10 Indie Games You NEED To Play

Indie games have seen explosive exposure over the years and rightly so. Indie games have given gamers countless hours of awesome, fun, gameplay that most triple A developers failed to deliver. Unfortunately, a lot of these games can't be found through traditional media, so you really have to dig deep and find them yourself. The best way to discover great indie games is still, in my opinion, through word of mouth.

And that's precisely what I'm going to do here, show off 10 AMAZING indie titles that I've had the absolute pleasure to play, ranging from hardcore isometric RPG games to traditional point and click adventures, these are the 10 Indie Games that you NEED to play.

So let's start the list with one game that showed that Kickstarter and Crowd funding was a serious method of self publishing.

1. Broken Age

A fantastic story with beautiful art. 
(image from http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/7030/2459361-9878604255-keyar.jpg)

When Tim Schaefer announced that he'd be working on a new adventure game, fans went nuts. 'A Tim Schaefer Adventure game? That's going to be sweet! I need to get my hands on this!' was pretty much the universal reaction. However, instead of having the game developed and published through someone like EA, Ubisoft, Sony, etc, Schaefer looked at crowd funding his project instead. With the use of Kickstarter, Schaefer managed to show off his idea for Broken Age and hopefully gather $400,00.

Little did Schaefer know, people REALLY wanted this game. In 24 hours, Broken Age had made $1 million in crowd funding and reached $3.3 million by the time the funding was closed on March 13 (funding launched in February). Broken Age had broken a record for Kickstarter in the most money ever made for any project on the site ever. Not only did Broken Age end up being a fantastic game, it was THE game that made Kickstarter a viable option for indie developers to get their projects off the ground.

Now enough with the history lesson...Onto the game.

Broken Age is a beautiful adventure game with your typical Tim Schaefer humor thrown into it. Like most of his games (Brutal Legend, Grim Fandango, Psychonauts) Broken Age provides a gripping story with characters you'll love. This is key for an adventure game, especially a point and click one.

The basic story follows two characters; Vella Tartine and Shay Volla. 

Vella is a young woman who's preparing to be eaten by a giant creature named Mog Chothra in a festival that her village calls 'The Maidens Feast'. No one but Vella thinks that they can simply fight Mog Cothra, believing that the only way to appease the creature is to let it choose the tastiest Maidens to eat every year from every village. Vella's story follows her attempt to find a way to kill Mog Cothra.

It might look like concept art, but this is actually an in-game screenshot
(image from: http://operationrainfall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Broken-Age-Screenshot-1.jpeg)

Shay is a young man who's on a spaceship. An overly protective spaceship that acts like his mother. Yeah, I said that. The Spaceship offers him a very mundane life, a life of repetitive boredom, a life contained in safety, a life lacking in adventure. Definitely not something that a captain of a spaceship would want. So Shay's story basically follows his attempt to break free from the safety of his computer and his repetitive and mundane life through the help of a stowaway wolf named Marek.

Both stories intertwine with each other in some way or another and both stories provide an enormous amount of charm. Along with clever puzzles, beautiful art, and top-notch voice acting (with people like Jack Black, Elijah Wood and Wil Wheaton providing talent), Broken Age is a must play indie title for any video game fan.

Part 1 is out right now with part 2 to be released sometime this year. Check out this launch trailer for part 1 of the game!

2. Astebreed

Japanese indie games tend to be pretty fucking great!
(image from: http://shmupemall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Astebreed1.jpg)

I fucking love mechs. Mecha, Mechs, giant robot suits that someone can pilot. It's great. It's hype! So when I heard about a shoot-em up indie game that lets you pilot a Mecha with the ability to lock-on to targets and swing a giant sword around as a weapon....let's just say I pressed the purchase button REALLY fast.

Astebreed is a Japanese indie game developed by Edelweiss. And when I mean Japanese, I mean JAPANESE. Seriously, we have anime art, crazy ass mech designs, a typical anime storyline and much more. It's very very Japanese. But that's ok! 

Astebreed is a shoot-em up game that's similar to something like Enhander on the Playstation 1. You have cinematic camera views that constantly change the way the game looks, so you're not always just scrolling from side to side. To make things a little different as well, Astebreed gives the player 3 attack options.

1. A straight shot

2. A spread shot

3. A blade

Each button for each attack can be held down as well to provide different attack options in case the situation calls for it. For example, holding down the 'straight shot' button brings out a fast homing lock on system that aims straight whereas holding down the 'blade button' allows for the player to dash through enemies, blowing them up as you pas through them.

Time to blow those space rocks to bits!
(image from: http://www.destructoid.com//ul/276427-asda.jpg)

I can't exactly say that the game is long, but it is definitely hard to master. So if you're looking for a fantastic arcade, mecha, shoot em up game, Astebreed will provide this with top-notch production values that make it seem like it came from a larger developer. 

