The best indie games for 2024 | Digital Trends (2024)

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No Man's Sky

Despite its incredible scale and growth over the past few years, No Man’s Sky is still an indie game. Developed and published by Hello Games — and led by Sean Murray — the exploration title has seen a complete turnaround in 2021, becoming one of the most popular games of the year. Numerous updates have filled the gaps left by broken promises at launch, giving you the option to play in VR, invite your friends to your game with multiplayer mode, and rework its base building system. If you were excited about the indie game when it first launched but passed on due to poor reviews, now is finally the time to give it a second look.

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Into the Breach

Into the Breach is a time-traveling rogue-like that, more than any other game, makes you know that every mistake was your fault. You control a team of three mechs on various grid-based maps with different terrain, cities to protect, hazards, and other elements. Then there are the bug monsters you fight, which start on the map and also spawn from below the surface. However, the twist is that you know exactly what every enemy will do and when, allowing you to move, attack, and reposition the enemy to completely counter or nullify their turn … if you’re smart enough to work it out, that is. Maps are always small, meaning every move and attack needs to be considered. This game is incredibly addictive and, being a roguelike, endlessly replayable.

Death's Door

Devolver Digital has been pumping out hit and hit over the past few months, and Death’s Door is among its latest masterpieces. You’ll be tasked with collecting the souls of the dead — although it’s not as macabre as it sounds. Played similarly to classic top-down dungeon crawlers, you’ll experience some of the best indie game design in the business, along with top-notch storytelling and polish you’ve come to expect from Devolver. Our review found it to be one of the best games of 2021 — indie or otherwise — and a game that any ARPG fan needs to experience firsthand.

Lethal Company

Horror games are very hard to get right. Making a co-op-focused horror game is almost impossible, and yet Lethal Company pulls it off almost effortlessly. The real strength of this game, made by a single person, I might add, is that it leans into its strengths. It is visually calling back to more classic horror games where your imagination fills in a lot of blanks. Mechanically, the stress of a time limit, limited inventory, and even more limited ways to fight back against the monsters all keep you unsettled. Add in the proximity voice system and emergent events that keep every run intense and you have a strong contender for one of the best times you can have with some pals.

Stray

What do you get when you throw a cat into a cyberpunk world? Well, Stray, of course. This game is for cat lovers of the world, giving you full control over an adorable orange cat in a world with no humans left. You will navigate and cause trouble for the various robotic citizens as you platform and solve light puzzles in this quick but satisfying adventure to get back to freedom. While there isn’t much challenge here, the joy comes from how realistic your cat is, from a dedicated meow button to scratching carpets and taking naps on soft pillows. Even though your hero never speaks, you will quickly become attached and want to see their journey through to the end.

Hotline Miami Collection

It’s not the newest game on the block, but few indie titles can match the frantic pace of Hotline Miami. Played from a top-down perspective and featuring gritty, pixelated graphics, Hotline Miami sees you gunning down foes as you follow a dream-like story throughout neon-soaked 1980s set pieces. It’s not for everyone, but it quickly became one of the best-reviewed titles of 2012, as few others managed to feature such fluid and rewarding gameplay. If you love everything about Hotline Miami, you’ll be glad to know that Hotline Miami 2,offered in this collection as well, offers more of the same. Its graphics received a bit of a change, but the fast-paced, over-the-top action is still intact.

El Paso, Elsewhere

If you cut your teeth on the fast and brutal combat of Max Payne, then El Paso, Elsewhere is just what you need to fill the void until its remakes come around. Replacing normal gangsters and thugs with vampires, werewolves, and other demonic forces, you run, dive, roll, and shoot your way through swarms of monsters in this game that is so much more than just a throwback to games of that era. The story, style, and feel are completely its own and a bloody great time.

A Space for the Unbound

Coming-of-age stories can so easily miss the mark or come off as too preachy. A Space for the Unbound bucks the trend not only by placing it in an uncommon setting for the genre, Indonesia, but also in its themes. This is a story about high school sweethearts in the 90s, where a mysterious force is attempting to end the world right as they are about to graduate. That’s just the background, however, as the bulk of the game is focused more on the intimate, smaller-scale stories of the main cast. It might sound a little cliche and boring, but if you let it, this game will resonate with you in a meaningful way.

