10. Chicory: A Colorful Tale (PS5)
If you're looking for a breather after those big, violent blockbusters, Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a perfect antidote. This charming indie game will pull you in with its adorable characters and cartoonish aesthetic, but it pairs all that with compelling gameplay and a touching story. You wield a magical brush with which you can paint the environment however you see fit, and you'll also use colour to solve puzzles and even fight bosses, solo or in co-op. An imaginative and heartfelt game.
9. F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch (PS5)
F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch might be a pain to type, but the game itself is a great Metroidvania. You play as a rabbit with an enormous robotic arm in a cyberpunk-like world inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. Off to rescue a friend, the freedom fighter finds himself caught up in all kinds of mess, and it'll be down to you to fight through it. Engaging combat is at the heart of the game, but you're also rewarded for exploring the world, and the story is kept interesting by some great characters.
8. Sifu (PS5)
Sifu is one of the most impressive tributes to martial arts that you'll find in gaming. An immaculately presented kung fu adventure, Sifu is a brutal test of reactions and skill, but in the pursuit of mastering its mechanics, you'll find an immensely rewarding experience. A superb action title if you're in the mood for a stiff challenge.
7. The Light Brigade (PS5)
Roguelikes may be dime a dozen, but they’re less commonplace in virtual reality. The Light Brigade proves that the format can work with PSVR2 to excellent effect, and while it does little to reinvent the genre’s well-worn wheel, it instead focuses on executing all of its ideas to an exemplary standard. The result is an almost immaculate shooter, with stunning gameplay and an outstanding reward loop.
6. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5)
This is the debut game from developer Ember Lab, and it's a strong first effort. Kena: Bridge of Spirits gets top marks for its animation and visual flair, but it's also a very enjoyable action platformer. It puts us in mind of PS2 classics such as Jak & Daxter; you're traversing a sort-of open world environment, collecting things, solving puzzles, and engaging in simple yet surprisingly challenging combat. Those lovable Rot creatures and some tricky boss battles further cement this as a cult hit.
5. Death's Door (PS5)
Death's Door isn't doing anything particularly original, but everything presented here is just so well crafted. The game is an isometric action adventure, starring you as a reaper crow who must venture out and calm the lost souls that haunt the land. The world created here is a fascinating one, designed in an almost Dark Souls-like way; it intertwines with itself and pockmarks each area with baddies to fend off. The combat is straightforward but satisfying, and the presentation is really strong throughout. It might not break the mould, but this unassuming game puts its best talon forward.
4. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (PS5)
Disco Elysium stands as a truly great achievement in role-playing. Attempting to crack a dangerously suspicious murder case as an amnesiac cop, you're tasked with interrogating the locals while trying to work out just who the hell you're supposed to be. Engrossing from start to finish, Disco Elysium is built on a foundation of fantastic writing and brilliant characters, as you carve your own unique path through the atmospheric city of Revachol. Its methodical pace won't be for everyone, but if you're looking for a deep and brain-bending RPG, you won't find anything better on PS5.
3. Hades (PS5)
Bored of his immortal life in the Underworld, Zagreus takes it upon himself to escape the reaches of his godly father. In the brilliant roguelike Hades, you'll aid the prince in his attempts to reach the surface, engaging in countless runs through the ever-shifting realms. With each death comes plot development, however; a story is expertly interwoven with the gameplay loop, giving you a small taste of what each character has been up to before you dive back into the dungeons once more. With slick, fast-paced combat, an endless variety of perks and power-ups to try, and an escalating challenge for those that stick around, this is a fantastic action game that makes the most of its looping structure.
2. Moss: Book II (PS5)
An early star of virtual reality was Moss, and this follow-up builds on those solid foundations. Moss: Book II continues the adventures of Quill, who now has access to multiple weapons to fend off enemies. They also play into the game's puzzles, which are larger in scope and more complex than the first game. It all looks wonderful too — the environments and character animations are gorgeous, and your unique perspective lets you get a really good look at these cutesy levels. It's not a massive departure from what came before, but this five-hour adventure is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.
1. What Remains of Edith Finch (PS5)
What Remains of Edith Finch is a difficult game to talk about without spoiling what makes it special. It's a narrative-driven experience that only lasts a few hours, but it packs in so much inventive design and imaginative sequences that it will stick with you for longer than anything else. Playing as the titular Edith Finch, you return to her rickety, unusual family house and unearth what happened to everyone. It's emotional, surprising, characterful, and unique. Now also on PS5, there's no excuse to skip this excellent adventure.
So, those are the best PS5 indie games so far, according to you lot. What do you think? Are you happy with how this list is looking? Don't forget that you can influence this page by rating your favourite games. Use the search bar on the first page of this article, search through the titles, and rate them accordingly. Doing so may well change how the list looks! If you think we're missing a game from our PlayStation Game Database, let us know and we'll sort it. Let us know what your favourite indie games on PS5 are in the comments section below.
Comments (38)
Well this confirms it, I hate indie games...😆
At first glance I thought this list had some pretty big omissions, but it’s hard to make an encompassing indie list when so many indies are just PS4 games playable on the PS5.
