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Dec 26, 2021 · Over the past decade, indie developers introduced us to the voices (and hamsters) living inside their heads. In 2021, they demonstrated how complete bodies of work can hit new highs in...
- Joshua Khan
- Ender Lilies: Quietus of The Knights
- Valheim
- Loop Hero
- Before Your Eyes
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale
- Death's Door
- The Forgotten City
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Inscryption
- Unpacking
Though Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights fully launched in June, it was first released through Steam Early Access back in January to positive reception and comparisons to Hollow Knight, Dark Souls, and Vanillaware titles. This Metroidvania platformer follows Lily, the last surviving heir of the White Priestesses, who has the soul of a knight bou...
The crafting multiplayer Valheim has also been released in Early Access, but unlike Ender Lilies, it has yet to be fully launched. Despite this, the game developed by a five-person team would become widely recognized by critics for its PvE survival and story elements. Dropped into a procedurally generated world, players must build shelters, craft t...
Roguelikes and roguelites have been thriving throughout 2021, and Loop Hero was one of the earliest to release this year. Like many titles from the genres, Loop Hero features procedurally generated maps, however, rather than just building a strong fighter, players build the terrain through landscape cards, each of which provides unique abilities an...
Indie games can also be an excellent source for emotional journies, and Before Your Eyes is the most moving title this list has to offer. A play on the expression in the game's name, Before Your Eyes tracks the player's eye movementsand blinking to progress the story of Benjamin "Benny" Brynn, who's recently passed away and is transitioning to the ...
Chicory: A Colorful Tale may look unassuming and perhaps even a bit childish, but that's part of its charm. Another game without combat, players instead brandish a paintbrush in this Zelda-inspired adventure after Chicory, the hero who fills the world with color, disappears and takes all of it with her. Now, it's up to the protagonist, who's named ...
Another nominee for Best Indie at The Game Awards, players take on the role of a crow that collects the souls of the dead in Death's Door. After reaping the soul of a monster who doesn't want to leave the mortal realm, the crow is informed about a conspiracy involving the disappearance of other crows, and they must now embark on a journey to unlock...
Back in 2015, The Forgotten City originally began as a Skyrim modthat turned the providence into an ancient Roman empire, though its plot was changed significantly when released as a full standalone game this year. The critically acclaimed mod was created by Nick Pearce, who would later quit his day job to hire several developers, forming the studi...
Ember Lab started as an animation studio, having released several animation commercials as well as a short film based on The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask before migrating over to the gaming industry. Its first game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, would go on to win Best Indie at The Game Awards earlier this month. It follows the young protagonist Kena,...
Inscryption follows YouTuber Luke Carder, who finds a floppy disc brandishing a title of the same name, a computer version of the collectible card game Inscryption. He interacts with a shady dealer, and the roguelike sprinkles story in between rounds against NPCs and bosses that Carder comes across virtually. Eventually, Carder will go up against t...
At first blush, most gamers probably wouldn't be enticed by something that asks them to complete mundane or even arguably tedious tasks like unpacking boxes. But Unpacking turned that chore into something special, tying into the story of a person moving through the various stages of life, which the audience watches through unpacking her boxes and o...
- Jamie Latour
- Loop Hero. Many people go to the independent gaming scene to find titles that attempt things that triple-A studios are either afraid to try or could never think up.
- The Forgotten City. What started out as an ambitious Skyrim mod managed to become one of the most critically acclaimed games released this year. The Forgotten City is an outstanding narrative game that takes place in an ancient Roman city where if one citizen commits a single sin, then the rest of the population are turned into golden statues as punishment.
- Little Nightmares 2. In terms of art design, few games released this year came close to being as hauntingly gorgeous as Little Nightmares 2. This sequel (or prequel?)
- Inscryption. If you're unfamiliar with the previous works of Daniel Mullins, then Inscryption is going to seem pretty damn weird. Heck, that'll probably be the case even if you are familiar with his games.
- Giovanni Colantonio
- Inscryption. The less you know about Inscryption, the better. On its surface, it’s a roguelike card game where players need to sacrifice woodland creatures to play bigger, stronger cards.
- Before Your Eyes. Before Your Eyes is a game you don’t play with a controller. Instead, it hooks up to a webcam and is solely controlled through your blinks.
- The Vale: Shadow of the Crown. Developers are getting better about adding accessibility features to games, but The Vale: Shadow of the Crown goes one step further.
- Death’s Door. Death’s Door is the one indie on this list that made it to our full top 10 of 2021, putting it next to giants like Metroid Dread. It’s easy to see why as soon as you pick up the controller.
May 15, 2024 · Over 100 gamers have voted on the 30+ items on Most Popular Indie Games Of 2021. Current Top 3: Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley, Celeste
Jan 5, 2021 · From long-awaited sequels like Hollow Knight: Silksong to brand-new titles like 12 Minutes--there are plenty of indie games to look forward to in 2021.
Jun 11, 2023 · In this guide, we have compiled the best indie games of 2021 to add to your collection and ensure that you don't miss the quality titles out there.
