If You’re Not Playing Indie Video Games, You’re Missing Out
There\’s no shortage of incredible games on the market, but some get more attention than others. If you only focus on the big releases from companies like Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, you\’re missing out on many indie titles that are just as exciting. Here\’s why I prefer playing smaller indie games instead of just blockbuster hits.
Indies experiment with new concepts
One of the main reasons indie games are so much fun is that they\’re willing to take risks. Unlike big games with multi-million-dollar budgets, most indies are made by a small team (or single developer) with very little money. This allows them to take risks that larger companies can\’t, often resulting in unique concepts that you won\’t find in bigger games.
For a great example of this, there\’s no better way than Balatro. This quirky title puts a unique spin on poker, turning it into a roguelike deck-building game that has garnered millions of fans. There\’s also Animal Well, a dense Metroidvania game with no traditional combat – hard to even think about in the modern gaming landscape.
It\’s certainly possible to find unique gaming experiences in blockbusters, but it\’s becoming more and more difficult. Big companies are more willing to release a title they know will do well rather than take a risk on a new and unproven game, while indie games thrive in this experimental grey zone. So if you think video games are outdated, diving into indie games will probably pique your interest.
They\’re much cheaper than AAA blockbuster games
Gaming can be an expensive hobby, as many new releases cost $70. That\’s not true for indie games, which often sell for less than $40 (and usually much less). UFO 50 is one of the best indie games of 2024, offering you 50 retro titles with a modern flair. And for all its content, it\’s available for $25.
The infinitely replayable Spelunky 2 is priced at $20 and the iconic Stardew Valley is priced at $15 – meaning you can buy all three titles for less than the cost of a typical AAA game.
It\’s a great gaming experience on the cheap, and many indie fans consider it better than expensive $70 releases. This is especially true when the $70 game is basically a rehash of last year\’s release, which is often the case with long-running series that have been around for decades.
Indies don\’t steal all your time
I\’m a big fan of short and crisp video games, as long games are often crammed with low-quality content to extend their runtime. That\’s not the case with indies, as they get straight into the action without any delays. They also put less pressure on your schedule. Unlike some modern games that offer daily login rewards and create a sense of FOMO, indies usually let you move at your own pace.
A Short Hike and The Stanley Parable are both short and great gaming experiences that can be completed in just a few hours. However, you\’ll also find indie games like Stardew Valley that can be played for hundreds of hours. But since it doesn\’t have time-limited content, you can fit it into your schedule. Whether you play for a few minutes a day or sit down for a marathon gaming session every night, both play styles are perfectly acceptable.
In other words, indie games are free of gaming\’s modern ills. You won\’t find season passes, pay-to-win microtransactions are rare, and FOMO-inducing content is few and far between.
You can find intimate, personalized narratives
Since indie games are made by small teams, they\’re able to tell intimate stories. Big AAA games often falter because there are “too many cooks in the kitchen,” so to speak, which can turn the original vision into a shadow of itself.
Celeste and Undertale are great examples of the innovative narratives available in indie games. The first game is an emotional story about anxiety and depression tied into a rigid platformer, while the second game is a 2D role-playing game that completely changes the genre and offers different endings depending on your in-game actions.
Indie games are a great outlet for stories like this, giving their creator unrestricted freedom to tell their story the way they want. That’s not always the case for bigger games, which may have tighter deadlines and more responsibility to turn a profit for shareholders.