Top 50 Indie Games

Here you go--my personal ranking of the best indie games ever made! The last decade or two have seen an explosion of innovative and memorable indie games, and these are some of the most enduring standouts. This is all in good fun, so feel free to weigh in with thoughts, recommendations, and rankings of your own!
Here's a few other videos on the channel about indie stuff:
Katana Zero vs. Hotline Miami:
• Katana Zero vs. Hotlin...
Top 10 Mystery Indie Games:
• Top 10 Mystery Indie G...

[@ShinjiIkari007]

*TIMESTAMPS :* 1:59 Superhot 2:39 Limbo 3:39 Firewatch 4:49 The Stanley Parable 5:59 Hotline Miami 6:48 Sifu 7:57 Transistor 9:11 Oxenfree 10:40 Kena: Bridge of Spirits 11:54 Unpacking 13:43 Gris 14:43 Super Meat Boy 15:46 Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy 17:01 Braid 18:29 Soma 20:04 The Witness 21:34 Overcooked 2 22:53 To The Moon 24:17 Fez 25:27 Gorogoa 26:37 Inside 27:48 Untitled Goose Game 29:13 Shovel Knight 30:32 Celeste 31:57 Golf Story 33:43 Her Story 34:57 Disco Elysium 36:54 Katana Zero 38:18 Gone Home 40:18 Slay The Spire 42:01 Minecraft 43:28 Subnautica 45:32 Death's Door 47:08 Baba Is You 48:23 Into The Breach 50:02 Towerfall 51:13 Tunic 53:27 Binding Of Isaac 55:02 Hyper Light Drifter 56:37 Papers, Please 58:24 A Short Hike 1:00:21 What Remains Of Edith Finch 1:02:35 Return Of The Obra Dinn 1:04:14 Night In The Woods 1:05:51 Dead Cells 1:07:41 Hades 1:10:10 Hollow Knight 1:11:57 Stardew Valley 1:14:20 FTL: Faster Than Light 1:16:56 Outer Wilds

[@philllisphilllis5453]

Thank you so much

[@leobuller]

MVP

[@stumpedtroper]

where is crosscode :(

[@-Scrapper-]

Take this Reddit Award

[@josephjoy2245]

Hotline Miami not high enough…

[@jada90]

Playing Outer Wilds changed my understanding of what a video game could be, in a way that I don't think happened since the switch to 3D with Mario 64

[@alarmgoesding]

Absolutely. It's an experience that can only be had through the medium of video games.

[@hsancv132]

Lmao

[@rileygarcia1]

I always wanted to play it but I’m not that big on puzzle games. Should I still give it a shot?

[@herb2110]

@@rileygarcia1 the puzzles aren't what you would think as traditional puzzles like in games such as "the witness" or "baba is you", rather, they're more like logical deductions of the world and its mechanics. So you might enjoy it

[@MunitionsDudTester]

I played about 30 minutes or so, I'll need to give it another go.

[@Softlol]

So happy to see Outer Wilds slowly is getting all the recognition it deserves. Remember playing it back in 2019 and literally nobody knew about it

[@ambersinghdreamybull]

Outerwilds is an L "game"

[@Softlol]

@@ambersinghdreamybull less of a game. More of a piece of art. Never played anything remotely as interesting as it… Hope I will experience the same at least another time in my short life.

[@picklechinazzboi2991]

@@ambersinghdreamybullinteresting take. Im guessing you probably played until you realized there was no trackable quest line than gave up?

[@ok-sj7bx]

@@picklechinazzboi2991 SPOILERS, IF YOUHAVEN'T PLAYED OUTER WILDS DON'T READ. I dislike Outer Wilds. Maybe I will pick it up because I am gaslighted to like it but genuinely I just lost interest for some reason. Long (and at least for a newbie) difficult maneuvering in space, making it what feels like an hour drive back to where I was before dying or getting stuck somehow. Also often not really finding anything? I have hard time following the main story too. And I despise the planet that has those typhoons that stole my ship and threw it on top of the map making it almost impossible to get... I was stuck there 30m just trying to launch myself with the water that kept rising to get back to my ship since I refused to just suicide out of stubbornness. Also I haven't found any relatable characters so I feel like I am just looking at old fictional stuff that has little plot, since again I have only understood "this is really old and fancy alien technology before our kind". And I find the sun reset stupid. It just kills me for, idk existing? Maybe I missed something or it will give me a lightbulb moment later but now it is just an annoying mechanic. And just for reference I don't mind the game being hard, I would rate Elden ring two (maybe 3) points higher than this (5 for this and Elden 7).

