Most indie games from another world

Spiritual, imaginative game worlds such as Silent Hillthe Oddworld series and titles such as Alan Wake 2 and Management they often provide some of the most creative and experimental experiences in the industry. When it comes to indie games, experimentation abounds, and this often leads to otherworldly experiences that immerse players in strange, sometimes spiritual environments.

Games such as The outer wilderness offers immersive spaces for players to explore, with otherworldly aspects such as time travel, alien creatures, and fictional planets. On the other hand, games such as Kentucky Route Zero use magical realism to immerse players in a surreal world.

8 Rain world

A hauntingly beautiful, brutal story of survival

Rain world is a fully immersive 2D survival game that tasks players with exploring a vast, harsh and truly unforgiving world. The game puts the player in the role of a fictional “slug”, pursued by a number of evil predators and equally susceptible to the dangers of the titular rain.

This brutal story of survival is told in a hauntingly beautiful landscape full of dilapidated, industrial architecture and various overgrown areas. By depriving the player of information, Rain world it keeps its setting mysterious and vague, and the somewhat subtle nature of its narrative only adds to its otherworldly atmosphere. It's visual and imaginative design Rain World's residents who, however, are really selling their distinctive world.

7 INSIDE

A narrative platformer set in a dark dystopian world

Developed by the studio that brought in the audience LIMBO, INSIDE is a puzzle platformer with a huge and highly immersive atmosphere. Similar to games such as Little nightmares, INSIDE is a narrative adventure that relies on environmental and visual storytelling.

A world in which INSIDE the scene is rendered in vague detail and paints a dark picture of a dark and dystopian future. Dense, foggy atmosphere, spooky undertone and surreal nature Guts the dark environment is practically palpable, resulting in a truly immersive experience that is equal parts unsettling and peaceful.

6 APEX

A fresh surrealist journey through Czechoslovakia in the 1980s

• Platforms: PC
• Released: 2023
• Developers: Spytihnev
• Genre: FPS

APEX it's set in the relatively mundane setting of 1980s Czechoslovakia after an unspecified disaster, but as a play it's layered with a dark sense of whimsy and layers of surrealism that give its brown, rainy setting an otherworldly feel. For fans of 90s shooters such as Earthquake and oppressed, silent atmospheres, APEX is a real goldmine.

SPIKE's the gameplay is a fairly simple loop that any fan of old-school first-person shooters will instantly recognize; blast through enemies while collecting keys to open doors and progress through the level, picking up health and ammo along the way to stay alive. While SPIKE's The shootout is far from perfect. Facilitated by the surreal world and accentuated by the game's dark humor, the otherworldly atmosphere propels the player through the boxy architecture of its drizzling missions.

5 Disco Elysium

Hard-Boiled World depicted in surreal beauty

It takes place in the turbulent, restless and completely fictional town of Revachol, Disco Elysium is a surreal, gritty RPG that's full of biting realities and unhinged characters. Disco Elysium the painterly art style depicts Revacol in uncanny beauty, brought to life by evocative writing and unique RPG mechanics.

Disco Elysium may be an RPG, but the town of Revachol is its heart and soul. Interacting with a diverse cast of characters and exploring the possibilities of its painterly world are the game's strengths, and while some of its themes could be more grounded, Disco Elysium augmented reality provides the perfect playground for RPGs.

4 The outer wilderness

An immersive and utterly alien journey through time and space

From the alien nature of the player's homeworld, to the game's wide variety of environments across the solar system, to the never-ending Candlemas the noose in which he traps his players, The outer wilderness is a truly otherworldly experience that is almost spiritual in nature. Heartwarming characters, unknown dangers of the solar system, and utterly soothing music result in a game that feels like a warm blanket at times.

Outer Wilds' the lack of hand-holding and refusal to give the player much, if any, results in a game that is refreshingly liberating and encourages player agency by allowing them to explore at their own pace. This also helps facilitate a sense of wonder, as the world is presented to the player as a space of opportunity, a space in which every discovery is truly the player's own.

3 Cave of Qud

Roguelike exploration in an imaginative science-fantasy world

Rusted caves, vast desert, ruined cities, strange nomads, magical cats, sci-fi world Cave of Qud is a wonderful place to stay; players could spend hours exploring its many nooks and crannies, traversing its vast expanses, meeting its quirky characters, immersing itself in its culture. From banana groves to the rotten, rusted dungeons of Golgotha, evocative locations are just a piece Qud's Cave ethereal atmosphere.

The strange, almost alien soundtrack provides a suitable background, heightens the tone and more than makes up for the game's minimalistic visuals by stimulating the imagination. The writing is also otherworldly in nature, highlighting the weird and wonderful intricacies of the world and its characters through nuance and a subtle sense of humor.

2 Paratopic

An unsettling walking simulator with an otherworldly atmosphere

• Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox
• Released: 2018
• Developers: Arbitrary Metric
• Genre: horror

Paratopic is short Incredibly short. However, players should not let this deter them from experiencing this unique title, as its surreal, otherworldly tone and dense, foggy atmosphere are unnerving in the best of ways. Swinging back and forth from calm to unsettling with a violent whiplash, Paratopic is a wild, experimental ride with little gameplay but lots of interesting ideas and visuals.

This low-budget indie title is essentially a walking simulator, though its subtle narrative encourages multiple playthroughs, ensuring that first-timers are likely to miss the details. Fans of quirky, low-poly visuals, experimental stories and gaming experiences should definitely consider at least one game, especially considering the affordable price.

1 Kentucky Route Zero

An emotional journey immersed in magical realism

Most video game fans will naturally expect gameplay to be present in the titles they purchase, and while Kentucky Route Zero technically meets this requirement, it is clear that the developers have created Kentucky Route Zero with more atmosphere, narrative and pure feel than anything else. Fans of David Lynch's experimental storytelling, quiet, brooding atmosphere, slow pace, and vague and novel style of work will surely enjoy this fine title.

Kentucky Route Zero is a bittersweet, surreal dreamscape that is at times grounded and heartfelt, at other times utterly strange and profoundly bizarre. The game's narrative twists, sometimes bordering on the insane, provide moments of emotional warmth while also not being afraid to unsettle the audience. The slow, plodding pace gives the story and its characters so much room to breathe that it's all too easy to get lost if players immerse themselves in its otherworldly setting.