68 Indie Games You Should Be Playing In 2024

The indie scene is the backbone of the modern gaming industry, and the hive of ideas that fuels the future direction that drives the AAA scene. With so many exceptional games available in the indie scene, we tried the challenging task of whittling that list down to just 45 of the best indies you need to be playing in 2022!

#68 Enshrouded

Platform: PC
Release Date: January 24, 2024 (early access)

Steam

The world has been lost. How many times have we heard that before? But in the case of Enshrouded, the game focuses on a realm that has been covered in a corruptive fog known as “The Shroud.” Everything it touches is poisoned, and life is hard as a result.

That’s where you come in. You must become a warrior of legend, search the land for the truth of what happened, and see if there are any chances of undoing what was done. You’ll start with nothing, but if you push hard enough, you’ll find a way to make it through and save the day!

#67 Palworld

Platform: PC Xbox One XSX|S
Release Date: January 19, 2024 (early access)

Steam | Xbox

By this point in time, you’ve definitely heard about Palworld. After all, people are buying it in good numbers, and it might be sued for AI usage and copyright infringement.

But what is this game exactly? Well, you live in a world that is inhabited by creatures known as “Pals.” These Pals do what most animalistic creatures do to survive, and now, you must do the same. You’ll roam around capturing Pals and do whatever you desire with them so you can live the “good life.”

Want to raise them into an army? Go for it! Want to put them to work in a factory? Yep, you can do that, too. Want to steal them? Evil, but it’s an option.

And that’s just the start of things in this crazy title.

#66 My Time at Sandrock

Platform: PC PS5 Xbox One XSX|S Switch
Release Date: November 02, 2023

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo

If you enjoyed My Time At Portia, then you might enjoy the sequel installment. My Time At Sandrock is a similar gameplay experience to the first installment. Players here take the role of a builder, but rather than being in a more fruitful environment from the previous game, we’re in a desert oasis. This location is called Sandrock, and we’re left with a rundown town needing desperate care. That’s where you come along as the builder to help rebuild this town to its former glory. As before, you’ll be spending your time here making farms, gathering precious resources, crafting items, interacting with the townsfolk, and making Sandrock a modern oasis that will help recapture its glory. If you enjoy a more casual gameplay experience, you might find your time easily sunk into this game. 

#65 Roboquest

Platform: PC Xbox One XSX|S
Release Date: November 07, 2023

Steam | Xbox

Roboquest has quickly gained some attention online for a fast-paced FPS experience. This title might not be for everyone, but for those that it clicks with, you’ll probably spend some long gameplay sessions here. The game throws players into the future, where you’re mainly battling evil robots. However, it’s a roguelite experience where you never know what kind of level you’ll get into. Levels can be drastically different, but when you’re not blasting enemies away, you’ll have a wide range of weapons to choose from and customization options to make your character even stronger. 

#64 Risk of Rain Returns

Platform: PC Switch
Release Date: November 08, 2023

Steam | Nintendo

When it comes to certain titles, getting a remaster may not seem like the most important thing. But in the case of Risk of Rain Returns, it’s a chance for players to play the best version of one of the rogue-lite games you’ll find on the market.

We don’t just say that because of the visuals, though; those have been improved. The team behind the game did everything they could to improve gameplay, multiplayer, players’ options, and more! You’ll have numerous new survivors you can control and have so many loot combinations you could play the game thousands of different ways! So why not try it out?

#63 Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S Switch
Release Date: August 18, 2023

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo

Parkour in video games has been slowly developed into something that is now a key part of many titles. After all, if you can gracefully bound through an area versus just walking or running to a new location, why wouldn’t you do that?

In the case of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, parkour is what will help you get through a vibrant city so you can get to areas that you must graffiti so you can claim the turf as your own.

Alongside your “partners in crime,” you’ll fight off other groups until you are the true kings of the city! Oh, and did we mention that you’ll lose your head and have it replaced with a robot one? Because you do.

#62 Brotato

Platform: PC JUNE 23, 2023
Release Date: SWITCH AUGUST 03, 2023

Steam | Nintendo

There are many games that will have you fighting as some of the greatest warriors the universe has ever known. But has any of them ever had you be a potato warrior? This is not a joke. This is Brotato. The top-down shooter will feature you as the survivor of a crash landing on an alien world.

