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[Drizzlehell]

Take me for example - I always had this weird prejudice against indie games, although my reasons were usually pretty arbitrary. I love boomer shooters but when it comes to other genres, I would usually scoff at low-fidelity 2D graphics and probably just skip a given game based on that merit alone. Although there have been a number of examples of indie games that I gave a chance to and ended up enjoying them, I still feel like I've been largely missing out due to this closed-minded approach.

Well, I wanted to change that. With the current state of triple-A games, I find myself struggling to give a shit about most high-profile games that come out these days and recently I started experimenting with some random indie games on PS Plus. For example, I picked up Little Misfortune, which wasn't like a great game but it was short, enjoyable and most of all - memorable. Then I picked up The Messenger, which is like this throwback to 8-bit Ninja Gaiden but designed with some modern sensibilities and holy shit, what a kickass game. I had such a great time with this one; super tight and fun gameplay, loads and loads of charm and personality, great humour, amazing soundtrack. Just all around awesome game.

Just the other day I also picked up W40k: Shootas, Blood and Teef, which is this side scrolling run&gun shooter and I'm also having a blast with it.

So that's 3 indie games in a row that I randomly picked up and was having a great time with recently, while all of the big budget titles that I picked up in recent times are collecting dust because I can't muster enough fucks to give about playing them. Question is - what else I've been missing out on? Mind you, this doesn't have to be 2D either - for example, I've been eyeing Deep Rock Galactic for a while but wasn't sure about that one since it's online co-op. But it looks pretty fun so idk.

Don't even think about mentioning Goodbye Volcano High, unless you're the kind of person who would be open to having sex with their mother.

 

[tusharngf]

Hollow knight

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

If you like boomer shooters you should give a shot to Prodeus and Ion Fury.

I'll stop by later with more diverse indie suggestions.

 

[Dr. Suchong]

Starfield.

 

[Drizzlehell]

If you like boomer shooters you should give a shot to Prodeus and Ion Fury.

I'll stop by later with more diverse indie suggestions.

I guess I should mention that boomer shooter recommendations are probably not necessary - I've played pretty much all of them since I'm an FPS hound.

 

[T-0800]

Videoball. Love it.

 

[Beer Baelly]

Donut County

 

[dreamstation]

 

[dreamstation]

There are SO many great little indie games. Not sure what genres you like but just go trawling Steam for random indies and see what is highly rated.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Hope GAF won't hate me for this, but since one of my fav genre in gaming is "Walking Sims" I'll list below in no particular order the ones I enjoyed the most.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Donut County

Neat, it's on sale on Steam now so perfect timing, lol.

Looks exactly like the kind of goofy idea that I'd be into right now.

 

[Chukhopops]

- Binding of Isaac
- Dead Cells
- Enter the Gungeon

Three masterpieces with a gigantic skill ceiling.

 

[Kupfer]

 

[GHG]

Looking at what's on my steam deck that I've played:

Oneshot
Chained Echoes
Return of the Obra Dinn
Unheard - voices of crime
Inertial Drift (if you like ridge racer this is a MUST)
Brotato
Hollow Knight
Hades
No man's Sky
Project Zomboid
Streets of rogue
Outer wilds
Milfs of Sunville
Teardown
Risk of Rain 2
Underrail
Rain World
Neon White
Enter the gungeon
Hotline miami
Katana Zero
GRIS
Skul the hero slayer
Horizon chase turbo

 

[Drizzlehell]

Hope GAF won't hate me for this, but since one of my fav genre in gaming is "Walking Sims" I'll list below in no particular order the ones I enjoyed the most.

I actually enjoy some walking sims. Ethan Carter was pretty good. Amazing atmosphere.

But some of them can be a bit too much - Dear Esther is where I would draw the line because it's literally just walking from one spot to the other and listening to poorly read excerpts of some story, lol. At least that's what I remember of it from when it was still a Half-Life 2 mod, not sure about the official release, though.

 

[keefged4]

Hollow Knight is by far and away the best indie game ever released.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Milfs of Sunville

 

[GHG]

Just a thought experiment.

Spoiler

 

[Drizzlehell]

Just a thought experiment.

Spoiler

No, it's okay. You got me at "Milfs"

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

I actually enjoy some walking sims. Ethan Carter was pretty good. Amazing atmosphere.

