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The 15 Best Indie Games Of 2024

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Cataloging the best indie games of a given year is always a tricky task – there are so many to choose from and so many are amazing. Independent developers consistently release wonderful games that often get overshadowed by entries from bigger studios. That’s why it’s so important to put the spotlight on indie games wherever possible and highlight the ones that players particularly enjoyed or that made a significant impact on the gaming world.




2024 was a varied year when it came to what indie games stood out. It featured surprisingly addictive card games, brave crabs seeking their shells, a solid roster of Metroidvanias, a crop of environmental puzzlers, and even a blast from the past or two. From action platformers to mystery puzzlers, here are the top 15 indie games of 2024, presented in alphabetical order.

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Best Indie Games With Multiple Endings

The following indie games don’t saddle players with just one ending. There are a variety of conclusions based on the player’s actions.

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1000xresist

Check Out 1000xresist on OpenCritic

Sunset Visitor and Fellow Traveler’s 1000xresist is a beautiful and haunting narrative that echoes the feelings of loss and isolation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Told in nonlinear fragments, 1000xresist explores questions of how a community changes and develops over many years, how this change can affect relationships between families and individuals, and what could be waiting for humanity in the future if the poor treatment of the planet continues. This beautiful, poignant, melancholic tale about the power of memory and community will stay with its players long after they have completed it.

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1000xRESIST Tag Page Cover Art

1000xRESIST

Sci-Fi

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Thriller

Visual Novel

Adventure

Systems
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super greyscale 8-bit logo PC-1

Released
May 9, 2024

Developer
Sunset Visitor
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Publisher(s)
Fellow Traveller

ESRB
Mature 17+ // Blood, Violence, Use of Drugs, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language
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Animal Well

Check Out Animal Well on OpenCritic

Animal Well begins shrouded in mystery – players take on the role of a featureless blob within a vast labyrinth and must collect various tools to solve puzzles, interact with the world’s denizens, and ultimately figure out the secrets and truths of its endlessly fascinating setting. Blending Metroidvania and puzzle elements, Animal Well initially seems simple, but as players dive deeper, it unfolds into a complex game filled with layers upon layers of puzzles and challenges. Animal Well is the kind of game that is near-impossible to put down; it is easy for players to get caught up in the need to solve “just one more puzzle.”

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Another Crab’s Treasure

Read Game Rant’s Another Crab’s Treasure Review


This undersea adventure took the “Soulslike” genre and turned it into “shells-like” with the tale of a courageous crab who challenges a corrupt government with a single noble goal in mind: the return of his precious shell. Players can take down an ocean full of tricky bosses using dozens of different shells with abilities ranging from slightly increased defense to a gun capable of downing enemies in one hit (a funny, helpful accessibility feature). Kril’s journey is not just hilarious; it also features a poignant message about environmentalism and the importance of keeping the oceans clean. The undersea world of Another Crab’s Treasure may be full of trash, but this gem of an indie title certainly isn’t.

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Balatro

Check Out Balatro on OpenCritic


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Few games took 2024 by storm as much as Balatro, the poker-inspired deck-building roguelike that was the year’s surprise smash hit. Developed by LocalThunk and published by Playstack, Balatro quickly gained popularity for its addictive gameplay loop, wide variety of deck options, and near-endless replayability due to the various run types and potential stakes available. Players can even celebrate their other favorite games with free cosmetics based on titles ranging from Stardew Valley to Among Us. Already clinching a win for Best Indie Game at the 2024 Golden Joystick Awards, Balatro has also scored several TGA 2024 nominations, including one for Game of the Year.

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Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus

Read Game Rant’s Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus Review


Inspired by Japanese folklore and mythology, Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is an action-adventure platformer with Metroidvania elements developed by Squid Shock Studios. It stars the titular Bo, a fox spirit who is destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Gameplay revolves around Bo’s weapon – a bo staff, of course – which can change its shape with the aid of teas found around the game’s world, as well as helpful daruma dolls that can aid Bo in combat. The game features a rich, visually stunning world with a 2.5D aesthetic; every foe players fight and creature they encounter is meticulously hand-drawn.

