Board 8 > Johnbobb ranks every indie game he's ever played

(+) Yeah! (+)

necrodancer

NFUN posted...

necrodancer

Maybe if it would ever go on sale

It's always on sale cuz it's criminally underpriced

Cadence of Hyrule is better anyway (at least if, like me, you can't keep a beat to save your life)

Necrodancer has been on sale for 2.99 probably over a dozen times. In fact its 2.99 right now!

edit: apparently its been 2.99 since 2021! Maybe once they started adding expansions they reduced the base price

WazzupGenius00 posted...

Necrodancer has been on sale for 2.99 probably over a dozen times. In fact its 2.99 right now!

Lol I was being sarcastic, it's on sale more than like any game I've ever seen

Not everything can be on perma-sale like Factorio

My personal favorite that only I have played is Renowned Explorers: International Society, so let's throw that out there. (I'm still banking on Crosscode.)

I can't really think of what game it could be, unless something less known like Ever17

Thinking about it more, Transistor and Stardew Valley haven't shown up yet and feel like notable omissions.

Oh geez, Stardew's still out there?

And what were the verdicts on other Supergiant games?

Oh I didn't even consider Stardew! I still feel pretty confident in my Edith Finch pick, but not the others.

3. What Remains of Edith Finch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_y3cLSClBM

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/faa9a0ea.jpg

This one fucking broke me. I really appreciate a short game that knows what it is and really focus on maximizing its emotional impact. In its maybe 3 hour runtime, 5 hours to platinum, What Remains of Edith Finch managed to make me sob and left me with several of the most memorable game sequences I've ever played. It's sort of like Gone Home, only the home you're exploring is warped and beset with tragedy, each member of the family having died unexpectedly, many at a young age. It's a bold story, exploring the very brief lives of young people and the very few family members who lived long enough to pass on the family curse. Each sequence is told in a completely different way that shouldn't be spoiled before you dive in because discovering the how of each loss and the way the game presents it to you is the biggest appeal. I do want to shout out Molly, Barbara and Lewis as having the best stories, as well as the canonical connection between Milton and the King from The Unfinished Swan. The ending stands out as both one of the best and saddest endings I've experienced, and I legitimately cannot comprehend playing this and not feeling anything.

2. Disco Elysium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWWA1jnI5N4

Disco Elysium is phenomenal. It may honestly be the best written game, period. It's the kind of game that makes me feel dumb sometimes, not in the way Baba Is You did, but in the way my higher level college English courses did. The variety of complex emotional states, philophies and political discussions is probably unmatched in gaming, because in most games it would drive the audience in a way. But here, it engrosses you in such a fascinating way, and will sometimes drop its philosophical discussions to have your ugly tie yell profanities at you or have a child yell profanities at you or have you yell profanities at yourself. It's follows the DnD dice roll system of success/failure, only more often than not it's not to determine the success of a physical action. It's to stop you from saying something really fucking stupid in a drunken and mentally unhinged fashion. It's probably the most interesting take on an RPG I can think of, and on top of that it's an enthralling murder mystery full of memorable characters and even more memorable events. There are plenty of game overs to be found, entire conversations you'll likely find on replays, with your version of Harry DuBois being a true mystery until the end of the game each time you play.

Also, have another cosplay:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/35c10a25.jpg
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/a2c98281.jpg

This one's great for conventions because the more disheveled you look by the end of the day, the more accurate the cosplay is

Edith Finch is another of those games I wish I could like more. I love any game where you explore a big house and I thought the game started super strong with Molly's story, but by the end I was no longer invested at all. One of those stories where the parts I thought were compelling are not what ended up being focused on. And then it ended with one of my least favorite plot devices, so my parting thoughts were more like "fuck this game" than a (probably more accurate) "well, it wasn't for me overall but I still enjoyed most of it"

Kenri posted...

