In addition to being an indie game developer, Team17 is also a major indie publisher that you might be familiar with if you’ve played the war strategy game Worms. Over the years, its library of video games has grown significantly, and there are currently tons of amazing options from a variety of other talented indie developers.
The content you’ll see from Team17 puts a lot of emphasis on unique storytelling and game design, bringing you a different kind of experience that you wouldn’t otherwise get from traditional AAA cinematic adventure games like those from PlayStation. In addition, there are many different genres that you can dive into.
10 Narita boy
Narita Boy is a 2D action-adventure meta-game with a retro aesthetic reminiscent of Tron. The story here revolves around a video game character named Narita Boy, a launch title for a fictional console named Narita One developed by the Creator. But the game’s memory in the digital world is corrupted by a mysterious force called On, and now your intent becomes far more critical than your program.
Armed with your techno sword, you’ll root out the evil stallions invading the digital realm and uncover secrets everywhere. One of the most visually stunning things about this game is the impressive retro pixel art style, visual distortion and screen edge effects that make you feel like you’re in the confines of an old computer system.
9 Thymesia
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developer:
OverBorder Studio
A 3D Soulslike from Team17 that shares similar plague themes to Bloodborne while adding new mechanics to the genre is a game called Thymesia. The environments are heavily inspired by FromSoftware titles with lots of enemies and collectibles. Your character Corvus also got a nice makeover, a cloaked creature that wears a plague doctor mask and can turn into a raven (hence the name).
The plague is not only related to the story, but also to the weapons and gameplay. You’ll be able to collect multiple Contagious Weapon Abilities to activate in combat, causing your equipped blade to glow green and momentarily turning it into a more powerful scythe-like weapon.
8 A haven for monsters
If you take all the creature collector systems and design them around the 2D pixels of the Metroidvania setting, you’d have Monster Sanctuary. You have an extensive bestiary at your disposal, with the monsters you capture reaching far beyond combat to become your companions to help you traverse environments such as underwater sections.
The variety of weird and cute monsters you can tame around Sanctuary and the different areas you find yourself in are some of the most sensational parts of the game, not to mention the excellent turn-based combat.
7 Ship of Fools
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developer:
Production by Fika
Ship of Fools brings co-op roguelite combat to the high seas amid a dangerous aquapocalypse. Once aboard the Stormstrider, you and your Fool crewmates will sail on through the menace of the storm, relying on the ship’s cannons and other available weapons to fend off the hideous sea monsters trying to sink you.
The still animations are charming, and the hand-drawn character models and water environments are gorgeous. However, not all of your time will be spent at sea. The Ship of Fools allows you to make short trips ashore to trade with merchants located along several docks scattered across the waters with the treasures you collect.
6 Blasphemous
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developer:
Play kitchen
A creepy cross between Hollow Knight and Moonscars, Blasphemous is a Souss-like 2D Metroidvania with a dark, complex story about religious themes in the gothic land of Cvstodia. Spanish art and religion influence the visual themes of the game, including the design of the protagonist. And while the environments look stunning, they also brilliantly create an ominous foreboding atmosphere.
Clad in a metallic conical mask made of barbed wire reminiscent of a capirot, the Penitent One survived the massacre against the Brotherhood of Silent Sorrow. Now left wandering Cvstodia with only a sword called the Mea Culpa, you’ll soon be using it in horrific ways on the enemies and bosses that stand in your way to redemption.
5 Hell Let Loose
Something wildly different from Team17 is this realistic FPS WW2 military simulator called Hell Let Loose, which already describes the harrowing war experience that awaits you. It’s a multiplayer strategy game with 50v50 teams of players on all sides of the conflict taking on different military roles, essentially the same feel as Battlefield 1’s multiplayer.
You also have tanks and other vehicles to command and avoid while on the front line, and the game features nine maps that take you to important battles of World War II. The realism is not only in the handling of the weapons, but in the battlefields themselves, which are said to be recreated using “archival aerial photographs and satellite imagery.”
4 Overcooked! All you can eat
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Developers:
Ghost Town Games, Team17
Think about how stressful it is to normally cook in a professional kitchen environment as seen in media such as The Bear or The Menu. Then imagine cooking in moving environments like trucks or pirate ships, and in the dangerous conditions of lava or even outer space! This is the catchy fun of the Overcooked series.
With the All You Can Eat version, this fast-paced co-op gem of a cooking game has been reworked and bundled with the original Ovecooked and its sequel, along with some new levels. And chef craze has turned into a multi-platform online multiplayer game in addition to couch co-op.
3 The killer frequency
The townspeople of Gallows Creek have a stalker known as the Whistling Man roaming the streets, and the police are currently either deceased or on leave. Who better to serve as the new helpline than local radio DJ Forrest Nash of 189.16 The Scream? As potential victims call, you must solve puzzles and convince them to escape the killer.
Set in 1987, Killer Frequency is equal parts comedy, horror, walking simulator, and sprawling interactive narrative. As Forrest Nash, navigate the rooms inside the station to collect puzzle items, find vinyl albums to play on your show, discover new clues, and even spot some horror movie references.
2 Trepang2
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developer:
Trepang Studios
Everything about Trepang 2 screams the successor to Fear. The level design, environments, horror elements and most importantly the timing of the shooting and incredibly intense and satisfying bloody FPS shooting. With dual pistols, assault rifles and shotguns, you can mow down enemies in elegant slow motion as you escape the facility without remembering why you’re there in the first place.
Beyond Fear, Crysis influences also creep in, as you also have a cloaking ability that helps you take down enemies stealthily if you choose not to fire your weapons. Overall, Trepang2 is a pretty epic FPS shooter that can compete with some of those made by AAA studios.
1 Excavator
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developer:
Black salt games
Dredge is a fishing simulation with a touch of Lovecraftian horror mystery in its narrative. The basic gameplay loop is to steer your boat around a chain of islands and use your equipment to attract fish, which you can sell for more upgrades. But the island waters where you set sail are filled with strange mutated fish and even more terrifying giant sea creatures that attack as day turns to night.
But it’s not always just you and your dragnet, as you soon meet the various residents of The Marrows, including the old mayor and a character known as the Collector. The Collector has tasks for you that go beyond your duties as a fisherman, but he can help you piece together the inexplicable Lovecraftian phenomena occurring in the region.