Board 8 > What are your favourite indie games of 2018?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm trying to put together a list of games I've missed from this year and should be on the lookout during upcoming sales, so what better way to do it than have people talked about what they liked this year?

Here's my list, which is probably close to my GOTY list as I wasn't too hot on a lot of big games this year apart from Monster Hunter, BattleTech, DQ11 and Destiny 2.

- Celeste
- Into the Breach
- Timespinner
- ESC
- Dead Cells
- Cultist Simulator
- Unavowed
- CrossCode
- Iconoclasts
- Overcooked 2
- Where the Water Tastes Like Wine

And here's a quick list of games I definitely want to try once I clear out some of my backlog:

- Return of the Obra Dinn
- The Missing
- Yoku's Island Express
- La-Mulana 2
- Bad North
- Minit
- Beacon
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The Messenger?

Into the Breach, The Messenger, and Celeste.

A very expected trio but what can I say, they are damn good. Can't wait to dig into Return of the Obra Dinn.
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La-Mulana 2 is the only 2018 game I've played so uh

that I guess
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Dels posted...

The Messenger?

I don't know if you liked it!

I did forget about The Messenger. It's further down on my list of games to check out because it seems like a pretty straightforward action game, albeit apparently a very good one.
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If "expanded Steam ports of previously released mobile games" count as 2018 games, then my favorite game is Break The Targets.
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Slay the Spire
Unavowed
Fortune 499
FAR: Lone Sails

i bought CrossCode but haven't started it, because whenever i open steam i end up playing Slay the Spire.
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1. Into the Breach
2. Celeste
3. Dead Cells
4. The Messenger
5. Slay the Spire
6. The Missing (if this counts as an indie game)
7. The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence
8. The Banner Saga 3
9. Wizard of Legend

Can't think of a 10th I really liked.
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PumpkinCoach posted...

FAR: Lone Sails

oh yeah, I remember the Quick Look of this and it looked pretty cool.

TheArkOfTurus posted...

7. The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence

I should probably finish that first game I bought back in the Summer...
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iiicon posted...

Dels posted...

The Messenger?

I don't know if you liked it!

I did forget about The Messenger. It's further down on my list of games to check out because it seems like a pretty straightforward action game, albeit apparently a very good one.

I wasn't really posting to answer the question in the OP, I just noticed it was missing from your list, so it was more of a recommendation to make sure you were aware of it. But yeah, it's good, I'm assuming you'd like it.

It does look pretty neat!

How long is it before the 'twist' (which isn't really a twist, it was shown off in the debut trailer, I don't know why people are so precarious about it) happens?
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I mean, in an era where we didn't already know everything about games before we play them, it'd be a twist. In this day age, you can't hide things like that really, so might as well show it in the trailer.

According to Steam, I have 11 hours in the game, I think the turning point was probably around 4-5 hours?

Dead Cells of what I've played.
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Return of the Obra Dinn was probably the only major indie game I played this year (which sucks because I usually love indies, but only that and Celeste really caught my eye this year)

Return of the Obra Dinn was also fucking incredible and might've been my game of the year had God of War not come out
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Johnbobb posted...

Return of the Obra Dinn was probably the only major indie game I played this year (which sucks because I usually love indies, but only that and Celeste really caught my eye this year)

What did you find so appealing? The jump off from that to some adventure games (Unavowed!) might not be so far.
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Only played Celeste
Would be verryyyy surprised if anything is even close to being as good as it was
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I really loved Remothered, it was actually a quality survival horror throwback for once.
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Snake5555555555 posted...

I really loved Remothered, it was actually a quality survival horror throwback for once.

Oh good call. I remember the talk around it being it's actually a pretty decent Clock Tower game if you can look past the jank.

Has this been a weak year for horror games? I haven't seen anything get as much attention as something like Detention did.
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Yeah it really has been imo. Agony got a lot of attention for being a broken, unplayable mess more or less. The Forest is scary at times but also a typical survival game which isn't really my cup of tea most of the time.

I haven't got to Visage or Call of Cthulhu yet, but I've heard really great things about Visage and average things about Cthulhu.
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Youve already got in on your to play list, but Minit is probably #1 for me.

Donut County was also very good, and Dead Cells was fun even if it wasnt entirely my cup of tea.
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it wont be out of early access by the end of the year but dicey dungeons is great

on the mobile side, holedown is definitely worth a play
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oh duh, donut country is really good.

i think i cooled pretty hard on dead cells. it's super fun to get a run in right until you hit a boss. those bosses aren't fun to fight at all.
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I was going to say Slay the Spire, but that technically was first released in early access in 2017 and won't be fully released until early 2019. release dates for early access indie games sure are confusing and messy

I thought Slay the Spire hit 1.0 at some point this year?

and yeah early access makes it weird. I finally bought Caves of Qud this year after looking at it for 3 years but it's still not even 'finished.' Gungeon had a big expansion this year and I got big into that, more so than I did with the game at release. games are weird.
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No, Slay the Spire's "full release" is coming up very soon. it might be before the end of the year? I'm not sure, I haven't really followed the news for a month or so, was a little burned out on the game

The funny thing about it is that early access games are great imo. I love playing a game during its development, seeing new content the devs put out, being able to discuss the game's growth with the community and even give input to devs. In a way, good early access games feel very much alive whereas a game that has been "fully released" sort of experiences a death in a way. I don't really perceive early access as the game "not being released."

Oh, Slay the Spire is still in early access? Whoops.

I forgot about Donut County, too. At the bottom of my list, but I liked it.
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Uh

I haven't played much of anything this year so let's go with the super good Murasaki 2 (Tsurugi). Can't wait for an English release.

Nanis23 posted...

