There are so many great video game titles released into the market year after year. But while we tend to focus on the big triple AAA video game releases, we often forget some of the great indie titles that are also sent into the market. We’re going to shed some light on a few great indie titles that have already released into the market and can be played right now. As a result, while you wait for the next slew of anticipated video game titles, take a look at some of the best indie games released so far this year within our list below.
#15 Sunless Skies
- Developer: Failbetter Games
- Publisher: Failbetter Games
- Platforms: PC
- Release: 2018 (Early Access Now Available)
Sunless Skies is an RPG title from developers Failbetter Games that takes place during a Victorian-style era and will take place a total of ten years after the events of Sunless Sea. Overall, players will be making a journey within the stars but you’ll quickly find yourself having to fight a faction during a brink of war. On one side is the established society ruled by an Empress with a power that can control time while on the other side is a working class who wishes freedom from the workworlds.
Currently, Sunless Skies is already available for download through Steam as an Early Access title. However, the developers are hoping to bring the game out of Early Access at some point this year. Unfortunately, it seems that they surpassed their initial ideal release of September, but as it stands the game is still slated to release fully in 2018.
#14 Vampyr
- Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
- Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
- Release: June 5, 2018
Dontnod Entertainment has crafted up some popular titles so far. Their debut title Remember Me sparked the highly beloved Life is Strange IP. Following up the release of Life is Strange is Vampyr, a vastly different IP then what the developers have worked.
Vampyr takes place during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic in London where players take the role of a doctor Jonathan Reid. Our protagonist is in a predicament as he is a vampire with a bloodthirsty nature, but is battling his condition with the Hippocratic Oath he swore to uphold.
Being an action role-playing title, players can traverse parts of the world while also leveling up Jonathan in order to unlock new abilities and skills. But being a Dontnod Entertainment video game you can expect a strong narrative journey with some tough choices you’ll have to make along the way.
#13 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Developer: Warhorse Studios
- Publisher: Warhorse Studios, Deep Silver
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1
- Release: February 13, 2018
Developers Warhorse Studios delivers a historically accurate and realistic video game set in the medieval Kingdom of Bohemia with Kingdom Come Deliverance.
In the video game’s campaign, the old king of Bohemia had passed with his heirs lacking the ability and power to secure the throne. Using this opportunity to take advantage, the king’s brother manages to claim the rights to the throne.
Players will be taking on the role of a blacksmith’s son whose family had been murdered by an invading army. With revenge burning in his heart, the son seeks out his family’s killer while also restoring the throne to the rightful heir.
The narrative of the game is pretty deep as well so if you’re not one for lore or background history to events then this may not be the title for you. However, if you do embark on the journey then you’ll want to take note of the various skills that you can unlock throughout the game and similar to titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, players can increase their skill levels simply by using them.
#12 Q.U.B.E. 2
- Developer: Toxic Games
- Publisher: Trapped Nerve Games
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
- Release: March 13, 2018
If you enjoyed Portal then chances are you took on the Q.U.B.E. challenge from development team Toxic Games. This is another fantastic puzzle video game that revolved around manipulating the world around you to reach new heights and just like the Portal series, players had to think outside of the box in order to progress. After its initial release in 2011, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see the game receive a sequel.
Q.U.B.E. 2 is very much the same style video game where players wake up in an alien landscape where you’ll have to figure out the maze, patterns, and manipulative structures in order to escape. This sequel comes packed with over eighty puzzles to keep you’re mind tinkering at a solution for awhile. Of course, if you have yet to enjoy the first installment, you can do so on the latest generation of platforms.
#11 The Banner Saga 3
- Developer: Stoic Studio
- Publisher: Versus Evil
- Platforms: PC, PS4, NS, XBO
- Release: July 26, 2018
Much like the previous installments, The Banner Saga 3 is a tactical role-playing video game under development studio Stoic Studio. If you’ve been playing the series since its first debut then you won’t want to miss out on the third installment as it will conclude the epic narrative that’s been going on over six years now. The development team didn’t opt to make any drastic changes to this third installment as players will still be making decisions that will have an outcome that may affect your cast of characters. Speaking of the characters, you’ll find that there will be over forty characters to guide, but again, just as before any of these characters can potentially see their untimely end from your choices.
The game has been receiving plenty of positive feedback and with the developers claiming that the title will end their epic narrative, it’s uncertain as to if we’ll get another chance to dwell in this Viking world in the future. Furthermore, since the studio was founded in 2011, the developers have only put out titles from The Banner Saga franchise.
#10 The Red Strings Club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IELW1Mdzeak
- Developer: Deconstructeam
- Publisher: Devovler Digital
- Platforms: PC
- Release: January 22, 2018
The Red Strings Club comes from development studio Deconstructream which previously brought out Gods Will Be Watching. Keeping up with the same gameplay and pixel graphic art style, The Red Strings Club is a cyberpunk adventure. Players will follow a narrative journey in which a corporation seeks out a new means to eliminate fears, depression, and anger from society. Players will be taking on the role of a bartender and a freelance hacker who seeks to demolish the corporation from unleashing what they feel is a brainwashing drug.
#9 Warhammer: Vermintide 2
- Developer: Fatshark
- Publisher: Fatshark
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
- Release: 2018
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is a first-person action title that follows the events of the first title, Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide. Within the game, players must band together as they fight against a Chaos army along with a race of rat-men known as Skaven. Much of the game is focused around melee action with a slew of weapons and abilities making battles fluid and action-packed.
Players will be able to select from five different characters all of which can be adjusted to match a certain class pathway resulting in different sets of skills and abilities. Currently, the game is only available on the PC and Xbox One platform. The latter of the two is free for players who own an Xbox Game Pass. For PlayStation 4 owners, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is slated to release at some point this year.