No love for Narita Boy? Shocking. I know it's a PS4 game but to be fair that entire list is too.
@Shigurui Yeah, the difference is that Narita Boy doesn't have a native PS5 version
Lost in Random I keep meaning to buy but I keep getting distracted by other games coming out. The Pathless and FIST I absolutely loved. Off topic, sort of but I really hope we get some news on Silksong soon because we haven't heard anything about that game for quite some time now.
Mostly top down and 2d side scroller games.
Will start Hades this year.
I don't like Death Door artstyle too much.
Really hope the new Hyper Light Drifter game comes to consoles, cuz that seems fire. I love the indie games that try to achieve as much as possible.
I love Overcooked, me and my wife had a lot of "fights" because of this game while trying to 3 stars every stage, great fun! haha
At first I missed Deaths Door from the list and was somewhat confused but on second look I see that it did indeed make the top 3, where it belongs. An Absolutely delightful game, and far more challenging than its cutesy art direction may have you believe. A definite indie highlight for me this year. Hades is also incredible but Deaths Door got me bad. Now all we need is the Hollow Knight sequel!
Love Chicory and Kena, such great games.
2nd place is pretty damn good for me. Haven't played Hades yet, technically still really need to finish their other games... Disco Elysium was more my speed, fantastic art style, funny, depressing and so different. No idea how it will translate into a TV show.
Is spiritfarer allowed on the list? The game has a good sense of humour and it's about dying.
I've only played three out of this list :Chicory,Kena and the best Bugsnax.There are a few on the list I'm very interested in but what with the new Ps Plus Tier system soon to start im hoping a lot of them are included in the 'free' games..
@PVTHudson Disco Elysium is being made in to a tv show?!?
I'm playing Carrion right now. Pretty damn good game I might add.
The Binding of Isaac: Repentance not in the top 20?
A travesty I say!
Theseus is easily one of the biggest cons in all of gaming. Take that however you want to
Not sure if it counts but I love cuphead! It’s hard as hell but still fun
@Ward_ting yeah, both that and Life Is Strange got picked up by a TV studio for adaptations. I have mixed feelings when they adapt games, let alone ones that are exclusively based around player choice.
@PVTHudson yea, I am with you on that. I honestly couldn’t tell you an adaptation that I have ever liked. Arcane is probably the exception! If Disco Elysium remained animated in a similar style to Arcane then I could definitely see that working! It’s an awesome world so am very intrigued!
I started The Pedestrian yesterday as I've been wanting to get around to checking it out for ages. It's a well thought out game and I can see it should get quite challenging.
Hades I loved, that's a great game and really deserved the praise it got. There's so many other games off this list that I really want to get around to playing. Perhaps I just need to devote some time to playing through Indies.
@RubyCarbuncle its just arrived on game pass if you play cross platform. I've wanted to try Lost in Random since release, so having a GP release really helps!
Never going to agree with lists like these completely but top games for me would be Solar Ash, Paradise Killer and No Man’s Sky. Art of Rally I really wanted to like but really didn’t.
Lost In Random is wonderful and should be getting far, far more attention than it has.
This is my recommendation, from my country Indonesia 🇮🇩
Surprised Cuphead wasn't on this list. Expected it to be on Top5 but that wasn't the case. Cuphead is one of the best Indie games I've played so far.
Played many of these and can particularly recommend. Death's Door, The Pathless, Kena, Stray, Cyber Shadow, Artful Escape and to a lesser extent Haven.
I've always enjoyed What Remains of Edith Finch but also never quite understood why it is quite SO beloved. It's a brilliant little game, that tells a simple story very well, but best indie? No, not even top 5 for me.
Have to prioritise Hades, Disco Elysium, FIST, Sifu & Chicory!
Without a shadow of a doubt, Unpacking should be on this list.
@SoulChimera
I agree Unpacking should be on this list.
But my favorite Indie of all time only released a couple of weeks ago.
My pick is "Rimworld" Console edition. Best city builder-story telling game of all time.
I loved it on the PC and love it more now that it is on Playstation.
The interface is much better on the PS5 controller than on mouse and keyboard.
@Shigurui Naruta Boy's lack of d-pad support made it unplayable for me. It was a real shame. I wish I could adjust the controls
Rollerdrome is woefully underrated. What an excellent title!
Also, PS5 seriously needs more indie titles…
Cult Of The Lamb should be on this list also.
TMNT Shredder’s Revenge, Donut County, Superhot, Degrees of Separation, Alba, ..
Inscryption...?
This list is a bit overcrowded and takes away from some actual great games, but its solid nonetheless. Sifu would be my number 1.
@RubyCarbuncle Lost in Random is a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy tim burton aesthetics.
At some point you guys should update Haven to reflect that it is available on PS+ Extra.
And Olli Olli World was a PS+ Essential game last month.
Surprised to see it didn't make the list among the community but tunic is an amazing game!! Challenging combat, amazing exploration, haunting soundtrack that I still listen to and an interesting story.
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