We all know the story of David and Goliath. Whenever we see similar situations in real life, our natural instinct is to support David, the young underdog. When it comes to the world of gaming, the small companies and indie developers compete with major gaming conglomerates (read large development teams, huge marketing budgets) with the help of their technical acumen and the exciting, nail-biting content they create.
They are the David of the gaming world. Today we shall bring to you ten such games made by individuals or small companies, commonly referred to as Indie games.
HADES
Hack and slash out of Tartarus, Asphodel, and Elysium and face the Lord Of The Dead in Hades, this brilliant roguelike action dungeon-crawler. Developed and published by Supergiant Games, this splendid game follows the story of Zagreus, the son of Hades, as he defies his father to escape the Underworld in search of answers. Explore the various areas of the Underworld, meet fascinating characters and the Gods of Olympus, and collect interesting loot, all with an arsenal of powerful weapons at your disposal.
Will you fight your way out of the Underworld?
HOLLOW KNIGHT
Explore a vast ruined kingdom of insects and fight bizarre warrior bugs – all with a little nail!
Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight has stunning hand-drawn art, immersive gameplay and lovable characters. With a plethora of areas to explore and helpful charms at your disposal, fight your way to discover secrets and uncover all that Hallownest has to offer in this Metroidvania-style game.
PS: Play Hollow Knight now to finish it in time for the sequel- Hollow Knight: Silksong!
STARDEW VALLEY
Live your new life as a farmer with just a few coins, some old tools, and your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Form relations with your neighbours, learn to live off the land, attend annual parties and run errands for extra money! Enjoy peaceful yet immersive gameplay in this pixel graphics farming simulator.
NOBODY SAVES THE WORLD
Nobody Saves The World is an indie game where you can quite ironically, be anybody. 20 odd characters to play, all with unique abilities and quirky interactions with the game elements make you as excited if not more for the next character to be unlocked. And when I say 20 odd, I do mean odd as it also involves you transforming into everything, from a troublesome and pesky rat who nibbles through his enemies, into an egg and even into a fiery dragon! As you progress, the story gets more interesting, with the ability to shapeshift in the middle of battle creating fascinating combos of abilities. Any gaming nerd would love to master this highly entertaining and funny game!
RAJI: AN ANCIENT EPIC
Raji is the tale of a young girl taking on a demonic horde to save her sibling. Along the way, throughout this endeavour, we meet the mighty gods and legends of Indian mythology and learn more about them. This indie game is as fascinating as the ancient Indian folklore it is inspired by, and the characters, the voice acting and the stunning art style come together to make a splendid, immersive and thrilling experience.
What makes it more impressive is that most of the art is hand-painted, and the equally rich story with challenging combat keeps you on your toes throughout the game!
LIMBO
One of the reviews for Limbo says it is “as close to perfect at what it does as a game can get”. I wholeheartedly agree. One of the most creative, interesting and beautiful games anybody has ever seen, Limbo is an absolute masterpiece. It follows the life of a young boy exploring a disturbing and eerie world in search of his sister. Limbo pairs peaceful gameplay with a freaky atmosphere in the most fascinating of ways, and I am certain if you play this indie treasure once, you will return to it again.
AMONG US
Among Us is a multiplayer game with a fairly simple concept but played (geddit?) to perfection.
The game starts off as a simple social deduction game where some of the players are supposed to murder the others without being caught. The impostors are disguised as the rest of the crew, appearing as normal (and cute) aliens. It is up to the non-impostors to figure out the deception, and vote to eliminate possible traitors.
Deceive, deduce and deflect and go about your day-to-day activities aboard the spaceship as your favourite coloured alien (you can even pick a fancy hat)!
The game adds complexity by enabling traitors to create disruptions like sudden power shutdowns and sabotage the spaceship. While everyone is sent into a state of panic, the killers can make their move. Play with friends, or enter online lobbies with strangers to find out the impostor..among us.
THE STANLEY PARABLE
I cannot talk about The Stanley Parable without mentioning the narrator in the game. The absolutely brilliant voicework by Kevan Brighting makes this game what it is- an exciting, fun and unforgettable experience. It is an immaculately designed first-person exploration game, where only one thing is constant- contradiction. At first, none of it makes sense. But as you progress (are you really progressing?), everything starts to come together..
The Stanley Parable has gained a cult following and once you play it, you will realise why. Don’t miss out on this flawless adventure by Galactic Cafe, and remember, the end is never the end.
DEAD CELLS
Dead Cells is a 2D action platformer with a game mechanic similar to that of Dark Souls. It’s death. That’s the game mechanic. But that is exactly what actually gives you an insight into how to succeed in the game. Whatever progress you make, however small, a new weapon, a new spell, it feels even more rewarding. The castle is riddled with secret passages, shortcuts, and hidden treasures if you fancy. Yes, permadeath is real but the exciting combat and stunning gameplay almost make it worth fighting for. The thrilling level designs are progressive in nature and keep changing almost every time you enter the zone, adding to the game’s replayability. Dead Cells is an absolute must-try! You will die, but hey, fun is guaranteed!
INSIDE
From the creators of Limbo, Inside follows the life of a young boy caught in the midst of a terrible project. A narrative-driven platformer, it combines challenging puzzles with thrilling action. Building upon what made Limbo so great, Inside is also a 2D platformer that makes perfect use of an unsettling atmosphere and a moody, eerie art style. Any Indie game enthusiast must definitely give this captivating adventure a try!
