Too often relegated to the sidelines, a handful of indie games (cough, Balatro, cough) were among the most discussed releases of 2024. But indie gaming doesn’t stop with just those games that get their due at The Game Awards. Some of this year’s best indies stand shoulder to shoulder with the blockbuster giants and Game of the Year winners in terms of innovation, and the sheer joy of play. The only thing missing is the big development budget and even bigger marketing investment.
With that in mind, Inverse’s Gaming team collected our favorite indie games of the year, from the simple but infinitely replayable to the dense but captivating. In a year where indies broke into the mainstream more than ever before, these are the games we’ll be playing and talking about well into 2025.
10. Thank Goodness You’re Here
Comedy is an immensely difficult thing to pull off in video games. Plenty of games have fantastic, memorable bits or satire that’ll make the player laugh. But few games are designed as comedies, and even fewer manage to hit their mark without becoming a bit grating. Thank Goodness You’re Here joins the pantheon of rare titles that accomplish this goal with flawless results.
Every major character you interact with comes to life through detailed animation. The game’s cast, which includes the indelible Matt Berry (What We Do In The Shadows, Toast of London), all deliver fantastic performances. Their over-the-top, deeply optimistic portrayal of the British townsfolk is as quotable and memorable as a video game can be. — Trone Dowd
9. Dungeons of Hinterberg
Dungeons of Hinterberg is a gorgeous, sincere game about self-discovery. Protagonist Luisa Dorfer, an attorney hoping to break away from the mundanity of life, finds herself in Hinterberg, a fictional, European alpine village known internationally for its homey tranquility, its pristine views… and the 25 monster-filled dungeons visitors can take on to add thrill and excitement to their lives. Its vibrant colors, varied landscapes, and cel-shaded graphics make it one of the most inviting games I’ve played in years. — Trone Dowd
8. Nine Sols
Nine Sols is likely to stretch your skills to their limit, even for seasoned players — and there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to see it to the end. Inspired by Sekiro’s intense parrying system, Nine Sols is a difficult but thrilling Metroidvania following its protagonists’ quest for revenge and redemption. As tough as its combat is, Nine Sols’ engaging story and gorgeous hand-drawn art make it well worth persevering to make it to the end. — Robin Bea
7. I Am Your Beast
Every second counts in I Am Your Beast. This hyperspeed first-person shooter puts you in the shoes of Alphonse Harding, a retired special ops agent who’s sick of being pulled back in for “one last job.” That results in a series of snappy levels as Harding tries to escape his pursuers by eliminating them as efficiently as possible, using everything from the surrounding trees to his foes’ own weapons against them. The game’s single-minded focus induces something like a trance as you push yourself to survive at all costs and dispatch hordes of uniformed goons without a single missed step. — Robin Bea
6. Another Crab’s Treasure
Another Crab’s Treasure is the quintessential underdog story, a game about a little guy thrust into a dangerous world where nearly everybody wants to erase him from existence. It’s also one of the most inventive takes on the Soulslike genre that I’ve ever seen: a tough-as-nails action game, a cartoon romp through a colorful world, and an insightful reflection on the dangers of pollution and climate change. The world of Another Crab’s Treasure is simply a joy to explore, with Easter eggs and details around every corner. The dreary melancholic worlds of FromSoftware are fantastic, but Another Crab’s Treasure proves that the Soulslike genre still has plenty of room to grow. — Hayes Madsen
5. Animal Well
An inventive, often inscrutable puzzle game, Animal Well is easy to get lost in but makes finding your way out a thrill. Hidden in practically every room of this sidescrolling platformer is a puzzle leading to deeper mysteries, and sometimes just finding the puzzle is a challenge in itself. Even beating the game isn’t the end, as plenty of secrets linger after you roll credits, and even tools you’ve used for the entire game may have uses you never realized. You have to be willing to bang your head against a few walls (or consult with other players) to get through Animal Well, but its widespread acclaim shows that it’s worth the effort. — Robin Bea
4. UFO 50
The 50-games-in-one schtick of UFO 50 is enough to make it remarkable, but what makes it great is something much deeper. Presented as a chronological catalog of releases from fictional developer UFO Soft, each of UFO 50’s games builds on what came before, slowly telling the story of technology and UFO Soft itself changing with the times throughout the 1980s. The selection of titles blends modern and retro designs together with an astounding breadth of genres. None of that would be nearly as impressive if the games themselves weren’t as great as they are, all but guaranteeing that every player will find at least a few in the bunch to get deeply obsessed with. — Robin Bea
3. Balatro
Simply put, Balatro is one of the year’s best games and is easily in the running for one of the best of the decade. It's an easy game to get into with bottomless depth. It’s a masterclass in game design, and about as perfect as video games can be. The poker roguelike is actually based on the Cantonese card game Big Two, and goes out of its way to make itself easy to understand for players not already familiar with the games that inspired it. Balatro’s possibilities are limitless. Like Tetris and Rollercoaster Tycoon before it, it's one of those games that you’ll be thinking about when you’re not locked in front of a screen playing it. — Trone Dowd
2. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
The most captivating puzzle game in years, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes essentially sets you loose in a creepy hotel to figure out everything from how to open its many locked doors to who your character even is. As reality fractures around you, you’ll tackle incredibly difficult puzzles using a mix of in-game and real-world knowledge while uncovering the history of a group of eccentric artists. A masterpiece of atmosphere, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is creepy, profound, bizarre, and above all, one of the most memorable games of the year. — Robin Bea
1. 1000xResist
Spanning vast swaths of time and space, 1000xResist is a story about generational trauma, diaspora politics, and the very concept of forgiveness. Set mainly in a future where life is defined and dictated by the whims of a selfish teenager born in the distant past, 1000xResist ties its futuristic fights for freedom to modern-day uprisings for Hong Kong’s independence. A narrative tour de force with razor-sharp writing, impeccable voice acting, and a one-of-a-kind aesthetic, 1000xResist is perhaps the most essential game of 2024. — Robin Bea
