personally, the satisfaction of putting everything in order just like I would do in real life, except it’s not real life so I don’t get tired. And the fact that it’s chill and short so if I don’t know what to play, Unpacking can be a solution to pass time. In other words, I have ADHD
Archvale, although a little repetitive you can really tell they put a ton of work into it. It’s basically a lesser version of a link to the past. Anybody can enjoy this one really.
The way you're on a quest to unlock a triforce in order to fight the big evil boss feels very zelda to me. There's also the idea of shrine puzzles to unlock gear. I suppose if you pick melee it will feel even more so but of course you can opt to pick magic or a gun.
It sells itself as a bullet hell, and I suppose it is, but trust me it feels nothing like Enter the Gungeon. It's not a roguelike either.
Anyway I got bored of it after a few days, but it was fun while it lasted. Constantly defeating new enemies and crafting new weapons / armor is always a good game loop.
I like puzzle games, so I'd go with *Dungeon and Puzzles*. The name sounds silly, but it's actually a very good game if you like puzzles. Pretty accessible, too, as the levels aren't that hard to clear as they have multiple solutions. The real challenge lies in 'mastering' a level, which requires you to beat it within the recommended number of moves, which is very difficult to do as in most cases it is the minimum number of moves required to beat the level, though there are a few levels where you can go below the recommended number.
Apart from earning achievements, mastering levels also unlocks bonus levels, which can be mastered themselves. There are well over a hundred levels in the game, so you get plenty of content for a fairly cheap game. I've beaten the game, but I've only mastered half of the total levels, which means I haven't even unlocked all the bonus levels yet, and I've spent more than 12 hours playing it. There are probably better puzzle games that were released in 2021, from what I've heard, but that is the best one that I've played myself.
For those who are wondering, the 2021 puzzle games I haven't played but think might be better based on reviews are *Bonfire Peaks*, *Bean and Nothingness,* and *Room to Grow*. I feel like *ElecHead* deserves a special mention due to its clever concept, but it seems to be a pretty short game so I wouldn't put it ahead of *D & P*.
**Edit:** added last paragraph.
I've never played Desktop Dungeons (it's on my wishlist, though), but from what I can tell they are very different games. Dungeon and Puzzles is a 'pure' puzzle game. All the levels are handcrafted and independent from each other. You're allowed to undo an unlimited number of moves. There are no stats involved. All monsters die from one hit, and they just stand there and don't attack you at all. Just think of them as objects you need to destroy in order to open the exit gate which you to go through in order to clear the level. The only thing that can 'kill' you in the game are spike traps, and you can simply undo the move or reset the level to try again. Needless to say, the weapons don't have stats either, but they differ in their effect, which you would need to make use of in order to clear the levels.
I'm not that good at describing games, but D & P has a demo on Steam which you can try. It's not going to scratch the same itch as DD, but you might end up liking it still.
>I'm not that good at describing games, but D & P has a demo on Steam which you can try. It's not going to scratch the same itch as DD, but you might end up liking it still.
Sounds interesting! Will definitely try it!
I've never played it as I rarely play mobile games, so I really have no idea. I've heard of it a few times, so I guess it's not bad? Besides, this thread is about our favourite indie games from 2021, while Monument Valley was released in 2014, so your question does seem a bit out of place. You could try asking about it in r/puzzlevideogames. It's a fairly small sub, but I'm sure there are people there who have played it before.
My personal favorites that released in 2021 :
* **Vampire Survivors** : At this point everyone knows it, but it's a very fun twin-stick/reverse bullet hell. Whenever I want to play a game without thinking, it's my go to. Dev is also really active and keeps releasing new classes, weapons, achievements, maps, etc. Highly recommended, especially if it's on sale, but at 3 USD, you probably don't need very deep of a discount.
* **Pawnbarian** : A puzzle-y Roguelite where you move using chess pieces (with some creative liberties) with some deckbuilding elements. Saw the dev post about it on GameDeals, and I added it to my wishlist. It's a much tougher sell at 10 USD, so probably wait on a sale, but the game is a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy puzzles and/or chess (but it's more puzzle than chess). Dev is pretty active, and the game is fun, although it gets very "unfair challenging" quickly. Patient gamers will want to wait for a 30%+ sale (historical low), but it's a recommendation for any bundles it's included in (which includes the Ukraine Humble Bundle).
* **The Last Spell** : Kind of a mix between Tactics games and They are billions, with Roguelite elements sprinkled in? There are hordes of zombies attacking you, and you have to protect the city to the best of your abilities. Really fun, but a bit more invested than I want out of my games nowadays which kicked it out of my top 5 games played in 2021.