As you wait for your brethren to come get you, you must survive the onslaught of alien creatures that are coming to kill you. But fear not, Brotato! You can wield six weapons at once! So draw your weapons and mow down foes until your rescue comes!

#61 BattleBit Remastered

Platform: PC
Release Date: June 15, 2023

Steam

When you think about FPS shooters with high player counts, you typically think of the AAA titles “built for this.” But in BattleBit Remastered, you’ll get something familiar yet different. For in this game, graphics aren’t the most important element. It’s all about the gameplay and putting as many players against each other as possible.

In each server, you can have up to 256 players. But don’t fear framerate issues or lag. The game was optimized to ensure that even the highest player count will have smooth gameplay as you try to shoot each other up. So hop in and see what you can do!

#60 20 Minutes Till Dawn

Platform: PC
Release Date: JUNE 08, 2023

Steam

Many Action RPGs lately have tested players’ skills with how long they can last in a certain scenario, and 20 Minutes Till Dawn helped create that trend.

You’ll be put into the dead of night with legions of monsters swarming you. Your only hope is to kill them with numerous weapons and skills until the dawn comes. Whether it’s blades or guns, you’ll have plenty of options for dealing with your foes.

Death is never the end in this game, as you can pass on your experience for better upgrades to give you an advantage next go around.

Good luck. You’ll need it.

#59 Pineapple on pizza

Platform: PC
Release Date: March 28, 2023

Steam

Generically speaking, putting pineapple on a pizza is simply a terrible idea. Pizza is magnificent with actually understandable toppings. Why put something that doesn’t belong on it? Exactly.

Oh, we’re talking about the game Pineapple on Pizza? Well, ironically, they have the same feelings as we do. The game is about trying to capture the “flavor” of eating a pizza with pineapples on it. As in, it ruins everything, which is what you’ll have to do!

You’ll go to a dance party and do everything you can to ruin it. Why? Because it’s fun when you do it! So be the pineapple, and ruin everything you come into contact with!

#58 Have a Nice Death

Platform: PC Switch
Release Date: March 22, 2023

Steam | Nintendo

Who’s up for another roguelike game with a unique setting and protagonist? In Have A Nice Death, you’ll play as Death. You know, the Grim Reaper? Bound to the realm known as Death Inc., you’re trying to maintain a nice work environment so you can do your job and then go take your vacation.

The problem? Your employees aren’t playing along. They’re ruining everything, and now you must go teach them why you don’t screw with Death.

You’ll battle through each department of Death Inc., and the better you do, the more abilities and items you’ll unlock. Can you bring your workplace back into control?

#57 Dredge

Platform: PC PS4 Xbox One PS5 XSX|S Switch 
Release Date: March 30, 2023

Steam | Playstation | Xbox | Nintendo

It’s time to go fishing! Who doesn’t love to do that? In Dredge, you’ll go to a set of islands full of history and mystery and must try to fish what you can to grow your craft.

Specifically, you’ll meet quotas and then use your earnings to outfit your boat so you can go to bigger catches and make more money.

But as noted, there’s a mystery within this island chain, and you’ll be guided to figure it out. But what is the mysterious truth that you’ve been sent to find? What does it have to do with the creatures of the depths? Hope in your vessel and find out!

#56 Big Ambitions

Platform: PC
Release Date: March 10, 2023

Steam

Have you ever wanted to run a business? Have you ever wanted to run multiple businesses? Have you ever dreamed of being so rich and powerful that you could basically take over New York City? If you said “yes” to any of these, you’d want to get Big Ambitions. This simulator title puts you as someone on the literal bottom of the totem pole, but you have dreams of making your way up it! You’ll start building businesses and profiting from your work as best you can. How you take things and where you go next are up to you! The more you do, the more you can achieve. Just make sure that the money keeps flowing it!

#55 Pizza Tower

Platform: PC
Release Date: January 26, 2023

Steam

There are plenty of wacky games out there for you to buy, but Pizza Tower might interest you on various levels.

In the game, you play as a pizza chef whose business is on the brink of collapse because of a literal tower of pizza that is nearby. So, giving in to your baser instincts, you decide to go to the tower and wreck it to kingdom come.

