Indie
Indie is short for the English word independent, which means "not dependent." Independent developers usually create games without investments from publishers, and therefore have a very limited budget. As a result, the games do not feature AAA-level graphics, but in each of these projects, the developers strive to realize their boldest fantasies and apply risky ideas. Often, indie games are not well-received by hardcore players due to their experimental gameplay. The most prominent representatives of the indie game genre are: Minecraft, Super Meat Boy, Super Meat Boy , and perhaps Fez.
Years
Platforms
Statuses
Best Games in the Indie genre of 2012 (Game released)
Arcade, Action, Adventure, Online, First-person view, Fantasy / Medieval, Sandbox, Indie, Survival, Crafting
Game released: Xbox 360, Mac, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 5 → 9 May 2012
Players:
7.6/10
Metacritic:
83/100
An exciting sandbox focused on freedom of action and exploring a practically endless open world. Created through procedural generation, it is filled with...
Game released: PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Linux, PlayStation 4 → 23 October 2012
Players:
8.9/10
Steam:
96/100
Metacritic:
86/100
Hotline Miami is a brutal and bloody top-down action game. You have to step into the shoes of a serial killer who kills hundreds of various bandits and simply not...
Arcade, Action, Shooter, Racing, Isometric, Top-down view, Futurism (Future), Post-apocalyptic, Indie, Sports game
Game released: PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 → 17 February 2010
Players:
6.7/10
Steam:
84/100
Metacritic:
64/100
Zombie Driver is a whirlwind racing action game with a top-down view in the dangerous world of the zombie apocalypse. You have to travel around a city inhabited by...
Game released: PC, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Mac, Linux → 6 July 2012
Players:
9.4/10
Steam:
95/100
Metacritic:
83/100
An indie adventure game created using the RPG Maker engine. The game tells the story of two young doctors, Eva and Neil, who give people another chance to live...
Game released: Xbox 360, PC, iOS, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Linux, Mac → 20 July 2011
Players:
8.7/10
Steam:
96/100
Metacritic:
89/100
Bastion is an action-adventure RPG with an isometric camera view in a fantasy setting. You will go to a fairy-tale world, which, by the will of fate, is gradually...
Game released: Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 → 4 July 2012
Players:
8.4/10
Steam:
92/100
Metacritic:
87/100
Spelunky is a fun adventure that takes you to explore dangerous but rich mines. You will control a rather big-nosed but cute gold digger who came to the mines for...
Simulation, Action, In real time, Business / Management, Top-down view, Futurism (Future), Turn-based, Indie, Roguelike, Strategy, Space
Game released: PC, Mac, Linux, iOS → 14 September 2012
Players:
8.7/10
Steam:
95/100
Metacritic:
86/100
FTL: Faster Than Light is a unique management simulator with role-playing elements in a sci-fi setting. The cruiser Kestrel was lucky to find out secret information...
Role-playing game, Action, Adventure, First-person view, Fantasy / Medieval, Indie, Puzzle, Dungeons
Game released: PC, Mac, Linux, iOS → 11 April 2012
Players:
9.1/10
Steam:
92/100
Metacritic:
82/100
Legend of Grimrock is an action role-playing game with a first-person view in a fantasy setting. A group of prisoners are sentenced to death by exile to the...
Game released: PC, Linux, Mac, Nintendo 3DS, iOS, Android, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 → 11 January 2010
Players:
7.3/10
Steam:
96/100
Metacritic:
85/100
VVVVVV is an arcade indie platformer with a side view. You play as the fearless leader of a team of dimension explorers who have crashed and lost contact with each...
Game released: Android, BREW, iPad, iPhone, J2ME, Mac, Nintendo DSi, PlayStation 3, PSP, PC → 4 August 2011
Players:
5.5/10
Steam:
80/100
Metacritic:
81/100
A tower defense strategy game in which the player protects the field from waves of ground and air enemies. The defense relies on placing and upgrading towers...
Game released: Android, iPad, iPhone, Mac, Wii, PC, PlayStation 3, Linux, Nintendo Switch → 21 April 2011
Players:
5.5/10
Steam:
88/100
Metacritic:
80/100
Toki Tori is a side-scrolling arcade action platformer where the goal of each level is to collect all the scattered eggs. And to achieve this goal, the player will...
Game released: PSP, Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, PC, Amazon Fire TV, Commodore 64, Mac, Linux, iOS → 3 April 2012
Steam:
93/100
Metacritic:
77/100
Canabalt is a fantasy arcade platformer. You have to escape from the destruction of your city with just one button. The game that popularized the endless runner...
Game released: iPad, iPhone, PC, Mac, Linux, PS Vita, Wii U, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, iOS → 27 June 2012
Players:
8.6/10
Steam:
83/100
Metacritic:
78/100
Nihilumbra is a platform puzzle game developed by BeautiFun Games that will take you into a world of unusual adventures and abstract inclination. You will play as a...
Game released: Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Mac, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Linux → 13 April 2012
Players:
7.1/10
Steam:
91/100
Metacritic:
90/100
Fez is a side-scrolling indie adventure platformer. The action takes place in a 3D world, allowing the player to explore and traverse colorful worlds by rotating...
Game released: Mac, PC, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo Switch → 30 June 2012
Players:
8.5/10
Steam:
93/100
Metacritic:
81/100
Thomas Was Alone is a side-scrolling indie adventure platformer with puzzle elements. In this game, you have to guide a group of rectangles through a series of...
Role-playing game, Online, Action, Shooter, MMO, Top-down view, Fantasy / Medieval, Free game, Roguelike, Indie
Game released: Browser, Mac, PC → 20 June 2011
Players:
9/10
Steam:
80/100
Realm of the Mad God is a free-to-play top-down multiplayer shooter in a fantasy setting. You have to team up with dozens of players and fight for the Kingdom of...