Thinking about it more, Transistor and Stardew Valley haven't shown up yet and feel like notable omissions.

with how low Bastion is, I just assumed he didnt play Transistor at all

1. Octodad: Dadliest Catch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJKtJG7bDME

Nobody guessed this one, and I can't say I blame anyone. I might be a bigger fan of Octodad: Dadliest Catch than basically anyone else shy of the developers. But fun fact: you could've spoiled the ranking by looking at the one and only review I've ever submitted on GameFAQs. From 2015:

Overview:

The first Octodad was a funny premise: an Octopus trying to fit in with a human family. The sloppy controls added to the humor for a while... until they ultimately made it a bit of a frustrating mess. Then Dadliest Catch comes along. The controls were refined just enough that controlling Octodad isn't as simple as controlling a human by any means, but it isn't frustrating, even on the tougher sections. In fact, players get to experience the unique advantages of the character, such as squeezing inside of a crane machine to win a toy for his wife. Speaking of which, Dadliest Catch does the impossible: it makes you sympathize with Octodad. Despite the idea being ridiculous, I felt myself becoming personally invested in Octodad's story. I felt legitimate sorrow and pride for him. This, on top of the consistent, top-notch writing and humor present throughout make it easily one of the best games of 2014 (for only $15).

Story:

Octodad: Dadliest Catch serves as a sequel to the original Octodad, which didn't have much of a story; instead it just threw players in control of Octodad as he went about a few daily tasks. Dadliest Catch takes that same mission structure of completing small tasks (which, on their own, seem mundane) and weaving them into a larger goal. The story follows Octodad as he relive moments from his past, allowing players to finally learn the origins of Octodad, the sushi chef and how the family came to be. In the present, he's still maintaining his goal of wanting to fit in with society, but this is made more difficult due to the family's decision to visit the aquarium.

Overall, the story is simplistic, nothing absolutely groundbreaking. From an outsider's perspective, it looks downright silly, which is, to some extent, the point. However, as you play through the game, you can't help but to feel for Octodad. This isn't a quest to find lost treasure or even to defeat the game's main villain. Octodad's only motivation as a character is to be happy with his family. It's a goal that we can all essentially relate to. As I played, I was left feeling emotions for this octopus man that I never expected to experience. As a player, the game brings out my own desire for happiness and security in life in a way no game has before.

What makes the story is the absolute top-notch writing, on par with the funniest games I've played. Every line from the children is hilarious, and Octodad, who can speak in nothing but differently-toned blubs, still somehow gets his points across. The way he interacts with his family portrays him as possibly the best dad in all of gaming.

Gameplay:

If you've so much as seen a trailer for the game, you probably know what to expect here. Octodad is often given extremely simple tasks such as picking up some groceries or playing arcade games which are made hilariously difficult due to the fact that Octodad is an octopus walking on two (well, technically four) tentacles. The game thankfully starts out with a sort of tutorial mode where players can slowly get used to the way Octodad wobbles and controls his arms.

The trick isn't just completing the tasks with Octodad, but doing so in a way that doesn't tip off anyone to Octodad's secret identity. Do too much to draw attention to yourself, and Octodad's cover is blown, his life ruined. Simply spending time with his family can be a high-stakes situation. Thankfully, the game includes a very welcome Easy Mode, where players who want to just experience the game can do so without needing to worry about being caught. This allows players to just wobble and slip their way through the game, which is challenge enough on it's own.

Typically, I'm not a fan of games that are only challenging because the game itself is difficult to control. A platformer where you can't control for yourself where the character lands is typically a bad platformer. Yet I was shocked at how intuitive Octodad's controls were. It may be difficult to imagine without experiencing the game firsthand, but I can confirm that as you play, controlling Octodad becomes considerably easier as you become one with the character.

Aside from the basic gameplay challenges, each level has 3 ties hidden in easy to overlook or difficult to reach places. The ties are more of a novelty than anything, but it drove the completionist in me, and gave me more reason to replay the game (be warned, however, that collecting all the ties on anything but easy mode is going to be a hell of a challenge).

Conclusion:

Octodad: Dadliest Catch is a very short, silly game. It's not going to be a huge award winner, but I think it's going to hold a solid place as an indie cult classic. The incredible writing, the oddly relatable goals, and the addictively fun gameplay made Octodad: Dadliest Catch much more than worth it's low $15 price tag. It may not be on the scale of the more popular triple-A games, but the pure joy and heart in this game is why I got into gaming.