You’ll blast through each level with incredible speed and ferocity and take down all the enemies within. With five floors full of places to go, you’ll be busy for some time.

Just remember, this is all in the name of good pizza.

#54 Cultic

Developer: Jasozz Games
Publisher: 3D Realms
Platforms: PC
Release: October 13, 2022

While many horror games will have you trying to flee from a deadly cult that wishes to use you for unknown purposes, Cultic lets you do something more proactive.

By that, we mean they’ll let you go through wave after wave of cultists and other atrocities and kill them with extreme prejudice. Moreover, you’ll have various weapons to use and can decide what tactic you want to employ as you fight them.

Will you mow them down from afar with gunfire? Or will you beat them all up close and personal? With ten levels of madness to endure in the first part of the game, you’ll have plenty of time to decide.

#53 Faith: The Unholy Trinity

Developer: Airdorf Games
Publisher: New Blood Interactive
Platforms: PC
Release: October 21, 2022

When you think about horror titles, you usually won’t picture them rendered pixelated. But as Faith: The Unholy Trinity will show you, all you need is to set the tone for the horror, and any graphical style will do the rest for you.

The game is a reference to a “scare” that happened in the 1980s when many people thought demons possessed others. You play two priests who go into a household to cleanse it of one such possession. But the horrors you’ll meet inside might not let either of you escape with your lives!

Dare you play the game and see what happens next?

#52 Path of Wuxia

Platforms: PC
Release: November 15, 2022

Path of Wuxia is the latest RPG/simulation series and promises to expand the world in meaningful ways while also delivering an art style resembling anime.

As the protagonist, you’ll go through a legendary school and attempt to get along with your classmates. Over time, you’ll build relationships with them, and that’ll help you in a unique hex-based battle system. Wield the five elements and other abilities to your will, so you emerge victorious!

With a grand world to explore and many paths to take, the only question is, how far will you go when you play? Jump in and find out!

#51 Dave The Diver

Developer: MINTROCKET
Publisher: MINTROCKET
Platforms: PC
Release: October 27, 2022

Have you ever had to work one job to do another? If so, you’ll feel right at home with Dave The Diver. The game features a man diving into the Blue Hole, a legendary dive spot, to get fish and other creatures for his sushi restaurant.

A restaurant he must run and cook for every night. Dave is a busy guy, if you can’t tell. Each day will be a test for Dave as he attempts to go deeper into the Blue Hole to find more fish to catch and then make the perfect dishes with them at night.

Featuring a stunning art style and plenty of fun characters, you’ll have a blast being a part of Dave’s life.

#50 Bendy and the Dark Revival

Developer: Joey Drew Studios / Kindly Beast
Publisher: Joey Drew Studios / Kindly Beast
Platforms: PC November 15, 2022
Release: PS4 Xbox One PS5 XSX| March 01, 2023

Try Bendy and the Dark Revival if you’re looking for a fun twist on the horror and survival genre. The game features a woman named Audrey who finds herself trapped in an animation studio. That might not sound like a bad place to end up, but not everything is what it seems.

The studio’s staff is gone, and there are monsters everywhere. That includes one that looks like a legendary animation character.

To escape, you must solve puzzles, sneak around, team up with cartoon characters, and find a path home! It won’t be easy, and plenty of obstacles will be in your way. But if you push through, you might just make it home.

#49 The Past Within

Developer: Rusty Lake
Publisher: Rusty Lake
Platforms: PC
Release: November 02, 2022

Do you like puzzle games? How about puzzle games where you need to work with someone to solve every puzzle or clue? If so, The Past Within is a title you’ll want to dabble in.

The game puts you and a co-op partner at two different points in time while being in the same place. You must use the time travel mechanic to unearth new ways of looking at where you are and solve the puzzles around you.

Then, when you beat the game, swap places and see how it looks from the other side! Will you be able to solve the latest mystery from Rusty Lake?

#48 Vampire Survivors

Developer: poncle
Publisher: poncle
Platforms: PC Xbox One XSX|S
Release: October 20, 2022

Vampire Survivors is a game that has been capturing many gamers’ minds and imaginations as they do their best to survive the onslaught put in front of them.