#8 Frostpunk
- Developer: 11 bit studios
- Publisher: 11 bit studios
- Platform: PC
- Release Date: April 24, 2018
From the developers who delivered This War of Mine to the masses in 2014 comes their latest title release, Frostpunk. If you’re familiar with This War of Mine, you’ll find that Frostpunk shares some strong similarities, one of which is toying with the player’s moral compass.
Within the game, players are left having to control a city of civilians who are seeking refuge from the harsh cold temperatures within the world. Being one of the few cities built around a heat source, players will have to strategize on how to handle various issues that may come up.
Forstpunk will ultimately force players to seek out resources and build up the city. However, gameplay will soon become a balancing act when it comes to pulling resources together in order to fight off problems that may affect the health and safety of the city inhabitants.
#7 Moss
- Developer: Polyarc
- Publisher: Polyarc
- Platforms: PS4, PC
- Release: February 27, 2018
Moss is a slightly unique game in comparison to the other indie titles on this list. Players will find that Moss, developed by Polyarc, to be a VR video game that uses both first-person and third-person perspectives when platforming through the levels and solving a series of puzzles. Within the game, players will take the role of Moss, a mouse who’s kingdom has been taken over by a fire-breathing snake called Sarffog. When Moss’s uncle gets captured, players lead Quill the mouse throughout the levels to eventually facing against the fire-breathing snake.
#6 Iconoclasts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unl4udZ5VJE
- Developer: Konjak
- Publisher: Bifrost Entertainment
- Platforms: PS4, PSV, PC, NS
- Release: January 23, 2018, August 2, 2018 (NS)
Iconoclasts is an action platformer that puts players into the shoes of Robin, a young mechanic that is self-taught in a world controlled by a religious government. Within this world, there is a unique substance, Ivory, which is used to power machines, but only government assigned mechanics are authorized to handle it. Despite the law, Robin uses her skills to help those in need until she is found out by the government that sends out special agents to take her down.
Escaping with her life, Robin discovers the real reason as to why the unique substance is so sacred to those in charge and causes her to start a revolt against the government. Gameplay is mixed with puzzle solving and combat featuring a wide range of tools and objects to discover that will help Robin reach new areas.
#5 Subnautica
- Developer: Unknown Worlds
- Publisher: Unknown Worlds
- Platform: PC, XBO
- Release: January 23, 2018 (PC), 2018 (XBO)
Subnautica is a survival adventure game that is currently available for the PC platform with an Xbox One release coming later this year. Set within the late 22nd century, players step into the shoes of an astronaut who are set to discover and colonize new planets. However, early in the game, our protagonist is the lone survivor of a crashed spaceship.
Trapped on an aquatic planet filled with creatures, some of which will be hostile to the player, gamers are free to explore the world and progress through the narrative. During the journey, players will have to collect a variety of resources to maintain nutrition, hydration, and of course, oxygen.
However, if you wish to up the difficulty with the game, players can try out the Hardcore mode that will still require players to gather resources to maintain their protagonist’s survival, but the game will no longer allow a respawn after a death.
#4 Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
- Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher: Versus Evil
- Platforms: PC, PS4, NS, XBO
- Release: May 8, 2018 (PC) TBA 2018 (NS, PS4, XBO)
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a direct sequel to Pillars of Eternity. The video game will take place within Eora where players step into the role of a Watcher. Our protagonist has the ability to look into other character’s souls along with reading their memories or past lives. Now that the god of light and rebirth has awoken, players will find that the god’s latest attack have left our protagonist near death.
This RPG is currently only available on the PC platform but the development team over at Obsidian Entertainment is gearing up to release the game on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platforms towards the end of this year.
#3 Dead Cells
- Developer: Motion Twin
- Publisher: Motion Twin
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO, NS
- Release: August 7, 2018
Developers Motion Twin tends to release video games completely for free to enjoy but their latest release became a massive hit and you’ll have to pay for a legitimate copy to enjoy it. Dead Cells made its way around the web when it launched in August of this year where it picked up traction as being a great roguelike-Metroidvania style game. In the game, players take the role of a protagonist named Prisoner who must attempt to escape a fortress and while the protagonist cannot die, when the health bar completely depletes, the character spawns back at the beginning of the game with the world altered.
Combat is fluid and quick with a variety of boss fights to battle along the way. Dead Cells can also be quite challenging as there will be no checkpoints meaning if you die, you’re going to be left restarting from the start once again.
#2 Into the Breach
- Developer: Subset Games
- Publisher: Subset Games
- Platforms: PC, NS
- Release: February 27, 2018
After the success of FTL: Faster Than Light, we finally have a new game under development studio, Subset Games. Into The Breach is a turn-based strategy video game that is set in the distant future where giant monsters have invaded the world leaving humanity to construct and operate massive mechs to fight back and reclaim their world. As the game progresses players will find new creatures to fight against a new unique challenge to complete. A big portion of the game will be based around strategy as well which means tweaking your mechs with new weapons and pilots to use during battles while memorizing your opponent’s attacks to deliver a powerful counter.
#1 Celeste
- Developer: Matt Makes Games
- Publisher: Matt Makes Games
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO, NS
- Release: January 25, 2018
Celeste is a platformer developed under Matt Thorson and Noel Berry. The video game is a fast-paced platformer where players take control of a young girl named Madeline. Overall, the goal within the game is to climb up a massive mountain known as Celeste Mountain. Gameplay can be quite addictive where players will have to make quick maneuvers around the levels to avoid obstacles along with gathering collectibles along the way, almost in the same vein as Super Meat Boy. However, there is an engaging story that will pull players in as you find out more about the mountain and our heroine.