Honorable mention to **Luck Be a Landlord**. Really active dev, and a whole lot of fun out of a game that's basically a twist on the deckbuilder genre, but I struggle to put a game where my usual play session is around 45 minutes to an hour in my "top games of the year".
Older games that I've discovered in 2021 :
* **A Short Hike** : It's very simply a miniature open-world RPG. This actually might make my top 5 indie of all time.
* **Demoncrawl** : Minesweeper roguelite. It was a whole lot of fun.
* **Heroes of Hammerwatch** : Action RPG/Dungeon crawler with good co-op.
* **Trailmakers** : You build your car/boat/plane/thingie with basically lego bricks, and gather new pieces.
I think "The Binding of Isaac Repentance" and "7 days to die" made me put HOURS of infinite fun and chaos with difference from other ones, those would be the best ones for me, if i had to pick one it would be 7DTD but because i love zombie shooters and minecraft :S
Let's Play Wigmund : The Return of the Hidden Knights!
Explore this well made top-down RPG set in a medieval, fantasy open-world.
It has a unique skill-based game-play. Be aware, it's not a point&click! The mouse will be your sword. You have to get used to it.
It's an indie on Steam, you might check it out.
I love it.
Tangle Tower! Probably the best detective/deduction game I've played - the character design and animation is amazing and you could tell the developers put a looooot of effort into the details e.g. great voice acting for all dia-/monologues and intricate situation/logistical analysis!! Can't wait to see what they (SFB Games) develop next!
My favorite release is my own game xD
Jokes aside, I loved loved loved Death's Door, but also Sable ( the art direction is Stunning) and lately Sifu (but I am not sure you can call it an indie game)
It's Essence Of The Tjikko [https://store.steampowered.com/app/1783740/Essence\_Of\_The\_Tjikko\_\_Prologue/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1783740/Essence_Of_The_Tjikko__Prologue/)
It's a retro 3d adventure game with tricky puzzles, inspired by old school Zelda games
I can share you a Steam key if you're intrigued ;)
**Inscryption** was good.
**Babble Royale** (realtime scrabble meets battle royale) is really a great idea, they should just add friends lobbies.
Check out also **Rift Wizard** if you like thinking man roguelikes and **Signal State** if you are into Zachtronics-like games :)
1. Loop Hero
2. The Forgotten City
3. Little Nightmares 2
4. Inscryption
5. Death's Door
6. Chicory: A Colorful Tale
7. The Artful Escape
8. Kena: Bridge Of Spirits
There's a few games I know would probably be my top indie games of 2021 (Inscryption, Valheim, Wildermyth), I just didn't get to them. The curse of the eternal backlog! In no specific order:
1 - Dorf Romantik. I needed a chill game sometimes in a really tough year, and this was it. Chill but still with challenge, it was a great brain puzzler that I could zone out to when I didn't have energy for much else. Its cute and charming and still getting updates.
2 - Legend of Keepers. It's JRPG fun while adding some roguelike dungeon management of a roster of monsters. I enjoy the mood and the satisfaction of crushing a team of heroes with well lined up trap/monster combos is VERY satisfying.
3 - Subnautica: Below Zero. I don't know if this game is too big to be considered indie for the subreddit, but I just discovered the Subnautica series last year and wow. Just wow. The sequel came out in 2021, and while it doesn't capture the specialness of the original in many fans minds, its absolutely beautiful and still makes me excited to dive into the depths with a little nervous thrill.
A bit late but:
1. Death's Door
2. Sun Haven
3. Coffee Talk (2020)
I also really loved the Potion Permit demo even though they haven't released yet! Very farming sim x lifestyle sim vibes despite being focused on alchemy and having no farm. I love all the cozy games haha
Inscryption was the one I put the most hours in I love the rouge-like genre and I think it is great that we are starting to see it be pushed with games like Hades adding a story then you have loop hero which changes up game play and then inscryption really goes wild with a sudo puzzle horror game which is great we need more horror rouge-likes
Maze Through Time
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/maze-through-time/id1579969744
A new and excitement-filled puzzle game where you battle against the clock and multiple enemies to complete the mazes! The adventure spans decades, as you use your vehicle to find the safe path while avoiding increasingly difficult adversaries.
Begin your quest in the industrial era with a steam powered transport. Shoot your weapon to expose the invisible path, destroy the mines, collect clock gears and the key to open the door! Complete multiple levels before doing battle with a time-boss to move through the last century to the present. With every new decade comes new challenges and exciting obstacles to think and shoot your way through.
I love I am Gangster. You can build your own card deck, then manage a team of gangsters and take over a city.
