Cave Story is a 2004 Metroidvania platform-adventure game for Microsoft Windows. It was developed over five years by Japanese independent developer Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya in his free time. Cave Story features 2D platform mechanics and is reminiscent of the games Amaya played in his youth, such as Metroid and Castlevania. After its initial self-published release, the game slowly gained popularity on the internet. It received widespread critical acclaim for many polished aspects of its design, such as its compelling characters, setting, story, and gameplay. Cave Story is considered by many as the quintessential indie game because of its one-person development team and influence on the video gaming world.
Stella Deus, released in the west as Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity, is a tactical role-playing game co-developed by Atlus and Pinegrow for the PlayStation 2. It was published in Japan and North America by Atlus, and in Europe by 505 Games. The gameplay, which is similar to that of Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth, has the player controlling six characters through story-driven tactical missions, revolving around positioning, assigned equipment, and the special skills of individual characters. The story focuses on Spero, a young man who is caught in the middle of a growing conflict between various religious factions, which in turn are being spurred by the advance of the Miasma, a force that will destroy all life.
Anima is a tabletop role-playing franchise developed by Anima Game Studio. Anima's fantasy setting is called Gaïa. It is significantly inspired by Japanese role-playing video games such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Suikoden, and features manga-like art, Eastern concepts of honor codes, mysticism and martial arts. Additionally, the world of Anima combines these elements with traditional Western fantasy ones, such as medieval arms.
Machinarium is a puzzle point-and-click adventure game developed by Amanita Design. It was released on 16 October 2009 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, on 8 September 2011 for iPad 2 on the App Store, on 21 November 2011 for BlackBerry PlayBook, on 10 May 2012 for Android, on 6 September 2012 on PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network in Europe, on 9 October 2012 in North America and on 18 October 2012 in Asia, and was also released for PlayStation Vita on 26 March 2013 in North America, on 1 May 2013 in Europe and on 7 May 2013 in Asia. Demos for Windows, Mac and Linux were made available on 30 September 2009. A future release for the Wii's WiiWare service was cancelled as of November 2011 due to WiiWare's 40MB limit.
VVVVVV is a 2010 puzzle-platform game created by Terry Cavanagh. In the game, the player controls Captain Viridian, who must rescue their spacecrew after a teleporter malfunction caused them to be separated in Dimension VVVVVV. The gameplay is characterized by the inability of the player to jump, instead opting on controlling the direction of gravity, causing the player to fall upwards or downwards. The game consists of more than 400 individual rooms, and also supports the creation of user-created levels.
Knights Contract is a 2011 action video game developed by Game Republic and published by Namco Bandai Games for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The story, set in a fantasy version of Medieval Germany, follows the witch Gretchen and former executioner Heinrich as they seek to stop the schemes of the alchemist Dr Faust, who has revived Gretchen's sisters as vengeful monsters in pursuit of their power. Gameplay has Heinrich exploring linear levels and fighting monsters, with Gretchen as a computer-controlled companion and spellcaster.
Go Vacation is a 2011 party video game developed and released by Bandai Namco Games for the Wii and Nintendo Switch. It is the third game in the We Ski series. Up to four players can compete against each other in over 50 sport-based minigames that take place in four fictional island resorts. Minigames range from outdoor activities such as kayaking and horseback riding, to activities one might find in a city, like table hockey and minigolf. Different resorts can be accessed using vehicles such as trolleys and bicycles. Players can customize the outfit of their avatar and decorate their house with furniture.
Starbound is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Chucklefish. Starbound takes place in a two-dimensional, procedurally generated universe which the player is able to explore in order to obtain new weapons, armor, and items, and to visit towns and villages inhabited by various intelligent lifeforms. Starbound was released out of early access in July 2016 for Windows, OS X, and Linux, and for Windows via Xbox Game Pass in December 2020.
Armikrog is a stop-motion point-and-click adventure comedy game by Doug TenNapel in partnership with Pencil Test Studios and Versus Evil for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Wii U and Xbox One. It is a spiritual successor to The Neverhood, and is developed by many members of the same team. Like The Neverhood, Armikrog uses clay animation.