In the game, you’ll be surrounded by a monstrous horde and need to kill as many of them as possible before you die. Make no mistake: you will die! But in your death, you can provide gold and upgrades to the next in line and hope they can survive longer than you did!

Learn from each experience and craft a survivor that can last as long as possible! Or don’t, and continually die. It’s your call.

#47 Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator

Developer: niceplay games
Publisher: tinyBuild Games
Platforms: PC Xbox One
Release: December 03, 2022

At first glance, Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator might sound like a simple game where you make potions to see what you can create. But don’t be fooled! The game puts you to the test to see if you can not just make potions but master creating them.

Furthermore, the kinds of potions you make or sell depend on who you are and what you want to be. For example, will you make potions that heal and help those in need? Or will you be a snake oil salesman and sell them what they think they need, even though it’s harmful?

Your choices will affect all you do. So choose wisely!

#46 Dwarf Fortress

Developer: Bay 12 Games
Publisher: Kitfox Games
Platforms: PC
Release: December 06, 2022

There are numerous world-building games that you can dabble in, but Dwarf Fortress is unique in that it crafts a fully unique world for you to participate in with each run-through you do.

In the title, you’ll help create a thriving Dwarven dynasty. You’ll craft, build, and forge relationships with other nations you come across or strike them down if it pleases you.

However, something will go wrong over time, and you’ll need to see how you manage such a challenge, or else it’ll all come crashing down! When it does, start over and see if you can do better the next time! The game promises “infinite hours of gameplay.” They’re not lying.

#45 The Witness

• Developer: Thekla Inc
• Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
• Release Date: Jan 2016

If you’re willing to sometimes feel incredibly stupid then do not pass up an opportunity to play The Witness. Just like his previous work on Braid, Jonathon Blow seems desperate to highlight how much more intelligent he is than us mere mortals but if you’re willing to persist there is so much fun and challenge to be extracted from the title.

#44 GRIS

• Developer: Nomada Studio
• Platform: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Dec 2018

GRIS isn’t doing anything especially inventive, but everything is does, it does to the highest of standards. From its eye-searingly good looks, to its accessibility, it’s powerful storytelling and its engrossing world, there’s no game development disciple that hasn’t been given immense tender love and care to craft one of the most striking games of recent years.

#43 Loop Hero

• Developer: Four Quarters
• Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: Mar 2021

While the player is on a constant looping circuit, the world evolves around you in Loop Hero as the cards you acquire from combat instances can be placed to build the world out. This means environmental hazards and new enemy types but also rewards and buffs that can be collected along the way. You ultimately create your own pacing for the game, your own difficulty spikes and your own adventure despite being pushed along a single path. The narrative that unfolds as the world slowly comes back is one that will constantly tickle your interest.

#42 Papers, Please

• Developer: B3909 LLC
• Platform: PS Vita, PC
• Release Date: Aug 2013

Like other titles on this list, Papers, Please at face value feels like it shouldn’t be interesting at all, you’re working as an immigration inspector at border checkout, but as the story of your inspector plays out, and ethically testing scenarios are presented to you with a looming danger for your family, political intrigue, safety threats and more all pulling you in different directions.

#41 Undertale

• Developer: Toby Fox
• Platform: PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Sep 2015

Celebrated by everyone who plays it, Undertale possesses the quirk and combat systems of classics such as Earthbound, and a sense of humour that is very much its own. Undertale is also a game that looks to subvert the expectations of players at every opportunity while it offers countless amounts of replay value as you try to explore the many different narrative pathways the game goes down

#40 The Steamworld Dig Series

• Developer: Image & Form
• Platform: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC
• Release Date: Aug 2013

Image & Form haven’t missed a beat with any of their Steamworld titles, however it’s their pair of Steamworld Dig titles that shine brightest. Dig deep and discover an incredibly crafted series of dungeons filled with puzzles and platforming challenges that test your grit and resourcefulness as you dig deeper and deeper to complete your primary objectives in each game.

#39 Overcooked Series

• Developer: Ghost Town Games
• Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Aug 2016

There’s equal parts fun, and fury found in the Overcooked titles. Work together with friends or family to maintain the necessary output for a restaurant, in the most chaotic, insane, and fury-fuelling ways possible. While playable solo, the Overcooked titles are at their best in co-op, while more recent entries have added great systems such as the ability to throw food, that further adds to the frantic fun.

