Every year, developers delight us with a lot of small, exciting video games. We often call them “indies”. And this term indicates independence from publishers. Then you can even call the expensive Baldur’s Gate III indie… And do publishers necessarily deprive authors of freedom and vision, which seem to a priori accompany indie developers?..
So we decided to move away from the “Best Independent/Indie Game” category and pay attention to relatively small games with a small budget – even if they have a publisher. And yes, there are very, very many of these! It is physically impossible to include all the cool low-budget games in the top. Therefore, this list includes only those creations for which the Igromaniya employees gave the most votes.
If you think there should be other games on the list, write them in the comments!
Seventh place – Terra Nil
We have already mentioned Terra Nil in the list of the best strategies of 2023. This game is very easy to love thanks to the gameplay, visual style and just the concept itself. I suggest that gamers restore nature where, it would seem, there is nothing left to bloom or smell. And this needs to be done armed with modern technologies! So in the end we get a small but cozy game, from which you feel deep satisfaction.
Sixth place – Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Fans of Jet Set Radio are waiting for Sega will issue a restart, and the command Team Reptile, inspired by the classics, this year presented Bomb Rush Cyberfunk to the public. This is an action-adventure game where the city becomes our playground, full of opportunities to show off your dexterity. Add to that a vibrant visual style and solid music, and you get a game that some are calling one of the best, or even the best, of the year.
Fifth place – Blood West
The dark shooter Blood West appeared in early access last year, but only reached its full release in early December. Players – even if there are not so many of them – greeted the new product with very positive reviews, praising the eerie atmosphere of a Western, the stealth gameplay, and the variety of enemies and weapons. Plus, gamers are pleased with the local leveling, which allows them to create a hero build that suits their style. Yes, there is something to complain about in Blood West, but even critics spend many hours in the shooter.
Fourth place – The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales
What we expected from The Bookwalker was, above all, a spirit of adventure and an atmosphere inspired by famous books and universes. And traveling through imaginary worlds turned out to be really fun! If, of course, you immediately understand that the game pleasantly surprises not with its scale, but with its style. Several small stories woven together will allow you to visit the school of magic, and among the snow at Thor’s factory, and in distant space… And how nice it is, even after the game, to imagine in which book worlds you yourself would be happy to find yourself!
Review by The Bookwalker. Journey through fantastic book worlds
Third place – Cocoon
Lead gameplay designer of Limbo and Inside Jeppe Carlsen tried himself as a game director and released a puzzle Coccon. And his game was a huge success – at least in terms of reviews from gamers, journalists and experts.
In Coccon, we need to travel through strange worlds within worlds, facing not only a variety of tasks, but also strong opponents. So you can’t expect a quiet adventure: you can’t do without battles here.
Second place – Dave the Diver
One of the most unexpected hits of the year (or even the most unexpected) was Dave the Diver. A diver simulator, which turns out to be a much deeper (in every sense!) game. If you don’t watch the videos and forget about the discussions about Dave the Diver online, you’ll never guess what adventures await Dave and his friends! But you probably already know that the gameplay here is far from superficial. Just give the game a chance and it will definitely amuse you!
First place – Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
The shooter Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun won with a minimal margin over the wonderful Dave. With the simplest graphics and the simplest story, requiring you to just go forward and deal with everyone on the way…
But the developers did an excellent job of recreating the dark atmosphere of Warhammer 40K, trying to make players feel like powerful space marines. And over time, they realized that to win they would have to work hard, dealing with numerous enemies: from simple heretics to huge monsters. So in the end it turned out to be both simple and difficult, but definitely tasteful!
Review of Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. Space Marines against heresy
What relatively small games released in 2023 have caught your attention? And what did you like more than others?
