GameLook Report/As the game market becomes larger and larger, 3A games have also begun to gradually move closer to the free mode. DLC, reservations and various in-app purchases give people a stronger commercial atmosphere, especially many masterpiece series, which often involve hundreds of people repeatedly creating uncreative content according to a table. The rise of indie games in
has given players more choices. The success of some of the best shows that it doesn’t necessarily cost millions of dollars to make a good game. Although the details may not be as good as masterpieces like " Legend of Zelda ", "GTA" or "Metal Equipment", the creativity of excellent indie games is enough to attract attention.
Previously, foreign media selected independent games and listed the 18 best independent games in the past ten years. Since it was selected by foreign media, this list is inevitably missed. How many of the following games have you played?
1. "Bastion"
There are many developers who are RPG, but not many people can remember it at a glance and can be called artwork. "Bastion" is one of the few classic ARPGs.
's unique art style and excellent animation design are the main reasons why people are impressed by it at first sight. "Fortress" developer SuperGiant Games did not invest millions of dollars in this game, but they continued to invest many years. In short, this is the story of "A Boy and His Hammer". After a simple beginner's teaching, you begin to understand the little boy from all angles, and you can buy various steampunk-style weapons in the levels and gain various abilities.
In addition to the unique style of painting and game stories, the music design of "Fortress" is also incredible. Without tens of thousands of words, the game has added a story-telling vocal. The low and magnetic dubbing can give you more knowledge about the game world and the protagonist of the story. In addition, the production of other sound effects is also excellent. The game can be regarded as the one with full creativity, unique style and the highest completion in the field of independent games.
2. "Hotline Miami" series (Hotline Miami 1 2)
Sometimes, all your game needs is an excellent idea.
Simple shooting gameplay and retro art style are the first impressions of the game, but then you will find that the funny dubbing quickly makes people excited. You can use all the ways, such as chainsaws, bottles, baseballs, and various guns, etc., to eliminate all enemies in the level, and maximize the experience of the thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling thrilling
In addition to the times, "Hotline Miami 2" has added a more bizarre story. Under the tense sense of rhythm, there are actually many story clips hidden. The protagonist of the previous work becomes a supporting role, and you will also encounter the gangster boss, the retired policeman, and the unknown killer on the other end of the phone. Due to its bloody and violent theme, the Hotline Miami series may not necessarily be liked by many people, and may not even pass the level, but it is undeniable that anyone who has seen this game will be impressed by it.
3. " Super Meat Boy (Super Meat Boy)"
Many people may think that " Dark Souls " is already the most difficult game, but "Super Meat Boy" will make you change your previous thoughts. According to statistics from Raptr.com, this work has the lowest level of clearance in the history of the game, and only 0.8% of players have truly passed the game. Although
is extremely difficult, the game has a very high reputation and sales volume. You control a square meat-eating boy character in the game, and start an adventure in order to save your girlfriend bandage girl who was hijacked by the fetus Doctor. Players have to run over or avoid various traps and obstacles through continuous running. The game design style is simple but not simple, difficult and fun. Wikipedia data shows that the total sales of the game exceeds 8 million sets.
4.Shovel Knight
"Shovel Knight" is an excellent game that combines a large number of classic NES game features and is well-made. Its gameplay, boss and level design are all inspired by " Mega Man ".The in-game towns, inventory and currency system combine the characteristics of "The Legend of Zelda 2" with your NPC.
However, what really makes the game stand out is that although it draws on a large number of excellent games, it still has its own unique art style, music and plot. Although it is a tribute to the classics, it never uses outdated creativity that is not only awesome to the streets, but also refreshing.
5. " Go to the Moon (To The Moon)"
Compared with many works, "Go to the Moon" may not be that powerful, and the gameplay in this game has not even added much gameplay, because the plot alone impresses many players.
For players who are used to twists and turns, it is not easy to impress them with stories. If you want to resonate with players from an emotional level, you must start from a life perspective and bring an impactful emotional experience. Therefore, it does not even require gorgeous pictures to be impressive.