But some of them can be a bit too much - Dear Esther is where I would draw the line because it's literally just walking from one spot to the other and listening to poorly read excerpts of some story, lol. At least that's what I remember of it from when it was still a Half-Life 2 mod, not sure about the official release, though.

Yeah, Dear Esther is a bit much if you're not that into walking sims so I wouldn't necessary recommend it to newcomers to the genre. Still one of my fav since it was the first walking sim I ever played and got me into the genre. Not sure if there's notable difference between the original HL2 mod and the later released Landmark Edition though.

 

[GHG]

No, it's okay. You got me at "Milfs"

90% steam reviews.

 

[K2D]

Don't know if it counts, but Black Mesa

 

[EbeneezerGoode]

The Binding of Isaac

My Steam Deck is just an Isaac box

 

[killatopak]

Stardew Valley.

This game ate my life for like half a year.

 

[ungalo]

My favorites are Outer Wilds, Hollow Knight, Cuphead, Return of the Obra Dinn and Into the Breach.

And Isaac of course.

 

[Fredrik]

Hollow Knight
No Man’s Sky
The Ascent
Loop Hero
Moss 1 + 2

 

[LazyParrot]

How is Pentiment an indie game? I mean, Obsidian is owned by Microsoft, so Microsoft technically funded, developed and published the game themselves, but... wouldn't that mean that everything from God of War to Call of Duty could also be classified as indie games?

Or does indie simply mean "not AAA" these days?

 

[dreamstation]

How is Pentiment an indie game? I mean, Obsidian is owned by Microsoft, so Microsoft technically funded, developed and published the game themselves, but... wouldn't that mean that everything from God of War to Call of Duty could also be classified as indie games?

Or does indie simply mean "not AAA" these days?

I knew this would come up when I updated my post with the suggestion. I don't give a shit, it's a smaller not AAA game that was great so I included it. If that makes you mad, too bad. Every other game that I listed is an indie so I know what I'm talking about.

 

[engstra]

I mean there are countless of incredible indie games that I could list. If I were to suggest just one, it would probably still have to be Fez. The sense of discovery, and the mechanic of turning a 2D world into 3D, is still unmatched for me. Also probably the best soundtrack of any video game ever.

 

[LazyParrot]

I knew this would come up when I updated my post with the suggestion. I don't give a shit, it's a smaller not AAA game that was great so I included it. If that makes you mad, too bad. Every other game that I listed is an indie so I know what I'm talking about.

LOL I don't think I'm the one getting mad here. Chill, dude.

 

[PanzerCute]

Hollow Knight is by far and away the best indie game ever released.

By what metric?

 

[theStartupSound]

Unspottable
Mini Metro

 

[keefged4]

By what metric?

Personal Opinion, should've put that. Issac and Stardew Valley are up there too though.

 

[donkey_oaty]

Been playing Dave the Diver lately and I'm absolutely loving it

 

[Drizzlehell]

Or does indie simply mean "not AAA" these days?

The term grows more and more redundant as time goes on, considering how those big budget games that are supposed to be triple-A are getting worse by the year, while so many of the so-called indie games offer quality and level of entertainment that those "triple-A" games can only dream of.

Triple-A should indicate that it's a game of the highest sort, offering highest production values at a premium price but as we all know, that is hardly the case for many games these days.

 

[GHG]

I knew this would come up when I updated my post with the suggestion. I don't give a shit, it's a smaller not AAA game that was great so I included it. If that makes you mad, too bad. Every other game that I listed is an indie so I know what I'm talking about.

Seems like you need to relax.

May I suggest some Milfs of Sunville?

 

[Drizzlehell]

Don't know if it counts, but Black Mesa

Yeah, been there since this was still just a mere Half-Life 2 mod. What a journey it was to see it grow into this massive project.

Been playing Dave the Diver lately and I'm absolutely loving it

Thanks for the reminder, I've seen this one before and it looked interesting but then it kinda fell off my radar.

Also, what was the name of that game that everyone was saying that it was like a thalassophobia: the video game? The idea sounded really great so I would give that a shot too.

 

[Ginzeen]

Pathologic 2. Masterpiece. Hard game, unique, great atmosphere, great writing.

 

[anthraticus]

Space Wreck is getting an Oct 10th release. Looks like a good one to play while waiting for Colony Ship for all you sci-fi RPG fans. Especially ones letdown by Turdfield. These games are pretty much the complete antithesis of that crap.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Space Wreck is getting an Oct 10th release. Looks like a good one to play while waiting for Colony Ship for all you sci-fi RPG fans. Especially ones letdown by Turdfield. These games are pretty much the complete antithesis of that crap.

