Indie Games have always been charming for me because of the amount of boundaries they break regarding the art styles used in games, in addition of how they are able to capture the charm of many old experiences and modernize them for both preservation purposes, and for making them more enjoyable by a larger group of players.
In this list, We have included a lot of games to look out for just for this year. There are games from the east and the west, inspired by everything you can imagine, and they look and play really well too. In my humble opinion, some of them might become the next worldwide hits of the next generation.
Each of the forty Indie games are already accompanied with trailers that are very informing and show you everything that need to know about each game. We didn’t try to include indie games and sell them with only the titles or the hype around them. What you see is what you get
40 Most Anticipated Indie Games
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth: Based on the franchise of fantasy novels by Ryo Mizuno, and prepared with his supervision. The games follows a style in the same vein as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in gameplay, and is worth it for fans of old school RPGs. Coming to switch in 28 January, available on other platforms.
OlliOlli World: A 2D skateboarding game with smooth animations and a unique art style brimming with personality. Lots of challenges are available across a wide map. Coming 8 February on all platforms.
A Memoir Blue: A creatively presented adventure using more than one style with a strong message about the true story of the developer. Coming 10 February on all platforms.
Figment 2: Creed Valley: An action-adventure game set in the human mind. It might be the next thing to cure the itch of you wanting something similar to Psychonauts 2. Coming to PC and Switch in February 2022.
Tunic: While the modern Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a masterpiece, it never really captured the charm of older Zelda titles. Which is something Tunic does quite well. Available 16 March 2022 on Xbox and PC.
Ikai: The best way I can sum this game up is by saying it’s the modern “Kuon” from the developer from software. Shrine maiden defeating spirits, set in feudal Japan. Nothing more you could need. Available 29 March on PS and Switch.
Read Only Memories: Neurodiver: The sequel to 2064: Read Only Memories, which has been a great success in capturing the important messages of cyberpunk stories, in addition to the vibrant art style of the PC-98 days, moreover, it was highly praised as a queer-inclusive game. Coming soon on all platforms.
Aztech: Forgotten Gods: I am recommending this game solely for the Aztec inspirations, which is an aesthetic that is really used in video games and fiction in general. Coming soon on all platforms.
Century: Age of Ashes: A free-to-play multiplayer dragon arena fighting game. Enough said. Coming this year on all platforms and even Android/iOS.
Imp of the Sun: Might be the next thing to play if you are looking for something with the same flair and ease of movement as Microsoft’s ori. Coming to PC later this year.
Skabma: Snowfall: While being a solo adventure through and through, it’s the closest thing to Brothers: A tale of two sons in terms of art style and atmosphere. Coming to PC later this year.
XEL: The perfect indie games mix between 2D Zelda and 3D Zelda elements. Coming this year on all platforms.
Itorah: Another metroidvania game with a distinct and rarely used artstyle and animations in. The developer’s commentary is very convincing. Coming to PC later this year.
Akatori (Deathstick): What gripped me in this one is the unique fighting style using Chinese stick and the smooth animations used to execute techniques and movement, not to mention that it seems there will be a variety of places to explore and a dark twist to the world. Coming this year on PC and Switch.
Peripeteia: Might be the next old school metalgear, as it combines both first and third person perspectives with stealth elements in alt-history cyberpunk Poland. Coming this year on all platforms.
The Garden Path: A slice of life game about the joy of gardening. It has a picturesque and breathtaking atmosphere. Coming this year on PC and Mac.
Arcade Paradise: Over 35 new arcade games, each fully realized with its own gameplay, stories, missions and high scores to set! Inspired by 3 decades of gaming, from early vector games right up to the 32-bit era. Coming this year on all platforms.
Death Cathedral: I call this one 2D for honor because of how deep and smooth the combat can get which is like a fighting game but also with a decent amount of strategy, with ps1 medieval artstyle. Coming this year on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Sonzai: A 2d, action-brawler platforming RPG. All presented in a beautiful, inky art style – with every single frame of animation hand-drawn. It’s my next choice in the context of selling video games as an artform. Coming this year on all platforms.
