Picture yourself in this scenario, you are looking for your next game to play and want something unique. You go to your local video game store and see a line of AAA titles that hit the same. Your objective is to explore the open world, hitting a landmark that reveals a portion of the map with available resources and sidequests.
This is one example however it’s easy to see that AAA titles have been falling into similar trends (open world sandbox, FPS, collectathons, etc) and while it may entertain you for a couple of iterations, we as gamers are always on the lookout for the next big thing that subverts our expectations around gaming. Enter the world of Indie Games. Indie (short for independent) Games are created by a very small team of developers and don’t receive financial support from larger game publishers such asSquare Enix, Electronic Arts, Bandai etc.
Luckily larger game publishers are recognizing the importance of indie video games; an example being Nintendo creating Indie World Showcase this past month (April 17th, a link will be provided at the end if you want to watch!). There are plenty of reasons to start looking at Indie Games as you build your library. In this article we are going to list a few.
1. Indie Games allow for a deeper connection between players and developers
Sea of Stars has seen such commercial and critical acclaim that physical copies have been released for fans to get their hands on!
With Indie Games not having the resources that AAA titles have, a common method of getting a game off the ground is through crowdfunding. With crowdfunding, developers are able to provide unique incentives for individuals that commit to a level of support. A recent example of this was the crowdfunding of Indie Game of The Year Sea of Stars. The rewards ranged from HD wallpapers to designing a character in game and having your name in the credits of the game!
As a result of these incentives, Sea of Stars raised over $1.5million, leagues beyond their goal of $133,000. With crowdfunding, everyday players have the opportunity to take partial ownership in the development of the game. This creates a unique connection that AAA titles aren’t able to utilize due to their already established resources.
Indie Games such as Sea of Stars were only made possible by the crowd funding of everyday gamers!
2. Indie Games Mix Genres to create game we've never seen before
Crypt of the Necrodancer puts a spin on the classic tropes of Rougelikes where you must fight to the rhythm of the song being played!
A lot of people can say they’ve played an FPS or a sandbox open world, but how many can say they played a rhythm based roguelike game? Or an RPG where relationship building being a viable mechanic to “defeat” any/all enemies?
With Indie Games not having major funding coming from bigger publishers, developers have more artistic liberty to subvert our expectations as gamers. Games such as Crypt of The Necrodancer or Undertale force us to reconsider how we play video games. The two aforementioned games merely scratch the surface of what indie games have done to revolutionize their respective genres. I personally discovered a game where you fight your way through a dungeon through pinball mechanics (Creature in the Well for those wondering).
Indie Games provide a wide breadth of unique experiences, it’s definitely worth your while to explore this genre of game to find your next gaming session.
Games like Creature in the Well combine various genres (this case dungeon crawling and pinball) to create unique gaming experiences!
3. Indie Games are usually cheaper than their AAA counterparts
Top Rated Indie Games on Steam, none of the top 5 even break $30!
With inflation affecting our finances in various aspects of our lives, it only makes sense that we are becoming more discerning in what we are investing our time and money into. $60-$70 for a base game can be a steep price for gamers, especially if there is no frame of reference of quality at launch. I have fallen victim personally to paying for price for a game and not being satisfied with what the game offered (I’m looking at you Anthem).
This, for the most part, isn’t the case for Indie Games. Even with developers working tirelessly to create high quality games, their main focus is to make the game accessible to the everyday consumer to create a fan base.
All of the games nominated for Indie Game of The Year this past year are under $40 and there are plenty that go for cheaper. There are also a multitude of sales that Indie Studios take part in to have their games go on sale. Before you think about spending at least $60 on a new title, it may be worth your while to see what game (or games) you can afford and still have an enjoyable experience.
Popular indie game Hades, a roguelike with unique art style, can be picked up for just $15
4. Indie Games Have Stellar Music
Indie Games have embraced how music can immerse a person into their games!
A new trend that has been rising in the Indie Game scene is selling vinyls of original soundtracks. Music is a critical aspect of the entire gaming experience and Indie developers know this very well.
With indie games being more of a passion project for developers, they tend to be more mindful of how nuanced variables such as music can immerse players at a deeper level. Games like Floppy Knights even totes their original soundtracks as a major selling point to pick up the game.
While Indie Games may not have the resources to create hyper-realistic graphics, they lean on other aspects that make gaming a holistic immersive experience.
Turn based strategy game Floppy Knights has amazing original tracks that will get stuck in your head as you fight your way to victory!
