Summary
Indie games came into light during the HD era. This includes the Xbox 360, PS3, and to a lesser extent, the Wii. Indie developers had been designing games for decades before this but rarely released them or if they did, it was on PC. The consoles opening up digital stores was what truly changed things.
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Now, it’s hard to imagine a world without indie games, as their innovation drives an industry where AAA releases simply do not go to. There are a lot of great developers out there, but these eight consistently release life-changing experiences for some. It’s always exciting to see what they are cooking up next.
8Cellar Door Games
Cellar Door Games became huge when they releasedRogue Legacyin 2013. In many ways, it helped shape modern indie roguelikes for generations to come. That wasn’t their first game though as they developed a lot of flash games leading up to this.
Don’t Sh*t Your Pantsis probably one of their most well-known games beforeRogue Legacy.Full Metal Furiesfollowed that up, didn’t make a huge dent on players, but it did review well.Rogue Legacy 2 brought themback up to the zeitgeist and Cellar Door Games now sits with an 85 as a developer on Metacritic. No news on what they’re going to tackle next, but it will probably be a third sequel.
7Digital Sun Games
Digital Sun Games isn’t as big of a name as some other indie developers but they make solid games. Their firstbig one wasMoonlighter, also a roguelike, but it was more than that. Players could go into randomized dungeons at night and then sell treasure in their shop during the day.
It was a novel idea that worked. This year they released their latest adventure,The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Storywhich was more of a straight action game. Their next game,Cataclismo, has been announced with a trailer and it looks like an RTS with an early PS1 aesthetic. Overall, Digital Sun Games has earned an 80 on Metacritic.
6Image & Form
Image & Form had a rough start with reviews on their games.SteamWorld Tower Defensegot a 71, as one example, but after that, theSteamWorldseries skyrocketed in scores and popularity thanks toSteamWorld Dig. After that, they madeSteamWorld Heist,SteamWorld Dig 2, andSteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech.
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Their next game is going to be a city builder experience calledSteamWorld Build. The only fault they have made since the beginningwasThe Gunkin 2021 which averaged around the 60s. Still, as an overall company with not many blemishes, Image & Form has a current ranking of 81 on Metacritic.
5Maddy Makes Games
Maddy Makes Games has always had an amazing track record as a company starting withTowerFall. It’s so funny to think back on how this game was an Ouya exclusive. Practically no one had that console but thanks to word of mouth, it got ported and it is now one of the best-reviewed multiplayer indie games of all time.
The company outdid itself with their next game,Celeste, winning them tons of awards in 2018. Their next game,Earthblade, will be a Metroidvania and it is supposed to be out in 2024. Will it be even better thanCeleste? Time will tell but, Maddy Makes Games sits at an 89 on Metacritic.
4Moon Studios
Moon Studios, to spoil the ending, also has an 89 on Metacritic. This indie studio is responsible forOri and the Blind Forestand its sequel,Ori and the Will of the Wisps. These are two of the highest-rated Metroidvania games on Metacritic.
That last game was released in 2020, despite the pandemic, and it has been a while since they released a game. Apparently, Moon Studios is hard at work on an action game unrelated to Ori’s adventures but no trailer, screenshot, or title has been revealed.
3Playdead
Playdead is another indie studio with an 89 on Metacritic and their catalogue is a lot spookier. Theirfirst game wasLimboand it was right around the time when indie games were blowing up thanks to the Xbox 360.
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This unsettling puzzle platformer was followed up by a spiritual successor,Inside, which had similar vibes and gameplay mechanics.Insidewas released in 2016 and nothing has been shared since. What game is Playdead working on next? Whenever it happens, fans assuredly won’t be disappointed based on these two games alone.
2Supergiant Games
Supergiant Gamesalso became big during the early years of the Xbox 360 with their game,Bastion. That action RPG was followed up byTransistor,Pyre, and thenHades.Hadesis by far their most popular game, so much so that they announced their next game is going to be a sequel simply titledHades 2.
Based on the numerous sequels and ports from all of their titles, Supergiant Games has never dipped below an 80 on Metacritic. This has earned them a respectable 88 overall.
1Yacht Club Games
Last, but not least, the very importantYacht Club Gameswho is responsible forShovel Knight. This character has transcended his own universe and has made guest appearances in many other AAA and indie titles likeBrawlhallaandBloodstained: Ritual of the Night. The team worked on many spinoffs with other developers such asShovel Knight Digwith Nitrome.
They mostly worked in DLC expansions to the original game though along with turning their attention to publishing other indie games likeCyber Shadow. This makes them unique in the indie space, especially on this list. After almost a decade, Yacht Club Games is finally setting sail away fromShovel Knightto create a new title,Mina the Hollower. The company has an 83 on Metacritic.
