The 11 best indie games of 2017: our pick of the must-have indie games that aren’t Minecraft

In 2017 indie games have moved away from being a subsection of games in their own right. Last year we saw many independently developed and published titles come to market that many players would have simply just thought were standard big-budget studio releases. The idea that an indie game is any less of a game than that of a big publisher is melting away, just look at how insanely popular Minecraft has now become.

So, with more and more incredible indie games coming to market, which are the ones you should really be paying attention to right now? While the below list of our pick of the best indie games of 2017 is far from comprehensive, it’s an excellent starting point for those looking to pick up something a little bit different from the norm.

The best indie games of 2017:

1. Best indie games 2017: Rocket League

Available on: PC, PS4 and Xbox One

Created as the successor to a largely unheard of PC game, Psyonix’s Rocket League has propelled itself into the stratosphere of competitive skill-based gaming.

Taking control of a rocket-powered remote control car, you and a team of up to three others have to take on an opposing team and boost, flip and glide your team to victory by scoring as many goals as possible. On paper it sounds simple enough, but Rocket League quickly becomes far deeper than first thought.

Having beaten FIFA 16, Madden 16 and PES 2016 to win Best Sports Game at the 2015 Game Awards, it’s clear that this indie sports game is incredibly fun to play and master.

Buy now on PC

2. Best indie games 2017: Her Story

Available on: PC, Mac, iOS and Android

After full motion video dropped out of favour in the 1990s, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who’d bet that one of the best indie games around would utilise it. But it’s true, and Her Story provides an excellent case for just how wonderful and affecting seeing a real person on your screen can be.

Created by Sam Barlow (known best for his work on Silent Hill: Origins and Silent Hill Shattered Memories), Her Story is an intimate detective story unravelling the disappearance of a missing husband. Set in 1994, you have to sift through interview video clips of the missing man’s wife (portrayed by Viva Seifert) to piece together the events that led to her husband’s disappearance.

Not only is this a deeply involving game and work of performance art, it manages to make the medium of narrative-driven games incredibly accessible. The only knowledge you need to play Her Story is how to use a search engine – something almost everybody is familiar with.

Read Next: The best PS4 games of 2017

3. Best indie games 2017: Hyper Light Drifter

Available on: PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One

Heart Machine’s beautiful pixel-art 2D action RPG Hyper Light Drifter captured the world’s attention thanks to its Kickstarter back in 2013. Three years later, it launched on PS4 and instantly became one of the best indie games available on the platform.

Fashioned after the likes of The Legend of Zelda, you take on the mantle of The Drifter – a traveller with a shrouded past and mysterious health problems. Gameplay revolves around traversing a vast overworld populated with environmental puzzles and tough battles.

In a nice touch, Heart Machine opted to leave the game entirely dialogue free so its story is largely told through the environment, gameplay and fantastic Disasterpeace (FEZ, It Follows) soundtrack.

4. Best indie games 2017: The Swindle

Available on: PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, PS Vita, Wii U and PS3

In 100 days the British government and Scotland Yard will unleash a new AI to crush the criminal exploits of thieves across London. This cannot happen.

In The Swindle, it’s your job to burgle your way to riches so you can build up an arsenal to take on Scotland Yard and steal its AI before they flip the switch in 100 days. Every level is procedurally generated and every burglar is unique – with permadeath not only being a way to lose unbanked funds, but also as a way to lose a day with zero gains.

If you’re looking for a tough challenge, The Swindle is definitely up there with the likes of Steamworld Heist, Spelunky and Rogue Legacy – even if it isn’t technically a roguelike.

5. Best indie games 2017: Not a Hero

Available on: PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android and PS Vita

Roll7’s Not a Hero is, quite possibly, the most bizarre action game to come from a British indie in years. Its plot makes sense in a weird sort of way; you have to help the time-travelling anthropomorphic purple rabbit known as BunnyLord win the race to become Lord Mayor of Britain so he can save the world from an alien invasion. You may scoff but, in practice, it’s utterly fantastic.

Taking up the role of one of BunnyLord’s freelance anti-heroes, it’s your job to clean up the streets of Britain by taking down crime lords and rival electoral candidates in a hail of blood and bullets. It’s violent, difficult and full of absolutely fantastic British humour. If you’re looking for something to satisfy your hunger after Hotline Miami, this is it.

