Indie games are great because they can take risks and experiment in ways big budget titles cannot. The AAA space is chock full of shooters and action games who’s primary objectives revolve around combat because they’re easy to show off and sell. Whether you’re taking the life of a terrorist, a Templar, an alien, or a demon; something is dying. It’s nice to put down the sword or gun every once in a while and explore other ways games can be enjoyed. Here’s a list of indie games that do just that!
Spiritfarer
Spiritfarer came out just last year and is a beautiful game that explores life, death, and the impact people have on those around them. You’ll find many common gameplay mechanics like platforming, crafting, exploring, and even fishing, but no combat. The game is all about the celebration of life at the end of one’s journey, so taking lives wouldn’t make much sense. It’s great to just melt into your couch listening to the calm music and waves while sailing around the ocean looking for your next soul to save.
Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds is a hardcore sci-fi story that unfolds itself bit by bit as you explore a small, but extremely intricate solar system. The twists and turns the non-linear story takes are both awe-inspiring and emotional. There are dangers that lurk in the shadows, but you have no weapons to engage with them. Instead your weapon is knowledge which you gain overtime while playing the game. Imagine a Metroidvania game where progress is made not by unlocking new abilities, but by gaining new information about how the world works. Some may be discouraged by the unwieldy flight mechanics, but I assure you it’s worth the time to learn them. You’ll find the experience of Outer Wilds to be unlike anything you’ve ever played before. And even if you do crash your ship a few times, who really cares?
Firewatch
Firewatch is getting a little old now, but it still stands as one of the best narrative adventure games ever made. Often referred to as walking simulators, this type of game can turn people off because of their slow pace. Firewatch side-steps this by providing an amazing, tense mystery story wrapped up in a beautiful depiction of the American mid-west. You play as Henry, a man who takes a job as a fire spotter in a Wyoming forest to escape a life that turned bad. Your only point of contact for the duration of your watch is Delilah, another fire spotter, and you only speak over walkie-talkie. Throughout the game you unravel the mystery, but also develop the characters of Henry and Delilah in surprisingly authentic ways. It’s a short game that keeps you guessing ever step of the way.
Night In the Woods
Night In the Woods is a great character-focused adventure game about a college drop out coming home to a small town that’s moved on. As Mae you try to rekindle your old friendships by quite literally getting the band back together. Much like real-life, however, she slowly realizes that the fun and follies of her youth have no place in adulthood. Through some puzzle solving, and exploration you solve a bizarre mystery that’s plagued the town for years. It has great character development and just enough action to keep you interested for its 8 hour run time.
The Gardens Between
The Gardens Between is a great little puzzle game with an amazing aesthetic. All the puzzles are presented like a diorama that you move your characters around. The puzzles are themed around a childhood friendship that is coming to an unfortunate end. You’ll solve puzzles around an old VHS player embedded in a mountain, and even an old NES-style game console. It’s both a personal story and also a great nostalgia trip for ’80s and ’90s children. It’s quite short, but has some clever puzzles and art that makes it truly remarkable.
Plenty More Where that Came From
These are only a few of the many indie games that aren’t afraid to take risks and break away from the traditional gameplay tropes of the AAA space. Hopefully this list helps you find something you like or at least puts you on the path to finding something new. For more content like this make sure you check back often, and follow our social channels. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
