Indie games can be great, but there is a steadily growing number of them around. For that reason, it can be difficult to filter through them and find the 'diamonds in the rough'.
It's hard to know where to start with indie games. Browsing just the Steam store, you will find hundreds upon hundreds of indie titles. Sometimes it isn't even clear what an "indie" game is. But we're here to help.
Whether you're looking to venture into the indie gaming world for the first time, or if you're a veteran who's just looking for new content to play, this list will hopefully shine some light on a few new (or possibly forgotten) titles for you to get your hands on.
Blackwake
This multiplayer game is heavily team-based, and the first title from developer Mastfire Studios Pty. Players can take on various roles within the game, working closely to fire cannons, kill the enemy, and control their ship. Roles include Captain, repairman, cannoneer -- and you can even drink tea!
It's definitely not intended for the serious or hardcore indie gamer. It has a unique feeling about it, and has started to catch on in a comedic way. This is a great game to play with friends, and the way it encourages communication is a definite plus.
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
Set in a apocalyptic style setting that's based in the English countryside in the year 1988, this game is all about life, what it means, and what's really important about living it.
The kind of apocalypse you experience in this game is unlike any other (any other I've ever played, anyway). The world isn't decaying or destroyed or irradiated. It just seems like more of a ghost town that's been preserved almost perfectly -- aside from all the people who have all mysteriously disappeared.
The environments and graphics are incredibly detailed with everything from unique house interiors to nostalgic English pubs. I'll avoid spoiling any more of it for you, but I will say that you won't encounter many traditional life forms. rather, you'll be interacting with swirls and/or balls of lights, that seem to take on human-like characteristics and personalities.
Everybody's Gone to The Rapture is currently available Steam and PlayStation 4.
The Dream Machine
This is quite a rare game. It took 9 years to develop, and was built using real-world materials and stop-motion animation. The game footage itself was built by hand and captured using a DSLR camera, and was programmed using Adobe Flash.
It's a point-and-click adventure game that's broken up into six episodes. The first was released all the way back in December 2010 (development started in 2008), and episode seven is still to come in 2017.
Gameplay is centered around guiding your character through scenes and solving small puzzles as you go -- such as helping your wife Alicia, to find somewhere to eat breakfast. While it's fun enough to play, the real draw is the aesthetic that was achieved by the unorthodox way the game was created.
Super Meat Boy
Although quite well known, even among non-indie gamers, Super Meat Boy is a brilliantly original 2D platform game. You will face challenging puzzles and hours of gameplay. If you're looking for amazing graphics and a wide variety of gameplay, however, this isn't the right game for you.
Although some boastful gamers like to say they've completed the levels with ease, this game is renowned for being the most challenging 2D platformer around, and is for lovers of the extreme.
It can be difficult to pick up for some, but once you learn the controls and tame your speedy reactions, it can become quite an addicting game to master. And believe it or not, the difficulty does progress and get even harder.
Super Meat Boy is available on a wide variety of platforms, as shown on the official website.
Terraria
Terraria, another very popular game, is almost like a 2D Minecraft. But it is very much its own game in many respects. Terraria is more adventure-orientated, with unique combat features such as its many bosses and monsters. The game also features a lot of customization, with lots of character style choices, armor, weapons, etc.
Although this isn't a 3D game, it is in fact a sandbox game with vast opportunities and a huge variety of tasks to perform. There isn't really a specific story to the game, and where the adventure takes you is up to...well, you.
When you start the game for the first time, you'll be dropped into a procedurally generated world -- where you'll be expected to mine resources, craft goods, and build a shelter before nightfall (or else be challenged by the monsters). And you'll meet some pretty interesting NPCs along the way.
Terraria also has a large multiplayer mode where you can build, mine, and fight monsters along side your friends. PvP is also an option, but you don't have to engage in it if you don't want to.
Get Terraria on the platform of your choice from the official website.
While this list isn't in any particular order, I hope you will get some enjoyment out of the games shown here. If you know of any other great indie games you think should be in the list, let me know in the comments below!
Published: Mar 9, 2017 12:44 pm