Almost a decade since it's release, I think I've only grown to love this game progressively more. I'm 30 now, I feel myself getting older, and I haven't started a family yet but I'd still like to. Octodad's driving motivation - to just be a humble dad, proud of his kids and in love with his wife, in a normal suburban household - has only grown progressively more relateable as the years have gone by. I love this game more than I can objectively argue in its favor.

Btw, I don't have any cosplays of this one yet, but I have legitimately been considering getting an Octodad tattoo.

I was a freshman at DePaul when the Octodad guys were seniors. I glanced them from afar and probably even briefly spoke to one of them

so I feel personally invested and happy for their success, both financially and on this list

The Full 214 Indie Game List:

1. Octodad: Dadliest Catch
2. Disco Elysium
3. What Remains of Edith Finch
4. Return of the Obra Dinn
5. Outer Wilds
6. Journey
7. A Hat In Time
8. Papo & Yo
9. Immortality
10. Inside
11. It Takes Two
12. Hellblade: Senuas Sacrifice
13. Sayonara Wild Hearts
14. Ape Out
15. Hollow Knight
16. Gone Home
17. Omori
18. Papers, Please
19. The Stanley Parable
20. Blasphemous
21. Inscryption
22. Celeste
23. Bugsnax
24. Hades
25. The Sexy Brutale
26. Hypnospace Outlaw
27. The Case of the Golden Idol
28. every Jackbox Party Pack
29. the Worms series
30. Castle Crashers
31. Oxenfree
32. Firewatch
33. Golf Story
34. Night in the Woods
35. A Plague Tale: Innocence
36. Antichamber
37. Braid
38. Doki Doki Literature Club
39. Spiritfarer
40. Undertale
41. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
42. The Unfinished Swan
43. Abzu
44. Her Story
45. Kena: Bridge of Spirits
46. Stacking
47. Overcooked 2
48. Overcooked
49. Gang Beasts
50. Flower
51. Limbo
52. Nidhogg
53. Jazzpunk
54. From Dust
55. Deaths Door
56. Chants of Sennaar
57. Oxenfree II: Lost Signals
58. Storyteller
59. Thumper
60. Robot Unicorn Attack
61. Octodad
62. Concrete Genie
63. Hotline Miami
64. Broken Age
65. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
66. Superhot
67. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
68. Little Nightmares II
69. Gris
70. The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories
71. Ultimate Chicken Horse
72. OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood
73. Unpacking
74. Stray
75. Chicory: A Colorful Tale
76. Norco
77. Viewfinder
78. Wattam
79. Cuphead
80. Moving Out
81. Subnautica
82. Untitled Goose Game
83. Tabletop Simulator
84. West of Loathing
85. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
86. Horace
87. Minecraft
88. Roundabout
89. Sonic Dreams Collection
90. Guacamelee!
91. A Way Out
92. Ghostrunner
93. OlliOlli World
94. Rocket League
95. Little Nightmares
96. Cult of the Lamb
97. What the Golf?
98. Bound
99. Super Meat Boy
100. Toem
101. Pentiment
102. Later Alligator
103. Baba Is You
104. Shank
105. VVVVVV
106. Maquette
107. Bit.Trip Presents Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
108. Quadrilateral Cowboy
109. The Witness
110. The Beginners Guide
111. Telling Lies
112. Twelve Minutes
113. Superliminal
114. McPixel
115. Machinarium
116. The Looker
117. Entwined
118. Donut County
119. Cook, Serve, Delicious!
120. Tacoma
121. Little Inferno
122. Runner3
123. Psychonauts
124. Maneater
125. Outland
126. Monument Valley 1
127. Runbow
128. Hohokum
129. Brawlout
130. Super Time Force Ultra
131. Sound Shapes
132. Zen Pinball 2
133. Erica
134. Apotheon
135. Fez
136. Afterparty
137. That Dragon, Cancer
138. A Little to the Left
139. Reus
140. Class of '09
141. Plague Inc.
142. Crayon Physics Deluxe
143. Grow Home
144. The Cave
145. My Friend Pedro
146. Sportsfriends
147. Pony Island
148. Everybodys Gone to the Rapture
149. Cibele
150. Dungeons & Lesbians
151. Bastion
152. Monument Valley 2
153. If On a Winter's Night, Four Travelers
154. Coffee Talk
155. The Binding of Isaac
156. Rime
157. Pizza Tower
158. Mark of the Ninja
159. Skullgirls
160. We Happy Few
161. BattleBlock Theater
162. Tokyo Jungle
163. Florence
164. Abobos Big Adventure
165. Disc Jam
166. Sky: Children of the Light
167. House Party
168. Rubber Bandits
169. Kentucky Route Zero (Chapters 1 & 2)
170. Lost In Random
171. Hue
172. I Am Bread
173. Naughty Bear
174. TowerFall Ascension
175. Happy Wheels
176. Friday the 13th: The Game
177. Human: Fall Flat
178. Foul Play
179. This Is The Only Level
180. Burly Men At Sea
181. Virginia
182. World of Goo
183. Party Crashers
184. Deltarune Chapter 1
185. Sunset
186. Toribash
187. Stephens Sausage Roll
188. KickBeat
189. Tales from Space: About a Blob
190. Quantum Conundrum
191. Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit
192. Escape Plan
193. The Bridge
194. The Swapper
195. Dear Esther
196. Surgeon Simulator
197. Joe Danger
198. Angry Birds
199. here
200. Racing Bros
201. Goat Simulator
202. We Become What We Behold
203. Facade
204. Run Sausage Run!
205. Five Nights at Freddys
206. Interactive Buddy
207. Threes
208. Slender: The Eight Pages
209. KIDS
210. Cookie Clicker
211. Bounty Battle
212. Flappy Bird
213. Hello Neighbor
214. The Unknown City (Horror Begins Now..Episode 1)