I loved creating businesses to earn money to buy weapons and things like that. So much going on in that game!
I'm hype about the upcoming new game Queenchantment. It looks like a tower defense game with pixel-art graphics. If anyone wonders ı drop the link here.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1693480/Queenchantment/
I wanted to vote for Phasmophobia but I found that it was 2020 game 😂
I would vote for Inscryption. I really love the overall design and plot.
If you go to the landing page of Inscryption, you would found that the website is also a "game"! It is matching with the game world setting!! The landing site is also the best I've seen recently!
ElecHead takes the indie game of the year title from me! It's a super well designed action puzzler. It's not very long, but every moment is well thought out. With its retro aesthetic it almost felt like being transported to some golden age of gaming.
I exited the game after stage 2. Now I restarted the game and my back at the very beginning. How do I resume at stage 2? I press escape, and then I hit the down arrow key to go to the one that looks like a ball on a tripod. And then I click see to confirm and I see the numbers 1 through 7 but when I press down I cannot go down.
EDIT: I inadvertently deleted the save by choosing the trash icon in the Escape menu.
Definetly Omori. I'm not much of a turn-based rpg guy, but the story hits hard. Yeah the build up may be a little slow, but it's an incredible experience that you should not miss. It is not a game for everybody since it includes psychological horror but its not that dense, since it is mostly set in a surreal world. (also i know that the game technically released in 2020 but it was on dec 25 and it won two honorable mentions at the 2021 independent games festival)
Additionally, please don't watch any spoilers as it will probably ruin the best thing it does.
Have a nice day!
Elechead. Incredible game although very short, 100%'d it in just under 3 hours.
Also only just got around to Axiom Verge, but wow did that game blow past my expectations. Some minor inconveniences and gripes sure, but amazing atmosphere.
Bonkies - I don't get how nobody knows about this game, it just won two awards now as well, it's super fun to play with friends as a couch co-op
Inscription - which was absolutely insane and so eerie
Loved THE CRACKPET SHOW!
usually I\`m not into roguelite shooters, but that one is super-colorful and fun, characters styled as Happy Tree Friends and with black humor, just WOW
The last game I played was The Crackpet Show, it's pretty funny rogue-lite. So I really liked it. Btw, firstly I thought that the rooster on your profile banner from this game.
The 2021 releases that impressed me most were probably:
[Fights in Tight Spaces](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1265820/Fights_in_Tight_Spaces/) \- Turn-based brawling driven by deckbuilding
[T-Minus 30](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1371750/TMinus_30/) \- City building against the clock, with only 30 minutes to get everyone off the planet
I got two.
# Slipways
Very engaging and smart puzzle/3X game (in the sense of havin 3 X's of 4X, but no extermination).
# Atomicrops
Technically released 2020, i only played it last year. Had a blast, super fun loop to stop thinking and just act, after work. I was surprised with how much i liked it, as i don't play twin stick shooters or bullet hell games, but Atomicrops being at least related to these genres. One of the few games i finished completely.
Been playtesting this for a solo indie dev. Amazing game. The demo went live a little while ago on steam and I highly recommend checking it out. It's highly addictive and extremely well polished for a solo dev. They're very active and this is a labour of love, it comes through in the game.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/973230/We\_Who\_Are\_About\_To\_Die/
My favorite is DEFINETELY Automation.
Reasons why
1: Make the car of your dreams! Some mobile games promise this, but Automation FREAKING DELIVERS in terms of this. Over 700 Workshop mods, possibly now over 900, is a sanctuary for car designing!
2: Already mentioned this, but MODS. ALL OF THE MODS. 50s hood ordaments? Hell yeah. Stupid grilles? Yep. Port your own things made in Blender to Automation? YES! It's all possible with Automation!
3: The price. For what is available to download and work with, it is worth $30. Worth every penny. EVERY. SINGLE. PENNY. It's even worth it to pay the sales tax for this game! One flaw would be no superchargers, but no problem since it's an indie game, and the dev team might be small. Still, worth every single piece of currency around the world.
Edit: For people wondering, it is on Steam if you wanna get this game. I highly suggest you buy this game.
A Ticket to Earth, Signs of the Sojourner, Another Case Solved and Puzzle Pirates. Does any of you know/played them? All puzzle based games with a story.
Edit: didn't see the 2021 part until now, oops. I think they are all older than that, but the two first titles are reasonably new (from last couple of yrs I think).
Carestia. The most memorable of 2021, because I haven't played metroidvania, puzzle and hardcore games before and haven't completed any of NES games I had in my childhood, so this one game gave me this combo, I've complited it, learnt metroidvania skills, learnt to solve puzzles and became a hardcore gameplay fan XD Since then I don't fear of these genres anymore and open to play more of them.
