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Indie games are the soul of the gaming industry. While the AAA studios pump out cinematic blockbusters with $100 million budgets and predictable mechanics, indie developers quietly toil away on weird, beautiful, innovative little masterpieces that often go completely unnoticed. That’s a damn shame.
This article isn’t about Hades, Hollow Knight, or Celeste — amazing games, yes, but everyone knows about them now. This is about the ones you’ve probably never heard of. The obscure. The overlooked. The ones buried in the Steam abyss or hiding in the corner of the Nintendo eShop.
You want originality? Emotion? Artistry? These indie gems deliver — across PC, consoles, and handhelds. No mobile fluff, no freemium garbage. Just pure, indie brilliance.
Let’s dive in.
1. Rain World
Platform: PC, PS4, Switch
Rain World is not for the faint of heart. You play as a “slugcat” — a fragile little creature trying to survive in a ruined ecosystem filled with ruthless predators and relentless rain that can quite literally drown you if you’re caught outside when it hits.
The game doesn’t hold your hand. There’s no map. No obvious objectives. Just instinct, survival, and learning through death. Lots of death. The AI in Rain World is ridiculously smart — predators adapt to your behavior. Every encounter feels unique, unscripted, dangerous.
Rain World isn’t fun in the traditional sense — it’s brutal and occasionally unfair — but it’s unforgettable. If you want a raw, intelligent, and emotionally punishing experience, it’s a must-play.
2. Hylics 2
Platform: PC
Hylics 2 looks like it was made by an alien who found MS Paint and LSD at the same time. That’s a compliment.
This bizarre RPG blends turn-based combat, platforming, and exploration into a surreal, claymation-style world full of nonsensical dialogue and strange rules. But beneath the weirdness is a solid combat system, a killer synth soundtrack, and visual artistry that deserves a museum wall.
If you’re tired of fantasy RPGs filled with knights and dragons, Hylics 2 is your beautiful, confusing antidote.
3. The Hex
Platform: PC, Mac, Linux
From the creator of Pony Island (another excellent oddball), The Hex is a genre-hopping mystery set inside a video game. Literally. Six video game characters — each from different game genres — are trapped in a single game world, and one of them might be planning a murder.
What makes The Hex brilliant is how it switches genres — from platformer to strategy to fighting game — each matching the character’s backstory and gameplay history. It’s meta, it’s clever, and it’s full of unexpected twists.
You’ll want to play it twice. Maybe three times.
4. In Other Waters
Platform: PC, Switch
This one’s slow, meditative, and completely unlike anything you’ve played. In In Other Waters, you’re not the explorer — you’re the AI inside a deep-sea diving suit, helping a xenobiologist explore an alien ocean.
You never see the world directly. Instead, everything is conveyed through interfaces, sonar pings, and scientific logs. And yet it’s hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric. The storytelling is smart, subtle, and deeply immersive — like reading a really good sci-fi novel.
It’s not for adrenaline junkies, but if you love narrative exploration and elegant design, it’s magic.
5. Mundaun
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch
Hand-penciled horror. That’s Mundaun — a first-person horror adventure set in the Swiss Alps, entirely illustrated by hand in sketchbook-style grayscale.
It’s not a jump-scare game. It’s slow-burning, eerie, and surreal — drawing on Alpine folklore and rural isolation to create an atmosphere that’s deeply unsettling. The game mechanics are simple, but the hand-drawn visuals and strange dream logic pull you into a world that feels truly one-of-a-kind.
Horror fans, especially those tired of generic haunted houses, will find something special here.
6. Supraland
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox, Switch
Imagine if Portal, Zelda, and Metroid Prime had a baby, and then shrunk it down into a sandbox where you play as a tiny plastic figure inside a backyard. That’s Supraland.
It’s first-person, open-world-ish, and packed with puzzles, combat, secrets, and upgrades. The game constantly throws new mechanics at you, with clever level design and a great sense of humor.
The best part? You never need a tutorial. Everything is intuitive and rewarding. An absolute treat for puzzle lovers.
7. NORCO
Platform: PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox
NORCO is a Southern Gothic point-and-click adventure steeped in oil, sweat, and dystopia. Set in an alternate version of Louisiana, it blends gritty industrial decay with poetic writing and strange characters.
It’s deeply political, but not preachy. The storytelling is powerful, the visuals are gritty pixel art perfection, and the music nails that weird, haunted Americana vibe.