Lunacy: Saint Rhodes: A first person survival horror where it seems an extra amount of care has been taken in the cinematography department. Coming this year on PC.
The Signifier: a first-person tech-noir mystery adventure that blends investigation, experimental psychology, and artificial intelligence. Demo version is already available. Coming this year on all platforms.
Bushiden: Something that feels out of Devolver Digital’s unique approach to gaming. Coming This year on PC, PS4 and Switch.
Mineko’s Night Market: Ok you need to check this one. It has an overload of cuteness in everything it does, and a good atmospheric soundtrack as well. Coming this year on all platforms.
30XX: Tired of not having enough Megaman games, well say no more because no with 30XX you have the chance to create your own levels and shape your dreams. Coming later this year on all platforms.
Dual Gear: a mech turn based strategy game combination with action gameplay inspired from classical Japanese mecha TBS games. They don’t make much of these indie games anymore so keep an eye out for it. Coming later this year on all platforms.
Hazel Sky: This game is the indie verion of the Last of Us. It even has that guitar minigame you might have missed from the second installment. Coming later this year on all platforms.
Finding Paradise: The 2nd full episode of To the Moon’s series. It follows the life of the doctors’ new patient, Colin, as they attempt to unravel a life that is split down the middle, and fulfill a wish that appears to be self-contradictory by nature. Coming to switch and pc this year.
A Space for the Unbound: A slice-of-life adventure game with beautiful pixel art set in the late 90s rural Indonesia that tells a story about overcoming anxiety, depression, and the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers. Coming later this year on all platforms.
Wayward Strand: A heartfelt interactive story, told in a unique and curious way. Play as Casey Beaumaris – intrepid teenage journalist – as she visits an airborne hospital for the first time. Uncover the airship’s mysteries, and explore the lives of its inhabitants.
Liberated: Liberated is an interactive dystopian graphic novel that unfolds on the pages of a comic book. IT is set in a dark world in the near future where technology turned against people. Coming later this year on all platforms.
She Dreams Elsewhere: A surreal adventure RPG where you must traverse an ethereal dreamscape, confront your inner nightmares, and escape from a never-ending coma. Coming later this year on all platforms.
Tchia: A tropical open-world adventure. Climb, glide, swim, and sail your boat around a beautiful archipelago in this physics-driven sandbox. A game inspired by New Caledonia. On PC, PS4, PS5.
Oddventure: Another game to scratch that undertale itch. Is a lore-rich turn-based crazy RPG set in a cursed fairytale world. Fight your inner demons and reach for the spark of hope, or stare directly into the abyss. On PC and Switch.
Cult of the Lamb: Everygame is about suffering from cults, but this game allows you to start your own cult instead. Just usual devolver digital shenaningens. On all platforms.
Loco Motive: A slapstick adventure, packed full of deadly surprises, shocking twists and larger than life characters! and another addition to the variety of artstyle in Indie games. Coming to PC and Switch in 2022.
The Invincible: a first-person Sci-Fi thriller set in a retro-future timeline. Waking up on a hostile planet, you embark on a mysterious mission to find the missing crew of your spaceship. Only on PC and Next Gen Consoles.
Circus Electrique: A part story-driven RPG, part tactics, part circus management, and completely enthralling– all with a steampunk twist. When everyday Londoners mysteriously turn into vicious killers, only the show’s talented performers possess the skills necessary to save the city. On all platforms.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk: The Jet Set Radio successor, and from the same creator too. On all platforms.
Afterlove EP: From the creator of Coffee Talk comes a slice-of-life adventure about love, loss and music. Explore modern Jakarta as Rama in his journey to learn about himself, create music, find love and come to terms with the loss of his girlfriend Cinta, whose voice still lives on in his head. On PC and Switch.
Island of Winds: Island of Winds is an adventure game set in the awe-inspiring environment of a fantastical 17th century Iceland, drawing upon nature, folklore and history. The core gameplay involves a rich story, intriguing puzzles, spellcasting, and a special focus on empathy encounters. On PC and PS5