Only played Celeste
Would be verryyyy surprised if anything is even close to being as good as it was

Hollow knight and dead cells are better
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Hollow Knight was 2017!
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Haven't been able to play as many new games this year unfortunately, so I've only finished two 2018 indie titles.

Dead Cells is great. Beat it multiple times on the normal difficulty and once on hard. I do think I've hit my skill/patience ceiling on it when I gave the 2-cell difficulty a try.

Donut County is chill and funny. Will probably go back to it next year for that platinum trophy!

Vampyr is up next for me once I finish RDR2. That counts as an indie game, yeah?

Will definitely get Celeste, Into the Breach, and Florence before the year is through.

If my crummy laptop can run it, I'll get Return of the Obra Dinn.

If I have the time, I'll check out Iconoclasts, The Missing, Paratopic, Red Strings Club, and A Case of Distrust.

I really like Guacamelee 1, so I might pick uo 2 if it's on sale for a good price.

I put Wandersong and The Low Road on this list of 2018 indie games I wanna check out, but they're not priorities.

oh and uh yeah Hollow Knight is my retroactive 2017 GOTY and my 2018 GOTY because i don't care jeez what an amazing game
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TVontheRadio posted...

Vampyr is up next for me once I finish RDR2. That counts as an indie game, yeah?

i think when you're at a point where your studio is publicly listed and has multiple games in production for different large publishers you're no longer indie

but who cares, game is cool.
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iiicon posted...

Johnbobb posted...

Return of the Obra Dinn was probably the only major indie game I played this year (which sucks because I usually love indies, but only that and Celeste really caught my eye this year)

What did you find so appealing? The jump off from that to some adventure games (Unavowed!) might not be so far.

aside from the shallower stuff like the awesome art style and weirdly satisfying sound design, the way everything unfolds is just really kind of startling and compelling. The various mysteries are a blast to piece together. Solving the identities is really difficult, but nothing ever feels unfair, and when you solve them it's just such a great feeling

as soon as I beat it I immediately wished I could just forget everything and play it again for the first time
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TVontheRadio posted...

If my crummy laptop can run it, I'll get Return of the Obra Dinn.

my laptop is also crummy and could run it without any trouble
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Johnbobb posted...

the way everything unfolds is just really kind of startling and compelling. The various mysteries are a blast to piece together. Solving the identities is really difficult, but nothing ever feels unfair, and when you solve them it's just such a great feeling

you know what game you should play? hitman 2016.
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iiicon posted...

Johnbobb posted...

the way everything unfolds is just really kind of startling and compelling. The various mysteries are a blast to piece together. Solving the identities is really difficult, but nothing ever feels unfair, and when you solve them it's just such a great feeling

you know what game you should play? hitman 2016.

I did! I really liked it!
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oh. well then. buy hitman 2 i guess?
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from the playthrough I watched

- Return of the Obra Dinn
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Celeste, Yoku, Timespinner, Exapunks, Darkade
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Iconoclasts
Yokus Island Express
Save Me Mr Tako
Chasm
Celeste

I highly recommend Yokus Island Express! Thats a joy of a game experience, really fresh and fun compared to your typical indie game.

I've done a really bad job keeping up with games in general this year. only indie games I've played are celeste and donut county. celeste was great, donut county was pretty neat.
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Haven't had a chance to play too many indie games this year, but I've been playing Full Metal Furies (not furries, it's not an original joke either) with my wife and it's been a lot of fun.

It's a co-op brawler (with some heavy puzzle elements) by the same company that made Rogue Legacy. I thought Rogue Legacy was good but not great, especially given the reception it received. By contrast, this game is a lot more entertaining and has gotten basically no attention at all.
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I've been unemployed most of the year so I haven't been able to grab a lot of stuff, but I'll make the obligatory Celeste mention.
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Return of the Obra Dinn
The Messenger
Wandersong

These will all be top 5 on my GOTY list.
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heroicmario posted...

Thats a joy of a game experience, really fresh and fun compared to your typical indie game.

You're on notice, indie games! Take your stale and unfun experience elsewhere!

VintageGin posted...

Haven't had a chance to play too many indie games this year, but I've been playing Full Metal Furies (not furries, it's not an original joke either) with my wife and it's been a lot of fun.

I always get this one and Disco Elysium mixed up, because the devs behind Disco Elysium realized what a bad name No Truce With the Furries was so they rebranded. IIRC the devs behind Full Metal Furies mentioned negative association with its name for some of its poor sales in a post-mortem?

And yeah, I wasn't big on Rogue Legacy either. I hate how it controls.
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iiicon posted...

I always get this one and Disco Elysium mixed up, because the devs behind Disco Elysium realized what a bad name No Truce With the Furries was so they rebranded. IIRC the devs behind Full Metal Furies mentioned negative association with its name for some of its poor sales in a post-mortem?

And yeah, I wasn't big on Rogue Legacy either. I hate how it controls.

I don't know if they mentioned that specifically.

But one of the things they've expressed regret about was the fact that they kept the puzzles in the game a secret, and apparently a lot of content is locked behind those puzzles.
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iiicon posted...

heroicmario posted...

Thats a joy of a game experience, really fresh and fun compared to your typical indie game.

You're on notice, indie games! Take your stale and unfun experience elsewhere!

I didnt mean it in that way! I have been playing a lot of indie games lately, but theyve all got a common inspiration running through them. Yoku has it, too, but mixed with pinball. Its a different kind of feeling of fun in a way other (good) games dont replicate.

Look, it might seem that every indie game today is a Metroidvania, but that's just not true. Every game that isn't a Metroidvania is a roguelike.
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okay but have you considered metroidvania roguelikes
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Gatarix posted...

okay but have you considered metroidvania roguelikes

iiicon posted...

- Dead Cells

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Roguelikes are the bane of me. Dead Cells might be something that would speak to me, though!