Crypt of the NecroDancer is a roguelike rhythm video game developed and published by Canadian independent game studio Brace Yourself Games. The game takes fundamental elements of a roguelike dungeon exploration game and adds a beat-matching rhythm game set to an original soundtrack written by Danny Baranowsky. The player's actions are most effective when moving the character set to the beat of the current song and are impaired when they miss a beat, so it is necessary to learn the rhythmic patterns that the various creatures follow. The mixed-genre game includes the ability to import custom music, and the option to use a dance pad instead of traditional controllers or the keyboard. The game was released for Linux, OS X, and Windows in April 2015, being co-published by Klei Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4 and Vita in February 2016, for the Xbox One in February 2017, and for Nintendo Switch in February 2018. Crypt of the NecroDancer Pocket Edition, developed for iOS, was released in June 2016.
Bar Oasis is a role-playing iOS game developed by South Korean based Corners Studio Ultramarine, released on June 19, 2010.
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine is a 2013 stealth video game developed by Pocketwatch Games in which players, alone or cooperatively, perform heists and robberies. Players choose from eight characters, each of whom has a unique and beneficial skill, such as the ability to change appearance or tunnel through walls. Monaco's single-player story is told in four acts from perspectives of different characters. The cooperative mode lets up to four players play together in different locations.
Ghost 1.0 is a Metroidvania video game developed and published by Francisco "franfistro" Téllez de Meneses, the developer of Unepic, in collaboration with an unnamed development team. It was released on June 7, 2016 for the digital distribution platform Steam and later for GOG. It was released for the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in July 2018 and for PlayStation 4 in April 2019.
OneShot is a puzzle-adventure game developed by indie studio Future Cat and published by Degica. Based on a free version made in 2014, it was released for Microsoft Windows via Steam on December 8, 2016, and on Itch.io on March 12, 2020. A console adaptation, OneShot: World Machine Edition, was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on September 22, 2022.
Super Hydorah is a 2017 independent side-scrolling shoot 'em up video game developed by Locomalito and published by Abylight Studios. It features a 16-32 bit era look and feel as well as a CRT Monitor effect. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita on September 20, 2017, and later, in 2018, ported to iOS on May 17 and Nintendo Switch on November 15, respectively. The game is an expanded and enhanced version of the developer's previous freeware game Hydorah.
The Ascent is a cyberpunk-themed action role-playing video game developed by Swedish indie game studio Neon Giant and published by Curve Digital for Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One on 29 July 2021. It was developed using Unreal Engine 4 by a team of 12 people and is Neon Giant's debut in the industry. The game received positive reviews from critics upon its release, with praise for its visuals, combat, and soundtrack, but criticism for the emphasis on grinding.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a 2021 action role-playing platform game developed by Adglobe and Live Wire and published by Binary Haze Interactive, featuring a dark fantasy fairy tale.
Room to Grow is 2021 indie puzzle video game developed and published by Mischka Kamener. The player controls a cactus which can elongate itself across the grid-based space. The objective of the each level is to control its cactus to move other another cactus or multiple cacti to its goal, a small grey circle. The game was positively received with praise for its challenging puzzles, atmosphere, and soundtrack though its simple concept had a more mixed reception and its lack of narrative was criticized.
A Fistful of Gun: For a Few Gun More is a 2015 top-down shooter game developed by FarmerGnome and published by Devolver Digital. The game features eleven playable characters with differing weapons, attributes, and control schemes. Players engage in procedurally generated fights, clearing a wave of enemies before progressing. Power-ups and handicaps affect the player character's abilities, such as movement and shooting speed. Horses allow a character to move faster and endure one additional enemy shot. The game features a single-player story mode and multiplayer modes for cooperative and player-versus-player battles.
DNF Duel is a fighting video game co-developed by Arc System Works, Eighting and Neople, and published by Nexon. It is a spin-off of the Dungeon & Fighter series and it was released for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 on 28 June 2022. A Nintendo Switch port was released on 20 April 2023.