It won the first-ever Tribeca Games Award — and still flew under the radar. If you like narrative-heavy games like Disco Elysium or Kentucky Route Zero, don’t sleep on NORCO.
Read more about NORCO’s critical acclaim here.
8. A Short Hike
Platform: PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox
Technically this one got some attention, but not enough. A Short Hike is the perfect game for when life feels too heavy.
You play as a little bird trying to get phone signal at the top of a mountain. That’s it. But the journey is filled with charming characters, relaxing music, and a real sense of discovery. It’s a bit like Animal Crossing crossed with Breath of the Wild in miniature form.
The whole game takes 2–3 hours, and every minute feels like a warm hug.
9. Sunless Skies
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox, Switch
From the creators of Fallen London and Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies is a literary, Lovecraftian spacefaring RPG where you captain a steam locomotive flying through the stars.
Yes, it’s as weird as it sounds.
The world-building is phenomenal, the writing is some of the best in all of gaming, and the gameplay mixes real-time combat with strategic exploration and decision-making. Every choice matters, and every crewmate has a story worth discovering.
If you want to feel like you’re inside a bizarre Victorian novel in space, this is your ticket.
10. Lair of the Clockwork God
Platform: PC, Switch, Xbox, PS4
This one’s for the genre nerds. Lair of the Clockwork God is a hybrid of two game types: point-and-click adventure and platformer — and it mocks both brilliantly.
You control two characters: one is stuck in adventure game logic (“I can’t jump, I must find a ladder”), while the other is a modern platformer bro. They argue constantly, solve puzzles together, and deliver some of the smartest, funniest writing you’ll find in any indie game.
If you’re tired of games taking themselves too seriously, this is the cure.
Honorable Mentions
| Game Title | Platform(s) | Why You Should Play It |
|---|---|---|
| Tunic | PC, Xbox, PS5, Switch | Zelda-like with a deep puzzle-layer and mystery. |
| Eastward | PC, Switch | Gorgeous pixel art and emotional storytelling. |
| Yuppie Psycho | PC | Office horror satire that’s both creepy and funny. |
| Haiku the Robot | PC, Switch | A robotic take on Hollow Knight-style gameplay. |
| Unpacking | PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox | Surprisingly emotional narrative told through items. |
| Ghost of a Tale | PC, PS4, Xbox, Switch | A stealth-action game where you play as a tiny mouse. |
Why These Games Go Unnoticed
Let’s be real: the gaming world has a visibility problem. Steam sees around 10,000 new games every year. Nintendo’s eShop is an unfiltered flood. Sony and Microsoft feature mostly big-name titles.
Indie developers don’t have PR budgets or influencers to hype them up. If they’re lucky, a YouTuber finds them. If not, they vanish in the void.
That’s why digging for these titles matters. Because hidden among the clutter are masterpieces — creative, personal, and passionate.
Here’s a table showing what typically kills indie visibility:
| Visibility Barrier | Impact on Indie Games |
|---|---|
| Oversaturation | Too many releases make discovery harder. |
| No marketing budget | Can’t compete with AAA advertising. |
| Algorithmic storefronts | Steam and console stores prioritize popular games. |
| Lack of influencer coverage | Most streamers focus on known or trending titles. |
| Platform bias | Some indies are stuck on a single storefront. |
And yet, these games still exist. Still thrive — in their niche little corners. You just have to go looking.
Where to Find These Hidden Gems
You won’t always find these on the front page of your console store. Here’s where to dig:
- Itch.io – Home to experimental and microbudget games. You’ll find true weirdness here.
- Steam Curator Pages – Follow curators who spotlight hidden indies.
- Game Jams – Many polished indie games start as game jam entries (Ludum Dare, GMTK Jam).
- Indie Game Subreddits – r/IndieGaming, r/IndieDev, and r/itchio often showcase cool finds.
- YouTube channels like Noclip and GameMaker’s Toolkit – They often highlight under-the-radar developers.
- This article – Bookmark it. You’re welcome.
For more on the challenges indie games face in the algorithm-driven market, check out this explainer from Wikipedia.
Final Thoughts
Indie games are where the weird ideas live. The experiments. The risks. The heartfelt, hand-crafted, slightly broken but always interesting adventures.
You’ve probably never heard of most of the games listed here — and that’s exactly the point. Because once you leave the safe glow of AAA polish, you’ll find a wilder, more personal world of gaming. One where a slugcat can break your heart. A bird can climb a mountain. And a claymation skeleton can teach you the meaning of life.
So go play something weird.
Go play something beautiful.
Go play something indie.