#38 Beat Saber

• Developer: Beat Games
• Platform: PS4, PC
• Release Date: May 2019

Though it might be the simplest game to describe of all on this list; hit notes to the rhythm with lightsabers, in reality it’s one of the hardest to master. The slate of tracks was great at first but with licenced partnerships and further development, letalone fan mods on the PC side, the roster is incredibly impressive, and equally diverse giving fans of many different artists and genres plenty to enjoy… with more to come.

#37 Tunic

• Developer: Andrew Shouldice
• Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Release Date: Mar 2022

A 2D Zelda-like at it’s core, Tunic embraces it’s inspirations, but channels them in unique ways. The isometric view from the likes of A Link To The Past is here, as are some lite Souls touches, and they’ve all been brewed together, along with a unique and stunning visual style, and a deliberately obtuse language to concoct a wonderfully rich, challenging and endlessly engaging title.

#36 Night In The Woods

• Developer: Secret Lab, Infinite Fall
• Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Feb 2017

Story-focused exploration games are a dime a dozen in this indie era, but few of them are as superb as Night In The Woods. Mae Borowski, a recent college drop out and has returned to her hometown to find unexpected changes have swept across the community. While the core gameplay is about decision making, those decisions are impactful and help frame the exceptional overall narrative being told.

#35 The Don’t Starve Series

• Developer: Klei Entertainment
• Platform: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC
• Release Date: Apr 2013

Blending Rogue-like elements, a procedurally developed world, and survival systems can be a challenge, and the balance is rarely struck between each of these pillars however Don’t Starve, and it’s numerous expansions have threaded that needle perfectly. Since then, we’ve seen co-op modes included with Don’t Starve Together, new biomes added and a number of collaborations that further add to the game’s legacy.

#34 Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons

• Developer: Starbreeze Studios
• Platform: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Aug 2013

The indie scene is at its best when it’s experimenting and as well as possessing a beautiful tale of heartbreak between two brothers, that’s also what Josef Fares and his team achieved with their work on Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons. The twin-stick controls allowed both characters to be controlled simultaneously, but also independently creating some excellent puzzling opportunities, and tense platforming moments (despite their simplicity at face value)

#33 Thomas Was Alone 

• Developer: Bithell Games
• Platform: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Jun 2012

A game about a few rectangular boxes shouldn’t be capable of flushing out the level of narrative engagement and emotion that Thomas Was Alone achieved. In a world where game’s with hundreds of millions of dollars in budget fail to engage with a narrative, a 2D game about a bunch of quadrilaterals has more emotional depth than many of them

#32 Superhot

• Developer: Superhot Team
• Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Oculus Quest,
• Release Date: Feb 2016

With the words Super…Hot echoing in your head you take one step to the left, faking out a target who shoots at you, you dodge right, flash forward only to melee them in the face causing your target to shatter in front of you. The strategic play, the split second movements, and the incredible sense of style it has combine on both traditional and VR platforms to be one of the coolest, most creative takes on first-person shooting ever.

#31 What Remains Of Edith Finch

• Developer: Giant Sparrow
• Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: Apr 2017

What Remains of Edith Finch is a bit darker than most of the titles on this list, and may leave you a bit more traumatised than most of them too, but don’t let that stop you from lighting a fire, and kicking back to enjoy one of the most engaging, distressing, and yet somehow still relaxing titles you’re ever likely to experience. Beautiful audio/visual design and a deeply impactful narrative will keep you constantly hooked as it’s story plays out.

#30 Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

• Developer: Team Salvato
• Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: Sep 2017

At first your eyes might begin to roll out the door as teen girl drama plays out and the game appears to meandre into trite anime school girl, graphic novel realms, before it subverts expectations in some of the most horrifying ways. Read nothing more about the game, dive in, and prepare to have your mind blown by what plays out.

#29 The Hotline Miami Series

• Developer: Dennaton Games
• Platform: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Oct 2012

Bloody and bad-ass is about all you need to say to describe Hotline Miami. It’s arrival took the gaming world by storm thanks to it’s incredibly brutal nature, a surprisingly engaging narrative, richly explored themes, an unrelenting beat, and tightly refined gameplay systems. Of course, the neon lights of the 1980s setting also catches eyes, and makes the bloody brutality pop even more. It’s one of the greatest indies ever made, and not to be missed. The Sequel, Hotline Miami 2, just gives us more of the beautifully brutal bloodbath to enjoy.