6. " Wind Journey (Journey)"
This adventure game designed by Chinese designer Chen Xinghan is actually not a pioneer of this type, but its stunning pictures, grand game scenes, magnificent storylines and refreshing creativity make "Wind Journey till conquer most players.
has no weapon system, no monster-killing and upgrades, and does not require complicated operations. You can devote yourself to the game world, and what is more touching than animation is the experience you get. Just like the name of the game, your experience is a journey, during which you will meet all kinds of companions and experience various forms of separation, but as long as you persist, you will always be able to reach the end.
7. "Gemini Rue"
Developer Josh Nuernberger once spent three years to complete the screenwriter, animation and programming alone. Since it was produced by a small team, the picture quality of "Gemini Action" is relatively simple, and you will find that although only click-through operations are required, the game content is very rich, and every detail in the retro style pictures needs to be paid attention to, otherwise it will be easy to die.
The roles players will play are Azriel Odin and Delta-Six, the former who was a killer who had been looking for a defector from the "Gemini System" and the latter is a patient whose memory was erased. Fate brings these two together to explore this mysterious world, and everything you do will likely change the fate of the entire galaxy.
Perhaps, the most prominent thing about "Operation Gemini" is its game rhythm. Compared with many similar types, it is more pure, and there is not even a hidden game, it is just a pure adventure game.
8. "Nidhogg"
has such a game that has neither complicated operations nor attractive pictures, let alone gorgeous animation effects. However, with the strategic nature behind the pixel style, this fighting game called "Nidhogg" has still won many industry awards.
The game has a very fast pace, and you can kill the opponent by touching the sword. So every game ends unexpectedly quickly. Its fast pace makes every second of the battle seem eternal, and every movement of a pixel character may lead to victory or failure. It's a very intense game, so it's not suitable for a long experience, no matter the outcome, your sigh of relief at the end of each game is the biggest reward.
GameLook previously introduced that the game was a graduate student who had never officially taken programming courses and took 4 years to develop. In the initial period, he had to complete his studies, work part-time, and other game projects. It was not until later that he established an independent studio, Messhof, officially entered the research and development and production.
9. " Titan Souls (Titan Souls)"
If "Dark Souls" is one of the most difficult RPG series, then "Titan Souls" is the most difficult pixel-style RPG game, and it is very interesting whether you are experiencing the game or listening to the game soundtrack. Thanks to minimalist character design and huge game world, you will feel more stressed when you encounter enemies all over the screen, and you only have a bow and an arrow, but you need to destroy the boss of the entire scene.
High difficulty is the biggest feature of the game. As suggested by the developer Acid Nerve, if there is no controller, it may be difficult for many people to pass the level. Use limited weapons to solve a large number of enemies. The game is more like an action puzzle. No matter what strategy you choose, the game will not be low. Each boss is different and requires different combat strategies, which is very suitable for core players who like to challenge.
10. "Gone Home"
can be seen from the name of the game. This is a narrative game with a plot. However, its world view is very similar to a first-person horror game. The protagonist Smantha is a naughty child with a rebellious spirit, but you can't see the fierce gunfight, nor do you have to solve complex puzzles. It is just a memory of home and family. Collect the complete story plot through different clues, and a complete story will unfold in your mind.
Thanks to the design of the plot, music and game screen, IGN gave "Go Home" a 9.5-point rating. Whether it is an independent game or a 3A masterpiece, this is very rare.
11. " Ninja Mark (Mark of The Ninja)"
Many people may think that you can't make a stealth game with 2D style, but Canadian developer Klei has successfully done it. It is not only excellent in creativity, but also has become a leader in stealth games.
The first look at this game, you will think it is a cartoon animation, the nameless ninja shuttles between the shadows and the ventilation holes, and the enemy's dubbing makes people easily reminded of the sound effects of Disney animation. In addition to the well-designed levels, "Ninja Mark" has also added a ranking system to each level.
The style and mission design of this game are very similar to Klei's previous "Flash Guest". Although it is a stealth game, the pleasure is not inferior to the action game, and players also need to use wisdom and various props to pass the level. Both endings are thought-provoking.
12. "FEZ"
This game is considered by many European and American developers to be the best independent game. IGN also gave a high score of 9.5. After it was released on the Steam platform in 2013, the sales of "FEZ" exceeded 10 million sets in one year. This game, which was developed by the two for 5 years, was a great success. But then, the founder Phil Fish announced that he would withdraw from the gaming industry and sold its studio Polytron.
