I always want to stipulate something before I highlight indie games.
I don’t ever have indie game liste because indie games are “lesser than” and need their own category to stand out. I do it because indie games just existing is always an incredible accomplishment. We have teams of 100s pouring years and millions upon millions of dollars into games, and then indie games come along with small budgets and tiny teams, and somehow manage to make many games that are just as good as any AAA every single year. It’s freaking awesome!
Indies started becoming a real presence in the 2000s. They become a true force in the 2010s, and they feel like they are becoming even more important in the discourse in the 2020s. In the past 2 years, we’ve had at least three indie games absolutely dominate the gaming conversation for months. And they don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.
My goal with this list is for everyone who reads it to be inspired to at least try one new game out. I truly hope I am able to achieve that with you, dear reader. With that, let’s get to ten tremendous games.
10. Balatro
Balatro is probably the most accessible deckbuilder roguelike that I have ever played. The game implements poker into the genre, so if you have any knowledge of poker whatsoever, it’s incredibly easy to jump in and feel like you know what you are doing from moment one.
The beauty of Balatro is that not only is it fun right off the bat, but it has a surprising amount of depth as you dive deeper into it. You can create some really cool “builds” with the joker cards that the game has and modify your actual card deck in a large variety of ways. The game also has an impressive number of modes and content and a freaking phone app, which makes it so you could very well never escape this game once it gets ahold of you. Balatro also has a really clean and pleasant UI and nice music as well. It’s a creative idea that is executed on well in pretty much every way possible, and that is why it became a bit of a sensation. Balatro might be the best introduction to this genre that anyone could ask for, but it also works great for those who already love the genre too. It is an incredible achievement.
9. Monster Train
Monster Train is essentially the exact opposite of Balatro. This is a roguelike deckbuilder with a lot going on, and it isn’t always the easiest to jump into right off the bat. But once you settle in and get accustomed to it, the amount of strategy within every run is incredible. It was also super unique when it first came out.
Monster Train is essentially a mix of roguelike deckbuilder and a tower defense game. You have to stop monsters from making it all the way through the train that you are defending, and you do this with monster cards and spell cards. There are so many ways to win every run. There are tons of builds you can put together, or sometimes you can win by finding some great upgrades for one specific card and just letting it dominate. I spent countless hours on this game because it just had so much going for it. You balance a lot of the usual things that you do in deckbuilders in the game, but the tower defense elements and thinking about things like movement and positioning really took the strategy to another level here. I spent hours upon hours with this one and had such a blast with it.
I also want to note that if you want to jump into this game, it probably makes more sense to just go straight to Monster Train 2, which has a lot of nice little updates on the formula. However, that game is still very similar to 1, and I rate the first game higher because with how fresh the formula was at the time, it had more of an impact on me.
8. Littlewood
It’s no exaggeration to say that Littlewood is one of my favorite cozy games ever. I’d probably put it in my top 3 for the genre. I think the beauty of Littlewood is it dabbles in a bit of everything. It has Animal Crossing elements with setting up your town and getting to know your other villagers, but it also has some Stardew Valley with the amount you have to do in each in-game day. But more than anything, Littlewood leans hard into its RPG elements. Every single thing in this game can be leveled up in some way, and the rewards for doing so are all fantastic.
For a little bit of icing on the cake, the game also has a pretty interesting story hook (the game starts AFTER the world is saved from some sort of big danger, and you were the hero who saved the world, but you lost your memory), and while it’s obviously not a story heavy game, it actually delivers a few cool moments with its narrative. This is not something I usually expect from this genre. It also has a very cute aesthetic. Littlewood does just about everything I could want from this genre, and it was made by one person! I can’t wait to see what Sean Young does next.
7. Crypt Custodian
Crypt Custodian may be #7 on this list, but it is genuinely one of the most emotionally impactful games I have ever played.
Crypt Custodian is a Metroidvania about a cat who just died tragically and is now stuck being the custodian for the afterlife after an unfortunate series of events. I’ve written about it before, but I actually played this game in the week before and the week after my dog of 15 years passed away. Because of that, it really resonated with me. The game has some sad and touching moments, but it also lightens things up with quirky and fun humor too. It also has a phenomenal “sadchill” soundtrack that fits everything beautifully. The game was the exact thing I needed in the moment I was in, and it genuinely helped me heal from a very difficult time.
But beyond the personal impact, it’s also just a tremendous Metroidvania. The exploration elements are top-notch. There are very rewarding upgrades, lots of great quality of life features, and really strong combat, platforming, and puzzle solving. It does everything well, and much like Littlewood, it was developed by one person (with the music being done by his brother). This was a true achievement, and it showed real growth from Kyle Thompson’s last game (Islets). Anything he makes going forward, I will be there day one.
6. Dungeons of Hinterberg
Dungeons of Hinterberg basically combines a Zelda and Persona game but also does it while making you feel like you are on vacation. And it all works! While it obviously doesn’t reach the emotional heights of the Persona games, Dungeons of Hinterberg features a lot of nice “social links” and has some consistently fun story arcs with them. It also has really great rewards for doing them. Perhaps more importantly, it nails the Zelda aspects of the game. The game gives you 20+ dungeons of various lengths, and the puzzle solving and combat flow feel so much like a Zelda game. The puzzles, in particular, are top tier. They constantly had me on my toes but never totally stumped me.
