Thanks for the lists! Seems like whenever someone asks for some lesser-known indie games, people start mentioning ones like Stray and Hades, which are good, but not exactly deep cuts. :)
I looked through my most played and least reviewed indie games on Steam, and found these three. They're super cheap for the summer sale right now, too.
Venineth - 178 reviews - currently $8 - released 2020
Physics-based 3D puzzle platformer. You play as a ball, with a lot of momentum, that rolls around some amazing looking, mysterious landscapes. Chill ambient music plays in the background. I haven't gotten very far yet; the reviews suggest that it gets harder as it goes on. The first couple hours are very relaxing.
2D puzzle platformer with the best soundtrack ever (and the soundtrack is 40 cents right now). You need to have very precise jump timing, so it has more difficult platforming than most puzzle platformers. Very replayable with leaderboards, community-made maps, and unlockable new skills that let you solve a level in different ways.
I stayed up way too late playing this one many years ago, and I can't even explain why it was fun. You just kind of fall downwards, aiming at things as you go down, and trying to find new routes to hit the things you want to hit and avoid the things you don't want to hit. I can't really compare it to anything else, except for maybe some platformers where there's a "falling level." Except this is all falling levels. It's weirdly good. They're working on a new one, although it's very delayed at this point.
If you like Katamari Damacy you should try ps1 game called “Incredible Crisis”.
It is an extreme wacky minigame… game, one of those games that is simultaneously addictive and punishingly difficult. You play as four members of a japanese family trying to get home for grandma’s birthday, and insanity ensues. (Aliens, bank robbers, etc).
It got an english release back in 1999 but I dont think it made a huge mark. In any case, its very fun and ridiculous. Especially good to play with friends. It also has an amazing ska soundtrack by Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra if you enjoy ska, haha
Absolutely. I’m about to jump into the third one, which from what I understand is basically a remastered version of 2 with more civilizations to choose from.
XENOBLADE! love this series, i’ll also recommend it. there’s this video i liked that’s like a fanmade ad for the game, here. pretty sure it’s not too spoilery (or the spoilers are just out of context).
since you already mentioned it though, i’ll recommend earthbound. the entire series is really good, but for play order, i’d recommend earthbound -> mother 3 -> mother 1. (any order is fine, since the games are only loosely connected though). such good jrpgs with an upbeat feel to them.
Absolutely UT 2004. I reinstalled it a couple years ago and it holds up quite well. Especially the Onslaught (a classic Battlefield-like) game mode is still so much fun. And the bots aren’t just braindead idiots. They really want your guts, so you don’t need other humans for a good time. They even insult you over voice chat!
FF7 Remake. I played the original but didn’t pay attention to differences in the remake. I went the entire game with only the Buster sword, and thus did not learn any new abilities. Still beat it though.
I am loving this post and am bookmarking it for future games to play.
The one I want to recommend is a little out of left field: “Photopia”, a text adventure that is more than 20 years old but that I just found out about. It’s a nonlinear narrative game with two distinct voices, where you gradually piece together the story of, well, go in unspoiled and you’ll be happier. It’s not a long game, and there aren’t much by way of puzzles, but the writing is wonderful and the story hits hard.
Also love this post, but I can’t help noting the irony of a thread begging people to ‘sell’ a product on a platform that famously opposes advertising. In fact, thinking about it, there are a lot of “what are you playing now,” “what should I play next,” “what’s your favorite…” threads on most of the gaming c/'s I’ve seen. Like, in the absence of advertising, people are just begging to be told what’s new, exciting, and available, as though it’s more meaningful coming from a pseudonymous internet stranger than a declared corporate minion. Real opinions or astroturf? Who’s to say.
Quick game: Journey! You are a beeing in some kind of migration Journey through multiple landscapes (desert, sea and snow). You have to pick up special símbols that are hidden so that your scarf becames longer and you can fly, also it works as some kind of HP bar.
The cinematics is just beautifull, you float and slide as the sun sets it is more art than a game, just to enjoy and relax.
One of the feafures is that another player, like you, will be there. As a 1st time player they will guide you through the secrets of each level/place. You dont talk each of you just emit a kind of musical sound and, without any Word, it is increadible how both players can talk. It is really beautifull. On some other games you will be the guide, you dont know, you have yo try to comunicate and figure out your place in Journey.
I confess I cried the first time I finished the game.
Longer game: The Last guardian From the same team that made shadow of the colossus, you will notice by the landscape.
You are a little boy in some kind of Maya/Inca Village that is kidnaped by a beeing that is mix of a giant mouse with horns and wings, called Trico.
It takes you to it s nest (huge and complex, like an ants), but both have an accident and get stuck somewhere. Trico lost it s wings so cannot fly.
Step by step you start to make friends with Trico to escape the huge nest, you can go on it s back, climb the hills, solve puzzles with it.
You also find why you are kidnapped (not going to give spoilers). You find other Tricos but they are very agressive, like they are under some kind of spell. Also the nest has strange beeings roaming around that try to suck your energy (the first encounter I had I got a huge gut feeling of strangeness and danger, increadible how the game can give you such a dread feeling and, no, I am not also telling how they are :) it is part of that first impact) and, remember, you are a little kid so you better run and trust that your Trico will help you.
(The game has a lot of detail. At some point my ps4 started to make a strange noise as an airplane taking off).
Have fun! Edit: removed the word “curiosity” to not confuso anyone, did not know it was a game as well.
Journey is such a special game. And the other player is such a key element to the experience. I’ve played it a few times and each time felt so different based on who I was playing with. First time I actually just wanted to do it alone (I’m usually really not a fan of multiplayer), but after spending most of the journey with another player I finally understood why it was important. The second time I played from start to finish with the same veteran player, who guided me to all the secrets I didn’t even have a clue existed, and we were constantly chiming to each other (that musical sound you mentioned). They were much more patient than the first player and by the end it was amazing how much emotion I felt having to part ways with someone I didn’t even know. And I’ll confess too, I cried on that second run.
Third time I must’ve had some connection problems because the other player would only be there for a little while then disappear, replaced by another later that would also disappear. When I finished the game by myself, it truly felt like a lonely experience. A beautiful, but sad lonely experience. But even after that time I would still 100% recommend it.
I haven’t played Last Guardian or Curiosity, but Last Guardian I’ve definitely been meaning to try, and Curiosity I haven’t heard of but I’m always a fan of games that put beauty before hardware longevity.
Shout out to Fishery (309 reviews). It’s pretty niche as an aquarium simulator, but very relaxing and well made.
Also, Ozymandias (770 reviews) is a great strategy game that manages to squeeze the feeling of a full game of civilization into less than one hour.
If you’re interested in classic board games, The Conquest of Go (397 reviews) is a great entry point into Go, with nice tutorial features and a campaign mode that scales difficulty as you win games.
Natural selection 2. The game is pretty much dead now, and it is not easy on new players, but no other game I’ve played has this awesome sense to teamwork and coordination with intense combat. It kind of ruined all other multiplayer games for me. I haven’t found anything like it.
I can recommend NEO Scavenger (slightly under 4k reviews). It’s hardcore survival game in post apocalypse world. I haven’t finished it yet, 'cause I always die in the process. Still very enjoyable if you’re into post-apo.
Terrible interface, but if someone appreciates roguelikes (technically not one, but much of the same DNA) that shouldn’t be enough to turn people away from a great game.
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