Lake

If you’re a fan of walking simulators — such as Death Stranding — Lake needs to be on your to-do list. Instead of roaming around a post-apocalyptic world with a baby strapped to your chest, Lake brings things back to reality as you step into the shoes of Meredith Weiss as she delivers mail in her old childhood hometown. The adventure features a heartwarming narrative, a relaxing gameplay loop, and surprisingly well-voiced characters. There are a few twists along the way, but Lake is a game meant to be played at a snail’s pace — so kick back, put your feet up, and enjoy the sights and sounds of this quaint lakeside town.

Enter the Gungeon

Call us crazy, but we actually think that Enter the Gungeon is better than it’s main inspiration and grandfather of modern rogue-likes, The Binding of Isaac. The reasons are simple: The game doesn’t have an overwhelming number of items that you need a wiki open at all times to reference, it has tight controls, and it’s completable for those looking for an end to these kinds of games. Every item tells you what it does and clearly indicates if it will synergize with something else you have. Plus, the gunplay is tight, arcade-y, and very satisfying to master. There could be a few more bosses, but the entire package is still an amazing and visually appealing adventure with as much replay value as you want.

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

No doubt this is the strangest indie game on the list, but it’s also one you won’t want to go without playing. The hilarious 2D adventure game sees you guiding Turnip Boy as he — well, commits tax evasion. Beyond that unforgivable crime, you’ll also solve a variety of puzzles, fight giant rabbits, dismantle “the system,” and tear up plenty of legal paperwork along the way. No matter how you cut it, it’s a quirky game, but there’s not another indie game available that’ll have you laughing as much as Turnip Boy. From its incredible writing to its adorable art style, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is one of the best indie games you’ll play this year.

Among Us

Made by just three indie developers at InnerSloth, Among Ustook the world by storm as a way to remotely connect with (and murder) your friends while stuck indoors. The gameplay is simple but endlessly repeatable. In each game, crewmates complete mini-games to fix malfunctioning ship or base parts while randomly chosen imposters disguised as crewmates pick off the good guys one by one. If a body is found, people accuse one another, and supposed imposters are booted out of the airlock. You can play with strangers or in a party of friends, but it’s especially fun to interrogate your friends over voice chat or study their faces on video calls, trying to guess who is lying about their alibis. Or, as the imposter, you’ll have to improvise on the fly to come up with excuses and fake tasks that hide your true murderous actions.

Celeste

Celeste, an indie game from Towerfall developer Matt Makes Games,is a deceptively simple game. Ostensibly a game about protagonist Madeline’s journey to the top of the titular Celeste mountain, we gradually learn about her emotional troubles and the colorful cast of characters she meets along the way. But this isn’t actually an adventure game at all. Madeline climbs the mountain with simple yet deep jumping mechanics that make for some tremendously creative levels. The hazards thrown in your way later in the game are always just challenging enough to slow you down. With tons of collectibles to find and special “B-Side” levels to unlock, Celeste keeps you climbing the mountain for hours.

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut

Developed by ZA/UM, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is a stylish-yet-gritty isometric open-world RPG. Players assume the role of a detective who initially wakes up mostly naked on a dirty hotel room floor. Problem is, this guy has an alcohol problem. It escalates to a three-day drinking binge that ultimately leaves him with amnesia. Thanks to his inner demons, you’re not only tasked with solving the murder case he originally worked on before his breakdown, but you also must discover the character’s hazy identity. Players roam the streets of Revachol, a 1970s-esque city infested with crime and poverty. Overall,Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is dialogue-heavy, even during violent encounters. There’s no real combat system, but rather branching trees based on your actions. It’s an interesting twist to your typical isometric RPG and givesDisco Elysium: The Final Cut more of a storybook feel versus an interactive indie game. Over time, you’ll focus on four major abilities — intellect, motorics, physique, and psyche — as the murder mystery unfolds and you level up the detective.

