With big money sports gaming companies like EA, 2K, and now even Epic Games dominating the sports gaming market, it can be difficult to find indie sports games that are as good or better than those of the big AAA corporations. Despite this, after the rather repetitive recent editions of FIFA (or EA Sports FC), Madden, and NBA 2K as examples, it may be time to turn to indie games and give them a chance.

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One thing to remember with indie sports games is the budget will be significantly lower, so players shouldn't expect the highest quality graphics or the most feature complete game, although that doesn't mean the game is worse than its AAA peers, it's just something that players should keep in mind.

7 Descenders

Metascore: 75

Downhill mountain biking probably isn't the most popular sport in the world, but in gaming, it can be extremely fun without the worry of breaking a few bones. This is where Descenders finds its spot to shine, as it is one of the best mountain biking sims available. It's high-octane, high-momentum, intense gameplay is gripping, and is accompanied by smooth liquid drum and bass music that adds to the experience.

Descenders is actually similar to a roguelike game, with boss jumps as opposed to boss battles and very difficult tracks that will push player reactions to their limit. The feeling that players can get from Descenders is quite impressive, as the character movements, sound effects, and overall pace of the gameplay really pulls the player in to this mountain biking experience.

6 Legend Bowl

Metascore: 69

American Football games are quite sparse when it comes to indie options, with many games looking to replicate the Madden style of gameplay and feel. Legend Bowl does the opposite, opting for a pixel art style that injects a retro kick that connects with many gamers, alongside up-to-date game modes and graphical quality.

Legend Bowl has a franchise mode alongside a deep database of players, custom team names and stadiums, game conditions, and plays. The pixel art is an element of this game that may put players off, but the art in Legend Bowl is crisp and has a very modern feel to it, despite the retro look.

5 OlliOlli World

Metascore: 84

Since the days of Skate and the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games by EA, skateboarding games haven't exactly been amazing, with some attempts to recreate the baforementioned games generally failing. OlliOlli then arrived on the skateboard gaming scene, with an arcade-like gameplay style that was simple, unique, and very fun.

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Since then, OlliOlli's sequel, OlliOlli World, was released, with bundles of new graphics, a multiplayer open-world style set up, and the unique gameplay that OlliOlli has made it's own. The cartoon-like feel mixed with the mountain of cool tricks and that players can pull off, and the multitude of maps available, has combined nicely to make OlliOlli World a great indie sports game.

4 Fishing Planet

Metascore: TBD

Sitting back and relaxing with a fishing game like Fishing Planet is always a fun time, with multiplayer functionalities letting players have a fishing trip with their friends through the wonders of gaming. Fishing Planet isn't as simple as some might expect though, with an in-depth inventory section allowing players to customize their fishing rods, and a multitude of missions to spice up their fishing.

Fishing Planet has a great balance of a simple premise combined with a first-person and highly-technical style of fishing gameplay. Granted, fishing probably isn't the most popular sports game genre compared to other sports games. However, Fishing Planet does well at making their game playable for those who love fishing, but also for those who are not completely clued in to fishing.

3 Super Mega Baseball 3

Metascore: 83

One constant with sports games is that arcade-like games that don't take themselves too seriously are always fun. Super Mega Baseball 3 certainly fits into this category, with an art style and gameplay that makes baseball less technical and more about the fun parts of the sport. The teams and names of the players sum up this game, with many of the names being baseball-based puns.

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Super Mega Baseball 3, whilst being a fun take on baseball, still has elements that make it a genuinely good baseball game, with season modes and ranked modes that take more thinking than simply smashing the ball out of the stadium. Alongside this, the game is very in-depth, with morale meters for players, a large variety of pitch-styles, and a massive player database.

2 Golf With Your Friends

Metascore: 68

Despite the rather low Metascore of 68, Golf With Your Friends is, without a doubt, one of the most popular games on this list, with many streamers and YouTubers playing it on stream and seemingly having bundles of fun. Golf With Your Friends is one of those games that, graphics wise and bug wise, isn't amazing, but in terms of the pure enjoyment players can get out of a game, it delivers.

Players get classic party-style type gameplay, complete with large lobbies that make Golf With Your Friends perfect for playing with a large group of people. The game has many different maps to keep the gameplay versatile, along with ball customization that adds a sprinkle of humor to an already funny game.

1 Rocket League

Metascore: 85

One of the most popular indie games of all time, Rocket League has firmly cemented itself as a legendary game, with the unique car and soccer crossover format that hasn't really been replicated or done before. Although Epic Games did get involved with Rocket league, allowing Rocket Racing to be created for Fortnite, the game at its core is still indie.

Psyonix created a game that players could play casually and competitively with equal amounts of fun. Rocket League has evolved so much, to the point where it became an eSports game, which is pretty amazing for an indie title to reach such heights. On top of the highly exciting and unique gameplay, Rocket League has a cool customization system, with more and more collaborations allowing players to score goals in their dream cars.

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