Crow Country

Read Game Rant’s Crow Country Review


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2024 was a strong year for survival horror, with the remake of Silent Hill 2 leading the pack. Another solid entry in the horror genre was Crow Country, developed and published by SFB games. Set in a creepy abandoned amusement park, the titular Crow Country, the game establishes a sense of slow-building dread with devastating effectiveness. The scares are plenty, but even in the moments when protagonist Mara is simply looking around the park, the sinister atmosphere is palpable. Crow Country also offers a unique innovation in the survival horror genre: an enemy-free “Exploration” mode in which players can experience the game’s story without any fear of encountering foes.

Farewell North

Check Out Farewell North on OpenCritic

In the far north, an archipelago of islands has lost their color. Players take on the role of a collie who, alongside their human companion, is charged with bringing the color back by exploring the islands and solving puzzles. Farewell North is an open world exploration game from developer Kyle Banks. The game’s desolate setting is actually beautiful, and the contrast between its initial colorless form and later restored state is a stunning one. At the heart of this game is a deeply emotional story about what it truly means to say goodbye, told from the point of view of an adorable, eternally faithful dog who is truly man’s best friend.


Farewell North Tag Page Cover Art
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Farewell North

Released
August 16, 2024

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Developer(s)
Kyle Banks

Publisher(s)
Mooneye Studios
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I Am Your Beast

Check Out I Am Your Beast on OpenCritic

Game pacing can jump from slow and methodical to downright frantic and action-packed. One example of the latter is I Am Your Beast, a fast-paced revenge-themed shooter in which players carve a path of destruction through each level. As Alphonse Harding, an ex-military man who staunchly refuses to take on the “one last job” his boss attempts to assign him, players must conquer each brightly-colored, blood-spattered level while accompanied by an appropriately frantic soundtrack. With simple controls and levels small enough to not be overwhelming, I Am Your Beast is the kind of action game even non-action fans can enjoy.

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I Am Your Beast Tag

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes

Read Game Rant’s Lorelei and the Laser Eyes Review


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One of 2024’s most devilishly tricky puzzle games, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes tells a surreal story about a woman invited to participate in a mysterious “test” in a creepy mansion. With over 100 puzzles to complete, players can discover the game’s unfolding story in a non-linear fashion, exploring and seeking out secrets at their own pace. The visual style is striking, featuring a primarily black and white color scheme that incorporates the use of photographs and a mix of low-res and high-res renderings. Even the cleverest of puzzle fans may find themselves stumped at one time or another as they delve into the complex world of Simogo’s Lorelei and the Laser Eyes.

Neva

Read Game Rant’s Neva Review


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Gris developer Nomada Studio debuted its second game Neva, this year. Neva players take on the role of Alba, a woman who shares a bond with a magnificent white wolf – the titular Neva. Ultimately, the story is less about who Alba is and more about Neva and the relationship formed with her. Together, Alba and Neva must traverse a mysterious world tainted by darkness. Together, the pair must win battles, solve puzzles, and traverse all four seasons in a graphically stunning side-scrolling platformer that highlights the importance of the bond between human and animal. Inspired by stories such as Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke, Neva is the story of just how much one woman and one wolf can truly accomplish when they work together.

Nine Sols

Check Out Nine Sols on OpenCritic


Nine Sols is described the game as taopunk, a style that mixes cyberpunk elements with Asian mythology and philosophy, specifically Taoism. Hero Yi once ruled New Kunlun alongside nine others, but long ago, Yi was betrayed. Now he is the only chance the realm’s inhabitants have of escaping the tyranny of his betrayers. As Yi, players must explore the futuristic world of New Kunlun, acquire new tools and skills, and ultimately confront dangerous and treacherous bosses in a tricky series of battles that will leave players on the edge of their seats.

