We’re nearing the end of 2025, and indies just cannot stop winning. A new form of roguelike is once again here, this time combining Balatro and Scrabble into an incredibly addictive gameplay loop, accompanied by great audio and visuals.
The game in question is Cursed Words, which initially brought to mind Wordle. However, as I would come to discover from the gameplay itself, it’s more akin to Scrabble, as the devs themselves like to point out.
The loop goes something like this: You combine adjacent letters to form words, each word carrying a certain number of points; each round requires you to reach a point threshold, eventually leading you to a boss fight. Clear three bosses to “win” a run, unlocking new characters, letters, buffs (like those Balatro jokers) and so on. It’s super simple but incredibly addictive.
It takes liberal inspiration from Balatro, but combines it with a different kind of game that is far removed from its poker core. We did previously get Clover Pit, which continued down the gambling path paved by Jimbo, introducing a slot machine instead of cards and tables. This time, however, gambling as a whole was transcended, proving the visually striking roguelike loop is more important than the setting.
Combining longer words, especially if they’re buffed by your “jokers,” is immensely satisfying. The sounds, the visual cues, everything is just as it should be: evocative, crisp, creative. A lot of artistry went into the making of this game, and it immediately draws you in with a recognizable art style that stands out from most games of its kind.
It’s genuinely amazing how far indies have come, and how unrelenting they are in the wake of the total corporate AAA gaming collapse that we’ve been witness to over the past few years.
Cursed Words adds itself to the long tally of astounding indies of 2025, even though it’s only got its demo out at the moment (which, by the way, is completely free, while still offering quite a good chunk of gameplay). I can’t wait to get my hands on the full release, which I expect to keep me occupied with its words and letters for a long, long time.
At least until another indie shocks the industry again.