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Mediatonic’sFall Guyshas proven to be an utter success among indie game fans. While most battle royale titles tend to stick thoroughly to the “battle” part of it, Fall Guysapproaches it from a different angle involving whimsical platforming gameplay. Using adorable avatars, players can partake in multiple events, including soccer, foot racing, “Grab the Tail,” and more silly games, with each taking place in vibrant and colorful locales. The game is most reminiscent of game shows likeWipeout, as players are consistently bombarded with daunting obstacles. All of this is done as players try to avoid falling off suspended platforms into water, lava, or a vast pit of pink goop. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockoutis one of the most creative platformers in years, redefining the battle royale genre as more diverse than simply hero shooters or survival games.Fall Guys is ultimately a highlight for both 2020 and battle royales altogether.

Hades

If nothing else,Hadesis a testament to how far good game design can go. Developed and released by Supergiant Games — the same studio behindTransistorandBastion— it’s hardly a surprise thatHadesis a good game. What is surprising is how Supergiant maintained and evolved the roguelike genre, cementing Hadesas one of the best roguelikes of all time. On the surface,Hadesis an ultra-tight hack-and-slash. You move from chamber to chamber, defeating baddies while picking rewards. And for that,Hadesis a good game. The boon system makes it a great game. You can pick up boons from various gods and goddesses during your run. These boons, like the rooms themselves, are randomized each run, combining the excitement of drafting in a game like Magic: the Gatheringwith the combat of something likeDiablo. Hades,like previous Supergiant titles, isn’t content with beinganotherindie game. Take a look at our guide to the best Hades builds to get started.

Rogue Legacy 2

If you’re not burnt out on roguelikes just yet, you owe it to yourself to give Rogue Legacy 2 a shot. This was one of the pioneers of the genre’s popularity boom, and the sequel is just as addictive as the first. Taking on the role of a family of warriors, each descendant having their own class, skills, abilities, and possible quirks, is just one of the ways that each run feels fresh and fun. The upgrade system means that, even if it takes you a while, you are constantly improving and will be able to turn the tides in your favor. Of course, if it remains too hard, the House Rules allow you to tweak the game to be most comfortable to you.

Humanity

If you miss games like Lemmings,Humanity is what that series would most likely look like if it continued evolving into today. Taking control of a little puppy, you need to guide streams of people to a light source in a 3D environment by giving them directions. That seems simple enough, but the added traps, hazards, and quirks in level design are sure to test your creative thinking skills. If you want to get all the Goldies as well, you have a real challenge in store. This is a perfect pick if you want to flex your brain muscles.

Darkest Dungeon II

If you like your indies punishing and unrelenting, Darkest Dungeon 2 is here to make (or ruin) your day. The original game was certainly no pushover, but somehow the sequel manages to feel even more hopeless. You now bring your four heroes on a quest to carry the flame across the land, but every choice you make, in and out of combat, is a tough one with no right answer. This isn’t a game you can really master. Every encounter will cost you something, but how much and what precious resource you might gain is up to you. If you’re not familiar with tactical games like this, you’ll either learn very quickly or bounce off and never come back.

Loop Hero

Loop Herois one of the more unique indie games to come out in the past few years, and that’s saying something for a category of games known for their uniqueness. It doesn’t fit neatly into a genre, combining elements of card games, real-time strategy, and god games into a roguelike format. Each run starts with a simple loop around which your character moves. From there, you use the cards in your deck to build the world around you, including new terrain and enemies. Beat the enemies and you’ll earn loot to use in further battles. Loop Hero‘s gameplay loop is all about balancing risk and reward. As you play, you’ll earn resources to upgrade your camp. There, you can unlock new character classes and cards for your deck, pushing you closer to actually finishing the game. You shape the world of each run, so you’ll spend most of your time weighing the risks of continuing a run against the rewards of packing up and going back to camp for a few upgrades. That tension works.

