There used to be a time when the best indie games would go unnoticed, whispered about on gaming forums and rarely in contention for awards, swept aside by annual releases and the million of dollars spent on animating the protagonist’s eyebrows.
Not anymore. In fact, it could be argued that well-crafted indies receive more love than their far bigger cousins. Titles like The Division may come along and make a huge splash, but it’s indie games like Undertale that people remember the fondest.
Today, indie games are bigger than ever with hundreds coming out every year, all with a unique spin on old genres. Creativity is alive and well in the game industry thanks to the indie scene. Over the past couple of generations, we have seen a wealth of great indie games with these four being some that are truly unique and stand out.
LIMBO
The entirely black and white atmospheric Limbo is a puzzle-platformer where you make your way through a dark, dank forest and industrial town in order to make your way back to your sister. You cannot attack but instead complete puzzles to progress through the game and take out a massive spider that is stalking you.
Once you have completed Limbo and finally find your sister, you are set right back to the beginning of the game to relive it all over again because as the game states, you are in Limbo.
CUPHEAD
Cuphead looks very much like the 1930s golden age of animation-style Studio MDHR aimed to reproduce. What’s closer to the truth is that we’ve never played anything like Cuphead. While its glorious art style sucks you in, the frenetically paced run-and-gunning, blink-and-you-die platforming and hellishly challenging boss battles take the game into a league of its own.
Yes, it’s teeth-gnashingly tough, but it seldom feels unfair and there’s very little to match the satisfaction of conquering a particularly malicious boss (we’re looking at you, Dr Kahl’s Robot), even if you’ve dented your controller in frustration in the meantime. Cuphead is a truly stunning achievement and, no, you’ve probably never played anything like it.
OUTLAST
Despite having better presentation than 90% of its horror game peers out at the time of its release, Red Barrels’ Outlast is a proud indie. It has the visual sheen of a game built on a far higher budget, along with the atmosphere and tone to match.
For most of its playtime, Outlast doesn’t relent, putting Miles Upshur, the almost defenceless protagonist, and the player under serious duress. It helps that its setting, an overrun mental asylum, is one of the creepiest in gaming. You’re never too sure about what’s ahead as you creep around a corner with nothing but a camcorder to guide your path. Its sequel is also pretty great.
ROCKET LEAGUE
The best alternative to soccer that video games have, Rocket League sees teams of rocket-fuelled cars attempt to score in the opponent’s goal. Sounds easy, right? What makes Rocket League’s appeal so grand is that it’s not as simple as get the ball on the ground and aim towards the goal.
There’s a heavy emphasis on verticality, with boosting used to get touches while airborne. Because of this, the game can be played casually just fine but has a huge skill ceiling, meaning the best players can put on a spectacle of hugely enjoyable soccer action. Because of this, Rocket League ranks as possibly the best indie “sports” title ever.