Funny to think this started at 206, and there's probably even more I missed.

Note: When I was looking up my Octodad review, I noticed I had a 3.5 star rating for an indie game called Ether One. I fully do not remember playing this game at all.

Thanks to everyone who followed along! And if you have more indie game recommendations, feel free to drop them!

MoogleKupo141 posted...

I was a freshman at DePaul when the Octodad guys were seniors. I glanced them from afar and probably even briefly spoke to one of them

so I feel personally invested and happy for their success, both financially and on this list

oh that's so cool, it's crazy how something that's so simple in concept can have such a significant impact, both personally and culturally. I mean, even people who've never played Octodad can look at him and think "yeah, that's just a normal human man." It's a joke that everyone is in on and it's great.

I don't mean this in a bad way but that's an insane #1, I would not have guessed that with a hundred guesses lol

Thanks for writing all this! I had a ton of fun reading along.

I mentioned this earlier in the topic, but it remains true: it's crazy how few games on this list I've played, even though I've probably played around 250 indie games (I know I've beaten ~200). I added up everything and I've only played 43 of the 214 games you covered here!

Johnbobb posted...

And if you have more indie game recommendations, feel free to drop them!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/407900/

Disco Elysium and Edith Finch make sense. DE is tremendously overrated, but EF is great.

I have never played an Octodad game and likely never will, but I knew one of these top games was gonna come out of left field.

Johnbobb posted...

And if you have more indie game recommendations, feel free to drop them!

I mentioned Renowned Explorers a few posts back. It's a game that defies concise explanation, but I'll give it a shot.

Imagine it's the 19th century, and you're attempting to join a most distinguished club of gentleman (and ladies) by embarking on tremendous acts of exploration with a crew of three eccentric individuals (from a cast of thirty.) You begin with a small foray into Wales to look for a Celtic menhir, hoping to discover research, treasure, and just all-around awesome adventures. On your first move, you find a new species of bug to study. On your second, one of your characters falls in the mud and the other decides to study that. Then you get assaulted by an angry druid and his wolf minions. Your supplies are running low by the time you bump into a reporter who agrees to join your entourage. But in the end, you find the menhir, only to have The Society's top team (led by one smug Frenchman) show up moments later, distract you, and somehow abscond with the entire thing.