#28 Guacamelee Series

• Developer: Drinkbox Studios
• Platform: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Apr 2013

Few games have the heart, style, and humour of Guacamelee, and those that do tend to underwhelm in most other ways, but Guacamelee, and it’s sequel Guacamelee 2, play like an absolute dream. Creative level design, excellent combat, bosses that push you to your limits, and alternate universe transitions combine with the incredible presentational elements to make the Guacamelee titles among the finest indie’s of the decade

#27 Inside

• Developer: Playdead
• Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: Jun 2016

Following up Limbo was never going to be an easy task, but Inside is in fact an exceptional follow up. The mood Inside creates and the mysteries that it wraps you up in prove that PlayDead’s first title was no fluke with Inside hitting many of the same high levels that Limbo once reached. Go in un-spoiled and bask in the narrative and atmospheric brilliance of Inside.

#26 Return Of The Obra Dinn

• Developer: Lucas Pope
• Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: Oct 2018

Having knocked people’s socks off with the groundbreaking Paper’s Please, Lucas Pope had a tough ask ahead of him to surpass his previous effort, and yet, that’s exactly what Return Of The Obra Dinn did. A striking visual style creates a backdrop for a tightly designed gameplay experience that favours purpose, and a narrative that grips you throughout.

#25 Fez

• Developer: Polytron Corporation
• Platform: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Apr 2012

After a prolonged development cycle, Fez launched to critical acclaim when it launched in 2012, fans and critics alike all pointing to the game’s obvious love of 80’s and early 90’s era Nintendo, which exudes through the game’s pores, the chiptune soundtrack and brilliant design that guided players through a challenging experience without ever beating them over the head with explicit instruction.

#24 The Binding Of Isaac

• Developer: Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl
• Platform: PC, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS
• Release Date: Sep 2011

The Binding Of Isaac is an interesting blend of roguelike, shooting and Zelda dungeon design that has continued to grow in the 10 years post-launch in ways that most games will never achieve. The Binding Of Isaac is one of the scenes most beloved titles, and the love continued to build with its Wrath Of The Lamb, Rebirth, Afterbirth, and Repentance expansions. With a wide range of power-up combinations, and incredible replay value, The Binding Of Isaac can still bind us to our couches more than a decade later.

#23 Stardew Valley

• Developer: ConcernedApe
• Platform: PS Vita, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Feb 2016

Though not the best game on this list, Stardew Valley is absolutely one of the most captivating. Stardew Valley has a beautiful game loop that constantly engages, but never demands anything too drastic of the player either allowing you to play your own way, and at your own pace. It redefined expectations for the farming-sim genre, that only years later the previous genre trend-setters have started to chase.

#22 Outer Wilds

• Developer: Mobius Digital
• Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: May 2019

Outer Wilds, not to be confused with the similarly named, Obsidian title The Outer World that conveniently came out in the same year, is one of the indie scenes brightest titles. Explore the solar system and explore the cause of a mysterious time loop in one of the most inventive, engaging, and tension fuelling exploration titles available. The narrative was constantly interesting while the puzzles superb making Outer Wilds unmissable.

#21 Florence

• Developer: Mountains
• Platform: Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Feb 2018

Designed for mobile, but at home now that it’s also come to Switch, Florence is light on gameplay, including a few minor, and very easy to overcome puzzles, and high on emotion extracting plot beats that resonate with any adult who has been through a fractured relationship in the past. It’s brief, to the point, powerful, and imperative that you bring a box of tissues.

#20 Inscryption

• Developer: Daniel Mullins Games
• Platform: PC
• Release Date: Oct 2021

A modern masterpiece, the many facets of Inscription are hard to describe without ruining the experience for the player. At surface level, it’s a card-based deckbuilder, but as the game’s roguelike systems begin to emerge, and the narrative starts to hit its highest notes you’ll come to discover something much greater, something profound, something that will stick with you well beyond the time you turn the game off.