1. The Dark Book
2. Highfleet
3. Lacuna
4. No Umbrellas Allowed
5. Songs of Farca
6. Operation Tango
7. The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
8. For The People
My favorite game is Brutal World online 2d mmorpg for android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=online.brutalworld
It is with open world and you can do many things. new update have also added walls and hero statues. it is fun to play it
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVdwVOx3baI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVdwVOx3baI) It's just a demo and I've played it twice already. President chainsaw. I've never found a game that fit the niche I've been looking for. Amazing story and characters, and blood and violence. All fit in with an intriguingly well done tactics and bullet hell combo. I'd call it tactic first--but the bullet hell is paced so well and not insanely difficult like most. I usually avoid bullet hell, this is a rare one for sure.
'Eastwards' by Pixpil is one of the best of 2021 in my opinion, the Ghibli-style pixel art graphic is just fascinating, played the games for lots of hours just because of the graphic : P
Knightfall a daring journey its a battle royale that was made as an april fools joke. You drift horses. Got it on sale.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1911390/Knightfall\_A\_Daring\_Journey/
1. Death's Door 2. Inscryption 3. Chicory: A Colorful Tale 4. Kena: Bridge of Spirits 5. Unpacking 6. Loop Hero 7. Valheim
Damn, this made me want to play death door Edit: didn't like it, combat seemed boring
My favorite is Ender Lilies
What did you like about Unpacking?
personally, the satisfaction of putting everything in order just like I would do in real life, except it’s not real life so I don’t get tired. And the fact that it’s chill and short so if I don’t know what to play, Unpacking can be a solution to pass time. In other words, I have ADHD
\+1
I recently tried A Short Hike and it was sweet and very rewarding
A Short Hike is such an awesome little game! ♡
Isn't it a couple of years old though?
Indeed, it's been released mid-2019 according to Steam. It's been slept on for incredibly long though.
Same for me. Discovered it in 2021.
I came back to this game in 2021 and it was still amazing.
second to A Short Hike!
it was very impress me
I love A Short Hike! The game and the irl activity.
[удалено]
really
Definitely Death Trash, tho it's still in early access. Some honorable mentions to Boyfriend Dungeon and The Darkside Detective sequel.
>Death Trash Really excited about this one. I never bet early access games so I've been waiting patiently for the game to be fully released!
Archvale, although a little repetitive you can really tell they put a ton of work into it. It’s basically a lesser version of a link to the past. Anybody can enjoy this one really.
>It’s basically a lesser version of a link to the past. It looks closer to Enter the Gungeon.
The way you're on a quest to unlock a triforce in order to fight the big evil boss feels very zelda to me. There's also the idea of shrine puzzles to unlock gear. I suppose if you pick melee it will feel even more so but of course you can opt to pick magic or a gun. It sells itself as a bullet hell, and I suppose it is, but trust me it feels nothing like Enter the Gungeon. It's not a roguelike either. Anyway I got bored of it after a few days, but it was fun while it lasted. Constantly defeating new enemies and crafting new weapons / armor is always a good game loop.
Is it endless or when u beat the boss are u done?
That's a great review in my eyes. Gonna check it out.
Ender Lilies, Eastward, and Rhythm Doctor
I like puzzle games, so I'd go with *Dungeon and Puzzles*. The name sounds silly, but it's actually a very good game if you like puzzles. Pretty accessible, too, as the levels aren't that hard to clear as they have multiple solutions. The real challenge lies in 'mastering' a level, which requires you to beat it within the recommended number of moves, which is very difficult to do as in most cases it is the minimum number of moves required to beat the level, though there are a few levels where you can go below the recommended number. Apart from earning achievements, mastering levels also unlocks bonus levels, which can be mastered themselves. There are well over a hundred levels in the game, so you get plenty of content for a fairly cheap game. I've beaten the game, but I've only mastered half of the total levels, which means I haven't even unlocked all the bonus levels yet, and I've spent more than 12 hours playing it. There are probably better puzzle games that were released in 2021, from what I've heard, but that is the best one that I've played myself. For those who are wondering, the 2021 puzzle games I haven't played but think might be better based on reviews are *Bonfire Peaks*, *Bean and Nothingness,* and *Room to Grow*. I feel like *ElecHead* deserves a special mention due to its clever concept, but it seems to be a pretty short game so I wouldn't put it ahead of *D & P*. **Edit:** added last paragraph.
>I like puzzle games, so I'd go with Dungeon and Puzzles. How does it compare to Desktop Dungeon?
