Indie games can help fill the gaps between bigger releases each year. Without them, the gaming industry would almost cease to function and has been so for more than a decade. The thing is, some of these indie games are so incredibly good that they rival some of the best AAA games of all time, from the NES to the Switch 2.
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They are so good that they can even dominate award seasons, as was the case Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in 2025. Other standouts include Baby stepswhich won for audio design at the 2026 Indie Games Festival. What other reasons make these two games incredible, and what other indie games are worth mentioning? Let's dive in and find out.
|
Masterpiece of India |
AAA Genre It Beats |
What makes it so good |
|---|---|---|
|
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
A turn-based RPG |
Active combat, a world like no other, a deeply dramatic story |
|
Mullet Madjack |
First person shooters |
High octane gameplay loop, solid controls and impressive anime visuals |
|
Knight of Spades |
Old school 2D platformers |
Killer music, great visuals, challenging but fair platforming |
Arrange the covers in the correct US release order.
Start
Arrange the covers in the correct US release order.
Easy (5) Medium (7) Hard (10)
Baby steps
Step by step, day by day
Baby steps is one of the hardest games to come out in 2025 because of the control scheme. Players had to take individual steps with their awkward character Nate, who was transported into a fantasy world and now moved like a tank about to break down. Even if players have started a rhythm, one wrong move could ruin it, but this gameplay loop and challenge that breaks the pattern is exactly what a lot of players clicked.
That and the humor of the game, including Nate mumbling to himself or subverting expectations when NPCs ask for help. That's a big reason Baby steps won the audio design at the Independent Games Festival, on top of the incredible sound effects. It is a challenging game above AAA games like Dark soulsand it has such a rich world for such a small game that was basically Isekai for all anime lovers.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Final Fantasy With A French Twist
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a borderline indie game, but the Sandfall Interactive studio is indie and this was their first game, so that counts. This game did what Japanese RPG giants like Square Enix probably never thought they could do again: capture a year's worth of press for a turn-based game.
It was the world-building, dramatic and heartfelt story, and active turn-based gameplay that really made Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stick out. Let's hope that the big developers learn from this game and don't just go back to making turn-based RPGs without working hard in other areas as well.
Cuphead
Hand drawn eye candy
Cuphead
9/10
- Released
-
September 29, 2017
Cuphead it looks 1000% better than most big AAA games today, including something similar Ghost of Yotei because it has bet on style over graphics, which will help it stand the test of time. There are other hand drawn games, though Cuphead it really started a revival and is still the best looking game by far.
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It's really like playing a cartoon, and that's difficult because this jumping platform game has been cleverly designed for bosses. This is another area where Cuphead they also excelled because AAA companies should pay attention to how these bosses evolved, with some even taking different forms depending on how players fought them.
Hades 2
Storytelling at its best
Hades 2
- Released
-
September 25, 2025
Hades 2 is a top-down roguelike with action so fast and fluid that players can think Devil May Cry it was developed by Capcom or PlatinumGames teams. Supergiant Games is one of the few indie developers that rarely misses with their games. Hades 2 is everything the first game had but more.
There was a better progression system that allowed players to feel rewarded between deaths, more areas to explore, and more combat power between weapons and temporary upgrades. The story was well written, the score was composed expertly, and the look of the game just oozed style. The only question now is, can Supergiant Games create a third entry that could top it?
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Challenging but fair
When Konami and Nintendo stopped making Metroidvania entries Castlevania and Metroid franchises and indie games have strengthened. Even between modern 3D and 2D Metroid games, along with other Metroidvanias from AAA and independent studios, Hollow Knight: Silksong stands tall.
It's another game with hand-drawn art that looks flawless, action that's so fluid players think it was made of water, and world-building so good that Elden Ring to shame. Not only that, it was incredibly challenging, sometimes bordering on unfair, which broke some players. However, because it looked and played so well, it motivated others with a stronger will to keep trying to see the final cutscene right before the credits.
Mullet Madjack
Cyberpunk shooter
Mullet Madjack is a first-person shooter roguelike set in a cyberpunk world. Its anime aesthetic aims to evoke nostalgia for 80s and 90s anime fans from shows like AD police files and Mad Bull 34. that means Mullet Madjack it's incredibly violent and over the top in the best ways.
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To maintain their heart rate, players must kill in elaborate ways to gain points to advance. From kicking vending machines to slashing enemies with a katana, the game was incredibly inventive for a shooter and wildly fun beyond the above. Cyberpunk 2077 and non-cyberpunk shooters like Call of Duty. Plus, the guns themselves shot pretty well.
Knight of Spades
Return to the 8-bit platform
Knight of Spades it's over a decade old now, but fans haven't forgotten about it, thanks to developer Yacht Club Games, who keep pumping out DLC for a pretty long time. With these updates, fans never forgot how excellent the platform and level designs were, even surpassing some of the greats from the NES era such as Mega Man 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3.
The world felt more alive with animated sprites, players had a greater sense of progression with upgrades, and the difficulty was perfectly balanced. Best of all, the music, which has been remixed and officially sold by several different artists, is incredibly persistent and will pump up fans whether they're playing a game or working out at the gym.
Undertale
A new way to role play
Undertale is technically turn-based RPG-like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33but instead Final Fantasythis game is more of a tribute Mother series. Incredibly weird and unlike other RPGs, Undertale challenged the morals of the players at launch.
Should they kill the monsters as they have been taught for decades or should they try to talk to them? Dodging attacks and creating dialogue really worked, and for every single boss too. Even the best dialogue and story branching systems Fallout: New Vegas on Mass Effect 2 pale in comparison to the dynamic ways Undertale is being played. Also like Baby stepsit is very funny.
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