The end of the year is drawing nearer, and it’s a great time to talk about the games that came out in 2015. Everyone’s heard about the big AAA releases, but what about the indie titles that came out this year? There have been too many solid indie games to count, but we picked out these eight as some of the ones you should make sure and play if you haven’t already.
Think we missed one? Tell us what it is in the comments!
Invisible Inc.
Klei Entertainment’s Invisible Inc. combines elements of multiple genre to make an intriguing whole. You’ll control a team of secret agents trying to hold their own against lots of corporate baddies who are attacking them. You’re given 72 hours to scrounge up the money, gear, and resources you need, and then you launch an assault on the enemy offices. After dodging (or hacking) cameras, and avoiding (or knocking out) the guards, you reach the objective. It’s a little bit XCOM, a little bit Splinter Cell, and a whole lot of fun.
Not A Hero
Not A Hero puts you in the shoes of an assassin named Steve whose newest job is as the campaign manager for mayoral candidate (and anthropomorphic rabbit) BunnyLord. You’ll take out crime the old-fashioned way – with a shot to the face – as you wipe out the underworld figures and recruit new heroes to your side. You’ve got plenty of skills at your disposal, including slides and rolls, as well as the ability to duck into cover. Lots of shooting, and style that reminds you of a 2D, side-on Hotline Miami combine to make one of the year’s great indie games.
Duck Game
If you haven’t heard of Duck Game, it’s probably because it was trapped in the wasteland that was the Ouya for the first six months of its life. It finally landed on Steam back in June, and you should totally give it a look. You play as one of four ducks (your friends can fill the other three slots), and you can wear hats and use a wide variety of weapons. It feels a lot like Towerfall, except there are many more weapons, and you’re a duck. It’s a blast to play with friends.
Rocket League
The easiest (and shortest) way to describe Rocket League is “soccer with cars.” You drive your car at a ball and try to knock said ball into a net to score points. But wait, your car can also jump and dodge, and both of these abilities affect your strategy on offense and defense. You can also drive up the walls and across the ceilings, and use your boost even when in midair. The single-player AI modes can get a little repetitive, but the simple to learn / easy to master gameplay keeps you coming back time and time again.
Axiom Verge
If you’re one of the many Metroid fans who wasn’t thrilled with the announcement of a 3DS title, you should really check out Axiom Verge. A Metroid-inspired indie game designed by Tom Happ (alone, over a five year period), Axiom Verge embodies the feel of the Metroid games without feeling like a rip-off. It’s got the gear-gated progression and aesthetics you’d expect, and it doesn’t just look like a classic game, it also gets the gameplay right.
Westerado: Double Barrelled
A pixel-based open-world game based in the Old West, Westerado: Double Barrelled casts you as a cowboy looking for the villain who killed your family. It’s presented in a top-down style, and tasks you with completing quests to gain clues to the man you seek. You can accuse anyone and shoot anyone, although once you kill someone, they stay dead and you could lose out on info you need. The graphics are simple and the gunplay leaves a bit to be desired, but the random nature of the killer (it changes with every new game) means you can have fun with Westerado over and over again. Plus, the developer is called Ostrich Banditos. That’s about as good as it gets.
Titan Souls
Despite the title, Titan Souls is not made by From Software. Instead, it’s a top-down 2D game that’s oddly reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus. There are no small enemies, only titans that must be destroyed. Doing this is really hard. You have only one arrow at your disposal. It can be fired, and then recalled (but you have to stand still to bring it back). It’s a game that’s all about patiently learning patterns, spotting weaknesses, and often working out the puzzle elements in an encounter. Titan Souls is a game that thrives on doing one thing, and doing it really well.
Grey Goo
Petroglyph – a studio filled with former AAA developers – has produced one of my favorite indie games of the year: Grey Goo. The old-school RTS features three unique factions, each requiring different tactics and approaches. It’s a well balanced, well designed take on the genre. That’s not a big surprise, considering that the Petroglyph team is made up of veterans of studios like Westwood. If you’re a fan of the RTS genre, you owe it to yourself to play this one.