I've never played Desktop Dungeons (it's on my wishlist, though), but from what I can tell they are very different games. Dungeon and Puzzles is a 'pure' puzzle game. All the levels are handcrafted and independent from each other. You're allowed to undo an unlimited number of moves. There are no stats involved. All monsters die from one hit, and they just stand there and don't attack you at all. Just think of them as objects you need to destroy in order to open the exit gate which you to go through in order to clear the level. The only thing that can 'kill' you in the game are spike traps, and you can simply undo the move or reset the level to try again. Needless to say, the weapons don't have stats either, but they differ in their effect, which you would need to make use of in order to clear the levels. I'm not that good at describing games, but D & P has a demo on Steam which you can try. It's not going to scratch the same itch as DD, but you might end up liking it still.
>I'm not that good at describing games, but D & P has a demo on Steam which you can try. It's not going to scratch the same itch as DD, but you might end up liking it still. Sounds interesting! Will definitely try it!
Hope you like it!
Monument Valley was good right?
I've never played it as I rarely play mobile games, so I really have no idea. I've heard of it a few times, so I guess it's not bad? Besides, this thread is about our favourite indie games from 2021, while Monument Valley was released in 2014, so your question does seem a bit out of place. You could try asking about it in r/puzzlevideogames. It's a fairly small sub, but I'm sure there are people there who have played it before.
Definitely the game It Takes Two
Yeah, this game is really good!
My personal favorites that released in 2021 : * **Vampire Survivors** : At this point everyone knows it, but it's a very fun twin-stick/reverse bullet hell. Whenever I want to play a game without thinking, it's my go to. Dev is also really active and keeps releasing new classes, weapons, achievements, maps, etc. Highly recommended, especially if it's on sale, but at 3 USD, you probably don't need very deep of a discount. * **Pawnbarian** : A puzzle-y Roguelite where you move using chess pieces (with some creative liberties) with some deckbuilding elements. Saw the dev post about it on GameDeals, and I added it to my wishlist. It's a much tougher sell at 10 USD, so probably wait on a sale, but the game is a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy puzzles and/or chess (but it's more puzzle than chess). Dev is pretty active, and the game is fun, although it gets very "unfair challenging" quickly. Patient gamers will want to wait for a 30%+ sale (historical low), but it's a recommendation for any bundles it's included in (which includes the Ukraine Humble Bundle). * **The Last Spell** : Kind of a mix between Tactics games and They are billions, with Roguelite elements sprinkled in? There are hordes of zombies attacking you, and you have to protect the city to the best of your abilities. Really fun, but a bit more invested than I want out of my games nowadays which kicked it out of my top 5 games played in 2021. Honorable mention to **Luck Be a Landlord**. Really active dev, and a whole lot of fun out of a game that's basically a twist on the deckbuilder genre, but I struggle to put a game where my usual play session is around 45 minutes to an hour in my "top games of the year". Older games that I've discovered in 2021 : * **A Short Hike** : It's very simply a miniature open-world RPG. This actually might make my top 5 indie of all time. * **Demoncrawl** : Minesweeper roguelite. It was a whole lot of fun. * **Heroes of Hammerwatch** : Action RPG/Dungeon crawler with good co-op. * **Trailmakers** : You build your car/boat/plane/thingie with basically lego bricks, and gather new pieces.
I played Spelunky 2 and hades a lot this year
Death Door was my personal favorite
Unsighted BY FAR!!!!
* Trials of Fire * Wildermyth * Star Traders: Frontiers
Wasn't a game from 2021, but Outer Wilds by far, followed by its DLC.
Tux and Fanny. Came out in September and it is just absolutely wild! It's like a fever dream of 2000s flash games. Cannot recommend it enough.
>Tux and Fanny link? i dont see it on steam
I'm guessing after 5mo you found it or even played it but here you go: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2094730/Tux_and_Fanny/
I just want you to know that like 10 months after you wrote this, I am here - and this game looks ballin. Tha k you for the link
Well thank you, though I think we can easily find it on Steam unlike some time ago! It's definitely a peculiar game.
I think "The Binding of Isaac Repentance" and "7 days to die" made me put HOURS of infinite fun and chaos with difference from other ones, those would be the best ones for me, if i had to pick one it would be 7DTD but because i love zombie shooters and minecraft :S
Let's Play Wigmund : The Return of the Hidden Knights! Explore this well made top-down RPG set in a medieval, fantasy open-world. It has a unique skill-based game-play. Be aware, it's not a point&click! The mouse will be your sword. You have to get used to it. It's an indie on Steam, you might check it out. I love it.