It also tackles themes of burnout so effectively. I was able to relate so hard to so many of the reflections on life that the main character Luisa has during the game. There’s always something healing about going on a vacation and truly getting away from it all. Video games often do this in their own way, but Hinterberg somehow truly captured that feeling of relief and relaxation that comes when you first get settled in at a new destination for a week or two. It was really awesome. If you like Zelda games in particular, you should give this a try. My controversial take is that if this was the same exact game but with Link instead of Luisa and some other Zelda touches, it would have been received very differently by critics.
5. Astral Ascent
I might talk a little about Hades later on, but my biggest pitch for Astral Ascent is that it’s basically the closest thing to a sidescrolling Hades, except with the zodiacs instead of Greek gods.
Astral Ascent’s action is so rock solid. It is fast as hell and feels so good. The game has an interesting setup with its spells (it makes you use them all in order), which leads to some really cool strategy. The sound design and animations are also top-notch and feel so good. Aditionally, the game absolutely nails its roguelite elements. There is enough here where every run feels rewarding in its own way, and the game has tons of awesome ways to create builds during it run. It also has multiple characters that are all fun to use and feel quite different to play as.
I honestly think that Astral Ascent is on the same level as Hades when it comes to gameplay. It falls short of it when it comes to its story, but that isn’t exactly a big strength of this genre anyway. Astral Ascent is one of the most overlooked gems of the 2020s in my view.
4. Rematch
I love sports, but I mostly don’t like sports video games. There are plenty of reasons for that. A lot of them are built to be eternal timesinks (until the next year), and those are not the kind of video games I like. Also, no matter how far technology comes, these games never feel quite right to me. Outside of specific circumstances, you are usually playing as whoever has the ball, which takes a lot of the off-ball stuff out, which is usually like 75% of playing sports. There tends to be a magnetism with passes and other actions that make things a bit too easy. And you don’t have to actually aim shots and passes in quite the same way as you normally do. I get that they can still be fun, but it all adds up to something I’m not particularly into.
Then, along came Rematch to absolutely shock and awe me. With its sci-fi/Rocket League esque setting, Rematch certainly doesn’t seem like it’s going to be an authentic and grounded experience, but it really is. With obviously some difference, this still feels like playing the actual sport (indoor soccer specifically) more than anything else I have ever played. It really nails the physics, the aiming, the movement, and pretty much everything else. Working with bad teammates can be a pain (much like real life), but working with teammates who are truly aligned with you and the various strategies of the sport is a thrill that is tough to match. In the past ten years, there have only been three multiplayer games that I’ve stuck with for more than a few weeks. Rematch has already surpassed two of them with the amount of time I’ve put in. The last multiplayer game I stayed with for over a year was Overwatch, and at this point, I’m thinking Rematch has a real chance of surpassing that for me. That is absolutely incredible. I love this game, and I’m excited for how it continues to grow and evolve over the next year.
3. Hades
Hades just has it all. In my view, it remains the best roguelike or roguelite ever made, and the only game that might surpass it soon is Hades 2.
It nails the combat, the progression systems, and the run variety with all of its different weapons. It is extremely polished all around.
But it has one other thing that separates it from the pack, and that is its story. Hades has a great cast and an extremely memorable story in a genre that has very little storytelling on the whole. The game’s story ending is one of the coolest of all time, with a little twist that completely took me by surprise. I have no idea how they will one up such an excellent experience, but if anyone can do it, it’s Supergiant Games.
2. Chained Echoes
For a very long time, I considered Chrono Trigger to be the best turn based RPG of all time. Many great games had come out since then, but Chrono Trigger’s innovation, storytelling, and characters, especially within context of when it came out, always put it a tier above everything else for me.
Finally, one game came out that actually made me consider lowering Chrono Trigger from its throne, and that was Chained Echoes back in 2022.
While I eventually decided that it was just below Chrono Trigger on the whole, Chained Echoes still has my favorite turn based combat system to this day. It’s a system that allows for strategic flexibility and lets you fight every battle to the fullest. When a game has me thinking even during its more normal encounters, it’s doing something right. It also has a slightly different battle system with its mech battles that helps keep things interesting and fresh.
But then it also delivers with a deep story filled with awesome twists and moments that made me reflect on my entire life. The game has great exploration as well. If you love to grind and just see the numbers go up, Chained Echoes isn’t for you. But if you want a game that genuinely tries to push the genre forward and succeeds in a huge variety of ways, Chained Echoes is a must play.
And it’s another game made by one person just as a cherry on top. Matthias Linda is a freaking legend.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Chained Echoes fell just short of dethroning Chrono Trigger as my favorite turn based RPG ever in 2022. Finally, in 2025, Expedition 33 came along to finish the job.
This is not just my favorite indie game of the 2020s, but it also would have to be in my top 10 of all time.
It feels weird calling this an indie game because it happens to be one of the best-looking games I have ever played. It also has one of my favorite soundtracks ever. It has one of my favorite endings ever. It doesn’t have my favorite characters, but it has some of the most interesting that I have ever seen in a video game. Oh, and it might just have my favorite video game story ever (I’m still sitting with it for a while before officially declaring it).
And while the battle system isn’t my favorite ever, it’s easily in my top 3 or 4 for turn based systems. Expedition 33 isn’t the first game to combine turn based and action elements, but it is certainly the best to ever do it. This game is just a ride from the moment it begins. The entire experience feels ethereal in a way that is difficult to describe. And with the way the story is, I think a replay could end up being even more fun than the first playthrough. Expedition 33 is special and has left a mark on me for a long time to come.
Turning pipe dreams into reality is exactly what the indie gaming space is all about, and Expedition 33 exemplifies that like nothing else. What an experience!
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