[@picklechinazzboi2991]

@@ok-sj7bx I feel like your complaints are very minor to the point where you just got slightly annoyed before interested. It doesn’t take longer than a minute to get to any planet and with anything, flying the ship takes some time to get good at. You also have an autopilot that will do most the work for you. The game is designed in a way where you cannot be trapped for more than 20 minutes and with the planet you were at, you could of just swam to an island. Similar to Elden Ring, if something happens that you don’t like, just keep it in mind and it shouldn’t happen again in the future, or if it is more complicated than that, think of a solution! Relatable characters isn’t the point if Outer Wilds, the story is almost entirely characterless, interactions between Nomai help you care about them more as a species but it is distinctly different than a game like Undertale. If you don’t like the sun blowing up, try to stop it! For you to be interested, you need to be hooked on the mystery, where it really helps to have been following the story beats from the start. The game isn’t traditionally hard, but the puzzles are hard. It never ever holds your hand and always respects your intelligence! It doesn’t seem like you have cleared enough of the game for you to tell whether you actually like it or not, you just got ticked off by ship controls and the world’s environment which shouldn’t be the deciding factor at all! I believe you should pick it up again and take your time before you go to some of the harder/bigger planets, explore the moon, and follow one of the threads you have after exploring it! Have a nice day.

[@danytalksmusic]

This might be one of my favorite videos on gaming ever. It's very special to celebrate the diversity and charm of so many amazing games. Sometimes it's the smaller games that suck you in the most and have the longest lasting emotional impact on the player.

[@NotedGirlEvie]

If you haven't played "Before Your Eyes," I really recommend it based on this list. A really wonderful, moving narrative told in a remarkably unique way: the game connects to your webcam, and time skips forward when it detects your blinks, like your life is flashing before your eyes.

[@shane3744]

Agreed! It's nice and short too: about 2 hours from start to finish.

[@Sidsebisse]

Just played it the other day and i liked it too. I did not except the ending, it was moving

[@itsArridian]

It made me sad 😔

[@crypticscrutiny1153]

What do if no webcam for fear of covert government espionage operations gathering intel on my very important private matters?

[@denizy7366]

Great list overall, it was really cool to see so many overlaps with my favorite indie games as well, some others that I think would be good contenders to be among these 50 are (sorry if there are duplicates): LISA: The Painful, Norco, Citizen Sleeper, OMORI, Undertale, Ori Series, Rain World, Hypnospace Outlaw, Kentucky Route Zero, Inscryption, Dusk, Chicory, Stephen's Sausage Roll, Terraria, Journey, The Cat Lady

[@xsmamb0357]

Technically Minecraft was once an indie game too, but too bad we cant call it an indie game anymore

[@micham33]

+ ULTRAKILL, Spiritfarer, Slime Rancher, Noita, The Messenger.. I guess there's too many to include :)

[@aaronatkinson177]

I loved playing dusk and I don't care if some don't call minecraft an indie game anymore to me minecraft is still a indie game and helped kick off the indie scene

[@oseandepartmentofnarcotics]

Im putting my lot in as well for games that should be in the top 50 (or 100) with project wingman, project zomboid, frostpunk, payday 2, foxhole, unturned, euro truck simulator 2, American truck simulator, war of rights, holdfast nations at war, war game red dragon, squad, hearts of iron 4, goat simulator, cities skylines, this is the police, holdfast nations at war, eve online and finally foxhole

[@technoboop1890]

risk of rain 2 too

[@LittleMew133]

I love your script writing! The descriptions and reasons why you like games are just so well-written. Well done.

[@zvennn]

Some other games you guys might like if you like this video: - The Beginner's Guide - Journey - Unfinished Swan - Call Of The Sea - The Last Door - The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter - Life Is Strange - Torn (VR) - Invisible Hours (VR) - Wanderer (VR)

[@UhmActually1]

What about cuphead?

[@k0lpA]

id add the case of the golden idol

[@_Abdo.]

1:59 Superhot #50 2:39 Limbo #49 3:39 Firewatch #48 4:49 The Stanley Parable #47 5:59 Hotline Miami #46 6:48 Sifu #45 7:57 Transistor #44 9:11 Oxenfree #43 10:40 Kena: Bridge of Spirits #42 11:54 Unpacking #41 13:43 Gris #40 14:43 Super Meat Boy #39 15:46 Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy #38 17:01 Braid #37 18:29 Soma #36 20:04 The Witness #35 21:34 Overcooked 2 #34 22:53 To The Moon #33 24:17 Fez #32 25:27 Gorogoa #31 26:37 Inside #30 27:48 Untitled Goose Game #29 29:13 Shovel Knight #28 30:32 Celeste #27 31:57 Golf Story #26 33:43 Her Story #25 34:57 Disco Elysium #24 36:54 Katana Zero #23 38:18 Gone Home #22 40:18 Slay The Spire #21 42:01 Minecraft #20 43:28 Subnautica #19 45:32 Death's Door #18 47:08 Baba Is You #17 48:23 Into The Breach #16 50:02 Towerfall #15 51:13 Tunic #14 53:27 Binding Of Isaac #13 55:02 Hyper Light Drifter #12 56:37 Papers, Please #11 58:24 A Short Hike #10 1:00:21 What Remains Of Edith Finch #9 1:02:35 Return Of The Obra Dinn #8 1:04:14 Night In The Woods #7 1:05:51 Dead Cells #6 1:07:41 Hades #5 1:10:10 Hollow Knight #4 1:11:57 Stardew Valley #3 1:14:20 FTL: Faster Than Light #2 1:16:56 Outer Wilds #1