And in that moment, you vow that by year's end, you're going to wipe the grin off that Frenchie and win The Society's most prestigious honor -- explorer of the year. You've got time to plan out four more expeditions, each more dangerous, lucrative, and ridiculous than the last, culminating in exploring Shangri-La, hunting for the Holy Grail, or unearthing the secrets of an ancient Pacific island before it disappears.

Johnbobb posted...

And if you have more indie game recommendations, feel free to drop them!

Umrangi Generation
Pyre
Dead Cells
Ori and the Blind Forest
Duck Game
Gonner
Skul the Hero Slayer
Soma (a bit higher budget indie but still counts I think)
Organ Trail
Rogue Legacy
Slay the Spire
Vampire Survivors

There's some I can think of looking at my Steam library, there's probably more in there I missed

This was a fun list to follow along with. Thank you for sharing.

Apparently I haven't played many indie games.... I own about 40 games off of your list, but the only ones I've played are Jackbox, Worms and both Overcooked games....

Decent finale

Really fun list. Haven't played a whole lot of these but it was great to follow along.

I don't know that our tastes in indie games enough to justify throwing out many recommendations, but I will mention one.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/983970/Haven

I haven't actually gotten to play this myself yet, but its developers are responsible for Furi, one of my all-time favorite games, indie or otherwise. I'd be hesitant to point you toward that one because it's similar to Cuphead in its considerable difficulty and I remember you stating you weren't the biggest fan of that in its writeup, but the storytelling around it is such that I trust them implicitly to deliver the goods on that front for every game they might make.

So Haven seems like it might be up your alley as an atmospheric game centered around romance and slice-of-life and emotional storytelling. Again, I can't confirm that myself, but I thought I'd give it a shout as something worth at least checking out.

Reminding you about Chants of Sennaar since it's def in your wheelhouse

A Space for the Unbound is my favorite indie game this year and I highly recommend it.

I would also recommend Light Fairytale but given your comments on Kentucky Route Zero and Deltarune maybe I'll just recommend it again when the story is finished

Wow that's an off-the-wall #1! I assumed Octodad was merely a meme game like Goat Sim, and I didn't even know there were multiple entries. Interesting.

Games I think you would like:
Tunic
The Forgotten City
A Short Hike
Cocoon
Wandersong
Gorogoa
The Messenger
The Talos Principle
Yoku's Island Express

Games IDK if you'd like but are great:
Katana Zero
Shovel Knight
Stardew Valley
Dead Cells
Into the Breach
Crosscode
Steamworld Heist

I really enjoyed the list! I'll definitely try some of them that I've missed.

And I can only recommend Renowned Explorers, it's a great game.

Oh nice, the game I was expecting to be on this list that I absolutely hate never showed up

I played Edith Finch when it was free on PS+ and I loved it. I hadn't played anything like it before, whoch probably helped it stick out more for me. I know what you mean about it being upsetting at times. Bath time was what broke me. As I figured out where the fish slicing machine was going, I was dreading the inevitable end of that story.

Iconoclasts is my indie recommemdation. It's a 2d metroidvania platformer where you play as a mechanic in a world of declining resources ruled by faith.

-hotdogturtle-- posted...

https://store.steampowered.com/app/407900/

I've seen people on B8 be big fans of this one so I assume it has to be better than it looks at first appearance

azuarc posted...

I mentioned Renowned Explorers a few posts back. It's a game that defies concise explanation, but I'll give it a shot.

Imagine it's the 19th century, and you're attempting to join a most distinguished club of gentleman (and ladies) by embarking on tremendous acts of exploration with a crew of three eccentric individuals (from a cast of thirty.) You begin with a small foray into Wales to look for a Celtic menhir, hoping to discover research, treasure, and just all-around awesome adventures. On your first move, you find a new species of bug to study. On your second, one of your characters falls in the mud and the other decides to study that. Then you get assaulted by an angry druid and his wolf minions. Your supplies are running low by the time you bump into a reporter who agrees to join your entourage. But in the end, you find the menhir, only to have The Society's top team (led by one smug Frenchman) show up moments later, distract you, and somehow abscond with the entire thing.

