Indie games have always been successful in captivating their audiences through their artistic expression and unique gameplay.
Additionally, this genre of game often reflects the passion and vision of its creators, which can be seen in its narration.
Although Indie games may not always be commercial successes, they leave a lasting impact on their players through touching stories and gameplay mechanics.
When it comes to Indie games, several classics, including Hades and Hollow Knight, have left a lasting impact and are still progressing.
Hades
| Genre | Roguelike, Action RPG, Fighting game, Shooter Video Game |
| Initial Release Date | December 6, 2018 |
| Developer | Supergiant Games |
| Publishers | Supergiant Games |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PS4 & PS5, macOS, iOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X&S, Microsoft Windows |
Hades is an action-packed roguelike game that combines Greek mythology with fast-paced combat.
You will play as a Zagreus, the son of Hades, and fight your way through the Underworld to escape and reach Mount Olympus.
Moreover, players will be placed and transferred into the randomly generated room, where they will face numerous enemies.
You will be in the Underworld, filled with dark realms like Asphodel and icy Styx, each offering stunning elements and resources.
Furthermore, the game’s portrayal of Greek mythology and Supergiant musical craft make Hades one of the best Indie games that must be on your bucket list.
Hollow Knight
| Genre | Metroidvania, Fighting game |
| Initial Release Date | February 24, 2017 |
| Developer | Team Cherry |
| Publishers | Team Cherry |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, macOS, GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox One |
Hollow Knight was the winner of the Australian Games Awards 2018 for the Independent Game of the Year.
This award-winning game allows you to play the role of Knight, an insectoid warrior exploring Hallownest, a fallen kingdom haunted by a supernatural disease.
Additionally, the Knight can attack enemies with a sword-like weapon called a Nail and can learn spells that allow for long-range attacks.
The game features currency called” Geo” that helps players enhance their weapons and skills, leading them to raise their fallen kingdom.
Moreover, as you progress through the game’s main story, you will uncover numerous secrets and encounter wild enemies like Crawlid and Vengefly King.
Stardew Valley
| Genre | Indie game, Role-playing Video Game, Adventure game |
| Initial Release Date | February 26, 2016 |
| Developer | The Secret Police Limited, ConcernedApe LLC |
| Publishers | Eric Barone, ConcernedApe LLC, Chucklefish, Fangamer, 505 Games, ConcernedApe |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, Android, macOS, PlayStation 4, iOS, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now |
Stardew Valley is a life simulation role-playing game that offers a farmer’s realistic journey in a natural village.
You will take on the role of a character who inherits the dilapidated farm of his deceased grandfather in a place called Stardew Valley.
Additionally, Stardew Valley is an open-ended game that allows you to grow crops, raise livestock and fish, cook, mine, and live alongside society’s people.
The game also features several NPCs with whom you can maintain a relationship and start your family life by raising a child.
Furthermore, the game offers a real-life experience to the players, as they live in a valued society with social norms and culture.
Outer Wilds
| Genre | Puzzle video game, Nonlinear gameplay, Action-Adventure |
| Initial Release Date | May 28, 2019 |
| Developer | Mobius Digital, Annapurna Interactive |
| Publishers | Annapurna Interactive, Limited Run Games |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PS 4 & PS 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows |
Outer Wilds is an action-adventure game set in the Planetary System where your characters and an unnamed space explorer are referred to as the Hatchling.
In this game, you will play as a young Hearthian astronaut exploring a planetary system stuck in a 22-minute time loop.
Moreover, each loop resets after the sun goes supernova and destroys the system loop. Within this loop, you should discover the secrets of the Nomai.
The game features flight controls, a space journey, and unraveling a cosmic mystery that you need to solve within the 22-minute time loop.
Furthermore, the game invites players to explore a scaled-down solar system, each planet with its unique terrain and mechanical concepts.
Disco Elysium
| Genre | Role-playing Video Game, Adventure game |
| Initial Release Date | October 15, 2019 |
| Developer | ZA/UM |
| Publishers | ZA/UM, iam8bit, Humble Bumble |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PS 4 & PS 5, macOS, GeForce Now, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows |
Disco Elysium is a non-traditional RPG that combines noir-detective fiction and traditional pen-and-paper RPG elements.
You will play as an amnesiac detective trying to solve a murder mystery in the fictional city of Revachol.
Additionally, its gameplay heavily focuses on dialogue and skill checks rather than combat, allowing for a deep and immersive narrative experience.
This non-action RPG features different gameplay mechanics, including Skill System, Thought Cabinet, Dialogue and Choices, Exploration and Investigation, and No Combat.