[@rttp-righttothepoint6656]

ty so much

[@abdulghni8877]

Thank you so much ❤❤

[@mariomaksimovic8339]

No Inscryption, Rain World, Ori, The Esacapist 2, Factorio, Rim World, Sunless Sea, Jump King and The Messenger? :O

[@dhurghamadonis2515]

You saved my life

[@meeseeksrequiem3275]

Legend🫡🫡🫡

[@petey5009]

I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned, but CrossCode is an absolutely fantastic action rpg that blends a fast paced and stylistic combat system with puzzle design that rivals old school Zelda games. It's one of those games that at a first look you might shrug off as "yet another retro inspired pixel art game" but it truly is fantastic. And it has a free standalone demo (which runs in your browser), which you should absolutely try if you're remotely interested.

[@thebahua]

I don't know why, but this masterpiece is largely unknown, even among indie fans. I just finished another playthrough, and still managed to find new things.

[@ChicCanyon]

Its typically overlooked because its a 6/10 game.

[@chloeleferman2227]

@@ChicCanyon you clearly haven’t played it then

[@ChicCanyon]

@chloeleferman2227 i wish i hadnt to be honest. It was cheap enough but i couldve used the 40 hours doing much better things. Driving nails under my finger tips for example.

[@tigerex777]

@@ChicCanyon nobody is stopping you bud. Crosscode is awesome

[@mider-spanman5577]

I don't understand how you don't have more subscribers. You are a great reviewer with a good voice and such enthusiasm. You also articulate things quite well.

[@usernametaken4023]

Thanks for touching on topics like soundtrack and visual artstyles because these things add so much soul into these games. Specifically mentioning Lena Raine's music for Celeste is a great touch because, I don't think the game would have half of it's charm without the brilliant OST woven into the core of the game.

[@Uzgenouzmis]

Some classics that are not on this list and comes to mind are Guacamelee 1/2, Undertale, Enter the Gungeon, Ori 1/2, A Hat in Time, Cuphead, Dakest Dungeon, Axiom Verge 1/2, Blasphemous, Little Nightmares 1/2, Spelunky.

[@John-yi6cz]

It’s great to see A Short Hike get the recognition it deserves. For sure one of my favorite games!

[@darren591]

This is a fucking excellent video. Hardly any KZbinrs take the time to explain their thoughts and rankings in lists of this size. Also our tastes overlap a LOT - I absolutely loved Tunic. Please make more of these kinds of vids!

[@Jason-eo7xo]

This is one of the best videos I've ever seen on YT. You can just FEEL the love for video games as a medium beyond the graphics and gameplay. Video games, like any other medium, is often a reflection of the current state of humanity as a whole. Amazing!

[@Casual_Curious]

Never been happier than right now, seeing Outer Wilds at the top spot. It is by far the most unique and unconventional game i have ever played but nailed every part of it in the process. The only bad thing about is, that you cant talk about whats happening during your playtrough because knowledge is the only way to progess and discover the way to finish one of the best games ever made

[@ForeverMasterless]

@@geoffschnoogs6888 brave of you to publicly admit having the worst taste possible. I'm impressed.

[@boogsss2]

@@ForeverMasterless hater alert

[@StarLord-xm2gv]

"To the Moon" is probably one of the best written game I have ever played. There are so much twist and turn but ultimately when that ending song start playing I was sobbing so much. Its a chronological game but the story in this game is one of the best. If you got the chance than definitely play this game

[@Sazazezer]

Gah, that moment where you hear the heart rate monitor overlaying the music... I just lost it. Never cried to any medium like that before.

[@joshuacruz5436]

@@Sazazezer Wrecks me every time!

[@HasXXXInCrocs]

I can't believe terraria wasn't on this list?? Such a love project from the developers. So much depth, replayability, creativity and quality. I have to imagine you just haven't played it before otherwise I'm sure it would be in your top 15 at least.

[@shreyasshenoy7215]

i think he may not have played it

[@d3he173]

Not really indie

[@fake_hugo404]

​@@d3he173it is! It won best indie games of the year in 2011... It should of been in the list for sure. Perhaps even top 10

[@timebandit1266]

Terraria honestly isnt worth your time. Stardew valley and Minecraft are better.

[@maximany9506]

@@timebandit1266 minecraft is terrible compared to terraria lol wdym

[@davidbaggett5434]

My partner and I just spent a lovely morning enjoying your thoughtful reviews. We were excited to see some of our favorites on your list, and delighted to find new games to look forward to. Thank you

[@k1tsunex]

i was waiting for both outer wilds, and what remains of edith finch. Both games i wasnt expecting much but both resonated with me and felt like an experience rather than a time killer. Ironically enough, i just downloaded them one day assuming i would forget them a week later but nope, love them both. you have great taste.

[@Ahsthbotddrhdsr]

Same, I was waiting for them too.

[@KavCantCurve]

love the effort you put in these videos. you deserve more subscribers and I'm sure your channel will blow soon

[@jonaaas5547]

True

[@evanwilliamson8338]

Yeah bro, please keep making videos! The quality of your writing + analysis are as good as anything else I've seen in this space. You got this!

