classmate and sending her love to the world. The plot twist made me jump in surprise - and by the end, I was trying to process what I had just read. It’s a very impressive game that really puts you in the head of the protagonist. If you wish for a truly immersive game, this is a perfect recommendation.
Although this game has technically been out for a while, it was released on Steam on the 28th of November. Killer Chat! Is a dating simulator created by roserot that takes place inside a chat room. You can romance characters by talking with them in different channels, calling and even eventually meeting them in person. However, all of the characters share a common trait: they’re all serial killers in their spare time. You play as a writer creating a crime novel, invited by mistake as you are trying to figure out a hypothetical murder. In Killer Chat!, you try to find love as you attempt to hide your secret. This game is so entertaining, with an incredible story, multiple routes and multiple love interests. It truly encapsulates the darker atmosphere of the game. Everything about it is insanely stylish, from the art to the writing. If you need something a little darker while still having fun, this game is a great option!
ENA: Dream BBQ, released on March 27th, is a surreal fever dream of a game that will melt your mind in the best way possible. The game is a continuation of the ENA series on YouTube, keeping the protagonist’s signature split personality. This makes for such funny dialogue and interactions with the environment, as well as holding large potential for future character growth. The amount of potential in the game is so impressive, every character, no matter how small, leaves an impression. It’s a joy to explore, using first-person mechanics to let the player explore the open world as they please. There are a thousand different things to do, and none of them make any sense. Despite this, the game is very stylish, every sprite looking more uncanny than the last. The ENA team does a great job at making the game surreal in every sense of the word. Only chapter one is released, but if you want something to look forward to, chapter 1 is an absolute joy to play!
So, here are my favourite free games of 2025! There are already quite a few exciting free games releasing in 2026, so keep an eye on this space for articles covering them! If you want to support this article, please consider liking or commenting!
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