And in that moment, you vow that by year's end, you're going to wipe the grin off that Frenchie and win The Society's most prestigious honor -- explorer of the year. You've got time to plan out four more expeditions, each more dangerous, lucrative, and ridiculous than the last, culminating in exploring Shangri-La, hunting for the Holy Grail, or unearthing the secrets of an ancient Pacific island before it disappears.

Not gonna lie, that all sounds pretty compelling

Bane_Of_Despair posted...

Umrangi Generation
Pyre
Dead Cells
Ori and the Blind Forest
Duck Game
Gonner
Skul the Hero Slayer
Soma (a bit higher budget indie but still counts I think)
Organ Trail
Rogue Legacy
Slay the Spire
Vampire Survivors

There's some I can think of looking at my Steam library, there's probably more in there I missed

Pyre looks gorgeous.
Dead Cells/Rogue Legacy - look good, but roguelike dungeon-crawlers are really hit or miss for me
Soma was one I was really interested before it came out, but then I never played it. Probably will at some point
Organ Trail is a funny concept, but I've never heard it talked about beyond that
Slay the Spire - just started playing actually! not sure how I feel yet
Vampire Survivors - I fully don't get the appeal of this game, gameplay I've watched just doesn't strike me as interesting
Ori and Duck Game are both on my wishlists

The others I haven't heard of so I'll have to look into them

DragonGargoyle posted...

I've been struggling to come up with words, but I'll say that I followed this whole topic, and this it may get me to play Octodad

You should!

It's worth noting you don't need to play the original, Octodad: Dadliest Catch is really the full game

cyko posted...

This was a fun list to follow along with. Thank you for sharing.

Apparently I haven't played many indie games.... I own about 40 games off of your list, but the only ones I've played are Jackbox, Worms and both Overcooked games....

I bought the 1800 game itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice a couple years ago and played like 3 of them so I have so many unplayed games

foolm0r0n posted...

Reminding you about Chants of Sennaar since it's def in your wheelhouse

That was on the list!

NBIceman posted...

Really fun list. Haven't played a whole lot of these but it was great to follow along.

I don't know that our tastes in indie games enough to justify throwing out many recommendations, but I will mention one.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/983970/Haven

I haven't actually gotten to play this myself yet, but its developers are responsible for Furi, one of my all-time favorite games, indie or otherwise. I'd be hesitant to point you toward that one because it's similar to Cuphead in its considerable difficulty and I remember you stating you weren't the biggest fan of that in its writeup, but the storytelling around it is such that I trust them implicitly to deliver the goods on that front for every game they might make.

So Haven seems like it might be up your alley as an atmospheric game centered around romance and slice-of-life and emotional storytelling. Again, I can't confirm that myself, but I thought I'd give it a shout as something worth at least checking out.

This does definitely look like it would be my thing

Arti posted...

A Space for the Unbound is my favorite indie game this year and I highly recommend it.

I would also recommend Light Fairytale but given your comments on Kentucky Route Zero and Deltarune maybe I'll just recommend it again when the story is finished

I'm surprised I haven't heard of this one. And yeah, that's probably a good idea, I think the only times I've really managed to stay interested in a gradually released game over time was with the Life Is Strange games, and those were only released over about a year

andylt posted...

Wow that's an off-the-wall #1! I assumed Octodad was merely a meme game like Goat Sim, and I didn't even know there were multiple entries. Interesting.

Games I think you would like:
Tunic - It's on my list!
The Forgotten City - for some reason I thought this was Xbox exclusive, I might have to check that out
A Short Hike - This one has been very vaguely on my radar but I never heard strong opinions on it
Cocoon - On my list!
Wandersong - There's a guy on YouTube I like a lot called Snoman Gaming who talks a lot about indie games (particularly platformers) and is a big fan of this one; that's really the only reason I've heard of it
Gorogoa - On my list!
The Messenger - I've heard this is one of the go-to indie Metroidvanias, a friend of mine has recommended it a lot
The Talos Principle - I've heard of this talked about a lot and still feel like I know nothing about it
Yoku's Island Express - I've heard of this loosely and 100% assumed it was a Yoshi's Island spiritual successor