[@sirion2284]

i hope it blows me

[@BassByTheBay]

Wow, really excellent reviews! You spent just the right amount of time on these to give us insight into why each is good, and I've found a few new games to check out. 😎 Thanks for all your effort!

[@Jeremy_Huggins]

Idk how you caught my attention for over an hour when I cant even sit still for a movie for more than 20 mins. Great job mate - good explanations and the effort you put in shows!

[@get_thee_to_a_nunnery8271]

If you’re a fan of deck builders like Slay the Spire, you should absolutely play Inscryption. It turned me into a fan of the genre and is one of my favorite games I’ve ever played.

[@Gulzt]

Quickly scrolled through the comments and my eye caught this one. Thanks a ton, going to try it. Have you played Monster Train as well? I got it for free, had zero expectations and didn't like the art style, but ended up playing more than 100 hours

[@get_thee_to_a_nunnery8271]

@@Gulzt I haven’t, I’ll have to check it out!

[@noelthemighty]

Couldn't agree more. I didn't think I would enjoy a deckbuilding game, but after seeing some other recommendations, I tried Inscryption and LOVED it. In my opinion it belongs in the top 10 of this video.

[@lifedeather]

Yep absolutely based recommendation, Top 10 games in my entire lifetime for my personal list

[@DonkoXI]

The second the music from Hyper Light Drifter started playing, even before I was consciously aware you were about to talk about it, it's like my heart skipped a beat. This game had such a profound impact on me. I played it almost two years ago, but I still think about it frequently. It's music still haunts me.

[@coopernapoli8789]

This was an insanely well produced video and your commentary made me want to play a lot of these. New to Indie Games myself.

[@juanrodriguez9971]

Want any recomendations? I have at least 100 indie games in mind

[@GrooveMcDuck]

Awesome list and breakdown with not TOO many spoilers. Surprised Inscryption didn't make your list but I respect your wrong opinion ;) Thanks for introducing my Steam wishlist to a few titles I either hadn't heard of or hadn't given a second thought. You've also inspired me to finally boot up a few that have been collecting dust in my library. Subscribed!

[@2_Elliot]

I absolutely love the amount of work that went into this video. I adore the smooth script that always felt interesting, and somehow, for 80 minutes straight never missed a beat.

[@reallucynotclickbait]

Cuphead is my personal favourite video game of all time, and I’m surprised it wasn’t on this list bc it was shown for a brief moment at the beginning

[@CP-zn2mg]

Idk how he ranked untitled goose game and stardew over it, cuphead was definitely snubbed

[@CC-1993_Jet]

Cuphead is mid

[@reallucynotclickbait]

@@CC-1993_Jet bros never played cuphead before 💀

[@user-cy9vd7rl4h]

All lists will be subjective. Cuphead is the only game I've ever refunded on steam because the gameplay is so intensely boring. Beautiful and great music, but wildly unfun to play.

[@_Tao__]

@@user-cy9vd7rl4h cap

[@analogGigabyte]

Great list. Indies are so many it's impossible to sample them all. Some of my absolute favs are Factorio, Rimworld, Loophero, Kingdom Two Crowns, Darkest Dungeon, Battle Brothers and They Are Billions

[@morethanmoral217]

I was addicted to They Are Billions for a long time

[@kevinboles3885]

I checked the comments now at number 8, to see if someone had made a list. I was amazed at the amount and depth of praise for Outer Wilds. I was stunned by how effusive Skill Up was (repeatedly) about the game, so I already had it on my must play list. I am even more excited now, and I haven't even heard the current review!!

[@ItsJaggaJatt]

Great list. I would add Rimworld to the list. Incredibly complex, endlessly replayable, punishing and incredibly satisfying. Easily one of the best indie games ever made.

[@glauberbispo8922]

it sucks

[@Rithemofthenight]

@@glauberbispo8922 What?

[@arleyantes9321]

I'd include Dwarf Fortress instead, then.

[@Arsoonist]

Oxygen not included, don't strave are also some great games you can check out

[@Azure9577]

Dwarf fortress and kenshi are far better than the ovarated garbage that is rimworld

[@chillgamereviews9686]

As a fellow indie KZbinr and indie game lover, I appreciate this video on multiple levels. Our gaming sensibilities are similar, and I'm blown away by how much work must have gone into producing this. Excellent work, thank you for creating this.

[@TossedSalad69]

Ain't no way Terraria didn't make it.

[@CullenRotten]

or Starbound

[@pepeepupoo]

@@CullenRotten starbound was so dissapointing, but terraria? really?