FEZ is a 2D platform game set in the 3D world. The goal is to collect blocks and block fragments. Only by collecting all of them can the world return to normal order. In the process of finding these blocks, Gomez moves between game environments through jumping, and other platform elements will change according to the level theme.
There is no boss, no enemies, and no penalty for failure in the game. Player characters can quickly resurrect after death. The designer’s description of this game is a relaxed and free game like ‘stop and smell the fragrance of flowers’. This game focuses more on puzzle solving rather than the sensitivity of traditional platform games. Developer Phil Fish once said that most players have not even discovered this 10% of the fun of the game. Playing the protagonist Gomez, exploring the entire universe and even multidimensional parallel universes, the fear brought by the unknown vast world can be said to be the most shocking part of "FEZ".
13. "The Banner Saga"
"The Banner Saga" has a very special style. Although it adopts a relatively old turn-based combat mode, the gameplay of war chess increases more strategicity. Although it is an RPG gameplay, you need to calculate damage between rounds, put the character in the most appropriate position and choose the best attack target for it.
The game was released by the three-person team Stoic in 2014, and quickly won three awards for IGF’s best art, music and design. It received more than 30 million yuan in revenue and 90% of praise on the Steam platform.
14. "Rogue Legacy"
"Rogue Legacy" developed by Canadian independent team Cellar Door Games is definitely an alternative to RPG games: it has no experience bars, no death penalty, and every failure can give you a higher starting point for the next restart.
"Robber Legacy" is a pixel-style Ruguelike game. Unlike other similar games, players need to explore randomly generated dungeons in the game, defeat four different bosses, and then reach the final level to defeat the final boss. Different characters in the game have customized abilities to jump and slash, and a second ability is added, such as using magic attacks, etc. What is different from most RPG games is that players must also reasonably consume the gold coins obtained in the game, because when entering a level, all unused gold coins must be handed in, but you can reduce such "tolls" by upgrading.
15. "Axiom Verge"
"Axiom Verge" is a pixel-style action shooting game. In the game, players play the protagonist Trace. One day, they wake up and find themselves in a strange world. All you need to do is adventure and shoot. There are more than 60 props in the game, more than 20 upgradeable weapons, classic 2D graphics, science fiction storyline and excellent background sound effects. The gameplay style of the
game is very similar to the classic game "Castle of Devils". Based on the reference, the game can be regarded as the best executed game in decades.
16. "Famine (Don’t Starve)"
From a monotonous game to a richness of character that is comparable to Pixar, Klei's survival game has added a large number of different game protagonists, and before you really start the game, their subtext is only "Don’t starve".
Although there is no gorgeous picture, the art style of "Famine" is very distinctive. The entire game world is hand-painted by Klei's art department. Strictly speaking, the game has no ending. You will eventually meet the person who threw you on a deserted island at the beginning, but what is more important in the game is to see how long you can survive.
17. "Please show your ID (Papers, Please)"
This game is a single-player Lucas Pope who took 9 months to complete research and development. The game tells the story of a fictional country Arsotzka immigration border inspector. The story was inspired by the developer's travel experience, and the initial creativity was just to express the anxiety of waiting for the document check when you went abroad to clear the certificate.
In terms of gameplay, "Please Show ID" is a simulation game, but in terms of specific details, role-playing gameplay has been added, and the two gameplays of developers are cleverly combined, subverting people's understanding of simulation games.
18. "The Stanley Parable"
With the advancement of game engines and the increase in R&D tools, creating games has become easier and easier, and even people who have never had R&D experience can make works that perform well. For the game, we have seen the 3A-level Call of Duty successful with the quality of production, and also the pixel-level " Minecraft " that is popular all over the world with its gameplay. However, what if you are neither good at art nor gameplay? The answer is simple: just use what you are good at.
"Stanley Fable" is such an adventure game completed by two independent developers. It has neither 3A picture quality nor complex gameplay. Moreover, the biggest fun of the game is that it does not follow the rules of game developers. Exploring different solutions is the fun. This game has sold 1.5 million sets since its release in 2013, and has achieved profitability after 3 days of release.
or above are the 18 best games in the past ten years by foreign media. What do you think this list has been missed?
