It was that good? Dang, I really need to get that game. I loved SpaceChem.
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TIS-100 is supposed to be pretty damn good as well, I just got it as a gift and I'm holding off on starting it for a bit because of how much of a time sync it can turn into, if the reviews don't lie. I'll pick up Infinifactory eventually, but I really need to take the time to dedicate to finishing SpaceChem
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+1 for gemcraft. Probably the best recent tower defense around.
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Is Ori and the Blind Forest really indie?
It is published by Microsoft Studios after all.
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…but independent games mean no publisher support. Being published by one of the largest IT companies of the planet can hardly be classified as "no support".
To put it in perspective, id software never had an official publisher until they sold to Bethesda, yet in their several-decade history of doing their own work in their own way, nobody ever called id an "indie" studio.
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eh. iD software has had various publishers, including Apogee, GT Interactive and at some point even Activision.
The big point is that they always retained control over their intellectual property and development, publishers only handled marketing and distribution. I think that's a bigger indication of a developer being independent.
Of course the lines do get blurred often enough nowadays.
See Klei entertainment and Supergiant games who've both worked with big publishers and self-published. Or Wayforward, who self-publish their own Shantae and Mighty Switch Force series, but who also have a serious track record in licensed games and outsourced work for other people's franchises.,
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A good chunk of the indie darlings were funded by major companies. Games like Bastion, Shank, LIMBO and so on had outside funding.
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Then what really makes an indie game indie?
I used to think when its a small scale company funding and making the game, it is considered indie. As in they are independent of any publishers.
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By the most common definition, indie means independent from any major publisher. Not necessarily self-published, but no support from any large publisher, including distribution or marketing. Strange enough, there are indie publishers who specialise in publishing others' games besides their own. Companies like Artifex Mundi, Wadjet Eye Games, City Interactive…
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I thought apart from being independent from major publishers the requirement would also be low budget.
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Well, that is nowadays a bit abolished. I mean almost everybody agrees on that Divinity: Original Sin, which was developed and published by the creator studio itself, is an indie game. Even though its budget could have probably funded a hundred indie games on Steam, if not more.
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Dust: An Elysian Tail, published by Microsoft Studios, "Aside from voice acting, soundtrack, and parts of the story, Dust was designed and programmed entirely by Dean Dodrill"
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+1 for this platform/arcade/action indie game, too fun collecting all secrets and trying all challenges/achievements.
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Depends on how you define indie, but Obsidian is independently owned, so Pillars of Eternity.
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Yeah, that's the big problem with indie this days. Is it about ownership, or is it about making "pixelated games".
Because if it's about ownership, Half Life 3 is the most awaited indie ever :P
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If it's about company ownership, then Halo Reach is an indie game… and so is Destiny with its 100 million dollar budget.
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Bungie was paid by Microsoft and Activision, both has public shareholders. That's completely opposite of Indie.
Not sure if there's any company like Valve - makes big games with big budgets without going to public stock market.
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Depends. Is Blizzard on the stock market? Otherwise, there may be very few, since not all companies try their hardest to never disclose their insane profit rates to the public. Valve still really tries to maintain their ancient "gamer friendly developer" image– even if they are not exactly gamer-friendly (just recall the launch of Steam for all the evidence needed), nor a developer any more.
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Actually, they are, under the name of "Activision-Blizzard" : http://investor.activision.com/stockquote.cfm , probably the only "owned company" that actually has their public stocks . But then not sure what's the deal between Activision and Blizzard, who owns who and in what way.
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Still have to play a lot of these that are currently in my backlog, but from what I've played so far (no particular order):
Undertale
Ori and the Blind Forest
Evoland 2
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
You Must Build A Boat
Fingered
Shovel Knight
And a lot of great indie-ish VNs! (and a lot of bad as well ;p)
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Broforce
The Bug Butcher (that one is still in early access though, so I guess it doesn't really count as from last year)
Card Hunter (the browser version has apparently been around from a while, but it was released this year on Steam and I hadn't heard of it before)
UnderRail
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UnderRail is older then 2015. It only left Early Access last year but is around atleast since 2014. I think the same applies to Broforce.
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Like I said: those games left Early Access. I just checked my licenses and it appears I bought Underrail in 2013.
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Yes, I know. They left early access in 2015, so they were released last year.
That's why I'm saying The Bug Butcher doesn't technically count as a game from last year, since it's not fully released yet.
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Emily is Away - Nostalgia, Short, Love break
Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist - Interesting game with an important message
I have yet to play it, but I heard The Beginner's Guide is good and is made by the creator of Stanley Parable.
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The most recent indie game I played and enjoyed would be Why am I dead at Sea. And if you mean not only 2015 then Our Darker Purpose as well. But actually I can recommand every game I reviewed on my account.
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Best indie game of all time is still Mount & Blade
In 2015 I really enjoyed games like:
King of Dragon Pass
Rogue State
Color Assembler
Impulse Revolution
Thea: The Awakening
Shoppe Keep
Calvino Noir
Zoombinis
and lets not forget about Layers of Fear
aand Poi is goodie...ok Il stop now
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And I have to agree with Crypt of the Necrodancer, Broforce and Undertale.
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Crawl anyone?
http://store.steampowered.com/app/293780
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I've been keeping my eye on that game, but without local players to play with, it's not really worth it :<
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Crypt of the NecroDancer wins hands down in 2015.
After that it's:
Convoy
Hand of Fate
Nuclear Throne
Darkest Dungeon
Shovel Knight is 2014, but if you want to count it in its right after Necrodancer and Isaac for me ;p Than again there ware so many good indie games at the end of 2014 that it doesn't feel right to include Shovel Knight :/
Edit: Card Hunter goes the the 2nd spot in 2015 ^^
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+1 to Crypt of the Necrodancer and Nuclear Throne
Possibly add 'Dropsy'
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Low budget - Undertale
Any indie - Pillars of Eternity
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Rocket League really is that good, the game is tight. I need to play more Crypt of the Necrodancer, myself.
Although I play most indie game and managed to play a ton of games this year, I didn't play very many games that actually released in 2015.
I'd definitely say:
A Space Adventure - Remastered (original edition released earlier than 2015, I think)
Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist (free)
Warhammer: The End Times - Vermintide
Lost Constellation (also free, and a companion game for Night in the Woods)
These are a bit more niche but I would also say Tengami and Deathtrap are ones worth a look.
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IIRC Lost Constellation was released in winter 2014. Still an interesting game though.
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I can't speak for everyone, but I know I'm often overwhelmed with the task of sorting through indie games to find the ones that are actually worth playing. I want to narrow that down to the more recent indie games that are must-plays... if you're going to play indie games, play these.
Here are some that I know of, but please suggest ones you've personally finished and think they belong on the list. Feel free to add "+1" comments if your recommendation has already been mentioned.
Axiom Verge
Castle in the Darkness
Crypt of the Necrodancer
Ori and the Blind Forest
Rocket League
Shovel Knight
Titan Souls
Undertale
Downwell?
Invisible Inc?
Party Hard?
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