Furthermore, the game is known for its rich storytelling, complex characters, and distinctive art style inspired by oil paintings.
Return Of The Obra Dinn
| Genre | Adventure game, Puzzle video game |
| Initial Release Date | October 18, 2018 |
| Developer | 3909 LLC, Warp Digital Limited |
| Publishers | 3909 LLC |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS |
Return Of The Obra Dinn is the second commercial game by Lucas Pope, following 2013’s Papers, Please.
The adventure puzzle game, set in 1807, follows an insurance investigator for the East India Company.
As an investigator, you are tasked to uncover the fate of the crew and passengers of the merchant ship Obra Dinn, which mysteriously reappeared after being lost at sea for five years.
Furthermore, in the game, you can use a Memento Mortem, a pocketwatch-like device, to capture the moment of death and determine who was present.
The game is played from a first-person perspective and uses a “1-bit” monochromatic graphical style inspired by games on early Macintosh computers.
Dead Cells
| Genre | Roguelike, Metroidvania, Fighting game |
| Initial Release Date | August 7, 2018 |
| Developer | Motion Twin, Evil Empire, Playdigious, Motion Twin Scop ARL |
| Publishers | Motion Twin, Playdigious |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, macOS |
Dead Cell is a popular roguelike, Metroidvania-inspired action-platformer game featuring a prisoner as a protagonist.
Moreover, as a prisoner, you should try to escape from the cursed island you are locked in by obtaining different weapons and tools through your journey.
The game features procedurally generated levels and combines fast-paced combat with Exploration.
One of the standout features is its permadeath system, which means that when you die, you lose most of your progress, but you can unlock permanent upgrades that help in future runs.
Furthermore, the game also has a distinctive 2D art style and a variety of enemies and bosses, such as The Concierge and Conjunctivius, to challenge you.
Celeste
| Genre | Platform game, Adventure game |
| Initial Release Date | January 5, 2018 |
| Developer | Maddy Makes Games, Extremely OK Games, Ltd. |
| Publishers | Maddy Makes Games |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, macOS, Linux, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows |
Celeste is a two-dimensional platform game in which players play as Madeline. For a limited time, she can run, jump, and climb walls.
Players will find different objects throughout the game, such as Green gems and dream blocks, which help them increase Madeline’s abilities.
Moreover, the game offers different difficulty levels, each with unique challenges, which players can lower or increase by navigating to the Assist Mode.
The base game consists of eight chapters divided into multiple single-screen challenges, with checkpoints between screens.
Furthermore, Celeste is one of the best indie games you can try because of its exciting landmarks and locations, including Celeste Mountain, Forsaken City, Mirror Temple, and The Summit: 1500M.
Cuphead
| Genre | Shooter video game, Platform game, Run and gun |
| Initial Release Date | September 29, 2017 |
| Developer | Studio MDHR |
| Publishers | Studio MDHR |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, macOS, GeForce Now, Xbox One, Amazon Luna |
Cuphead is the run-and-gun game that follows its titular teacup-headed character and his brother Mugman.
The run-and-gun game features a unique art style inspired by 1930s cartoons, with hand-drawn animations, watercolor backgrounds, and original jazz recordings.
Further, players will play as a Cuphead or his brother Mugman. Fighting against the boss’s enemies, including Beppi The Clown and Cagney Carnation.
As they progress through the game story, players should make a deal with the Devil to pay the casino’s debts by collecting the souls of Runaway debtors.
Moreover, this shooter game also offers Parry Mechanic, Co-op mode, and various weapons and abilities, like Twist-Up and Converge, which are worth trying.
Sea Of Stars
| Genre | Role-playing video game, Adventure game |
| Initial Release Date | August 29, 2023 |
| Developer | Sabotage Studio |
| Publishers | iam8bit, Sabotage Studio |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PS 5&4, GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One |
Sea Of Stars is set thousands of years before Sabotage Studio’s previous game, “The Messenger,” offering control over the Eclipse Magic.
Players can control the two Solstice Warriors, Valere, and Zale, who use the power of the sun and moon to fight against an alchemist.
Moreover, this RPG offers turn-based combat, Exploration, puzzle-solving quests, and Character stories, making it more captivating for users.
As you progress through the game, you will encounter a childhood friend of the protagonist. A warrior cook named Garl, with whom you will need to team up to fight against the Dweller.
Furthermore, the game features a Multi-Character Combo Attack and Lock System, worth trying if you’re looking for the best Indie Game Journey.
