20. SUPERHOT (PS4)
It's hard to be original these days, but along comes Superhot with a genius twist on the first person shooter. Time only moves when you do in this clever indie game, meaning you can dodge bullets and land some crazy kills in slow-mo. It plays out almost like a puzzle game as you plan your movements and anticipate your enemies. Don't let the simplistic visual style fool you, this is one of the most creative shooters on PS4.
19. The Witness (PS4)
Announced alongside the PS4 itself, Jonathan Blow's latest head-scratching puzzler is a modern classic. The Witness plops you down on a mysterious island dotted with hundreds of panels, each with a grid-based conundrum for you to solve. The non-linear design means you're free to tackle them in any order, but the real genius of the game is the way it subliminally teaches you its unique language. Masterfully designed, gorgeous, and totally original, this isn't just one of PS4's best indies, it's one of its best games full stop.
18. Fez (PS4)
Fez has been around longer than the PS4, but Phil Fish's puzzle platformer has stood the test of time. It remains a brilliantly unique game, with its dimension-flipping core mechanic leading to some astonishing twists and turns. As you run and jump through the (seemingly) 2D world, the game unfolds a grander mystery that's a joy to discover. It's a poster child for indie games for a reason.
17. Slay the Spire (PS4)
Slay the Spire is a roguelike deckbuilder, something that many might shy away from, but it's fantastic. Each character has their own pool of cards you may find on each run, and you can discover some amazing synergies that'll see you wiping the floor with enemies. With so many random elements and new strategies to find, the replay value is through the roof. Its art isn't the greatest, but it's a seriously smartly designed game from top to bottom.
16. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS4)
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a blend of action and platforming that feels distinctly old school. If you enjoyed the likes of Jak & Daxter back on PS2, you'll find a lot to like in this charming adventure. You'll explore a lush world, collect adorable Rot creatures, solve environmental puzzles, and engage in surprisingly tough combat. A really enjoyable game from start to finish.
Comments (20)
Streets of rage 4 and darkest dungeon is the 2 best indie games ever.word up son
No man's sky a worthy shout out.
My choice in year 2022.
I rated 8/10.
Lol no Cuphead?
Best Indie game of all time is Outer Wilds and it's on PS4... Not in the top 20?
Also Disco Elysium didn't make the top 20? Ouch.
Where's Subnautica? Again not in the top 20, seriously my tastes must be so niche.
I can see why Stardew Valley is tippy top, love that game but not my favourite.
Both "Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition" and "Guacamelee 2" failed to make this list. How is that possible? Is Drinkbox Studios not Indie enough?
Darkest dungeon ancestral edition and streets of rage 4 is the best indie games ever made.word up son
20 is not enough for all the shoutouts I'd want to give for this list.
Why do people love Journey so much? It’s not a proper game. It requires no thought or reflexes and can be completed in a couple of hours
For me:
Top 20 Indies on PS
1. Hollow Knight
2. What Remains of Edith Finch?
3. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
4. A Short Hike
5. Journey
6. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
7. Shovel Knight
8. Cuphead
9. Firewatch
10. The Messenger
11. Kingdom: Two Crowns
12. Stray
13. Signalis
14. Kena: Bridge of Spirits
15. Celeste
16. Owlboy
17. Hyper Light Drifter
18. Alwa’s Legacy
19. Minoria
20. Crosscode
Love indies. I’ve got a log of indie titles in a spreadsheet that I’ve been updating the last decade or so… because I am very clearly a nerd. Always happy to share a list though!
any top list without cuphead on it is criminal. perhaps it was never reviewed for this site and omitted. fix that.
Is Cuphead indie tho?
@mohilrai Actually, #14 is the OG Guac! I would be bummed if they left both off as well. Maybe this needs to be a top 50, too many good games out there! I also want to see Transistor, Streets of Rage 4 and Tower Fall Ascension!
I would rate Hollow Knight as #1 and The Witness as #2.
And Journey is garbage. Critics' love for that game always makes me think of The Emperor's New Clothes. You can't admit to being the person who didn't "get it." Inside is sort of similar, although that game is at least more interesting to play. Just my opinion, of course.
@PVTHudson Outer Wilds is #14 on the list. That game is quite an experience! My kids watched me play through it and we were all glued to it for a week as I tried to figure everything out.
@sketchturner looks like it's been climbing since I commented, it's now up to 12. It should keep going up the more people dip in. If it went to PS Plus I bet it would breach the top 5.
As for Journey it was fine. Best thing about it was a skit done by Critical Miss at the time...
https://www.escapistmagazine.com/journey/
Well I've played more than half of them and have a few more currently installed so pretty happy with that.
Less happy that Enter the Gungeon doesn't get the love I clearly think it deserves, but that's just me.
half of these are not even as good as ender lilies
new 2d metroidvania soulslike ttailer always been compared to blasphemous by commenters on yt
This is inherently a very subjective subject. A lot of my favorites didn't make the list, and many overrated titles of course were on there. But I'm fine with it.
I enjoyed The Talos Principle, but my God it's long. After solving 90+ puzzles I had my fill and just wanted to see the end credits.
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