6. Best indie games 2017: Undertale

Available on: PC and Mac

Tobyfox’s Undertale takes the traditional RPG and turns it completely on its head. In a genre where level-grinding and experience points mean everything, Undertale has you really think about the morality of your actions.

In battle, you’re given the opportunity to talk to your aggressor instead of automatically wading in for a fight. Depending on your actions, your opponents may decide to not fight you at all, or they may become more aggressive if agitated by your own attacks. Combat is also incredibly novel, mixing turn-based moments with real-time battles in a way you’re unlikely to have seen before.

If that wasn’t enough to pique your interest, Undertale also has a critically acclaimed soundtrack and excellent storytelling mechanics. It’s no surprise that this is an award-winning indie title.

7. Best indie games 2017: Sunless Sea

Available on: PC and Mac

 

In most games, when you die, you’re dead. That’s it, your hero no longer lives and you either start back from where you came or start afresh with a blank canvas. It was a tactic that worked so well with XCOM: Enemy Unknown, ensuring you cherished each and every squad member, but in Failbetter Games’ Sunless Sea death is really just the beginning.

Sunless Sea is a roguelike where you take control of a steamship captain off on a journey to discover the world of the Unterzee. As you explore, you’ll find new locations, encounter new hazards and deal with moral quandaries at sea. However, by far the most interesting aspect of Sunless Sea is what happens when you die.

Death in Sunless Sea is permanent. However, your actions while alive will shape the legacy you leave behind. Ate your fellow crewmates to save yourself from death? You might just be branded the cannibal captain. Desert your crew at sea and you can imagine the consequences. While this is a survival game like no other, it’s also all about shaping the legacy you’ll leave behind.

Read Next: The best Xbox One games in 2017

8. Best indie games 2015: Nuclear Throne

Available on: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita

Dutch game developer Vlambeer may have a recognisable art style across its catalogue of games (Luftrausers, Ridiculous Fishing, Serious Sam: The Random Encounter), but it would be a mistake to believe that they’re all similar. With the studio’s latest release, Nuclear Throne, Vlambeer has turned the difficulty up to 11, and revelled in tormenting players as they journey through bullet hell to claim the Nuclear Throne.

It’s been available publicly via Steam Early Access since 2013, but the finished version was only released in December this year. Thanks to continual player feedback and an open development environment, Nuclear Throne is a polished roguelike shooter you’ll find impossible to put down.

9. Best indie games 2017: Furi

Available on: PC, PS4 and Xbox One

If you’ve been waiting for a decent Afro Samurai game, Furi is it. It’s unfair to label Furi as something as base as that, but the comparisons can’t be avoided as Afro Samurai creator Takashi Okazaki came on board to help design the weird and wonderful techno punk characters of Furi’s world.

The result, when combined with Furi’s tense swordplay and bullet-hell sequences, is a game of boss fights that rivals even the best action games out there right now. Throw in a pulse-pounding soundtrack from an eclectic mix of indie dance and electronica artists, Furi is one of the most refreshing action titles around.

Read Next: Mental illness in video games and why we must do better

10. Best indie games 2017: The Witness

Available on: PC, PS4, Android (via Shield TV)

Just because The Witness was unveiled as a major PS4 title, that doesn’t make it any less “indie”. Braid creator Jonathan Blow returns after spending seven years crafting this excellent mysterious puzzle game. At first you’ll wonder exactly what took Blow’s development team Thelka Inc so busy for that time but, as you gradually solve the line puzzles that populate the island, The Witness’ true genius unfolds before you.

You’ll want to keep a pad of paper and a pen nearby when playing this one.

11. Best indie games 2017: Reigns

Available on: PC, Mac, Android and iOS

 

 

Reigns

is best described as diplomacy meets Tinder. Playing as the king, you swipe decision cards left and right to make decisions, all while trying your hardest to keep the clergy, army, treasury and your citizens happy. Let any one of these four meters swing out of check – either positively or negatively – and it’s game over. Thankfully, game over isn’t the end here as you take up the mantle of the successor, dealing with the issues left behind by your father.

Yes, it’s as crazy as it sounds – but that’s what makes it so good.