TOP TEN INDIE games FOR FALL 2023

Cocoon

You already know how good LIMBO and INSIDE are, what you might not know is that the lead gameplay designer from both of those games co founded a new studio in 2016 called Geometric Interactive. Their first game is Cocoon and the studio have said it has been inspired by The Legend of Zelda and Portal. These might be lofty expectations but over the summer, one of the biggest highlights from all of the conferences from many outlets was how Cocoon was brilliant with its puzzles, exploration and worlds that left many blown away.

The Last Faith

2023 has already seen a couple great Metroidvanias with Blasphemous 2 and Convergence, but in November, The Last Faith looks to be another great addition. Gorgeous pixel art, different starting archetypes, gothic setting, solid voice acting, demanding combat, custom executions, huge arsenal and plenty other elements look to result in a perfect blend of Metroidvania and Bloodborne. The comparisons to Blasphemous 2 are going to be inevitable, but below the surface, The Last Faith appears to be offering something unique.

Wizard With A Gun

Another great year for Devolver Digital is almost in the books with excellent games like Terra Nil, Bleak Sword DX, and Gunbrella. The year isn’t over just yet as Wizard with a Gun looks to join the list with its magical sandbox survival adventure. Wizard With A Gun is all about exploring the randomly generated biomes, collecting goods from the world and fallen foes, crafting new items to improve and then venture back out with your new found items and skills.

Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor

Vampire Survivors might not have been the first, but it brought the genre to the mainstream and created enough attention that many people now refer to the genre as bullet heavens. There have been a lot of games that have attempted to capture the magic, but the one that has my attention the most is Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor from Fun Day Games. The universe is already well established, the visuals look gorgeous with the isometric view and most importantly, it has taken the core elements of DRG and fused it into a bullet heaven. Mining, minerals, huge bugs, endless hordes and drop pods to escape are just a few ways that Deep Rock looks to create a unique approach to the genre.

Rotwood

Klei have always been a studio that constantly reinvents itself with new experiences in different genres with games like Shank, Griftlands, Don’t Starve and our favourite Mark of The Ninja. Even though they were acquired by Tencent, they will always be a smaller indie studio from Vancouver in our mind. They even stated that they still retain full creative control on their projects and it shows. The latest game from Klei once again enters new territory. Rotwood is a hack and slash dungeon crawler featuring the signature “Klei” look with early access launching in 2023. From the reaction from closed playtests, Rotwood will be another excellent Klei experience .

Breachway

The search for a true Slay The Spire successor has been ongoing since 2019, when it released out of early access with its perfect blend of complexity, strategy and fun. Breachway looks like it checks a lot of the same boxes and as an added bonus, looks to take some inspiration from FTL. In Breachway, you pilot a spaceship with your choices and actions creating tense narrative moments that force you to grapple with morally grey decisions. It might not take the Slay The Spire throne, but it’s a deck builder to watch.

Song of Nunu

Walking the line of what is and isn’t indie is always tough. Tequila Works, most known for developing Rime and Deadlight are an indie studio from Spain, however Riot is most definitely not indie. Riotforge is the Riot initiative the sees the huge company pair with indie studios to create something unique that also works as a way to expand the League of Legends universe. 2023 has already seen some great entries from Riotforge with Convergence, and The Mageseeker. Both were excellent games that succeeded in both being an excellent stand alone game for fans of League and fans of indie games. Song of Nunu is a 3D platformer that looks to be strongly inspired by Banjo Kazooie with the two main characters exploring, solving puzzles and using their unique skills to alter the environment.

Station To Station

One of the big surprises of 2023 for us was Terra Nil and its blend of serene atmosphere and satisfying reverse city builder gameplay. Station to Station looks to capture a lot of the same essence as Terra Nil, with its minimalism and gorgeous art style. You connect parts of your small world to bring life to the countryside with stations and tracks that turn the dreary landscape into a vibrant, lush environment that is very satisfying. The gameplay is tailored to those that want a relaxing train experience, but each levels also offers more strategic challenges if you want the option. The demo was fun, but my only hope is that it gets optimized on Steam Deck by release.

007 Cypher

Time for a curveball with 007 Cypher as this game is an Apple Arcade exclusive. Sadly, many people will write it off immediately due to that reason. 007 Cypher looks like a blend of Hitman and old school Metal Gear with its top down view combined with its gameplay full of stealth and gadgets. It also looks to incorporate a strong story featuring Blofeld as the main villain who has been famously portrayed in the movies by Christoph Waltz. Just like TMNT Splintered Fate, it will likely be well worth signing up for a month, pairing your controller and streaming it to you TV for the full experience.

Biogun

One of the other Metroidvanias that has captured my attention is Biogun, where you’re injected into a dog to take on evil on a microscopic level. It features all of the crucial elements of a metroidvania including upgrading your equipment, absorbing new powers from vanquished enemies, hand drawn animations, and an interesting setting that hasn’t been overdone or even seen. The bright color palette is a very welcome change of pace from the standard dark and dreary tones that dominate the genre.