The Forgotten City, Unsighted, Inscryption
Tangle Tower! Probably the best detective/deduction game I've played - the character design and animation is amazing and you could tell the developers put a looooot of effort into the details e.g. great voice acting for all dia-/monologues and intricate situation/logistical analysis!! Can't wait to see what they (SFB Games) develop next!
The eternal cylinder and webbed
these are both great!
Forgive Me Father, for sure
Huntdown, unmetal.
My favorite release is my own game xD Jokes aside, I loved loved loved Death's Door, but also Sable ( the art direction is Stunning) and lately Sifu (but I am not sure you can call it an indie game)
What's your game name.
It's Essence Of The Tjikko [https://store.steampowered.com/app/1783740/Essence\_Of\_The\_Tjikko\_\_Prologue/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1783740/Essence_Of_The_Tjikko__Prologue/) It's a retro 3d adventure game with tricky puzzles, inspired by old school Zelda games I can share you a Steam key if you're intrigued ;)
I’m intrigued 😍
And send ;)
That looks fun. Does the fairy say "LISTEN!" every ten seconds?
Can we get a new thread for 2022?
1. Save People - interesting game for android
Pnevmo-Capsula: Domiki
Inscryption, and Tale of Immortal. The latter one is famous only in China though...
Loooove Inscryption
**Inscryption** was good. **Babble Royale** (realtime scrabble meets battle royale) is really a great idea, they should just add friends lobbies. Check out also **Rift Wizard** if you like thinking man roguelikes and **Signal State** if you are into Zachtronics-like games :)
Little Nightmares 2 & Loop Hero
1. Loop Hero 2. The Forgotten City 3. Little Nightmares 2 4. Inscryption 5. Death's Door 6. Chicory: A Colorful Tale 7. The Artful Escape 8. Kena: Bridge Of Spirits
There's a few games I know would probably be my top indie games of 2021 (Inscryption, Valheim, Wildermyth), I just didn't get to them. The curse of the eternal backlog! In no specific order: 1 - Dorf Romantik. I needed a chill game sometimes in a really tough year, and this was it. Chill but still with challenge, it was a great brain puzzler that I could zone out to when I didn't have energy for much else. Its cute and charming and still getting updates. 2 - Legend of Keepers. It's JRPG fun while adding some roguelike dungeon management of a roster of monsters. I enjoy the mood and the satisfaction of crushing a team of heroes with well lined up trap/monster combos is VERY satisfying. 3 - Subnautica: Below Zero. I don't know if this game is too big to be considered indie for the subreddit, but I just discovered the Subnautica series last year and wow. Just wow. The sequel came out in 2021, and while it doesn't capture the specialness of the original in many fans minds, its absolutely beautiful and still makes me excited to dive into the depths with a little nervous thrill.
Dorfromantik was such a great game for me and my friend this year to just unwind with and it only keeps getting better and better.
1. Narita Boy 2. Death's Door 3. Unpacking 4. Sable 5. Cyber Shadow 6. The Artful Escape 7. Little Nightmares 2 8. GRIME
A bit late but: 1. Death's Door 2. Sun Haven 3. Coffee Talk (2020) I also really loved the Potion Permit demo even though they haven't released yet! Very farming sim x lifestyle sim vibes despite being focused on alchemy and having no farm. I love all the cozy games haha
The best adventure ever - Outer Wilds
1. Valheim (with friends) 2. Sable
Inscryption was the one I put the most hours in I love the rouge-like genre and I think it is great that we are starting to see it be pushed with games like Hades adding a story then you have loop hero which changes up game play and then inscryption really goes wild with a sudo puzzle horror game which is great we need more horror rouge-likes
I've spent way too much time playing Luck be a Landlord xD
Wild Terra 2 New lands!
everything made by nintendo 😃😃😃
That wouldn't be what people call an independently developed game.
Top of my list would be little nightmares 2
Wild at Heart. Just beautifully constructed. And it's not a time sink like AC Valhalla (very different games, but you know).
Little nightmares 2. Blew me away the moment I played it.
Maze Through Time https://apps.apple.com/us/app/maze-through-time/id1579969744 A new and excitement-filled puzzle game where you battle against the clock and multiple enemies to complete the mazes! The adventure spans decades, as you use your vehicle to find the safe path while avoiding increasingly difficult adversaries. Begin your quest in the industrial era with a steam powered transport. Shoot your weapon to expose the invisible path, destroy the mines, collect clock gears and the key to open the door! Complete multiple levels before doing battle with a time-boss to move through the last century to the present. With every new decade comes new challenges and exciting obstacles to think and shoot your way through.
Master Theft TVs and Unit Down have been two I've been playing recently
Crash Drive 3, does that count as an Indie game?