[@BigBillsBadDeals]

That's a good thing. We need to stop posting the same games that basically everybody knows into each video. It ruins all the videos overall when you're looking for new games to play

[@saltyzu8412]

That game is for children

[@ItzFlairon]

@@saltyzu8412 no its not

[@jho9804]

Great video! The order of the top 5 took me by surprise big time! #4 and #5 I honestly expected to finish as #1 and #2 lol

[@joshuatheargonaut4412]

That was a good list. Having played the majority of these I can agree with you on almost all fronts. I’m personally glad you included What Remains of Edith Finch and Night in the Woods. Two of my most favorite story telling indie games of all time. Edith gets left off of a lot of list because I venture to say it isn’t action packed and takes some considerable amount of paying attention to enjoy. Louis’s story hits me hard as well every time. The game always leaves me misty eyed. I also agree Mayday is one of the best protagonist ever. She’s so relatable. She reminds me that you can be broken and still awesome. Im personally going to sit some of my friends down and have them watch this video. For years I’ve tried to get my pals into indie games and this is perfect list of validation to show them.

[@k1tsunex]

what remains of edith finch is one of my most memorable experiences in gaming. the day i finally gave the game a chance it was raining and i was home alone. i assumed i would play it for maybe 20 minutes and realize it wasnt for me but, i was completely wrong. i didnt even realize at the time but i was locked into the story immediately. the most impressive part is how smooth and easily it hooks you in. and if im being honest, i dont even remember what part made me realize that this game was different and that i was in for a bittersweet treat.

[@joshuatheargonaut4412]

@@k1tsunex Awesome, I think it's unfair when people label games like this a walking Sim. I like calling them first person exploratory games. It's an experience. WROEF is still one of my favorite games. Glad you had a simular experience with it.

[@baseballgenius3]

Awesome list. Lots of familiar faces, a few new games. Then I saw Outer Wilds at number 1, and I literally got churning butterflies in my stomach. The most amazing and moving game experience I’ve ever had. The game was a religious experience for me. So good. I love the different ways the different species view the universe. Innocent curiosity, scientific rigor, religious wonder (and betrayal) in the DLC. Wow. What a game. I know this video had to take a ton of work. It was really well done. Thanks!!

[@Primekip]

I'm going to revisit this list because I love the rethoric used to describe each game. I share a lot of these choices, and the ones I haven't played, I'm going to set aside some time to check out. Which, as it happens, most are on my wishlist. Great video

[@hexthe]

This is not a ranking video. It's a list of masterpieces.

[@jessica4175]

I really enjoyed this list although there were few games on here that I didn’t yet know. But it was still great to “relive” them for a moment. My only negative thought would be that... I thought that the spoiler for some games was a bit too big. But maybe that’s just me, idk. Anyway, really enjoyed this, thanks for putting in the work!

[@Cavouc]

Surprised Undertale didn't make it. It's such an iconic game I almost feel like like it was forgotten, because no doubt it is one of the most memorable journeys with its fourth-wall breaks, funny characters and a moving story.

[@december9838]

that literally is one of the best games to ever exist

[@TheDeafAndBlindPotato]

@@december9838its a bit more mainstream than indie 😅 Dont hurt me pls

[@LemonLovah]

​@@TheDeafAndBlindPotatoindie means independent development, mainstream or unknown doesn't define an indie

[@TheDeafAndBlindPotato]

@@LemonLovah ok

[@crypticscrutiny]

@@TheDeafAndBlindPotato it's not okay! 😭 You hear me?! 😭 You ruined it! 😭 You ruined the definition of the word "indie"! 😭 You ruined it for EVERYONE!!! 😭

[@Coldene]

I'm glad you mentioned Gris cause to this day IT STILL MAKES ME CRY EVERYTIME. Thank you for the effort you put in the video, you made me discover new games I want to play :D

[@caruusel]

Amazing video, I actually watched it for some recommendations because all I had growing up was a gameboy and later a nintendo ds so I missed out on a lot of games and about 2-3 years ago I started playing more I instantly fell in love with indie games and while I haven't played that many I was pleasantly surprised to see many of my favorites in your top 10. Outer wilds is by far my favorite alongside Journey, both of them just felt like a religious experience. I remember sobbing violently at the end of outer wilds and I'm so sad I will never be able to play it for the first time again. Another one I really enjoyed was spirit of the north, just a beautiful game. I played mostly story driven indie games with an artstyle I really liked but I'm going to try some games in the future like hotline miami so I can be a bit out of my comfort zone. Really loved the style and narration of this list, hope you keep on making more like it even if they're not as long.

[@mrkristopher]

I clicked on this video thinking "there's no way a video this long isn't a rambling mess", but man you do a great job giving just enough info on each game to make me curious. Well done, great video.

[@lucarusu6477]

Great list! I was really surprised to see Outer Wilds at no. 1. I was anxious throughout the video to see whether you knew about it as well and put it in your video, and it made me so happy to see you giving it the recognition it deserves, too few people know about that game, it's a true masterpiece.

[@oldbabygus8770]

Same here. I was ready to be mad about it’s exclusion lol

[@CallumND]

Hahah same. All the way up to number 2 and I had just about concluded that it must not be in the list. And then as OP said, butterflies the moment I saw that Outer Wilds art style appear

[@circusfreakRob]

Great video! I now have a nice list of 16 I took from this as "must play" games. Thank you for the in depth, insightful content!

