PlayStation Plus October 2025 Lineup Explained

Sony has officially announced the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup for October 2025, offering a trio of standout titles that mix survival horror, mind-bending puzzles, and chaotic comedy. All three games will be available to PlayStation Plus Essential members starting October 7, 2025.

What games are coming to PlayStation Plus in October?

The October lineup includes three very different but equally engaging titles:

• Alan Wake 2 (PS5)

• Cocoon (PS4, PS5)

• Goat Simulator 3 (PS4, PS5)

Alan Wake 2: Remedy’s horror masterpiece

• Developer / Publisher: Remedy Entertainment, Epic Games Publishing

• Genre: Survival Horror

• Gameplay: Dual protagonist campaigns with resource-based combat and narrative-driven exploration

Released in October 2023, Alan Wake 2 builds on the cult classic thriller with an ambitious blend of storytelling and survival horror mechanics. The game follows novelist Alan Wake, who has been trapped in the mysterious “Dark Place” for 13 years, and FBI agent Saga Anderson, who arrives in Bright Falls to investigate ritualistic murders.

Players can switch between both protagonists, each offering different perspectives and mechanics. Alan uses his “Writer’s Room” to reshape reality through his manuscript, while Saga uses her “Mind Place” to profile suspects and piece together clues. Combat mixes traditional firearms with the flashlight mechanic that weakens shadowy enemies—a signature of the series.

Critics widely praised Alan Wake 2 for its atmosphere and storytelling. According to reviews aggregated on OpenCritic, it earned a 93% critic recommendation rate. IGN called it “a marvel of tension and terror,” while Game Informer praised it as one of Remedy’s best works to date.

Cocoon: A puzzle game that bends your mind

• Developer / Publisher: Geometric Interactive, Annapurna Interactive

• Genre: Puzzle Adventure

• Gameplay: Orb-hopping puzzles and world-within-a-world exploration

If Alan Wake 2 is intense, Cocoon offers something quieter but just as absorbing. Directed by Jeppe Carlsen, best known for Limbo and Inside, this indie gem asks players to navigate a series of worlds contained inside glowing orbs.

The gameplay revolves around carrying and entering these orbs, solving environmental puzzles by stacking realities inside each other. It’s the kind of design that feels impossible until you actually see it in motion. Boss fights punctuate the journey, requiring both puzzle-solving and quick reflexes.

Upon release in 2023, Cocoon became one of the year’s most celebrated indie games. It won Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards and holds a near-universal recommendation from critics. Eurogamer summed it up perfectly: “Prepare to be astonished.”

Goat Simulator 3: Chaos on four legs

• Developer / Publisher: Coffee Stain North, Coffee Stain Publishing

• Genre: Sandbox Comedy / Physics Simulator

• Gameplay: Open-world destruction, stunts, and four-player co-op

On the opposite end of the spectrum sits Goat Simulator 3, the ridiculous follow-up to the viral 2014 hit. The game drops you onto the sprawling island of San-Angora, where your goat can lick, headbutt, and explode just about anything in sight.

The sequel ups the ante with a bigger map, structured quests, and even a co-op mode for up to four players. Whether you’re unlocking the absurd “Goat Castle” hub or strapping jetpacks to your goat, the game leans into nonsense over realism.

The reception was mixed among critics, with some calling it an extended joke, but player reviews on Steam remain overwhelmingly positive (97%). As Shacknews put it, Goat Simulator 3 is essentially “Goat Theft Auto,” and that’s exactly the point.

Extra and Premium perks this fall

The October Essential lineup isn’t the only news for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Sony has also lined up additional content for higher tiers:

• PlayStation Plus Extra: The Last of Us Part II Remastered joined the catalog on September 26 to coincide with The Last of Us Day.

• PlayStation Plus Premium: Classic titles like Tekken 3, Soulcalibur 3, and Tomb Raider Anniversary are scheduled to roll out before the end of the year.