#19 Firewatch

• Developer: Campo Santo
• Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: Feb 2016

Perched atop a mountain lookout tower in the middle of the Wyoming wilderness your job in Firewatch is to be on the lookout for smoke or fire amidst what is an extremely hot summer. The lonely feeling is pierced by the single relationship you have with Delilah on the other end of your walkie-talkie, but when a strange event plays out, that relationship is tested. A phenomenal story, and a stunning world will quickly have you immersed in one of the most fascinating games of recent years.

#18 Braid

• Developer: Number None
• Platform: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Aug 2008

Jonathon Blow took the world by storm with the release of Braid back in 2008 and its numerous time bending puzzle-platforming mechanics. The incredible levels of intelligence that the game demonstrates in its challenges that it issues its players never ceases to impress, as no puzzle is solved the same way despite leveraging the same mechanics a multitude of times. You could go back in time multiple times, and would never find a way to improve this classic.

#17 Super Meat Boy

• Developer: Team Meat
• Platform: Xbox 360, PS Vita, PS4, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Sep 2021

One of the indie scenes most acclaimed titles, and its greatest trend-setters, Super Meat Boy, even 12 years on still blows the minds, and tests the patience of players everywhere. Requiring split-second timing and refined player control, Super Meat Boy blends elements of Super Mario Bros., and Ghosts N Goblins in both the best and most infuriating ways. Brace yourself and dive in.

#16 Disco Elysium

• Developer: ZA/UM
• Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: Mar 2015

Littered with impactful decision making moments, truckloads of richly detailed narrative and dialogue, and gameplay that subverts expectations at every opportunity. The world of Elysium impresses at all times, while the characters within it run the full gambit, testing your own pre-conceived biases in one of the most engaging titles of all time.

#15 Celeste

• Developer: Extremely OK Games
• Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: Jan 2018

At face value, Celeste would appear like a simple, but brutal side-scrolling platformer that tests your grit as you attempt to climb a mountain, but when you climb a little higher, the narrative threads begin to unfurl, and one of the decade’s greatest titles begins to reveal its strengths. Exploring hard hitting themes through an equally impactful story, Celeste is a superb title that is only enhanced by some of the greatest level design the indie scene has produced.

#14 Cuphead

• Developer: Studio MDHR
• Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: Sep 2017

We’d never seen anything like Cuphead in games. Inspired by the likes of Steamboat Willie and the rubber hose era of American animation, Cuphead blended its exceptional visual style with a video game boss rush mode focus. Some basic level structure breaks up the flow but players are there for the bosses – they’re hard, but they’re so fulfilling to best.

#13 The Spelunky Series

• Developer: Mossmouth LLC
• Platform: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Dec 2008

While the Spelunky titles are heavily inspired by the 1980’s classic Spelunker, the duo developed by Derek Yu surpass anything that we’d seen previously from Spelunker. Spelunky borrows from 2D side-scrollers and roguelikes to universal acclaim, and yet somehow, the sequel was even better, cleaning up the small control issues of the original, to assert itself as an indie masterpiece.

#12 The Stanley Parable

• Developer: Crows Crows Crows
• Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Release Date: Apr 2022

Stanley, employee 427 has a simple task, monitoring data that appears on a computer screen and to press the appropriate buttons as required, without question, until all things go wrong with the computer forcing him to explore his work place, and based upon player choices the narrative goes off in wild directions. Buckle in for a walking-sim that is anything but a passive experience.

#11 Shovel Knight

• Developer: Yacht Club Games
• Platform: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Jun 2014

One of the indie scenes most treasured icons, Treasure chasing protagonist Shovel Knight star of the game of the same name has been a beloved character since the game’s launch in 2014. Since then we’ve seen Shovel Knight everywhere, in spin-offs and guest cameos, but nothing he’s been in best his original adventure. Channelling Mega Man, Castlevania, and Mario, Shovel Knight does many things to ensure that his adventure is considered in the same rare air.

#10 Bastion

• Developer: Supermassive Games
• Platform: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Jul 2011

Supergiant has gone on to even bigger things since the launch of Bastion, but what an opening salvo the game was. As ‘The Kid’ you navigate a 2D isometric world that teems with life, fight monster and sit back as the incredible narrator (a key aspect to Supergiant’s first few games) guides you through a beautifully realised world with fascinating lore, a gripping story, and much more.