Games IDK if you'd like but are great:
Katana Zero - I've heard Katana Zero is good but the gameplay didn't feel like it stood out much to me, but I might have to look more into it
Shovel Knight - Shovel Knight is a weird one because it's obviously one of the biggest indie games, but is such a big deal that I think that's made it hard to get into at this point
Stardew Valley - my ex was a massive, massive fan of Stardew Valley. I don't know that it's my thing
Dead Cells - see above
Into the Breach - I could be wrong but doesn't seem like my thing
Crosscode - same here, but this might be worth looking more into
Steamworld Heist - this is one I always thought didn't look great, but I know there are big fans, so I assume there's more to it? I felt the same way about Spelunky too

WazzupGenius00 posted...

Oh nice, the game I was expecting to be on this list that I absolutely hate never showed up

well now I'm curious

Johnbobb posted...

I bought the 1800 game itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice a couple years ago and played like 3 of them so I have so many unplayed games

I didn't think I was going to have much to recommend, but since you own it already, you should play Lenna's Inception. It's basically Link to the Past by way of Undertale and it is so good.

...Also A Short Hike is in that bundle and it's good (and short). Kind of a mini-metroidvania? 3D low-difficulty Celeste? I dunno, it's hard to describe.

......Also also Highway Blossoms, but that's a tougher sell since it's just a cute VN

Johnbobb posted...

well now I'm curious

Rogue Legacy. Looks and feels cheap, has terrible combat design, isn't actually roguelike in any meaningful way. Started the trend of "roguelikes" that are based around grinding to add permanent stats to become powerful rather than learning how to play better

I'm also going to anti-recommend The Messenger. I don't understand how anyone can play that and compare it favorably to the Ninja Gaiden games. Then you get to the second half of the game and it gets even worse.

I definitely liked the combat of Rogue Legacy way more than... several other rogue-likes I can think of!

Kenri posted...

I didn't think I was going to have much to recommend, but since you own it already, you should play Lenna's Inception. It's basically Link to the Past by way of Undertale and it is so good.

I remember hearing about Lenna's Inception! That's actually one of the ones that most caught my eye when I first bought the bundle but then I never ended up playing it

andylt posted...

Games I think you would like:
The Forgotten City
A Short Hike

Games IDK if you'd like but are great:
Stardew Valley
Crosscode

Can second these options. (Others I haven't played or wouldn't necessarily expect to be a good pick for you.)

Kenri posted...

I didn't think I was going to have much to recommend, but since you own it already, you should play Lenna's Inception. It's basically Link to the Past by way of Undertale and it is so good.

Wow, somebody actually beat me to recommending Lenna's. =p

As soon as I saw the itch.io bundle, I was gonna be like "well have you played..."

Also in that bundle is OneShot, although I had an issue at one point with the itch version and had to stop. (A problem unique to OneShot because it forces you to look up something in the game files.)

azuarc posted...

Wow, somebody actually beat me to recommending Lenna's. =p

For what it's worth I'm pretty sure I played it because of you hyping it up!

On that note, control-F "Cassette Beasts"

Phrase not found

Edit: Oh, and for anyone here who's interested, don't forget to join the Steam Secret Santa.

Anti-rec Iconoclasts, and soft anti-rec Messenger also (I do think some people would enjoy it quite a lot)

Very much rec Gorogoa and Crosscode

Also Mushroom 11 is a nice short puzzle platformer that prob no one has played but it's excellent

Iconoclasts is fine if you know what it is going into it, some people call it a metroidvania and they are objectively wrong. If you go into it expecting a metroidvania you will hate it. Its structure (but not gameplay) is closer to something like Cave Story, which is also often erroneously called a metroidvania. It's not a game I heartily recommend to people but I wouldn't call it bad

The second biggest issue with Iconoclasts is that it's erroneously called a metroidvania when it barely qualifies as one.

The biggest issue is that the writing is awful (and yet very, very prominent).

But some people love it so don't take my word for it!