Indie games are something of an obsession of mine at the moment, and there are a few reasons why…
Firstly, you are supporting the little guys. This is something that I think we need to do in this day and age. Corporations are ruining the gaming industry in my opinion, and turning your attention to indie developers not only gives the middle finger to the fat cats that are shovelling their millions into their pockets (at the expense of gamers and the developers that they hire), it also encourages developers and studios to know that there is scope to follow their dreams and make that game that they have always wanted to (which will lead to us getting gaming back!).
Secondly, indie games are absolutely brilliant! The passion that these studios give to their games is very clear to see, and you really feel it when you are playing them. You can almost relate every quirk that you find in the game to an individual, that will actually be excited to know that you are playing their game! The random and sometimes perfectly simple games that you encounter will give you hours and hours of fun!
Thirdly, these games are cheap. Not because they are crap, but because the studios are not greedy and they want you to play their passion projects. Once you start playing some indie games, you will probably become a fan of specific studios and follow them to see what other games they have available, or if they are bringing out a sequel of that game that you were addicted to!
What is an Indie Game?
This question sparks a lot of debate and arguments, so not everyone will agree with what I say here, but it’s what makes the category more appealing to me… An indie game to me is a small studio/developer that hasn’t been corrupted by a corporation that just wants to make a quick couple of quid off of you. Usually it is self funded, or funded without a major publisher.
There are some ‘indie’ studios out there that have almost unlimited funds at their disposal to make games, and to be honest. You can usually tell… To me, ‘indie’ studios that are basically just rich people trying to cash in on the indie craze don’t count. This is where a lot of people argue.
The reason why I don’t usually count the rich kid ‘indie’ studios is that you don’t feel the passion that you do with a small team who are getting stuck in and enjoying the experience of having their own studio and contributing in such a meaningful way. A real indie studio will get butterflies in their stomach when they see how popular their game is and how well it is received. Of course, they are in it to make money, but there is a difference between making money and being greedy. Most indies know that.
What if an indie studio/publisher is bought over by a fat cat?
It’s disappointing when this happens, but it does happen unfortunately… One thing that I will say on this subject is, can you really blame them? The fat cats that see how well your game is doing and see dollar signs in their eyes, then offer you a ridiculous amount of money for it… more than you can imagine… As much as I am gutted when this happens, I don’t hold it against them. The original game they made will still be considered an indie game to me, but any new games won’t.
A recent example of this was the publisher called Playstack, who was an indie publisher that published Balatro (which was created by a solo developer called LocalThunk). In May 2026, Playstack got aquired by a private equity firm calledTPG Inc., who (at the time of writing this) owns 15 different media and entertainment brands, including Fandom, Curse, Screen Junkies, and GameSpot.
Playstack’s CEO Harvey Elliott described it as “a change in ownership rather than a change in who we are,” saying the team and strategy would stay the same… but to me, they are now part of the corporate machine and no longer considered indie. Personally, I will avoid future games that are published by Playstack, in protest!
What’s on this page?
My intention is to list all of the indie games that I play on this page, to keep it fresh. I don’t really like slating games because they aren’t my style, so I will create three categories that you can look through for inspiration
| My Favourite Indie Games | Games that I have played and thought were brilliant, and you should 100% check out! |
| Honourable Mentions | Games that I enjoyed, but didn’t finish/got bored quickly. These games are 100% still worth a look! |
| Not for me | Games that have big corporate involvement, or that I’ve played, but they just weren’t to my personal preference. |
My Favourite Indie Games?
In this section, I will list out my favourite indie games that I fully stand by as being top tier. This will be a work-in-progress page, so every time I play a new indie game that I think is awesome, It will get added to this section! ALSO, if you have an indie game that you think is awesome, please let me know in the comments or via email so that I can try it out!
Broforce
Side-scrolling action game developed by Free Lives (Independent studio, still founder-led) and published by Devolver Digital (Has since went public on the London Stock Exchange. Sony owns 5%, NetEase owns 8%)
Broforce is an oldie, but a goldie for me. It might actually still be the indie game that I’ve had the most fun with (and completed multiple times). In this game you take on a classic 80s action hero inspired character, and fight the bad guy. It’s insanely fun!
The developer’s humour and spin on classic 80s characters is enough for this game to be on your list. I honestly cannot recommend this game enough,
Balatro
Rogue-lite game developed by LocalThunk (A solo developer) and published by Playstack (now a corporate puppet)
Yes, it’s the game from my example earlier, Balatro! This was really my first obsessive indie game of recent years. I played countless hours on this game and still go back and play it every so often. In essence, this is a poker game, which I know doesn’t sound very exciting, but just trust me on this one!
The game has a lot of features that make this so much fun! There are Joker cards that give you bonuses as you play the game, there are different effects that you can place on specific cards… the strategies that you can come up with are endless!
