In a world where AAA games are disappointing its fans more and more even with the multi-million dollar budgets, Indie games are in their best possible condition, with developers with low budgets bringing a ton of fun games to play. Here’s a list of the best indie games out there.
Superhot
Superhot is a first-person shooter released in 2016. What makes this game unique is the very concept of the game and how it takes an interesting take on the bullet time mechanics. Basically, the gig is that time only moves when you move. It’s a simple concept, but it makes the game a wonder for its gameplay. The movement feels good and the ability to use different objects makes the gameplay even more fun to play. The visuals of the game are different as well, the art style of the game is a geometrical shape kind of take on the contrary of the popular choice of realistic details. It’s a different take on the general style of the fps genre and it’s an overall blast to play.
[ Also Read: Starfield Leaps to PS5: Gamescom 2024 Bombshell ]Subnautica
Subnautica is a survival game developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment. It’s a game that sets you on the ocean of an alien planet and you’re out there on your own to survive from the local flora and fauna. There are tons of different lives in the ocean to explore, some of them more fearsome than others. the game lets you explore the vast open sea and search for various resources which help you to craft items for your convenience. There are tons of locations to explore like coral reefs and cave systems. If you’re a fan of open-world survival games, it’s a must-play for you lot.
Papers, Please
Papers, Please is a puzzle simulation game developed by indie game developer Lucas Pope. It’s a whole other experience from mainstream gaming. The premise of the game is that you’re tasked to be the authority of border crossing, checking the immigrants if their documents are legit or if there’s something fishy going on. The people you let go or the people you apprehend affect your fate. so you have to pay attention to the details and investigate any suspicious things going on. It’s a fun gameplay experience away from all the flashy games with tons of stuff happening in front of you and it’s a good break from the mainstream gaming experience. Give it a try and see for yourself.
Ori and the Blind Forest
If you’re a fan of Metroidvania games and you like good art style then Ori and the Blind Forest is probably a game you’d most likely enjoy. It’s an action-adventure platformer game set in a fantasy world where you play as Ori whose forest has been destroyed and you embark on a journey to restore your home. The game is visually amazing even to this day. The game features hand-painted artwork and brilliantly animated characters. The game is story-driven in which you go on a journey to save your home- The forest of Nibel which is slowly dying after a series of devastating storms. The game offers a well-thought platformer experience and a Boss fight in the end. there are other Ori games in the series and they are all really good. but for this list, we decided to only put this one on the list. They are great single-player gaming experiences that we think you should try.
Dead Cells
Speaking of tough games, Dead Cells will probably make any list of potentially the toughest games out there, certainly of the rogue-like/rogue-lite genre. It’s a pixel-art platformer rogue-lite game developed by Motion Twin and Evil Empire with some soul-lite features. You control a dead body called a prisoner, the core concept of the game is that when you die, only your body is lost, only the Dead Cell you play remains. It takes hold of another dead prisoner, essentially becoming the next run character. The game offers tons of skills, weapons, and skins which take hours to unlock. It is certainly a game that you’d not regret playing.
Little Nightmares
Little Nightmares, a game developed by Tarsier Studios is also a level-based horror game different from the other games of the genre. In the game, you play as a tiny character running away from monsters that are really in fact normal human-sized. The game does a brilliant job of its environment getting unsettling for the player and portraits its story in a unique way. When you play the game, you feel like you are not in control and just avoiding what’s coming to you. It’s a widely known game, something not every indie game could say about itself. You should definitely give it a try, you’d not regret it by any means.
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Don’t Starve
Don’t Starve is a survival game developed by Klei Entertainment. The game in itself is as simple as a survival game where you have to survive in a world where almost everything is trying to get you killed. What the game does differently is that it engages you in the core game mechanics in a whole other way. You have to plan your food supply and other basic needs before the night falls and then you have to set a campfire to survive the night. Simple mechanics in the games like this make the game addicting in a fun way. It’s a must-play game if you’re a fan of the survival games.
Cuphead
Cuphead is a run-and-gun platformer game developed by Studio MDHR. It’s a unique retro cartoon-style game and really detailed one at that. The game is brilliantly animated with hand-drawn animation which elevates the experience the game tries to give its players with that 1930s style of art. The level designs are really good with a majority of the game focused on boss fights. And the boss fights in this game are more fun than most other games of the genre. The game maybe doesn’t have a lot of replayability but the game makes up for it by its various bosses and levels which are a ton of fun to play.
Life is Strange
Life is Strange is an episode-based adventure game developed by Dontnod Entertainment. It’s a story-based game with a different idea and style to it. The game tells its story in a really unique way. The character you play has a power that can rewind time and even rewrite past events. This power leads to a journey of shifting different timelines to uncover the mystery of your friend who was murdered. The game does wonders with the core concept of the game making the shifting timelines thing an important part of the game mechanics. It’s an all-around fun experience away from all the action-based games. It’s definitely a worthwhile game to buy and play.
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is a game that didn’t even take a ton of resources and money in the process of development and still manages to outshine many AAA games even to this day. The simplistic Metroidvania game was developed by a team of three individual developers called Team Cherry. In the game, you play as an insectoid warrior going through the depths of Dirtmouth town. Going against tainted creatures and visiting different kinds of environments.
The simplistic nature of the game mechanics, like fighting and movements, are very satisfying and very easy to grasp and thus make the experience much more at home. The game is recognized by many as one of the best-made indie games and is up there with some of the high-budget games. When games like Concord are failing to meet any kind of expectations even with the multi-million dollar company’s backing, games like Hollow Knight is the best example of how you can make a simple fun to play game by getting the basics of gaming right even though you don’t have a ton of resources at your dispose. And it is the core objective of an Indie game.
This list obviously doesn’t include many games that deserve a spot on the list. There are tons of quality games in the indie gaming world, games like Terraria, Slay the Spire, and Stardew Valley just to name a few. So keep discovering indie games and you’ll definitely some gems out there