In 2023, gaming saw a lot of milestones, and most of those milestones were positive. Due to those positive changes, the gaming industry grew too. The most important one of those was video game cinematic adaptations being accepted by a mass audience. And a large number of casual audiences are finally accepting CRPG as a viable genre. All this only happened for a bunch of big-budget games, though. A bunch of indie games got some recognition too, but for the most part, the indie crowd went unnoticed.

Even during the big showcases, such as the Game Awards, only a few indie games were showcased. Gamers all over pretty much missed a bunch of exciting new releases and announcements that came from the indie gaming domain. Hence, to bridge that gap, here are some overlooked indie games of 2023 that need some recognition.

Kind Words 2

This world is a very stressful place. Every now and then, people find themselves worrying about something that they should not. This means they might, at some point, end up sitting in a corner and just being depressed. Kind Words was a game that tried to find a solution to that problem. That game gave players a way to communicate their problems to the world and see if it responded back. A very cute game backed up by very beautiful lo-fi music.

The sequel that was recently announced would take things a little further. This time around, players would be able to explore a world. Participate in some activities, visit coffee shops, write poetry, and do much more.

Holstin

Tired of survival horror games that are all so polished and realistic-looking? Need something more inventive and atmospheric? Holstin is the game for you. Players play this title from an isometric perspective. It plays like a mix of original Resident Evil with RPG mechanics, and a third-person shooter.

It can’t be any more different than any other game you have tried before. Its gameplay alone is worth purchasing this indie game when it comes. The excellent story then becomes a bonus.

Braid Anniversary Edition

Years ago, Braid launched and became two things: a very inventive puzzle game and a very disturbing love story. Solve puzzle after puzzle with the protagonist, whose only mission is to save the love of his life.

This game is as difficult as it is beautiful, and its music is not bad either. This anniversary edition would bring this game to modern platforms with improved visuals, enhanced sound, and the developer’s commentary.

Open Roads

Gamers often get driving games where they drive on long roads for hours and hours. These games just give them these paths to travel and nothing else. But never do they give players a road story. Just like your typical indie road movie, Open Roads takes players on a journey. A mother and a daughter travel together as they uncover the history of their family and some things about themselves.

This game has a very inventive mix of visuals. It looks like a cel-shaded cartoon but with mature-looking characters.

Flock

Imagine Touch My Katamari and Pokemon are fused into one game with beautiful music and inventive gameplay mechanics. For every fan of peaceful games such as Journey and Flower, this one would be a treat. Play as a creature that collects creatures with its singing. Then, as a flock, they travel through the world. And this flock gradually grows to a monstrous size.

There’s no doubt that it’s an interesting idea. From the looks of it, growing your flock would not be very easy. But it would not be boring either.

Hermit and Pig

It must be said, no matter how people feel about it, Undertale has literally started a genre of lo-fi RPGs with interesting concepts. Hermit and Pig is one such title. It’s an RPG where a truffle-sniffing pig and its owner are looking for a legendary mushroom. But this journey of theirs is much more treacherous than they had ever imagined.

Turn-based combat, cutesy music, and very simplistic visuals make this game a charm. It’s totally worth a try if one loves Earthbound and Undertale.

Militsioner

As with every game above, this one too feels like a very unusual combination of two very popular games. Imagine if one combined Dishonored and Tomodachi Life. Set in a world where a giant policeman is always keeping an eye on the player’s character. Players have to escape the city, but doing so is not easy. Players have to jump a bunch of hoops to escape, all the while making sure the cop is happy enough to not arrest them.

They can keep him happy by using gifts and praising the cop at the very right moments. A very interesting concept indeed. Of course, it would give players an uncanny valley-like vibe when playing. Maybe that’s what the developers were going for.

Cassette Beasts

Are you disappointed by the recently launched Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? Need a spin on this monster-collecting genre? Then go for this game where you do not catch monsters, but you record them on a cassette tape.

Then, to use that particular beast, play that tape, and your character transforms into that beast. The combat is turn-based, but incredibly fun and fancy-looking.

Sun Haven

Stardew Valley is an addictive and well-made farming game. Its success inspired a bunch of developers, and all of them decided to put their own spin on this genre. As a result, games like Fae Farm and Graveyard Keeper were born. Sun Haven is one such game, but it does a bunch of things much better. For one, it has a particular story and objectives.

It has strong RPG and combat mechanics too. If one ever wondered how it would have been if Stardew Valley had a detailed story and better combat; this is the game for them.

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

Probably the one game that most gamers would know about. Yet this game never became a huge enough success to be recognized as a well-known title. It is a reimagining of the fast-paced action-adventure game called Jet Set Radio.

Just jump into this game for some funky fun with mind-blowing music. Mostly, it’s all about riding starboards, BMXs, and Incline Skates.

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Some of these indie games will be making their way to the market in 2024. Do not miss out on any of them; they will definitely make your day.

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