Making a video game is a huge assignment and often requires hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yet, there are amazing indie developers out there who put their hearts and souls into their vision, beat the odds, and give players some of the best titles that even popular publishers like Microsoft and Sony can not.
Nowadays, almost all indie developer teams start young and learn and evolve through experience. However, a few indie developers have become successful after creating their games for a game jam event, despite the time constraints and theme restrictions that the events often impose.
10 The Ablockalypse
Blockpocalypse is an action-puzzle 2D platform game that came out in 2016. In it, players control various 2D characters who must navigate a post-apocalyptic world filled with blocks and obstacles. The developers originally titled the game “The Ablockalypse,” which was part of the Global Game Jam 2015.
Blockpocalypse features a variety of enemies and boss battles. It recommends players use an Xbox controller and encourages them to the co-op. The game is still in early access based on its official page on Steam.
9 Little Lands
Little Lands is a game by Robin Field and Billy Hobson that became a reality during a game jam a few years ago. It is a strategy city-builder prototype that takes place in a miniature world where players can build wonderful farmlands, manage resources, destroy pirate ships, and more.
Little Lands features a sandbox-style gameplay where players can build and shape the terrain, harvest resources, and defend against various problems. The game's art style is minimalist, with cute and colorful graphics, and the developers made it under 72 hours for Ludum Dare 38.
8 Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a cooperative puzzle game by Steel Crate Games that came out on Steam in 2015. The game requires one player to defuse a ticking time bomb while the other players, known as the "Experts," have access to the Bomb Defusal Manual and must guide the defuser through the process.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes supports virtual reality, but players can also enjoy it on a standard screen like a regular puzzle title. The game's tension-filled gameplay and communication-based mechanics have made it popular among players, giving it an overwhelmingly positive score on Steam. The co-op puzzle title was originally constructed during a game jam in 2014.
7 Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a cooperative action game developed by Asteroid Base. Players take control of a spaceship in the game and must navigate through a series of levels while fighting off alien enemies. Each player controls one of the ship's systems, such as the engines, weapons, or shields, and must work together to keep it operational.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime takes place in a multicolored, whimsical universe, and the gameplay is fast-paced and difficult. Upon release in 2015, the co-op title was well-received by critics for its unique cooperative gameplay and charming art style. The game is available on multiple platforms, including PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, but was originally developed for a game jam event in 2012.
6 Delicious Cortex
Delicious Cortex is a game by Deepnight developed during the Ludum Dare game jam event. It is a fast-paced, retro-style arcade shooter game where players take on the role of characters who must defend against waves of incoming enemies. The game features a unique art style, with 8-bit pixelated graphics reminiscent of classic arcade titles.
Delicious Cortex’s gameplay is challenging and requires quick reflexes and precise aiming. The game also features power-ups and a variety of weapons that players can use to aid them in battle. The official page reveals the game received 2nd overall place on Ludum Dare 34, which must’ve been for its nostalgic feel and intense action.
5 Resonance
Resonance is a game created during the 2017 Global Game Jam event held at the Jam Site PONG - Potiguar Indie Games & InPACTA. It was developed by a team of game developers, designers, and artists in a limited time. At its core, the game is a physics-based puzzle title where players have to control sound waves to solve puzzles and progress through levels.
In Resonance, Players must manipulate the wavelength and amplitude of the sound waves to interact with objects in the game world. The game features a desaturated 2.5D art style and simple but challenging mechanics. The game is a Unity game and is available on platforms such as MS Windows, Mac OSX, and more.
4 A Normal Lost Phone
A Normal Lost Phone is a game by Accidental Queens that came out in 2017 on Steam. It is a unique narrative game where players explore the contents of a lost smartphone, uncovering its owner's secrets. Players navigate through the phone's apps and messages, piecing together the story of the phone's owner and their relationships, struggles, and secrets.
Accidental Queens designed A Normal Lost Phone to make players feel like they're snooping through someone's personal life, raising questions about privacy and blurring lines between real life and the digital world. The game received critical acclaim for its innovative storytelling and thought-provoking themes. The interactive fiction game became a reality during the Global Game Jam event in 2016.
3 Pentagrab
Pentagrab was developed by a team of students at Abertay University during a game jam event in 2016. The game is a shared screen co-op multiplayer title, where players control a cultist and have to collect things and use them within the pentagram to earn points.
Pentagrab features a colorful art style reminiscent of old cartoons and features a challenging yet satisfying gameplay and creative level design. The game is available on PC, and players can download it from the official global game jam website.
2 Home Improvisation
Home Improvisation: Furniture Sandbox is a simulation game that was originally part of the Global Game Jam event in 2015. The casual local co-op game focuses on furniture customization, where players can design and decorate their assets using various materials and tools. The game features multiple modes where players can freely build and create furniture without limitations.
Home Improvisation: Furniture Sandbox features an isometric Sims-like art style and a variety of items and furniture that players can use to decorate their virtual home. The game has fun and creative gameplay and provides a realistic and detailed simulation of furniture design.
1 Surgeon Simulator 2013
Surgeon Simulator is a comedic simulation game developed by Bossa Studios and released in 2013. In the game, players assume the role of a surgeon who must perform various procedures using various tools while navigating the game's intentionally difficult controls. The game's physics-based gameplay and wicked sense of humor have made it a cult classic and a viral game on YouTube.
Surgeon Simulator received positive reviews for its original concept and challenging gameplay and has been praised for its comedic elements. It is available on multiple platforms, including PC, iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch. Originally, developers built the game in under 48 hours in 2013.