What a weird take. Talking shit about Starfield that's a Bethesda RPG in space, but propping up some other game that's basically Fallout 1 in space. Your problem seems to be not with Starfield but with Bethesda RPGs in general.

 

[Aion002]

Vampire Survivors. It's simple and fun.

 

[Roberts]

Just the other day I also picked up W40k: Shootas, Blood and Teef, which is this side scrolling run&gun shooter and I'm also having a blast with it.

The guys who made this one previously made two Guns, Gore & Cannoli games. More or less the same gameplay just different setting - you are 30’s gangster fighting tons of zombies. Super juvenile but lots of fun in short gory sessions.

 

[L*][*N*K]

Eastward, one of the best games I ever played.

 

[Drizzlehell]

The guys who made this one previously made two Guns, Gore & Cannoli games. More or less the same gameplay just different setting - you are 30’s gangster fighting tons of zombies. Super juvenile but lots of fun in short gory sessions.

Well that's funny, even the title is basically the same, except in Ork-ish, lol. I can also tell by the visual style that it's the same team. Nice, I'll give this a go at some point.

 

[dreamstation]

LOL I don't think I'm the one getting mad here. Chill, dude.

Oh I'm chill just felt threatened by your aura so had to assert my dominance

 

[anthraticus]

What a weird take. Talking shit about Starfield that's a Bethesda RPG in space, but propping up some other game that's basically Fallout 1 in space. Your problem seems to be not with Starfield but with Bethesda RPGs in general.

Daggerfall & Morrowind showed a lot of promise, but they can fuck off with Oblivious and what came after. Dumbed down bullshit for popamolers and non RPG fans.

 

[Guilty_AI]

Shorter lenght games (5 to 10 hours-ish)

Medium lenght games (15 to 30 hours-ish)

Longer lenght games (30+ hours)

 

[Drizzlehell]

Daggerfall & Morrowind showed a lot of promise, but they can fuck off with Oblivious and what came after. Dumbed down bullshit for popamolers and non RPG fans.

 

[64bitmodels]

Undertale, it's a classic and very well known. Deltarune is a successor (not a sequel) and the first 2 chapters are free currently since it isn't really finished. It will be paid once the full game releases,sometime this year or next year.
Cave Story as well, it's one of the earliest well known indies and it's free, you can download it here https://www.cavestory.org/
Kero Blaster is made by the same guy who made Cave Story, and it isn't free so add that
Super Meat Boy, Celeste, Cuphead and Binding of Issac are also stuff you should buy as well if you're into difficult games. Geometry Dash as well if you liked Meat Boy and Celeste.
Pizza Tower, it's a great 2D platformer.
Neon White is another game i'd recommend, so is Cult of the Lamb. I played the former and have heard nothing but good about the latter
also Risk of Rain 2, Spelunky 2, and Hades are all recommendations. BTW Hades 2 is coming out if you saw at the game awards. If that appears in steam you should likely wishlist it if you liked Hades 1
Crosscode is another great entry as well if youre into action rpgs
Disco Elysium is also a great pick if you like computer RPGs in general
Freedom Planet 1 & 2 and Spark the Electric Jester 1 & 3 are all great picks if you're into Sonic style gameplay
You should get Hollow Knight, Touhou Luna Nights, Ori (both games) and Timespinner as well if you're into Metroidvanias.
Also, Outer Wilds (not Worlds, Wilds) for space exploration. It's surprisingly cool
OneShot is a great adventure game made in RPGmaker, it's pretty meta too
Also, SUPERHOT is a surprisingly unique FPS game, you'll know it when you see it
Terraria and Minecraft are classics, the former for the RPG mechanics latter for the freedom.
for FPS games i'd highly recommend ULTRAKILL and Ashes 2063, the latter is a mod for DOOM 2 though but both are still great. Prodeus as well.
For rhythm games.... Crypt of the NecroDancer, Rhythm Doctor, Just Shapes & Beats as well as Audiosurf are all great.

 

[L*][*N*K]

Daggerfall & Morrowind showed a lot of promise, but they can fuck off with Oblivious and what came after. Dumbed down bullshit for popamolers and non RPG fans.

Bethesda hates are so weird, they can’t pass up and opportunity to shit on them even when it is a recommend an indie game thread, like honestly you all need to move on