If I’m honest, I was really sceptical of this game when my brother recommended it to me… I thought it looked like a standard poker simulator, but I am so pleased that I decided to give it a try!
CloverPit
Roguelite game developed by Panik Arcade (2 person studio) and published by Future Frends Games (Small UK-based indie publisher)
CloverPit is actually quite similar to Balatro, in the sense that it looks like a standard gambling simulator and is a rogue-lite game, but it has the same idea of bonuses as Balatro, that makes it so much fun! This game’s story is actually something that really makes it stand out to me. You are basically fighting for your life, by gambling… If you don’t have enough money to pay back your debts by the end of each deadline, you are plunged to your death! You need to keep going until you can escape (no spoilers!).
The dark atmosphere of this game just adds another awesome element to this genre, so check it out!
9 Kings
Roguelike deck-building game developed by Sad Socket (Two childhood friends) and published by Hooded Horse (small actively pro-developer publisher who calls out gaming’s corporate scumbags), Sidekick Publishing (Small German indie publisher)
9 Kings is a great time killing game. You can just pick up and play whenever suits, as is the life of a Rogue-like game most of the time! You choose which cards you want to play, upgrading and battling your enemies. Hours of fun and a lot of replayability in this one!
Hades & Hades 2
Roguelite developed by Supergiant Games (Founded by 2 guys, privately-owned, self-funded and they publish they own games themselves!)
Hades & Hades 2 are a breed of their own. When I first played the game, I actually wasn’t aware that it was an indie team (never mind a team of 2!), I assumed it was a big studio with a publisher, that’s just how brilliant and polished the game is!
Without giving too much away, you play through dungeon levels in a Greek Mythology theme, killing all the creatures and bosses in your way, trying to reach the end, without dying. I have never met anyone that didn’t absolutely LOVE this game!
Forbidden Solitaire
Solitaire game with a twist. Developed and published by a collab between Grey Alien Games (a UK-based studio) & Night Signal Entertainment (based in Utah). Self-published, no corporate backing.
I actually stumbled upon this game prior to it coming out, completely by accident. I was looking for more games that had Full Motion Video, since I had just finished playing Harvester, and absolutely loved the style… The only thing that I was gutted about was when I played this one, it didn’t actually have FMV in it (although it looked like it would based on the trailer).
This game is a dark fantasy tale about a solitaire game that had a terrifying secret inside. As you play, you unlock bonuses and new jokers that you can play during the game, to aid you on your journey. Overall, this was a really addictive and highly nostalgic look into what games used to be like, and I, for one, absolutely rate it top marks for that alone. The game is really, really well done!
Honourable Mentions
This section will be for games that I have played, and gave a right good bash, and were pretty good, but I either got too bored with, or didn’t have the pull to fully complete. It’s not that these games are bad, far from it, but they just weren’t to my personal taste. I wanted to have a section of games that I think were decent enough, and that other people might love!
Scritchy Scratchy
Idler game developed by Lunch Money Games (Two-person Danish studio) and published by Funday Games (Danish indie publisher)
Scritchy Scratchy is a game that you start out scrubbing some dishes for money, then discover the addiction if gambling via scratch cards. The more scratch cards you play, the better you get. You can upgrade your luck and coin size, along with some gadgets to help you along the way.
I played about 3 hours of this one, but It just got far too much like hard work as it went on. I can appreciate the love that this game gets (My brother LOVED it and bashed it for hours and hours), but for me, it was decent enough to be on the honourable mentions category.
Apocryph
Boomer shooter developed and published by Bigzur (self-funded)
I love the nostalgia of boomer shooters, and probably my favourite game of all time is Heretic, so naturally I had to give this one a try! I think it’s a really great game, the visuals are dark fantasy, the controls are good and the weapons/enemies are great. I didn’t end up finishing the game because it got a bit tedious, which you will probably feel if you give this one a try. I’ve put this in this section because I had an absolute blast while I was playing it, especially at the start!
Not for me
This section is for games that have big corporate involvement, or just weren’t my style,This section isn’t about me telling people not to play them, it’s here to highlight that they exist, but just weren’t for me (but they might be for you!)
Cuphead
Side-scrolling game developed by Studio MDHR and published by Microsoft
This pains me to put this in the ‘not for me’ sections, and I’ll tell you why. I love the 1930s style, for starters. I grew up watching old VHS tapes of 1930s cartoons and would watch them on repeat. There is something about the animation style that just clicks with me.
The other reason is that Studio MDHR is about as classic an indie story as you can get. They are a Canadian company who self funded by selling their possessions to be able to make the game. And for that part alone, it’s brilliant.
The actual reason that they are in this section is because of their relationship with Microsoft. Although they aren’t owned by Microsoft, they have a close relationship with them and their DLC and Netflix series have just deepened their relationship further.
The game itself is fun (although frustratingly difficult at times), and if you don’t mind that they are in bed with one of the biggest corporations in the world, then you will really enjoy it!