Obviously “indie games” is quite the expansive topic, so instead of listing every indie game out there, I thought I would just take this week to sit back and appreciate indie games as a genre. I have had the privilege to experience a number of them at this point, and look forward to increasing that number even more. Currently, I am playing Monster Sanctuary made by the wonderful Moi Rai Games and am absolutely in love with it.
A Step Above The Rest
Now, I know indie games have become a dime a dozen. It can be difficult to decide which ones to play. However, the one thing I can say about the ones I have played is that they all have been unique and individual. You really can’t go wrong and with there being so many to play these days, you are bound to find one (or more) you like.
I have always noticed that with each indie game I play, I never have the same experience. There is a different level of creativity with indie titles. I think it is because they are not held back by big companies looking for a profit. Instead, indie game developers spend years creating their games, their passion projects, and put their heart and soul into it.
Indie games embody a true art form within the gaming community. They establish themselves as their own games, and in my opinion, set the bar extremely high for AAA titles. Now yes, I have always enjoyed my fair share of AAA titles, but indie games are on another level for me. As a fellow artist, indie titles have always resonated with me. Of course, that is my personal opinion but you can’t deny some of the success that indie games have seen, especially recently.
My First Indie Experience
As I mentioned before, I was much more narrow-minded in the past when it came to what games I would play. In the last few years, a good friend of mine opened my mind and I began branching out with my taste in games. I have to say it is probably one of the best things I have done for myself. If possible, I believe I fell in love with medium even more and continue to look for more ways to expand my collection. His passion for gaming certainly rubbed off on me.
Before that though, I had played a few indie games in the past. The first one I can remember experiencing was Don’t Starve. Now, Don’t Starve was a game that took me by surprise and I ended up playing countless hours of it for months. The folks at Klei are talented, very talented. Don’t Starve is a survival game set in a world full of both magic and science. You can play it in a few different modes but the general gist is survival. You can pick from a variety of characters all of whom have varying traits that will effect your experience. In short, it is a fantastic game.
To be honest though, even after the hours I spent on Don’t Starve, after many, many deaths, I was still mostly a gamer playing blockbuster games. I hadn’t fully gone out of my comfort zone to explore games that were off the beaten path. Developers like Ubisoft, Naughty Dog, and Insomniac Games were consuming the majority of my time. Even with how creative PlayStation exclusives have been, they were still games made by big companies.
Some Past Favorite Indie Titles
I wouldn’t be doing myself any favors if I didn’t take the time to mentions some of the heavy-hitter indie titles that I have fallen in love with over the years. I think it would be fitting to start with one of my all-time favorite indie games, Celeste. Celeste was the first game I had every played that really conveyed anxiety, and overcoming it, quite well. Every jump Madeline takes is a step to overcome her anxiety and fear, even if she doesn’t know that yet. By the end of the game, I felt like I had taken that journey with her and even healed a little bit of my own anxiety on the way.
Stardew Valley is another title that is just perfection. I revisit it from time to time, especially with the newest update, and it never disappoints. There is something magical about this game that allows me to just get completely absorbed into it. No amount of time with Stardew Valley could ever be enough.
Timespinner was also a wonderful game, and my first metroidvania at that. It was one of the first games I played in 2020 and it was certainly one to remember. I also deeply enjoyed Smoke and Sacrifice which truly moved me more than I had expected.
A few more titles I’d like to mention are all made by the same developer. Transistor, Bastion and Hades are all wonderful games made by Supergiant Games. Each are unique amongst themselves, but sport the signature art style of Supergiant Games. If you haven’t given them a try, I suggest you do. I am sure there are other wonderful titles I am missing, but those are some of the titles I experienced last year that really sealed the deal for me on indie games.
An Avid Indie Fan Now
These days, I find myself returning to indie games more and more. This year alone I have experienced numerous, breathtaking titles. Games like Hollow Knight, Bugsnax, Gris, Sayonara Wild Hearts, The Pathless and Trover Saves the Universe to name a few. Each one was unique and literally changed my life. Bugsnax was the first indie game I played on my PlayStation 5. It absolutely screamed creativity and each character was unique and had so much personality.
Hollow Knight was an experience I’ll never forget. I spent 60 hours in Hallownest and I wanted to spend even more there. Gris truly expressed the importance of grief and dealing with loss, at a time when I needed it the most. And Sayonara Wild Hearts somehow mended my broken heart.
All of this and more was made possible by some development teams who had stories they wanted to share. They believed in their vision and they produced some of the very best video games out there. I can’t even begin to explain how thankful I am to each and every team behind these games and the other indie titles I’ve had the pleasure to play. I have been forever transformed into an open-minded gamer, one who seeks not only the AAA titles for his collection, but the games no one has heard of before as well.
I’m proud of the gamer, and quite frankly the person, I have become. Today, I feel as though I am my very best self. I really do think that my journey in gaming has helped shaped that person. Naturally, there have been other factors as well. This is a gaming blog though, so I am giving credit where credit is due.
Indies In The Future
I am looking forward to playing more indie games for sure. As I mentioned, they are games that keep drawing me back. Even in a world where big titles are coming out, of which I am excited for as well, I am still looking forward to getting around to all of the indie games I have collected. Currently my Nintendo Switch has really been my indie hub, but my PC has helped for those titles that aren’t on console. I hope one day to see a world that supports indie developers more, and it has been nice to see all the love and support Nintendo has shown to them. They even get their own Indie Directs these days, and that makes me happy.
In short, you can’t go wrong with an indie game. Video games are a beautiful way for these indie developers to express their creative visions. Each and every time I play one, I am left speechless and emotionally moved. If that isn’t art, I don’t know what is.
Pingback: Spotlight Saturday: Survival Games