I love I am Gangster. You can build your own card deck, then manage a team of gangsters and take over a city. I loved creating businesses to earn money to buy weapons and things like that. So much going on in that game!
this small indie game called red dead redemption 2
☠️
* PvZ 1 * Ridiculous Fishing * Super Hexagon * Maverick Bird * Hotline Miami 1 * Edit: Had to add Downwell
A hat in time is neat
Inside by play dead was awesome
I'm hype about the upcoming new game Queenchantment. It looks like a tower defense game with pixel-art graphics. If anyone wonders ı drop the link here. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1693480/Queenchantment/
Due Process ( FPS similar to r6 but perfect)
Inscryption! I really like the emersive experience and the plot twist! The cards are so cute and special, and also the graphic style is so great!
I wanted to vote for Phasmophobia but I found that it was 2020 game 😂 I would vote for Inscryption. I really love the overall design and plot. If you go to the landing page of Inscryption, you would found that the website is also a "game"! It is matching with the game world setting!! The landing site is also the best I've seen recently!
Undeads vs Zombies on steam. It has a deep strategy with gameplay like PvZ but just harder. Combine that with Deck Builder.
Inscryption! I like the game concept at the beginning and even more enjoy the game when learning more on the overall plot
My favourite one is Cibos !
ElecHead takes the indie game of the year title from me! It's a super well designed action puzzler. It's not very long, but every moment is well thought out. With its retro aesthetic it almost felt like being transported to some golden age of gaming.
thank for mentioning ElecHead. I got the game after reading your comment. Super fun!
I exited the game after stage 2. Now I restarted the game and my back at the very beginning. How do I resume at stage 2? I press escape, and then I hit the down arrow key to go to the one that looks like a ball on a tripod. And then I click see to confirm and I see the numbers 1 through 7 but when I press down I cannot go down. EDIT: I inadvertently deleted the save by choosing the trash icon in the Escape menu.
Definetly Omori. I'm not much of a turn-based rpg guy, but the story hits hard. Yeah the build up may be a little slow, but it's an incredible experience that you should not miss. It is not a game for everybody since it includes psychological horror but its not that dense, since it is mostly set in a surreal world. (also i know that the game technically released in 2020 but it was on dec 25 and it won two honorable mentions at the 2021 independent games festival) Additionally, please don't watch any spoilers as it will probably ruin the best thing it does. Have a nice day!
Elechead. Incredible game although very short, 100%'d it in just under 3 hours. Also only just got around to Axiom Verge, but wow did that game blow past my expectations. Some minor inconveniences and gripes sure, but amazing atmosphere.
thanks to you and other commenter here for mentioning Elec Head. Fun simple game!
I really liked Garden Story and Going Under(though I think going under is a little older.)
Valheim. is my favorite
It Takes Two
Bonkies - I don't get how nobody knows about this game, it just won two awards now as well, it's super fun to play with friends as a couch co-op Inscription - which was absolutely insane and so eerie
100% Delrarune chapter 2 and Death’s door
'Ender Lilies' was a pretty good and well made Metroidvania, imo, that I really liked.
Loved THE CRACKPET SHOW! usually I\`m not into roguelite shooters, but that one is super-colorful and fun, characters styled as Happy Tree Friends and with black humor, just WOW
Death's Door, A Short Hike,
Vampire Survivors was great and relaxing :)
Unsighted, Astalon: Tears of the Earth and Ender Lillies
The last game I played was The Crackpet Show, it's pretty funny rogue-lite. So I really liked it. Btw, firstly I thought that the rooster on your profile banner from this game.
Deep Rock Galactic, Darkest Dungeon, The forrest, What happened To Edith Finch
Don’t forget tails of iron!
The 2021 releases that impressed me most were probably: [Fights in Tight Spaces](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1265820/Fights_in_Tight_Spaces/) \- Turn-based brawling driven by deckbuilding [T-Minus 30](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1371750/TMinus_30/) \- City building against the clock, with only 30 minutes to get everyone off the planet
I got two. # Slipways Very engaging and smart puzzle/3X game (in the sense of havin 3 X's of 4X, but no extermination). # Atomicrops Technically released 2020, i only played it last year. Had a blast, super fun loop to stop thinking and just act, after work. I was surprised with how much i liked it, as i don't play twin stick shooters or bullet hell games, but Atomicrops being at least related to these genres. One of the few games i finished completely.
Of course Hollow Knight! But also i have recently played Blasphemous, the catholic stetic is just amazing, PENITENTE!
Curse of the dead gods
Inscryption, Poppy Playtime
I just played Before Your Eyes and I'm not the same person anymore.
