Best Indie Games You Must Play

As the people of Winterfell would say.. Winter is coming..

Which means, the time when you can play video games all day without feeling bad about it is coming.

Chances are you’ve played some of the titles below, but the ones you haven’t – please do yourself a favor and get them. You will not be disappointed!

Factorio

This is one of my favorite indie title of all time. I can’t put into words how addictive and satisfying this game can be.

You are stranded on a hostile planet and need to build a base, the final goal being to build a rocket ship and get out of there. But you won’t want to leave – building your base is so satisfying. While it has an end goal, it doesn’t really, it’s a sandbox game where you keep expanding your base, sounds boring? Well it’s not, I have over 100 hours logged on Steam and I feel like I just got started…

Using conveyor belts, you transport different materials and items you’ve built to various machines for further processing. Later on you can build drones to carry out your bidding no longer restricting you to the conveyor belts on the ground, which when you have a huge base, can get really messy and hard to manage.

If you find a valuable resource a bit further from your base, you can build train lines to transport minerals to your main base. You can also build vehicles so that you can explore the planet quicker and get between bases quickly.

The main challenge of this game is to build a completely self sustained base which requires 0 input from you. This may sound easy – it’s not. This is game is a solid 10/10 – play it. There is a free demo available as well.

Super Meat Boy

If you like Super Mario or Sonic, get this, not much else to say. It’s a platformer with extremely polished controls, arguably better than Mario and Sonic. You feel like you have 100% control over Meat Boy as your flying through the levels.

Kerbal Space Program

Where to start? If the idea of exploring space with a scientific approach appeals to you, play this. Play it NOW! It’s a space sandbox sim which let’s you do whatever you want. And not just space, aero dynamics are in play as well so you can build your own air planes as well.

This is a genius game and a true one of it’s kind, there is nothing even close to this game. You have to build your own rockets, piece by piece- take weight into account, fuel, center of mass etc. You will pre program in which order to decouple different components once they are out of fuel.

Getting to the moon takes a lot of planning on your part, and then you also have to get back. You can send up satellites to orbit planets, gathering data for you. You can even set up small bases on other planets and drive around in rovers. It all sounds very complicated, and it is.

Luckily, there are great tutorials in the game which will help you step by step teaching you how to do all this. By the end of it, you feel like you could very well be a top employee at Space X or NASA 🙂

Cuphead

Famous for it’s difficulty level, and unique art style. If you like platformers, this is a no brainer. Beautiful to look at, fun to play.

Spelunky

In a Dark Souls fashion, you make your way through a cave system which offers very unforgiving challenges on your way. Great co op experience with up to 4 players.

Spelunky can offer countless of hours – it takes time to get good at this game. And it’s well worth the time spent, if you were a fan of the old 8-bit / 16-bit era, this game will definitely be for you.

Inside

While the gameplay itself isn’t really challenging or unique in any way. The mood and the visuals are AMAZING. It will take you between 2-3 hours to finish. It’s not a game which will have you on the tip of your couch dripping with sweat. It’s an enjoyable experience perfectly fitted for a Friday night when you just want to relax and enjoy a great journey.

Limbo

From the same studio that made Inside, this is a similar game which you will enjoy if you liked Inside. Again, mood and visuals are a 10/10.

Prison Architect

Strategy game, you build and manage your own prison. If you are a fan of these types of games, Sim City etc, this is a must for you. Personally, i didn’t find it as good as promised, but maybe I just need to play a bit more, I’m still only 2 hours into the game, so I will keep playing and update this as I get further.

Stardew Valley

While I wasn’t a huge fan of this title, I still feel like I need to put it here. I’ve seen some great stories on the internet about people being deep in depression who were actually helped by this game.

It’s a peaceful game where you take over your grandfather’s farm, you cultivate your land, get to know the people in town, and go on exploration adventures. If you just want to relax and enjoy a cute, calming world, you should give this a try.

And the soundtrack is AMAZING!!! I love it! I listen to it all the time at work xD

To The Moon

An example of how video games can really be an excellent story telling medium. If you like story driven games, you have to play this. It’s rendered in a 16-bit pixel art style with great atmosphere. If you want a super action rpg, this is not for you, the story here is the best part.

The Witness

By the creator of Braid, the witness leaves you on an island to figure out all the puzzles it holds. If you like puzzle games and don’t mind when games don’t give you a clear linear direction, this is worth checking out. It’s one of those games you pick up for a bit, try to solve some clues – you put it down but are still trying to figure out clues even when you are not playing. The art style is gorgeous, it’s a pleasure to just wander around to look at the scenery.

World Of Goo

Physics game, similar to bridge building games but with a different take on the subject. I played it years ago and have a very fond memory. I also still have the soundtrack on my phone and listen to it sometimes. Excellent game overall!! Free demo available!

Machinarium

Did you enjoy the old click and play adventure games? Ok, then you have to play this. Buy it.. now!!

Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy

Warning: Anger management issues? Ok then don’t play this game. Personally, I loved this game, the concept is so different from all other games I’ve played. You are a naked man, sitting in a couldron, with a sledge hammer… And you need to climb up a mountain to the top – and it’s ridiculously difficult. But it’s sooo much fun! You can watch me play it here: Ponty plays Getting Over It

Divinity: Original Sin 2

RPG in it’s finest form. The sense of adventure and true.. RPGness has never been so present in a game before.. Playing this gives me a similar feeling to walking into a GamesWorkshop store where they have huge Warhammer tables built up with tons of characters and beautiful landscapes. You feel like you are part of this world which lives and breathes. You really feel like your choices matter (which is extremely rare in video games), and you are sent on an adventure with your choice of character and your companions. The characters have depth and you really feel like you get to know them, and care for them. It’s fantastic, best RPG experience since Chrono Trigger for me.

Thank you for reading! 🙂 If you have any awesome games you’d like to see on this list, please drop a comment! I’m always looking for great indie titles to play.