Night in the Woods

Returning to your hometown doesn’t always turn the way you expect. In Night in the Woods, anthropomorphic cat Mae drops out of college and heads back to Possum Springs. Mae gradually begins to see that the town and its people — a collection of eclectic, talking animals — have dark pasts full of mysteries. The game plays as a sidescroller, but Night in the Woods can aptly be compared to visual novels and adventure games. With an emphasis on the stories we tell, indie studio Finji’s first game ends up telling one of the most profound and relatable video game narratives we’ve played in years. Heavily indebted to dark humor, Night in the Woods asks players to make choices throughout the story that affect the way Mae views the happenings in Possum Springs. It even accomplishes the impressive task of making us feel sad and laugh all in the space of one scene.

Oxenfree

Telltale-esque, story-driven adventures aren’t nearly as common as they were prior to the Telltale Games closure. Nonetheless,Oxenfree may very well be the best entry in the popular genre to date. Set on an island, Alex and her friends begin experiencing events that can only be referred to as supernatural. Instead of fleeing, they remain to uncover the island’s secrets. A distinct, 2.5-D art style gives Oxenfree a look that separates it from others in the genre, and the twisting and turning story is undeniably spellbinding. With wonderfully realized cutscenes, introspective dialogue, and a meaningful choice-based system, Oxenfree is a gripping story that will grip you until the credits roll. Then, if you’re anything like us, you’ll boot it up again to choose differently, and see how Alex’s relationships and the ending change based on your actions.

Spelunky 2

Spelunkyremains one of the best indies of all time, but the new launch of Spelunky 2 took its randomized roguelike formula and perfected it. Like the original, you play as a treasure hunter diving into procedurally generated levels that change every time you die — and you’re going to die a lot. Yet after each death, you’ll improve your skills and learn more about how to spot deadly traps and deal with the deadly monsters you encounter. While the original had four worlds with four levels each, Spelunky 2 adds branching paths so you can choose different worlds to explore, with seven areas in a single playthrough and up to 16 different areas you can end up in based on your choices. It also includes new doorways — letting you go into caves behind each level that bypass the main area and add new treasure and traps — as well as new weapons, allies, and mounts to ride. You can now exploreSpelunky 2‘s caves in an online co-op with a friend or compete for the high score in the Daily Challenge mode, which gives everyone the exact same cave configuration. It’s a bizarre game with weird but deadly enemies and comically exasperating deaths. Yet when you reach a new level or discover a new secret, it feels that much more rewarding.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley could perhaps be described best as a small-town life simulator game. The game opens with the player inheriting a farm in a run-down village, and from there it’s all about everyday living. The game divides into days, months, and years. Players can only accomplish so many activities in a given day, forcing them to choose their priorities wisely. Whether they’re growing crops, helping townsfolk with problems, or exploring caves to find resources, players must decide what they value and pursue it. You’ll easily get dozens of hours of enjoyment from this game and then can start adding Stardew Valley modsto switch things up once your simple farming life has lost its luster.

Valheim

Valheim entered early access in March 2021, but it has already cemented itself as one of the best survival games around. The game went viral almost immediately after launching, and for good reason. Valheimunderstands how to reward the player instead of just throwing them to the wilds and hoping for the best. You’ll still have to fend for yourself, gathering resources to build better weapons and traverse new locations. But Valheim finds a way to make that experience rewarding, from huge boss fights to simply sailing across the ocean. You don’t have to take the journey alone, either.Valheimsupports co-op for up to 10 players, giving your friend group an endless, procedurally generated playground to survive in. It’s rare to see this level of quality in a survival game, much less one that just entered early access. Valheimis worth the hype.

The Witness

On of the most well known indie devs out there is the creator of the breakout hit Braid. Jonathan Blow’s time-bending, and trope-breaking, 2D platformer helped put indie games as a whole on the map when it first came out. It took a long time, but fans eagerly awaited his next project, which turned out to be the even more impressive first-person puzzler, The Witness. The Witness is the absolute best example of a game teaching you through play. There’s no single line of dialogue or tutorial text to teach you the rules. You need to figure them out by playing, but the game’s pace of how it builds mechanics into the simple idea of connecting a line between two points on a grid is almost magical. The world is tight, beautiful, and full of secrets. This game will live in your mind even when you’re not playing. It rewards creative thinking and experimentation in the best ways.

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