New video games often appear on the outskirts of anonymity. From new IPs from large publishers to small indie games created within the confines of a basement, the gaming world continues to grow, now more than ever. To help bridge the gap and to bring you closer to some of the hidden gems out there, we scoured the far edges of the Internet to bring you a list of what we feel are the 10 best indie games you can play right now. This list doesn’t include early access titles, as we chose to go strictly with fully released games.
DISCLAIMER There are still several amazing indie games out there waiting for you to try. This list is just a compilation of the 10 best indie games we’ve played. Let us know your favorites.
10. Divinity: Original Sin
Developer: Larian Studios | Platforms: PC, Mac
Instead of pitting players against boss after oversized boss, Divinity: Original Sin thrusts them into an open world environment where every action, conversation and choice made changes the way people accept them. It aims to take players back to the classic feel of RPGs, where the story is more about how you affect the world than about how many quests you complete before the final boss fight. The unique system of turn-based combat and the use of Action Points to attack, move and cast spells makes Divinity: Original Sin a tactical masterpiece.
Purchase Divinity: Original Sin on Steam
9. Xenonauts
Developer: Goldhawk Interactive |Platforms: PC
Strategy, management and combat are all at the forefront of Xenonauts, Goldhawk Interactive’s spiritual successor to the original X-Com games. Updated graphics, realistic battlegrounds and a more streamlined interface come with the overhaul, but the original key mechanics remain the same, so manage your funding! Will you buy better battle equipment, or spend money researching for weaknesses in the enemy forces? Make sure you watch each other’s backs on the battlefield. Soldiers are persistent in Xenonauts, gaining stat increases from mission to mission, and forming relationships with their squad mates. Remember that death is eternal, and every mission they return home from is another victory. Each choice you receive is important, and you are the last line of defense. If you fail, then so do we all.
Purchase Xenonauts on Steam
8. Insurgency
Studio: New World Interactive |Platforms: PC, Mac
If you’re looking for a fresh new FPS to test your skills against, then chances are New World Interactive’s hardcore and realistic FPS, Insurgency, should be on your list of pick ups. Intense, competitive and extremely lethal, Insurgency draws a fine line between the unforgiving one life gameplay and the intense feel of prolonged action as you take to the streets, moving from cover to cover trying to locate the enemy with just your eyes and the guidance of your teammates. There are no mini-maps or objective markers here. Just simple, intense action waiting to steal away hours of your free time.
Purchase Insurgency on Steam
7. Rogue Legacy
Developer: Cellar Door Games |Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PS3, PS4, PS Vita
Rogue-like games have grown more popular since The Binding of Isaac hit Steam in the fall of 2011. Rogue Legacy takes this idea of a unique hero and carries it even further. Gone are the days of the strong and healthy heroes. All hail the era where being a hero is about more than just perfect vision and large muscles. Sporting a unique genealogical system, each character you play is succeeded in death by a child. This unique system causes your character’s children to all suffer from different ailments. One may be blind, impairing the amount of screen you can see, others may be deaf or even weak, limiting your progression in various ways. Rogue Legacy brings difficulty back to the table, succeeding in its unique idea of who the hero really is.
Purchase Rogue Legacy on Steam or PSN
6. Transistor
Developer: Supergiant Games |Platforms: PC, PS4
Action RPGs are often the perfect blend of story and action for many players who just don’t have the free time to get lost in gigantic worlds like Skyrim. Transistor is no different, with a perfect blend of action and atmosphere that will give you new ways to manage your time. Coming off of a successful high with their previous title, Bastion, Supergiant Games once again created a masterpiece that will leave players wanting even more of what they have to offer.
Purchase Transistor on Steam or PSN
5. Don’t Starve
Developer: Klei Entertainment |Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PS4
Even though Klei Entertainment’s survival wilderness game has been available since April 2013, it is still a huge hit with the masses to this day. The goal of the game is simple: survive and don’t starve (see what we did there?). Each world is randomly generated and filled with unique creatures just waiting to bring about your demise. With the announcement of multiplayer back in May of 2014, many more players have been picking it up, finding themselves lost in the hostile environment created for such a magnificent challenge. Just how long can you last before your body gives in to the wiles of the wilderness?
Purchase Don’t Starve on Steam or PSN
4. Thomas Was Alone
Developer: Mike Bithell |Platforms: PC, Mac, PS3, PS VITA
Originally a browser-based Flash game, Thomas Was Alone saw its official release for Windows in 2012. Though it may look like just a simple puzzle platformer based around shapes, it is far more than you’d ever imagine. Each shape is a character, idea and a personality. There are villains, heroes and everything in between waiting for you within the well narrated world that Mike Bithell brought to life. We know it’s an older title, but don’t miss it.
Purchase Thomas Was Alone on Steam or PSN
3. Road Not Taken
Developer: Spryfox |Platforms: PC, Mac, PS4
Based on the highly popular poem by Robert Frost, Road Not Taken is a rogue-like adventure where every relationship, path and experience you have will change each time you play. No path leads to the same place, and while the game’s villagers believe that the correct and optimal path is to be a good person, Road Not Taken is about finding your own unique journey through life. Where will you end up?
Purchase Road Not Taken on Steam or PSN
2. Gods Will Be Watching
Developer: Deconstructeam |Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Right out of the gate, Deconstructeam’s newest point and click adventure game doesn’t look like much, but once you’ve taken the dive and thrashed headfirst into the story, we’re sure you’ll be dragged in, kicking and screaming. The game pits players against six tension filled scenarios that link together to form an outstanding narrative of interstellar espionage. Every decision you make is crucial, as your enemies grow closer and closer. Every single action counts in this epic interstellar adventure that backs away from traditional point and click games to take you on a whole new type of journey.
Purchase Gods Will Be Watching on Steam
1. Always Sometimes Monsters
Developer: Vagabond Dog |Platforms: PC
Always, Sometimes, Monsters is about life, a journey and all the experiences that come between. The game is driven by three main factors, Choice, Circumstance and Consequence. Who you are is your decision. All that matters is the story that unravels along a cross-country journey to win back the love of the one person who just might understand you. There will be good and bad days, but what matters most is how you handle them.
Purchase Always Sometimes Monsters on Steam
