Highlights
- Indie games have become a major presence on consoles since the HD era, offering players a diverse gaming experience.
- Developers like Cellar Door Games, Digital Sun Games, and Image & Form have consistently released quality indie games that have received positive reviews.
Indie games came into light during the HD era. This includes the Xbox 360, PS3, and to a lesser extent, the Wii. Indie developers had been designing games for decades before this but rarely released them or if they did, it was on PC. The consoles opening up digital stores was what truly changed things.
Now, it’s hard to imagine a world without indie games, as their innovation drives an industry where AAA releases simply do not go to. There are a lot of great developers out there, but these eight consistently release life-changing experiences for some. It’s always exciting to see what they are cooking up next.
8 Cellar Door Games
Cellar Door Games became huge when they released Rogue Legacy in 2013. In many ways, it helped shape modern indie roguelikes for generations to come. That wasn’t their first game though as they developed a lot of flash games leading up to this.
Don’t Sh*t Your Pants is probably one of their most well-known games before Rogue Legacy. Full Metal Furies followed that up, didn’t make a huge dent on players, but it did review well. Rogue Legacy 2 brought them back up to the zeitgeist and Cellar Door Games now sits with an 85 as a developer on Metacritic. No news on what they’re going to tackle next, but it will probably be a third sequel.
7 Digital Sun Games
Digital Sun Games isn’t as big of a name as some other indie developers but they make solid games. Their first big one was Moonlighter, also a roguelike, but it was more than that. Players could go into randomized dungeons at night and then sell treasure in their shop during the day.
It was a novel idea that worked. This year they released their latest adventure, The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story which was more of a straight action game. Their next game, Cataclismo, has been announced with a trailer and it looks like an RTS with an early PS1 aesthetic. Overall, Digital Sun Games has earned an 80 on Metacritic.
6 Image & Form
Image & Form had a rough start with reviews on their games. SteamWorld Tower Defense got a 71, as one example, but after that, the SteamWorld series skyrocketed in scores and popularity thanks to SteamWorld Dig. After that, they made SteamWorld Heist, SteamWorld Dig 2, and SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech.
Their next game is going to be a city builder experience called SteamWorld Build. The only fault they have made since the beginning was The Gunk in 2021 which averaged around the 60s. Still, as an overall company with not many blemishes, Image & Form has a current ranking of 81 on Metacritic.
5 Maddy Makes Games
Maddy Makes Games has always had an amazing track record as a company starting with TowerFall. It’s so funny to think back on how this game was an Ouya exclusive. Practically no one had that console but thanks to word of mouth, it got ported and it is now one of the best-reviewed multiplayer indie games of all time.
The company outdid itself with their next game, Celeste, winning them tons of awards in 2018. Their next game, Earthblade, will be a Metroidvania and it is supposed to be out in 2024. Will it be even better than Celeste? Time will tell but, Maddy Makes Games sits at an 89 on Metacritic.
4 Moon Studios
Moon Studios, to spoil the ending, also has an 89 on Metacritic. This indie studio is responsible for Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps. These are two of the highest-rated Metroidvania games on Metacritic.
That last game was released in 2020, despite the pandemic, and it has been a while since they released a game. Apparently, Moon Studios is hard at work on an action game unrelated to Ori’s adventures but no trailer, screenshot, or title has been revealed.
3 Playdead
Playdead is another indie studio with an 89 on Metacritic and their catalogue is a lot spookier. Their first game was Limbo and it was right around the time when indie games were blowing up thanks to the Xbox 360.
This unsettling puzzle platformer was followed up by a spiritual successor, Inside, which had similar vibes and gameplay mechanics. Inside was released in 2016 and nothing has been shared since. What game is Playdead working on next? Whenever it happens, fans assuredly won’t be disappointed based on these two games alone.
2 Supergiant Games
Supergiant Games also became big during the early years of the Xbox 360 with their game, Bastion. That action RPG was followed up by Transistor, Pyre, and then Hades. Hades is by far their most popular game, so much so that they announced their next game is going to be a sequel simply titled Hades 2.
Based on the numerous sequels and ports from all of their titles, Supergiant Games has never dipped below an 80 on Metacritic. This has earned them a respectable 88 overall.
1 Yacht Club Games
Last, but not least, the very important Yacht Club Games who is responsible for Shovel Knight. This character has transcended his own universe and has made guest appearances in many other AAA and indie titles like Brawlhalla and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. The team worked on many spinoffs with other developers such as Shovel Knight Dig with Nitrome.
They mostly worked in DLC expansions to the original game though along with turning their attention to publishing other indie games like Cyber Shadow. This makes them unique in the indie space, especially on this list. After almost a decade, Yacht Club Games is finally setting sail away from Shovel Knight to create a new title, Mina the Hollower. The company has an 83 on Metacritic.