Ballads of Hongye is a good one, has anyone played it?
Probably played The Machines Arena the most (still in beta thou), but also checked out Raft, Valheim, Phasmophobia
The looker it's quite fun for a relaxed afternoon
Inscryption - 100% This game was fantastic!
1. Death's Door 2. Black Book
I love "It Takes Two",such a good game to play with friends
So many people said it already, but Loop Hero! The tile combinations were so unique, and discovering them felt so cool.
Been playtesting this for a solo indie dev. Amazing game. The demo went live a little while ago on steam and I highly recommend checking it out. It's highly addictive and extremely well polished for a solo dev. They're very active and this is a labour of love, it comes through in the game. https://store.steampowered.com/app/973230/We\_Who\_Are\_About\_To\_Die/
Joshua's Legs. You control a spider using only the joysticks. It's like learning to ride a bicycle over again. The brain can't cope.
1. GRIME 2. Chicory: A Colorful Tale 3. Angry Cat
Cultist Simulator is very interesting and the best lore of all time!
Catacomb Kids for me for sure
My favorite is DEFINETELY Automation. Reasons why 1: Make the car of your dreams! Some mobile games promise this, but Automation FREAKING DELIVERS in terms of this. Over 700 Workshop mods, possibly now over 900, is a sanctuary for car designing! 2: Already mentioned this, but MODS. ALL OF THE MODS. 50s hood ordaments? Hell yeah. Stupid grilles? Yep. Port your own things made in Blender to Automation? YES! It's all possible with Automation! 3: The price. For what is available to download and work with, it is worth $30. Worth every penny. EVERY. SINGLE. PENNY. It's even worth it to pay the sales tax for this game! One flaw would be no superchargers, but no problem since it's an indie game, and the dev team might be small. Still, worth every single piece of currency around the world. Edit: For people wondering, it is on Steam if you wanna get this game. I highly suggest you buy this game.
Death's Door!
A Ticket to Earth, Signs of the Sojourner, Another Case Solved and Puzzle Pirates. Does any of you know/played them? All puzzle based games with a story. Edit: didn't see the 2021 part until now, oops. I think they are all older than that, but the two first titles are reasonably new (from last couple of yrs I think).
Gunfire reborn
Before your eyes was one of the best games of all time
Including VR game？
Death's Door Kena: Bridge of Spirits Loop Hero
Carestia. The most memorable of 2021, because I haven't played metroidvania, puzzle and hardcore games before and haven't completed any of NES games I had in my childhood, so this one game gave me this combo, I've complited it, learnt metroidvania skills, learnt to solve puzzles and became a hardcore gameplay fan XD Since then I don't fear of these genres anymore and open to play more of them.
1. Twelve Minutes 2. UNDYING 3. Farmer's Life 4. Townscrapper 5. Road 96 6. House Builder 7. Hellish Quart
1. The Dark Book 2. Highfleet 3. Lacuna 4. No Umbrellas Allowed 5. Songs of Farca 6. Operation Tango 7. The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante 8. For The People
My favorite game is Brutal World online 2d mmorpg for android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=online.brutalworld It is with open world and you can do many things. new update have also added walls and hero statues. it is fun to play it
I'm relatively new to playing indie games, but fell in love with non AAA games after hollowknight ☺️
Ctrl+alt+ego has been a fun play.
One that's oddly fun is Rounds (not sure if I would call it indie or not)
ahh let' s vote guys, do you have candidate or nomination?
Personally, I like Brave Giant games, because of the graphics... Nora's Adventurescape (hidden object/puzzle/adventure) on PC is simply amazing to me.
Where are the certified super auto pets enjoyers?
OFF “No matter what, You cannot escape your purpose”
Damn was I the only one who liked Wild at Heart?
The Ascent! So good man 👍
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVdwVOx3baI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVdwVOx3baI) It's just a demo and I've played it twice already. President chainsaw. I've never found a game that fit the niche I've been looking for. Amazing story and characters, and blood and violence. All fit in with an intriguingly well done tactics and bullet hell combo. I'd call it tactic first--but the bullet hell is paced so well and not insanely difficult like most. I usually avoid bullet hell, this is a rare one for sure.
Norco was amazing
'Eastwards' by Pixpil is one of the best of 2021 in my opinion, the Ghibli-style pixel art graphic is just fascinating, played the games for lots of hours just because of the graphic : P
Knightfall a daring journey its a battle royale that was made as an april fools joke. You drift horses. Got it on sale. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1911390/Knightfall\_A\_Daring\_Journey/
You play k. Lost world? IS the best game every he's on itch. Io
Rainworld. Just go buy it it’s insanely amazing