[@morethanmoral217]

Great list. A lot of nostalgia in it for me. Especially when I heard you talk about what remains of Edith finch. Its impossible to play all the incredible indie games that come out, however, you didn't mention risk of rain 2. I don't know if you've played it or not, but for me it is a top 5 contender. A monumental game. Personally I'm going to be giving FTL a try. I have had it for a few years now and never played it.

[@0815Mann]

Great list! I'll gladly try some of the titles I've missed. I'd recommend Rimworld, a really nice and complex survival strategy game where all the colonists have different personalities which makes for interesting scenarios.

[@Sillow_]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for us. It was truly one of the best game recommendation videos I've seen on YT .

[@darana1142]

This video was a journey through video game history and everything that I love about it. Wonderful bit of work.

[@arthurm3008]

Very nice video! I love how you talk just enough about game to tease them without saying too much and keeping a good rythme for a such long video! My personal recommandations that wasn't in this top would be in a first time Undertale ofc. Not the first to talk about it but it's one of this game that really uses the video game format at it's full potential to brings you a ton of various emotions. Moreover I would reccomande This War Of Mine, a game that puts you in a precarious context of surviving during a tough war, where every resource may save you 1 more day in an anxious atmosphere of privations. A true realistic and innovative way to talk about citizens suffering from war. From the same studio, Frostpunk is a great mix of survival and city building in a bristish steampunk ambiant that brings a lot of moral questions when you have to take decision for the survival of your group. About survival game you can't skip The Long Dark, the most realistic game of this gender. There is a story mode that learn you basic with a nice scenario, but the best way to play the game is the endless mode, with it awesome exploration and gigantic map. I would end by talking about Portal 1 and 2, the best puzzle game I've ever play where the solution is alway right in front of you but never obvious. The 2bd opus is very nicely blent with a well written story and wholesome characters. It's one of the best experience to take a first step in the indie world.

[@Wadi_lol]

This is the best video I ever watch around indi games. We can feel the passion and even the "vibe" of the video feels indie (maybe because of all the games soundtrack you used) Thank you for your work I was looking for games to do and even if I played a lot of indie game already, I still have a ton to do

[@HyperKryst]

I would boot some of the games out of the list and put these instead: - Inscryption - Enter the Gungeon - Terraria - OMORI - Gunfire Reborn - Risk of Rain 2 - Rimworld - Recettear I feel like there is a ton of overpopularized indie games on here that for me were kind of meh or just ok (for example Superhot and Fez, which were still relatively fun experiences, but they wouldn't make it into my top 50 tbh). Outside of that, it's a really great list. I'm glad so many bangers that I've played made the list

[@derrick2476]

Hell yah, glad to see FTL so high on your list, it's my #1! Seeing your taste in games, give Horace a try. My daughter and I played through it together and we LOVED it. The story is funny at times and a tear jerker at other times. It's such an underrated game

[@melaniedickson7769]

What a massive amount of thought and work and gaming experience went into this! Newish gamer here, attracted by the creativity of indies to gaming, and this is a tour de force. Kid in a candy store vibing.

[@lucaslane7243]

a touching and light hearted game that doesnt get seen by nearly enough people is wandersong. Its just cheerful and really helped me have an optimistic outlook on life! Its an almost unheard hidden gem that i enjoyed every second of.

[@mythhead2688]

Nice. Thanks for some recommendations. Here are some indie titles (according to Steam tags) that I’d like to include. - Black Mesa - Bro-Force - Cup Head - A Hat in Time - The Messenger - Ori and the Blind Forest - Portal Reloaded - Portal Stories: Mel - VVVVVV

[@martinaiocco6319]

It was so heartwarming to see most of the list was made of either games that I played or games that are in my wishlist

[@KrakenG927]

this makes me want to make my own list of my favorite indie games. I could probably make a whole list of 50 indie games I love that you didn’t even mention in this video. (Maybe not 50, but still a lot). Also I instantly looked in the comments with time stamps to see if there was enter the gungeon. It’s fine that it isn’t there, im just really obsessed with it.

[@peopleperson2069]

Do it! It was disappointing to see so many major titles that I, and I assume many jt here, are familiar with. Was hoping to find a few hidden gems in this video but alas there were none.

[@PunCala]

There are two indie games I highly, highly recommend: Cave Story+ and Unsighted. It's an often overlooked classic with fantastic gameplay, memorable characters and a really nice secret path that I encourage people to look up. Regarding Unsighted, I really don't understand why people don't talk about it more. It's basically Zelda with Dark Souls combat, honed to perfection. It's criminally underrated. Special mention goes to Messenger. Very fun Shinobi-style retro game with two very, very good twists.

[@_hiras]

I'm so glad "to the moon" made it on here, such an underappreciated game Edit: Her story made it on here too? This persons taste is so damn great

[@62redhead]

Unpacking is one of my favorite games of all time. I started the game at around 1 AM the night before I moved out of my parents' house and into my college dorm to start my first year of university. I was so nervous, but the game soothed my mind. Games are beautiful in the way they can connect with us on so many levels. I'll never forget that night, or Unpacking.