#9 Unpacking

• Developer: Witch Beam
• Platform:PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Nov 2021

The little Aussie that could, Unpacking shouldn’t, by most traditional metrics, be a game that registers with many players, and yet, due to it’s wonderful evironmental and “level” design, simple but moving score, and strong but subtle narrative that also enables a bit of player initiated deep-diving to peel back the narrative layers and learn the truest extent of the character’s story. This game subverts all expectations and became an instant classic.

#8 The Ori Series

• Developer: Moon Studios
• Platform: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Mar 2015

The visual beauty of the Ori titles, Ori and the Blind Forest, and its sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, is apparent within seconds of looking upon them, the beautiful Gareth Coker soundtracks will also whisk you away to a magical place, but don’t think that aesthetics alone carry the franchise. No, the moment-to-moment gameplay of the Ori titles, MetroidVania’s at their core, is exceptionally well refined, while the level design is equally superb. The fact that they’ve been so successful twice, and place the highest of any duo on this list is a testament to Moon Studios’ incredible work.

#7 Gone Home

• Developer: The Fullbright Company
• Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Aug 2013

Once the first blush horror impression passes, you’ll find yourself completely immersed and emotionally open for the deep narrative of Gone Home to sweep through and tug on your heartstrings. It’s not a long experience but if you’re looking to recline back in your chair, be emotionally vulnerable, and still wrap up the experience in a single sitting, then there aren’t many better options out there.

#6 Journey

• Developer: ThatGameCompany
• Platform: PS3, PS4, PC
• Release Date: Mar 2013

Still lauded by many as one of the greatest video games of all time, Journey is a masterclass in storytelling, subtlety, audio/visual design, and essentially every other video game design discipline. If you’re yet to have played this industry pinnacle, rectify that immediately, then get comfortable, bring a box of tissues, and brace yourself for one of the most inspiring titles ever made.

#5 Dead Cells

• Developer: MotionTwin
• Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Aug 2018

Rogue Legacy paved the road for game’s to blend Roguelite elements with its Metroidvania systems, but it was 2018’s Dead Cells that came along and mastered the formula. Procedural brilliance, meticulously balanced combat and loot systems, all combine with a gorgeous world and visual design make Dead Cells one of the most enthralling games of the decade.

#4 Death’s Door

• Developer: Acid Nerve
• Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Jul 2021

Building upon the foundations that developer Acid Nerve had paved with their work on Titan Souls, Death’s Door is a masterclass in level and sound design, while the combat draws upon elements of both The Legend Of Zelda and Soulsborne titles, while it’s visual style manages to expertly straddle a tonal line that also evokes the aforementioned combat inspirations.

#3 Limbo

• Developer: Playdead
• Platform: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Jul 2010

It’s fascinating to imagine what the indie scene would be like had Limbo not launched. The game had an instant effect, becoming one of the most acclaimed titles of all time. People lost their minds of the monochromatic aesthetic, a styling that still holds up incredibly well today. Limbo’s constant feeling of foreboding despite at no point ever going fully-blown horror is powerful and helps to deliver one of the most exceptional gaming experiences of all time.

#2 Hades

• Developer: Supergiant Games
• Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
• Release Date: Sep 2020

The current champion of the roguelike/lite genre, and developer Supergiant Games’ crowning achievement (which says a lot considering their pedigree!), Hades blew the industry and fans away in 2020-21 with it’s fascinating take on Greek myths, it’s intricately designed combat, and combat scenarios, gorgeous world design, phenomenal audio and visual design, and essentially every other game design discipline. Hades’ achievements could only be bested by one other game…

#1 Hollow Knight

• Developer: Team Cherry
• Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: Feb 2017

It’s taken decades for a game to come along and usurp Castlevania or Metroid at the top of the Metroidvania pile, but along comes a little indie team in South Australia called Team Cherry that toppled them with the wonderful Hollow Knight. Masterful design, gorgeous audio and visuals, intense, grueling, but fair gameplay, hours of incredible content to explore – it has it all. Hollow Knight has lifted the bar to a level that may never be reached again. If you somehow missed Hollow Knight previously, explore the hype and anticipation for it’s sequel, Silksong, to contextualise the game’s importance.