5. Indie Games Tend to Emphasize Local Co-op Play
Games like Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime embrace the chaos of local cooperative play to create memorable experiences with friends
With the rise of online games, it’s a refreshing change to see Indie developers bring things back to local couch co-op. While AAA titles tend to prioritize online play to reach a larger community, Indie Games such as Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime and Moving Out bring back the times of 2-4 players sitting in a room together, yelling over one another as they revel in the chaos these games bring. With local co-op being an emphasis, learning about new and upcoming games becomes more about word of mouth through fellow gamers!
Control a spaceship with up to 4 players as you save creatures from the dangers of space!
6. Indie Games Tend to be More Experiemental In Their Art Style
Indie Games like Cuphead take inspiration from cartoons of the 1930's, well beyond the AAA trend of hyper-realism
With consoles increasing graphic power and AAA titles taking steps towards realistic renditions of humans, it can be challenging sometimes to remember that you’re playing a video game.
What makes the media of videogames inherently unique is that there are no limitations to the art you can create. Without the potential constraints working for a bigger publishing company may place, Indie Developers are given more control over what they want their game to look like. Games such as Cuphead and The Binding of Isaac emphasize unique visuals that captivate players from the get go.
Popular Indie Game Hollow Knight encourages exploration of breathtaking and unique caverns inhabited by a variety of creatures
7. Indie Games Cover Topics Rarely Covered By AAA Titles
Indie Games like Celeste develop an in depth story that explores topics surrounding mental health and resilience
Indie Games lean into their artistic side not only in their visuals, but in conveying a message to players. While AAA titles may cover grandiose storylines with characters experiencing extreme hardships, Indie Games tend to focus on making their characters relatable to the everyday player.
Games such as Celeste, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Life is Strange cover topics from depression, to estranged relationships. All of these relate more to the human condition and leave us with a clear message on what the developers (or authors) wanted to tell us.
Beyond their relationships via community funding, Indie Developers create games that speak to the everyday player and provide an avenue to gain insight on relatable topics.
Indie games such as Celeste (pictured above) touch upon topics not normally covered in games such as mental health and complex interrelationships
8. Indie Games Can Be Artistic Pieces
While some games use high octane action to keep players engaged, some Indie Games like Firewatch tell a story and immerse their players with more nuanced storytelling via exploration.
While AAA titles may bring us action packed games with a standard story progression, Indie Games sometimes let gameplay take a backseat for the story they want to tell.
Titles such as Gone Home Firewatch are simply a walking simulation where you as the player explore to find clues unraveling the story. Indie Game developers tend to experiment on factors beyond gameplay to convey a satisfying experience for gamers. Papers Please has you in the role of a border patrol agent amongst two fictional countries in a tense situation, looking over documents to sus out anybody coming to the country under false pretenses.
With Indie Games emphasizing a message, gamers can experience something similar to a visual interactive novel that expands their thinking around gaming in general.
Firewatch is a game that has the player exploring through the Wyoming wilderness solving a mystery through various clues found by walking through the land.
9. Indie Games Are More Likely A Passion Project From Developers
Indie Game is a documentary that follows multiple Indie Game studios are they are working on creating their passion project
Why do video game developers make the game that they do? Do they do it for profit? The accolades? Or to create a piece of media that speaks to them? Indie Game Development studios tend to be a small team of passionate people that are willing to come together on a central project.
Sabotage Studio, the studio that made Indie Game of the Year Sea of Stars, is composed of a core team of 21 developers with collaborations from contract workers. These numbers pale in comparison to large teams such as Sony Interactive Entertainment with a reported 12,700 employees in 2023.
These smaller studios invite more consistent collaboration and allow their passion as well as perseverance carry them into releasing the game they want to make.
While Indie Game of the Year Sea of Stars was massive in scale in terms of story and gameplay, the game was a product of a small team of passionate game developers
10. Indie Games Involve More Players In Their Beta Tests
While Indie Developers are passionate about the vision surrounding their game, smaller studios need feedback from the wider gaming community in order to create a game that will turn a profit and a potential fandom.
Gaming conventions such as PAX provide opportunities for many rising indie game studios to showcase their game while it’s still in development. Another common practice is to provide financial incentives via crowdfunding websites to give access to beta testing.
With indie game studios being smaller than their AAA counterparts, it’s critical for them to develop a community that is active in the development of their game to achieve a collective vision that resonates with as many gamers as possible.
Nirvana Noir was one of the many games showcased at PAX Rising 2024, players were able to demo the first few levels and connect directly with developers of the game
As previously mentioned, feel free to watch the Nintendo Indie World Showcase to find the next Indie game to get lost in!