[@safsaf99]

One of my favorites is "There's no game: wrong dimension", I highly recommend it

[@timporter]

Outstanding list. One game that stood out to me was Towerfall along your reasons for including it. Myself and a group of friends meet up at least once a year to play local versus style games. Towerfall is definitely a fun time, but Duck Game is the true masterpiece for this genre of game. If you've not played it, I highly recommend, and with 8 players now supported it's legitimately an outstanding time with friends.

[@kaecampbell8642]

I was surprised to see FTL so high, but darned if I didn't love that one too. Unlocked all the ships and achievements and whatnot. The length of a run hit a real sweet spot with me.

[@natalmi]

This is a great list. I thought Terraria would make the list after seeing Minecraft in there. Some of the notable missing games (from my list) are Rimworld, Terraria, Project Zomboid, and Kerbal Space Program.

[@epicwarding]

best indie list ive ever seen, watched the whole thing, im glad you were not afraid of making a long video just becose most people have atenttion span of a 5 second tiktok clip

[@windendent9497]

Thanks so much for your efforts in making this massive list up. Really appreciate it.

[@ReadytoShock]

great video! shockingly i almost played all of these xD games which I really miss are: Cuphead, Undertale, Inscryption, Neon White, Monster Train, Spelunky 2 and Rogue Legacy 2

[@Kryxx07]

Wonderful video. Between the video and the comments, I've probably added 25+ games to my Steam wish list.

[@epicwarding]

Here is some more Indie games for you to try Life is Feudal your own, Naval Action, Natural Selection 2 , Grim Dawn, Farthest Frontier, Factorio, Satisfactorio, Golf with your Friends. Bloons TD6 , Project Zomboid, Kingdoms Reborn, 7days to die, Foxhole and cough cough Terraria

[@GekkeGamePlay]

One game that I don't see talked about enough (maybe because it is so old) is A Story About My Uncle. It is a really short game, but the game just feels like such a fun journey that is extremely calming, but also engaging.

[@juliadcraide]

Another great video, I really like your work. I personally love indie games and even found some new ones to add to my wish list. 😁

[@mapron1]

Someone just wanting to raise money with YT channel: get one game from the list, make a review with 3 minutes of gameplay (not even capturing video youself) and 12 minute of ads. You: just loving games and make a wholesome awesome review of 50 games you personally enjoyed and make them feel unique (I played /heard of 80% games and still find you words interesting to listen). Keep doing your job, YT got recommended this and I think you are good content creator.

[@michael.arefiev]

Awesome video. Thank you so much. I've played some games from this list, but many more from it is in my backlog. And they are definitely moved up to the top of the list after this video. And I can not avoid mention one thing... Man! Your voice is amazing. And you speech is so beautiful, comforting and nice. I know many games from this list, but still I haven't skipped a second of it. Just to have a pleasure to hear you more and to know your opinion about those games. Cheers!

[@armenramen4541]

I didn't realize this video was 80 minutes long until it ended... Very awesome video! As someone who's not really able to play a lot of games, I just settle watching gameplay and game ranking videos and maybe play one or two games that is accessible to me.

[@flix256]

really surprised this doesn't have more views! great list, had a lot of my favorites as well as some games i haven't played that look really cool. was surprised not to see terraria, undertale or risk of rain 2 on here. all in all, a great video!

[@owentooker9676]

Outer wilds is 100% the number one best indie game. When I finished it I immediately felt grief since I knew I wouldn't ever be able to relive that whole experience. This is hands down the best experience one can get from an indie game. You get sucked right into it and it sticks with you for the rest of your life. Absolute. Masterpiece.

[@Yokah]

You should try Subnautica, it's superior in every aspect.

[@frommarstosirius]

@@Yokah no its not lmao. Subnautica sits in the top 5 for my favorite games of all time, but outer wilds has great gameplay, a much better storyline, and is much more polished.

[@FelixErikson]

Not even close haha@@Yokah

[@Gilded_07]

Other wilds just didnt click at all for me, i found the game boring. The only interesting aspect was the groundhog day trope. Beyond that the whole sentimental value of life theme just felt blase and unremitting dull

[@Epsilonn]

@@Gilded_07 im really surprised that you can use the term "blase" to describe outer wilds. i guess "dull" would be applicable if you don't enjoy any of the games tropes (mystery, exploration & puzzle solving), but i cant think of any excuse aside from that. the lore and mystery of outer wilds are intriguing, but its strongpoint is the way it directly correlates progression to knowledge. there are very few other games i can think of that do this. there is no level system, no grinding, no upgrades, just knowledge. and your entire journey is uncovering more knowledge, up until you complete the game (which for me was the most impactful moment; the culmination of everything you learn). this allows for a very personal experience because you know that everything you uncover is 100% a result of your own exploration and puzzle solving capabities, and not some weird arbitrary levelling system, or controlling another character's combat, or selecting preset dialogue to outcome a preset cutscene. it really feels like you are the hearthian that you play as, and that your journey is completely unique from every other players' (which it probably is). and thats really cool

[@nicholaswood821]

my dude, i think you have single handedly inspired me on a new journey; indie gaming. i have only played shovel knight, undertale, blasphemous, and deltarune. now, i am seriously hungry for more.