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The Rise of the Golden Idol

Read Game Rant’s Rise of the Golden Idol Review


In 2022, Color Gray Games burst onto the mystery game stage with The Case of the Golden Idol, a tricky puzzler about the bizarre legacy of the titular artifact and its devastating effects on one particular family. 2024 saw its sequel launch to similar acclaim. The Rise of the Golden Idol is set the 1970s, and the Golden Idol has been rediscovered. But will it be used to further scientific discovery, to create a cult, or for something far more sinister? Players must discover the truth across 20 mind-bending cases, and Color Gray Games have already promised that there is more to come, with four sets of DLC planned to release throughout 2025. The story of the Golden Idol is not over yet; the ancient artifact has much more in store for those willing to explore its mysteries.

The Rise Of The Golden Idol Game Cover
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The Idol rises… 300 years later

Three centuries following the unspeakable fate of the Cloudsleys, the legend of the Golden Idol has all but faded. Now it is carried only in small whispers, uttered as an obscene myth.

Some are determined for this to change.

Welcome to the 70s – Blood and Disco

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The Rise of the Golden Idol follows a tenacious relic hunter on a quest to unearth the powerful artifact that – if the legend is true – can reshape the world.

As the observer, you must investigate 20 strange cases of crime, death and depravity. Like before with The Case of the Golden Idol, you are free to investigate however you wish and build your own theory.

You must make sense of a grand mystery that unravels across an age of hallucinogens, fax machines, parapsychology and TV guides.

Enlightenment seekers, convicts, chat show hosts and corporate middle management will all have a role to play in the wider mysteries that unfold. Like always, many of these subjects will have their own motives. Some will be carrying more than agendas.
 

Adventure

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Puzzle

Indie Games

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Released
November 12, 2024

Developer(s)
Color Gray Games

Publisher(s)
Playstack
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ESRB
t
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Satisfactory 1.0

Check Out Satisfactory on OpenCritic


After a successful early access launch in 2019, Satisfactory officially entered its 1.0 state in September 2024. The game combines factory building with open world exploration. As a “Pioneer,” the player finds themselves dropped on a strange planet and must use the available natural resources to survive. The game is an addicting one, as there is nothing more satisfying than going from having nothing to running an efficient, fully automated factory producing a wide variety of parts and resources. Players can even work together in cooperative multiplayer to explore the planet and create factories themselves. After its triumphant launch, Satisfactory was also named PC Game of the Year at the 2024 Golden Joystick Awards.

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Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Check Out Tales of Kenzera: Zau on OpenCritic


Inspired by developer Abubakar Salim’s experience grieving the loss of his father, Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a Metroidvania game using a 2.5D art style to tell the story of Zau, a young shaman who is tasked with defeating monsters and gathering their energy to offer to the gods. Zau’s goal is ultimately to revive his own deceased father, and the story elegantly and respectfully handles topics of grief, loss, and the importance of family. Set in a brightly colored and richly designed world, Tales of Kenzera: Zau challenges players to use every skill and resource available. It is a story of sorrow that is not without joy – the thrill of defeating a particularly tricky foe and watching Zau grow and mature during his journey is palpable.

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UFO 50

Check Out UFO 50 on OpenCritic

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Not just one game, no, not even a dozen – UFO 50 is, as the name suggests, fifty games in one. Inspired by classic video game collections from the 1980s and 1990s, UFO 50 is a collaborative effort between six different developers who worked together to produce a wide range of games across many different genres. It’s got puzzlers, platformers, shooters, and more, all with a retro pixelated art style that will invoke feelings of nostalgia in many players. The games vary in length and style so that players will never feel bored, and some can even be enjoyed together in two-player mode. With so many games to choose from, UFO 50 truly has a little bit of something for everyone.



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