3. One Finger Death Punch

All your great kung fu action without the extra flair
(image from: http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/264200/header.jpg?t=1394378924)

Indie games are usually very simplistic in graphics, but incredibly deep and addictive in gameplay. No other game than One Finger Death Punch comes to mind when trying to convey what this means. The first time you look at this game, you'll think it's a flash game. Little stick figures running around with one stickmanin the center kicking all their asses.

What?

Well, as it turns out, this is a VERY addictive and VERY awesome game. Using only the left and right mouse buttons, the player must fight off hordes and hordes of enemies using sick martial arts skills. What this eventually boils down to is incredibly tense, fast paced fights that can last as long as you can play. Picking up weapons, smashing enemies into objects, random slow motion events, skills to collect, scores to beat and so much more. One Finger Death Punch provides enough bang for your buck that it's hard not to recommend this hidden gem of an indie title. Silver Dollar Games really hit gold with this amazing title.

YEEEEEEAAAAH!!!
(image from: http://indiestatik.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/OFDP_screenshot_1.png)

It's hard to really appreciate game play for One Finger Death Punch without actually getting your hands on it, but luckily there should be a free demo on Steam or through a quick Google search. In the end though, I absolutely recommend One Finger Death Punch to anyone. You'll be glued to your computer screen trying to best someone's survival score or simply to get a quick does of adrenaline before your next activity.

CHECK OUT THIS HYPE TRAILER

4. The Banner Saga

Beautiful, engaging, unforgiving
(image from: http://blogs-images.forbes.com/games/files/2014/03/banner-saga.jpg)

The Banner Saga is fantastic title developed by Stoic, a developer that's made up of three former Bioware employees. That's right...BIOWARE. The game basically uses a Viking theme for it's world, putting you in the shoes of Giants. Considering it's coming from former Bioware emploees, expect a gripping, mature story with awesome RPG elements thrown in to boot.

The gameplay can be boiled down to 2 parts. The first will be the point and click aspect of the game, allowing you to explore the world and make decisions, build relationships, buy items, etc. The second part of the game is a turn based, isometric RPG with combat and gameplay similar to games like Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics. You get to move troops around the battlefield attacking one another. 

Time for some awesome, bloody strategy RPG action!
(image from: http://www.acrosstheboardgames.net/wp-content/uploads/banner-saga-0.jpg)

Now to top all of that off, the game also features beautifully hand drawn art that translates very well to gameplay. characters moves and swing their blades with detail, and everything sort of reminds me of classic Disney animation, which is definitely not a bad thing at all.

Keep in mind though that The Banner Saga is unforgiving. You will find that some of your favorite troops may die unexpectedly due to decisions you've made. Did I mention that once your characters die, they're dead for good? Yeah, very much like Fire Emblem, only you'll never see it coming. I partially blame this on the fact that the developers used Game of Thrones as an influence for The Banner Saga. Characters you come to love will be ripped from you without a moments notice...so don't get TOO attached.

5. Battleblock Theater

Get ready for a hilarious platformer from the cretaors of Castle Crashers
(image from: http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/238460/header.jpg?t=1400533537)

One look at BattleBlock theater and you'll instantly notice where it's coming from. The art of Behemoth has been recognisable ever since Castle Crashers became a huge hit. So what should you expect from Battleblock theater? Well, let me tell you.

Expect

Hilarity.

Yeah, Behemoth knows humor. They know how to make the player laugh as you play. Castle Crashers had a very simplistic art design that worked in it's favor and it's been done again in BattleBlock Theater.

Instead of a side scrolling beat-em-up, BattleBlock theater i a platformer with hundreds of stages and thousands of collectibles to find. The game also features co-op and competitive play with up to 4 players at once. On top of that, BattleBlock Theater also has a simplistic stage editor allowing for an unlimited amount of stages to play through.

Truly, Behemoth knows how to pack a game with enough content to last you years. 

But what else can be said about BattleBlock Theater besides it's content rich package and great humor? Well it's got tight controls, charming animations, a fantastic narrator, excellent music and so much more. Like most indie games, you need to play it to appreciate it, but instead, I'll leave you with 2 videos for you to enjoy in hopes that you'll seek out the game for yourselves!

6. Towerfall Ascension

This games makes my tower ascend...ha...ha....
(image from: http://assets1.ignimgs.com/vid/thumbnails/user/2014/02/17/towerfall-ascension-(1).jpg)

From developer Matt Thorson comes an excellent indie title that focusses on PvP and archery. Taking it's inspirations from games like Super Smash Bros, Towerfall Ascension has up to 4 players duking it out in a free for all battle royale with a limited amount of arrows in their inventory. 

