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Several new indie games released in 2024 and had us totally hooked, but here are the seven that you must check out.
The indie label is attributed based on the budget of a game. How much did it cost to make? While indie studios often work with a limited budget, this doesn’t stop them from giving us beautiful and unique art-styles and design. In indie gaming, you will find innovative art, interesting narratives, and exciting gameplay opportunities.
One of the first indie games to make headlines was Limbo in 2010. Its hauntingly beautiful world design and combination of horror and puzzle gameplay elements made the world take indie gaming seriously. Many titles in this space have blown up since then, some with millions in sales like Hades and others with a cult-like following to this day like Hotline Miami.
As better tools become available to people, independent creators have only become more empowered. This has taken indie gaming to a whole new level. The year 2024 brought some indie titles that took everyone by surprise. Here are the seven titles that had us hooked.
Note: The list reflects the writer’s personal opinions.
1. Animal Well
Animal Well is a metroidvania unlike any other. Published by BigMode, (owned by the youtuber videogamedunkey), Animal World is a surreal experience. While it has the large, sprawling maps that you’d expect from this genre, its sheer depth and emphasis on discovery rather than combat sets Animal Well apart.
Your character is a simple “blob” that spawns inside the world, and from here on out, everything is for you to explore, experiment and find out. How the world works, how to get around the level and solve its mysteries. All of this is for you to work out.
The game does as little hand-holding as possible. This fits in so well with the exploration and puzzle theme of the game. After you make your way inside the Well, you will begin to realize that Animal Well is also a horror game with its ambient and unnerving sound design and the creatures you encounter along the way.
2. Nine Sols
No one saw a game like Nine Sols coming from a studio like Red Candle Games, whose previous release was a narrative-heavy horror game, Detention.
Nine Sols is a deep-combat action platformer that takes inspiration from the deflect-mechanic we see in Sekiro by FromSoftware. The game presents a “tau-punk” theme in its world and art. The world has futuristic and urban elements seamlessly blended with mysticism and the occult. The combat-system is tight and intense. There’s a heavy focus on getting your timings right and reading your opponent (like a 2D souls-like) and you need to rely on your deflect move quite often.
The biggest thing that took us by surprise would be the tone of the game. Don’t let the cute animal design fool you. The game is gory, and your character is a stone-cold killer.
3. Frostpunk 2
Sequel to the fan-favorite Frostpunk, Frostpunk 2 has turned up the heat – quite literally. Made by 11-bit Studios, a well-established name in the indie-space, Frostpunk 2 abandons a lot of the older systems. It offers a fresh and unique take on the idea of “survival-strategy games”. In the world of Frostpunk, the two key resources are heat and the goodwill of your people.
The first game had you managing a heat generator and feeding it coal. With the world moving on to the “age of oil,” players will find themselves experiencing newer systems of keeping warm and keeping the society alive. The installment also makes better use of the NPC system. You no longer just need to win the trust of the majority as a leader; there are factions. Each faction will come with their unique demands, and they all co-exist.
4. Karate Survivor
Relying on the successful approach of Vampire Survivor, Karate Survivor is a breath of fresh air in the “bullet-heaven” genre. Paying homage to the martial-arts movies of the 80s and 90s, this indie game has the player face a horde of baddies armed with an ever-increasing arsenal of moves and combos that can be chained.
Karate Survivor indie game offers instant fun. The way you tackle wave after wave of enemies with just your feet and knuckles makes you feel like a crime-fighting kung-fu vigilante. The simple yet authentic style of art and animation really add to the nostalgia of the era.
5. Anger Foot
Anger Foot is a game that makes you feel like John Wick – an angry, green John Wick in shorts. The premise of Anger Foot is simple – keep moving and keep attacking. Do not slow down. If the gameplay vaguely reminds you of Doom 2016 or Doom Eternal, then you’re not alone. Even the background music ramps up with the action.
With platforming being a strong focus as well, this indie game offers a delightful mix of free-running and tightly bound combat sequences that pack an intense meaty punch.
6. Neva
Neva is gorgeous to look at. A successor to Gris, it goes heavier on combat and platforming. With its serene world and play on lights and shadows, Neva is a joy to look at.
It is story-rich indie game, and the focus on combat will have the player getting comfy with dodge-rolling and timing. There is some puzzle-solving in the game that requires the player to interact with the world to open up pathways. This just adds to the zen-like vibe that Neva brings with itself.
7. Balatro
Balatro took everyone by surprise. A poker game on the surface, it has incredible depth. With its slick animation and a retro-styled theme, Balatro can get very addictive, very fast. It is essentially Poker with a twist. This was one of those indie games, that no one saw coming.
Apart from a standard deck of fifty-two cards, the game also features Joker and other special cards that let you pull-off high-rewarding, special combos. The simple yet strong loop hooks you, while the polished gameplay encourages you to play for hours.
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