Experts Tell Us the Best Indie Games

It’s called GRIME. It’s a Metroidvania that heavily borrows Soulslike elements like character levelling and challenging boss fights, to produce a really amazing mix of challenge, exploration, and intrigue. What really carried me through the game however were the extremely striking visual style. True to it’s name, the world of GRIME is dark, messy, and very vague. And all of that makes for some super engaging environments that you’ll be itching to explore.

I seldom play due to my hectic work schedule, but when I do, I make sure it’s worth my time. This game is one of the best Indie games I have played with the perfect balance of challenges and accomplishments. It is easy enough to get the hang of in the beginning but also hard enough to make you want to keep on playing. It is a great way to unwind after a long day at work. Also, you can purchase it for only $1.99.

Disco Elysium was arguably the best indie game of 2019. Dumping you into the soiled shoes of a detective after an amnesia-inducing night of murder of drinking and immediately charging you with investigating a grizzly. With no traditional combat to speak of, Disco Elysium is all about wrestling with your own psyche in order to form the kind of detective you want to be, and then employing this fractured personality to get answers from suspects. This wouldn’t work if it weren’t for some phenomenal writing, and in this respect Disco Elysium is a peerless RPG. With countless conversational threads to pick at in any given encounter, the fact that every single one of them is brimming with personality is what makes this detective game so special.

Developer Supergiant’s latest is a delicious roguelike and one of 2020’s best stories. Every time you fail at escaping your father’s territory, you’ll get stronger and better at using your growing arsenal. However, it is Hades’ ensemble of bickering gods that makes its cyclical nature sing. Chatting with your Olympian cousins is fun and helps you learn more about Supergiant’s unique take on Greek mythology.

Among Us is the perfect game to accuse your buddies of murdering each other. In the game, a group of cute little astronauts are trying to fulfill duties on a spaceship, but one is a merciless imposter out to kill them all. Either find the imposter (or imposters) before it’s too late or fool and kill the other astronauts to win. The locations and chores can be a little overwhelming at first, but anyone can pick up the game quickly. Also, Among Us is inexpensive on Steam! Don’t blame us if your friendships dissolve after a few rounds of killing each other.

It should have been evident from the start that combining football and cars would result in one of the best independent games. The name alone may have turned off some potential players. So. Rocket League sets two teams against each other to score goals by bouncing balls off bumpers and accelerating them into the net. Rocket League’s success may be attributed to its simplicity: there is no equipment to learn, no metagame to master, no classes to learn: you drive with a mix of strategies and aggression. Not sure about those? Rocket League advice can help. Learning strategies to better pass and control the ball adds depth, but Rocket League is best enjoyed as a bit of carefree enjoyment.

The game’s insightful script is emotional and entertaining, and it frequently addresses major issues like depression, the effects of economic instability, and mental illness. Even seemingly insignificant events will linger in your mind forever after the titles have rolled. You will go back into the game to have those extra conversations with Mae’s neighbors and friends, but this story-driven trip will leave you wanting more.

A pixel art action platformer that looks. like some long-lost 16-bit title that plays pretty much how you would expect it to. This is another long and development kick starter that made it to launch. You’ll play as a resistance soldier battling against a dictator and his army of goons. But there’s a very interesting twist that awaits the hero, having access to a zip line of all things. Isn’t it nice. There’s also a bit of gun style heroes, metal and slug in this and they also have a fantastic pixel art look. It may be a shorter experience but it’s really worth it for the entertainment value alone.

Once the #1 ranked game on RPG Geek (and still the #3 ranked), Apocalypse World is an incredibly popular post-apocalyptic role-playing game from an independent publisher (Lumpley Games). Apocalypse World lets you explore any post-apocalyptic setting that you (and your group) can imagine … in fact, creating that setting is part of the character creation process. Once you start playing Apocalypse World uses a lightweight set of rules that focus more on pushing the story forward, and less on tactical play (eg. unlike Dungeons and Dragons it doesn’t use miniatures). Apocalypse World isn’t for children, as the game references many adult themes including drugs and sex. However, as the winner of the 2010 Indie RPG Awards Game of the Year, the 2011 Golden Geek RPG of the Year, and the 2011 Lucca Games Best Role-Playing Game, you can be certain that the adults in your group are going to love this game.

This is a super cute and cozy game about camping on a haunted island. It’s one of my favorite games with so many interactions, adorable characters and so much more.

A review of the finest DS games would be incomplete without including the best-selling DS game of all time: New Super Mario Bros. The player plays either the eponymous character Mario or his brother Luigi as they travel through numerous realms to save Princess Peach from Bowser and Bowser Jr. It’s no wonder that this game is difficult to put down as one of the best-selling video games of all time. The game is interesting and addictive due to the combination of easy gameplay and a variety of worlds to explore. Blue Koopa Shell and other new power-ups provided a new dimension to the gameplay. Movements from 3D Mario games, such as the wall leap, were also included to enhance the experience.

Time may only move when you move in SUPERHOT, but try stopping time in real life as hours upon hours pass you by in your pursuit of just one more Hollywood quality slaughter. It’s difficult to pinpoint when SUPERHOT first completely grips you since you won’t realize it, but once you’re in, you’re in. SUPERHOT Team took a wild concept and went with it, creating one of the most memorable FPS games and independent games in recent memory, whether they realized it or not. Surprisingly, it features a roguelike standalone that is now in early access on Steam.