Games takes place in different maps with different characters that all have different abilities. Players will shoot arrows at each other in hopes of landing hits and thus scoring points. However, they need to keep an eye on their arrow counter so that they don't end up empty handed in a fight. Players can also pick up enemy arrows along with enemy arrows to restock their ammo, providing a very clever gameplay element that encourages strategy. Littered around the maps are power-ups that players can pick up, shields, damage boosters, etc. 

Don't know what's going on? Don't worry, you'll catch on soon.
(image from: http://cdn.highdefdigest.com/uploads/2014/04/21/bomb.jpg)

Each Tower Fall Ascension game can end up incredible fast paced and tense due to how the game is structured. So if you're a fan of couch multiplayer and love the competitive aspect of gaming, Tower Fall Ascension is right up your alley. 

7.  Project Zomboid

All your zombie survival needs right here...and more to come!(image from: http://cdn.steampowered.com/v/gfx/apps/108600/capsule_467x181.jpg)

The zombie survival genre has been done to death, but there are a couple of games that stand out among the ocean of zombie games. Day Z, Left 4 Dead, How to Survive, etc etc. However, whenever I mention 'indie games' and 'zombie' I'm always going to come back to Project Zomboid, an isometric zombie survival game developed by The Indie Stone.

Project Zomboid is currently in Alpha, but that's doesn't stop it from having a ton of content and hours and hours of gameplay. Seriously, it's a great game already in it's alpha stage.

Gameplay consists of you creating a character that's reminiscent of classic isometric RPG games. Being able to choose a profession and traits for your character will determine how you'll play in order for you to survive the longest you can. Perhaps your character was a police officer, allowing him to handle firearms easily, but he's claustrophobic, so he can't stay in small areas for too long or else he'll panic. Maybe your character was a lumberjack who could swing his melee weapon with ease, but is constantly hungry, so you need to find food more often than others. The possibilities are endless and what you decide to come up with for your character is all up to you. 

Looks like this guy knows how to survive...unless he's in the middle of that horde...
(image from: http://projectzomboid.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/okotS1Q-712x462.jpg)

Project Zomboid features a massive map for you to explore with both indoor and outdoor locations. You can also run into small towns that resemble rural america to business centers with large office buldings ready for scavengine. But beware of those zombiesd! They're relentless, even attacking you when you're sleeping in bed, so be sure to fortify yourself and ensure that your surroundings are safe enough first!.

Project Zomboid promises to bring more to their updates such as multiplayer, mod support, optimization, etc. But as it stands, the game is already incredibly deep. I've found myself playing over and over again trying to beat my survival record or to simply explore the environments. 

What Project Zomboid is right now is a very...human zombie apocalypse game. Something that The Indie Stone hopes to focus on in future updates with interactive NPC characters and story scenarios. So if you're looking for a game to eat up your time, Project Zomboid is just for you!

8. Banished

You are Banished...I guess you should probably prepare for winter r something eh?
(image from: http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/242920/header.jpg?t=1392746087)

After the debacle that was EA's Sim City, developer Shining Rock Software comes out of the wood work and goes 'Hey! We have AI that actually works for OUR city sim!'. And boy does it every deliver.

Banished is a city building sim unlike any other I've played. Where most city building games require you to manage income, taxes, crime, etc Banished has you making sure your villagers have enough food and clothing to last the winter, livestock to maintain, precious minerals to change into tools and much much more. Unlike the failed Sim City feature of 'every Sim has a life of it's own' Banished actually delivers on that one concept. Each villager can be assigned to a job and they'll stick with that job. Every villager will have it's own life, living in it's own house and doing it's own daily chores. It gives the world of Banished a very real feeling to it. 

Detail is the name of the game. Houses that have people inside will have smoke rising from their chimneys, graveyards fill with tombstones, resources stock up in storehouses and much more
(image from:  http://www.shiningrocksoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/A4-1024x576.jpg)

Aesthetically, Banished is very relaxing to watch. you could easily put the game on it's regular speed setting, sit back and enjoy the view as your villagers go about their daily chores. Watch as forests fall and your town grows and grows, but try not to wipe out all your wood resources! You don't want to be without firewood for one winter...

Banished is also quite brutal and chellenging. If you happen to be unprepared for one winter, be prepared to lose MANY citizens. Losing citizens will cost your village dearly as well, since citizens are your life blood, they provide the reources, they provide the work force. You may also want to keep an eye out for natural disasters, fires and disease. If anything, Banished makes sure that the player is always an active participant and not just a spectator unlike most city building games. 

The game is currently out on Steam, so if you're looking for a great city builder, look towards Banished.

9. Divinity: Original Sin

Oh god this game is so good it should be illegal
(image from: http://www.divinityoriginalsin.com/wallpapers/DOSWallpaper_02_1920x1080.jpg)

I don't have too much experience with the Divinity series besides Divinity: Dragon Commander (an excellent game by the way) so when I heard that Larian Studios was making another Divinity Game, I kinda shrugged it off at first and completely ignored it's development process...I really shouldn't have. This is truly an RPG fans wet dream.