[@roflsean6495]

Enter the Gungeon is for sure mine. That game is amazing! Great video man, Have played maybe 80% of these put you definitely put some new ones on my list.

[@MRazorK10]

Amazing work on the list, made me check up lots of titles I didn't know about! Curious where you rank my top 3 of Valheim, Darkest Dungeon and Terraria

[@jorgecastillo1358]

Vey well put together video. I got to know about a couple of new games for my wishlist. Congratulations and keep up the good work!

[@blucpinygaming]

Phenomenal video and list! The only additional games for me would be cursed to golf, cult of the lamb, cuphead, and the ori series

[@NewMetallica]

Absolutely incredible video! It's rare for a long video to hold my attention but I finished it in one go. Thanks for introducing me to some new indies which I'll definitely add to my wishlist. My favorite game of 2022 was by far Tunic (#14 on your list). With it I find my long lost childlike gaming wonder. I wholeheartedly with your comments. Finding mechanics which were present from the start through the gaming manual pages was truly exciting and a brilliant twist. The soundtrack is brilliant too!

[@o.s.a9571]

Very solid list, i havent played some of these but in my list i would have to put in slime rancher and coffee talk, both are very unique, calming and exciting

[@SolitarySilenced]

Your videos are fantastic. Well thought out and you have a great voice for these things. I hope you see a lot more growth! Absolutely great video.

[@MarcEtMichele]

Damn this video is fantastic, you sold me on almost every game I haven't played. From ones I have I loved to see Transistor and Disco Elysium specifically as the latter is one of my absolute favorite games of all time and Transistor doesn't get enough love despite being part of Supergiant's impressive catalogue.

[@fortresstraining]

This video coming in clutch during the winter sale. Man what a hidden gem channel.

[@trik6727]

I agree

[@projectx5154]

This is a really good list. I was just looking for some indie games to play and I stumbled across this video and honestly most of these games look really interesting. I don't know what to recommend playing, I've played Stray recently and it's a really good game although the gameplay and difficulty isn't anything to write home about. However the story and atmosphere really pulls it through. I've also heard about the game Unheard although I didn't play it. It's a mystery solving game that relies mostly on audio

[@MsAnimelove2102]

So glad you mentioned Oxenfree! I make all my friends play it to see what ending they get. It's so good!

[@martinng370]

I was not expecting to get anything out of this video other than a nice background listen, but I ended up buying Unpacking. You really sold it to me man. Can't wait to get home and play it.

[@martinng370]

sigh.. bought Getting over it.

[@davecresswell6508]

Amazing list and presentation! I'd suggest Aviary Attorney - it mixes the Ace Attorney formula with some can't-see-everything time limits, and to offset, gives many ways a trial can be won (or lost). And there's no hard failstate - the game will progress on, and permute accordingly to whatever happened previously, leading to a good number of routes (including entire differing last chapters) and endings. There's a lot of humor and silliness, but it also gets serious as the stakes raise. And if nothing else sells you, as the title implies, you're a bird lawyer.

[@tedecoo]

I love these types of lists, there are always gems in it I've never heard of before. Might have to give Firewatch a try. Some games I really enjoyed were Carrion, Spiritfarer, Grime, Owlboy, Steamworld Dig 2 and Sheepo. And for the humour: Helheim Hassle. Kind of surprised Blasphemous and Ori didn't even make it on the list but also happy about a few new finds because of it

[@primateboogaloo]

I love Ori almost as much as Hollow Knight, perhaps it wasn't included because of Microsoft Studio's involvement?

[@homeyworkey]

@@primateboogaloo he did say he thought gris was better then ori, so he also could have just not included it there's alot of indie bangers that didnt make the list and well thats mainly thanks to there being so many

[@HyperKryst]

Steamworld franchise is extremly underrated

[@angelus_lucifero]

Such a great list! You've secured my viewership, not just because of your taste, but your writing and perspective too. As I'm new to your channel, you may have already played it, but if not... I'd strongly recommend Darkest Dungeon.

[@joshswenson2576]

Thanks for the great video! There were a few that I've seen recommended many times, so I may have to check them out! Wordle and Fruit Ninja are two that I would have loved to see on the list, but maybe you weren't including mobile games. Here are some indie games that I recommend you play if you haven't yet: Thumper Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color Worms Armageddon And I know you said you aren't crazy about platformers, but these are essential: Marble Blast Ultra (3D) Viewtiful Joe 2 (2.5D)

[@dighad3824]

The things I'd give to experience Outer Wilds for the first time again

[@samy29987]

Fantastic ranking and well narrated and constructed video, great job.... Although, how are games like Spiritfarer and Journey NOT on this list?

[@viniciusserafim5550]

The quality of this video in all senses doesn't match your subscriptions. You really deserve more praise! Very happy to become a new subscriber!

[@Cyberian_Khatru]

It's amazing you can name 100 amazing indies and still the comments are filled with gret titles that arguably feel like they deserve a spot as well, shows what a great time it is for indie titles. Also please play noita and signalis.