On occasion I’ve made an attempt at creating some kind of list, usually in terms of best games of the month etc. Therefor i’m going to attempt to keep a rolling update of my top 10 indie games of the year, and see how it changes across the year.
It would be remiss of me not to point out that I dont play all games that are released and as I have a full time job, there is the limited time to play each game. I’ll try and justify and update each month. So here’s the first of (hopefully many) top 10 lists for the year! Let me know what you think in the comments!
10- Foregone
Foregone is such an interesting game and I’m surprised that there is not more hype around this one. At essence it looks like a dead cells kind of game, but it plays very different and has some pretty fun difficulty about it which makes it a strategic game to play through. Fantastic graphics, controls and animations are all there and I feel like as I play through it more, and get a grasp for the story line, it might be a game that continues to grow on me. Watch out for those ranged enemies though, they have deadly accuracy!
9 – Monster Viator
This is probably the unexpected game on my list and when I first played it I didn’t expect it to be as interesting as it was. An old school turn based RPG that screams nostalgia and is just fun to play. It doesn’t have the same visual aesthetic as a game such as Ara Fell, but there’s just something about the game that keeps you coming back. This one can be played on a number of different platforms and is one to look into if you love the retro RPG genre.
8 – Darksburg
Darksburg is best described as a top down view vermintide game with MOBA style controls and abilities. It’s a lot of fun and is really good to play co-operative in a four person squad. It has a great feeling of horde gaming with large arrays of enemies to fight, and I really like the special enemies, that each have their own unique way to try and spoil your run through. The difficulty is set pretty high, and i’m curious how much replayability it has, given there’s currently only 5 maps to chose from, but it’s a game definitely worth checking out!
7 – Iris & The Giant
When I looked at Iris and The Giant before playing, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a game that I enjoyed. It had, what looked to be a simple deck building mechanics, but I loved the art direction so I gave it a go. I was wrong. It is fantastic and is a game that would be higher up if not for the fact that there has been so many top notch roguelite games released this year. The game plays fast, with interesting build paths and strategy, and has a lot more depth than I had thought after getting into it. The art and aesthetic remains fantastic, and it’s a definitely can hold its head up high in the genre!
6 – Crown Trick
One of the newer games that I’ve played, Crown Trick is a game that i’ve spent a fair amount of hours playing through the beta, and it’s got a lot to like about it. Another roguelike game in such a competitive genre, this one has a point in different in the way the movement and turn based system works. In a similar style to games like Crypt of the Necrodancer, Crown Trick has all enemies and abilities working in time with your own moves, which makes it a strategic game in which you control the pace of everything. A game which already is a lot of fun, and one which i’m looking forward to seeing in a fully fledged version.
5 – Dead Cells – Bad Seed DLC
OK, disclaimer time, this is an older game, but a new DLC released this year and I just love Dead Cells so I had to sneak it in. If this was a full release, it would no doubt come in at #1 but given it was just a DLC with a few extra paths to explore, I’ve compromised. Perhaps one of the greatest roguelike/lite games out there, brilliant controls and graphics and just such a well created game. If you haven’t played Dead Cells, Jump in and give it a go!
4 – Ara Fell
Beautiful graphics set in a charming world with fun characters that will draw you in. Ara Fell released on the Switch this year after previously having a presence on others platforms. I can’t reiterate how much I love the art style on this one and a great game for traditional style RPG lovers. I’ve found myself drifting away from the RPG genre which i enjoyed in the past, and it was nice to play something that had all the elements that I’ve always been drawn to in a turn based game.
3- Skul The Hero Slayer
I’m not addicted to Roguelikes, you’re addicted to roguelikes! But seriously this ones a fun game to play and surprisingly uncomplicated in a genre which can sometimes be so technical that you need a manual to work your way through. Skul is a fast paced action game with lots of fighting and unique characters that you can find along the way. I really appreciate how simple it is to pick up skul and play and feel like your beating the daylights out of toxic trees, and yet there is still a sense of progression and that feeling that you are improving. The hero fights are awesome and fun as well. I’ve dropped a lot of hours into this one and never got bored of it!
2- Coffee Talk (Nintendo Switch)
Potentially my number 1 pick from earlier in the year and very much different from the rest of the list according to the genre of game it falls under. Coffee Talk is at its heart a story told through the dialogue and interactions of a unique set of characters with their own problems. Yes there is some coffee to make and relax with, but its the story and relationships that keeps you playing this one! I’ve always been impressed with the creators ability to create storylines that are relevant and understandable whilst utilising characters from a fantasy and science fiction set of races. The art is unbelievable and you will learn to love Freya by the end!
1 – One Step From Eden (Nintendo Switch)
My favourite pick of the year so far and just intense in terms of the mechanics and also the strategic options playing through. A fun game to watch, one full of progression and moments of pure frustration. One step mixes fast paced “megaman battle network” style fighting mechanics with a technical deck building system that makes it a game that has so much depth you might just get lost (I definitely did) before it starts to become clear. I feel like an amateur playing it, but it has been a refreshing experience of getting my backside kicked repeatedly just trying to unlock those extra characters! Definitely one for the people with quick reactions and great memory of patterns!
So are you still reading? What do you think? Let me know your picks in the comments below and keep an eye out for May, when I’ll do a revamp and see if there’s any changes!
Indie Game Blitz 