If you've played games like Baldurs Gate you'll find plenty to love in Divinity Original Sin. Here, the game play is similar to Diablo and Torchlight in that you have a birds eye view of your two characters exploring the world with a click of the button. Enter combat, however, and the game turns into a turn-based strategy game where Action Points and...well..strategy reign king. What sets Divinity apart from many modern RPG games is that it's world is incredibly interactive. Is it raining? Then prepare for your character and for enemies to be easily frozen with magic spells. There's a patch of poison bile over there? Best use a fire spell to cause an epic explosion. Is that vase hiding something? Have one of your characters move it!

Character creation is still bare bones when it comes to aesthetics, but choosing skills, traits, attributes and much more makes the creation process much deeper than it needs to be. Freedom is the name of the game here, the freedom to do whatever you want. If you start off as a Knight, you don't HAVE to stick being a knight, you can eventually branch off and become a battlemage, wielding a two handed claymore while blasting away enemies with fire spells.

Speaking of freedom, let's talk quests.

THERE ARE SO MANY GOD DAMNED QUESTS IT'S KILLING ME.

And unlike most modern RPG games, they don't give you direct objectives, so you need to explore the world and interact with all NPC's for information, you need to look at the world in detail to find hidden switches. Most importantly, you can tackle quests in any order you wish and in any manner you wish. Hell, every NPC is vulnerable to your blade...or your sticky fingers. I've spent hours just robbing a single town clean of it's portraits and items, it's great fun. However, don't be fooled, this game is brutal and unforgiving. You need to learn and adapt to the combat situations you find yourself in instead of wildly swinging your sword or casting spells. Learn your enemies, learn about your environment, everything needs to be taken into account for. Also, quick saving is your best friend.

Divinity Original Sin is a fantastic RPG, one that will provide hundreds upon hundreds of hours of gameplay. And with the included Divinity Engine toolkit, players will be able to create their own  campaigns, their own mods and so much more, all available on the Steam Workshop once functionality is released. 

What are you waiting for? GET IT NOW

YOU CAN EVENTUALLY PLAY A COW SIMULATOR RPG FOR GOD'S SAKE

10. Shovel Knight

oh good god, I love this game SO MUCH
(image from: http://www.playm.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/shovel-knight.jpg)

While this list wasn't compiled in any order in particular, I deffinitely wanted to keep the very best for last.

MOTHER. FUCKING. SHOVEL KNIGHT.

For those that don't know, Shovel Knight is a game developed by Yacht Club Games and it's a fantastic love letter to the NES era of games. Taking direct inspiration from titles such as Mega Man, Castlevania, Super Mario Bros. 3 and Duck Tales, Shovel Knight is every retro game fans wet dream. Hell, it should be a game played by all gamers.

It's Shovelin' Time!
(image from: http://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/shovel-knight.png)

Shovel Knight puts players in the shoes of...well...Shovel Knight, a knight that uses a shovel as a weapon. Dig your way to glory as you take down the Order of No Quarter (that includes bosses like King Knight, Plague Knight, etc) and it's leader, The Enchantress in an attempt to bring back your beloved Shield Knight. It's so gloriously NES that I could just sit and gush about it all night long.


But instead, let's talk about the gameplay. As mention before, Shovel Knight takes direct inspiration from some of the NES's greatest games. With combat and platforming similar to Castlevania, Boss and level structure akin to Mega Man, an over world like Super Mario Bros. (complete with wandering enemies and power ups), and a special downwards attack like Duck Tales (seriously, this is a feature on it's own), Shovel Knight takes all the best things of every one of those games and mashes it together into a brilliant package.

Controls are tight, content is rich, story is fantastic, what else could you possibly want?

HOW ABOUT FREE DLC?

Yes, after the release of Shovel Knight and it's massive success on Kickstarter, Yacht Club Games have announced that Shove Knight will get multiplayer dlc, single player missions, the ability to gender swap characters and the ability to play as boss knights. 

Lastly, I want o talk about the music...just listen to this one track:

AWESOME.

Shovel Knight's music was created using an NES chiptune set, giving it that genuine feel. It was also created by Jake Kaufman, the composer of many man Gameboy Advanced games. The soundtrack also had contributions from Manami Matsume, one of the original Mega Man composers.

I can't stand it, I love this game so much, I played it to death on my 3DS and I'm going to play it again. The inclusion of a New Game+ mode, unlockable music and numerous upgrades for Shovel Knight are just too great.

Oh, did I mention that the game was also programmed to have up to 324 cheat codes in the style of classic Game Genie codes on the NES?

Holy

Fucking

Shit

Get this game now. You won't regret it