Board 8 > Consensus best indie games this century

(+) Yeah! (+)

I know I've asked a similar question before, but I'm finding myself enjoying prestige indie titles far more than AAA games recently.

But I don't necessarily want to hear what your personal favorites are. Rather, what are those critical darlings or legendary titles that contributed to this indie boom that everyone loves?

Examples: Cave Story, Super Meat Boy, Celeste.

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Bastion? Didnt blow me away, but it sort of set the world on fire.

also Undertale, obviously

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You can't really go wrong with anything from Supergiant Games. Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre are all great.

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Braid?

Originally Minecraft?

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I know people said this in your last, similar topic, but the way to find indie games you enjoy most isn't necessarily to play the consensus best.

Anyways, some "consensus best" types that haven't been mentioned yet:

• Cuphead
• Hollow Knight
• Journey
• Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn
• Shovel Knight
• The Walking Dead (kind of borderline, but if you count it, it was the first indie game to be a serious mainstream GotY contender)

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If you want like the indie game that really started things off, I think you can trace it back to Plants Vs Zombies. IMO, thats more or less when I think people really started to take notice of the genre as something that could be substantial.

If you just want the best of the past decade Cuphead, Shovel Knight, Celeste, etc but I think those are more recipients of the indie boom.

If you want like which game I think would win an award for "best of" that's Minecraft.

Also, it depends on where you find the cut off for "indie". Like do you count things like Divinity Original Sin and its Sequel indie titles? What about Rocket League?

KokoroAkechi posted...

If you want like the indie game that really started things off, I think you can trace it back to Plants Vs Zombies. IMO, thats more or less when I think people really started to take notice of the genre as something that could be substantial.

I'd say Braid is this game

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Pretty sure it's Hollow Knight

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Throw Binding of Isaac on the list

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In terms of indie titles that I remember getting a good amount of critical acclaim

Castle Crashers
Braid
Audiosurf
World of Goo
Super Meat Boy
Dear Esther (wasn't a huge fan of this one but definitely influenced a lot of walking sim art games)
Amnesia
Antichamber
Spelunky
FTL
Bastion
Minecraft
Terraria
The Witness
Undertale
Ori and the Blind Forest
Hollow Knight

Probably more than a few that I forgot


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VintageGin posted...

In terms of indie titles that I remember getting a good amount of critical acclaim

Castle Crashers
Braid
Audiosurf
World of Goo
Super Meat Boy
Dear Esther (wasn't a huge fan of this one but definitely influenced a lot of walking sim art games)
Amnesia
Antichamber
Spelunky
FTL
Bastion
Minecraft
Terraria
The Witness
Undertale
Ori and the Blind Forest
Hollow Knight

Probably more than a few that I forgot

I dunno if the witness counts but it's the best game of that list

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Oh I forgot about VVVVVV

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Most of the great stuff has already been mentioned.

I'll mention Limbo, which hasn't been said yet, because it got really high scores and had a lot of buzz.

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Celeste easily

won numerous awards and was nominated for Game of the Year at the GA

Hollow Knight or Undertale would be my pick.
Celeste looks good, but I never got around to it.

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The Binding of Isaac
Dead Cells
The Stanley Parable
Rocket League (it counts)
The Witness (required imo)
Baba is You
Path of Exile (it counts too)

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Rocket League

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Let's state some that got attention and acclaim before 2009

I made a game with zombies in it...this thing killed on the xbox 360 indie store.
Avatar Golf...as this was popular too
DotA use map settings game in Warcraft 3

Rollercoaster Tycoon just missed the cut with a very late 99 release, but dang it, I'm mentioning it.


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Assuming visual novels count, I think the original release of Higurashis first chapter had like 3 people working on it and aside from the music I dont think the staff on later chapters or Umineko were much bigger.

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Celeste

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