Well, part 3 of our indie game round-up is here and we saved some great games for this one as well. While so far we gave a lot of love to platformers and old school nostalgia games this time we’ll… keep doing that actually. Nostalgia-driven gaming is big right now and some of the nicest Indie games out there are 2d scrollers or similar games. So, without further ado, here is part three of our super indie game round-up.
10. Rochard
One of the prevailing trends in recent years and one of the proven recipes for success seem to be ‘classic game with a twist’. Rochard is just that. An old school 2D scrolling platformer it adds the element of gravity manipulation via a series of puzzles and a sweet gravity gun. The gun allows you to lift heavy things and to use said things to pummel bad guys into oblivion. Best of all, Rochard, the title character, has a sweet moustache. In fact he might even have what it takes t ogo toe to toe wit hone of the most famous moustaches in gaming history (hint: you’ll find it at www.MyMarioGames.co.uk ).
9. The Binding of Isaac
The binding of Isaac is a strange, almost nightmarish game that tells a biblically inspired tale of a young boy tormented by his mother. The game takes place in a randomly generated dungeon filled with monsters and all sorts of nasties. The game has been used as case study in several academic papers on the nature of trauma and regret in videogames, garnering it quite a cult following in the process.
8. Spelunky
Spelunky is a great game that takes place all within a massive cavern. It features an Indiana Jones-like character, affectionately called ‘Indie’ who uses bombs and a whip to fight a rogue’s gallery of monsters and opponents. The game is quite punishing, making you start over if you lose and featuring all sort of annoying traps and monsters but it is wicked fun as well.
7. Super Meat Boy
While we’re on the subject of impossible jumps and punishing gameplay, how about indie phenomenon Super Meat Boy! One of hte best and hardest platformers in recent years not only is is very good and extremely addictive but it gets bonus points for upsetting PETA who put out their own game, Super Tofu Boy (or something like that) as protest.
6. Bit Trip Runner
Bit trip runner is one part running game, and nine parts trippy midi music but it is absolutely awesome. Unlike many other games you get the most out of Bit Trip Runner if you play it with sound settings turned up. Not only is its crazy music integrated well into the game but it is so important that blind people can play this game. It’s true! Bit trip runner is a great game that prioritizes sound over graphics and comes out on top.
5. Mark of the Ninja
No such thing as too much of a good thing, right? Let’s keep the side-scroller theme going with this excellent cinematic stealth game from the same people that brought us the Shank series. Supremely violent yet incredibly fun, Mark of the Ninja is one of the best stealth games in years.
4. Aquaria
A strange foray into underwater life, Aquaria is a musical mystery tour where you play a strange girl who has the power to do magic through song, or the Verse as she calls it. An extremely beautiful, extremely immersive game, Aquaria is one indie oddity that nobody should miss.
3. Crayon Physics Deluxe
A perfect game to waste time in the tradition of such greats like The Incredible Machine Crayon Physics is a cross-platform puzzler that is highly addictive and quite challenging. And because of its omnipresence you can just as easily play it on your home computer as on your mobile phone.
2. Dustforce
Another wacky platformer with a twist, Dustforce has the same fast gameplay as Super Meat Boy only here the goal is to get massive combos by sweeping all of the trash and leaves rather than not dying. Well, there is quite a bit of avoiding certain death as well, as evidenced by the above screenshot. Dustforce is a great Indie game for all ages and it is suitably challenging for even the most jaded gamer.
1. Monaco
Monaco is an indie game that has been in production for years, ever since its creator won first prize at a renowned game conference with a prototype of this fantastic game. Today, this speed heist game is almost done, undergoing massive playtests and is slated for final release in April. In Monaco you play a thief (of several) infiltrating different objectives and stealing a lot of expensive items. The catch is that you have to be sneaky as you can’t shoot your way out or otherwise dispose of your enemies. You have a gun with very few bullets in them and you get one more for every 10 gold you collect. The trouble is that you can’t really outgun your enemies not can you outrun them, so you have to hide for them. Fortunately every one of the thieves lining up for the job has a special ability that can aid them in their theft. Monaco is exhilarating, fast and rewarding and the best thing about it is that it’s playable (and recommended) in up to 4 players.
As a bonus here are two games that are really more casual than indie but that you should nonetheless play: World of Goo is a challenging and fun puzzler that has won countless awards over the year. Plants vs. Zombies is a tower defence game that has become almost as popular as angry birds and has made millions for their producers
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