Unexpected Indie Gems: The Games That Stood Out

Quick Links

• Last Word
• Untitled Goose Game
• A Short Hike
• Storyteller
• VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

If you’re not a fan of AAA titles, it can be really hard to find the stuff you do like. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools to root out fascinating indie titles; here are a few of my favorites and how I discovered them.

1 Last Word

Last Word is an RPG where you do battle not with swords or staves, but with the power of words. You’ve been summoned to a mysterious mansion alongside a cadre of colorful characters (not unlike Clue), where you must investigate matters of international intrigue.

To progress in the game, you build up conversational capital and challenge the other characters to various debates, basically RPG battles where “fight” and “magic” have been replaced by “pow” and “tact” to represent your conversational prowess.

I first discovered this game thanks to writer Colin Spacetwinks , who does regular roundups of recommended games whenever there’s a sale or deals on Steam . If there’s a games writer you particularly like, it’s always worth giving them a follow on social media, as they’re likely to recommend games and other media of interest.

2 Untitled Goose Game

It’s always worth watching various new games roundups like the Summer Games Fest or Wholesome Games on YouTube because, even if you’re not into everything shown, it’s always good to know what other people will be playing, and you might even discover a few new favorites for yourself.Untitled Goose Game is one of those titles, with a trailer that became so popular that developer House House Games ultimately ended up keeping the provisional title.

If you’re not familiar with this game, it’s pretty simple: you are a goose and your job is to cause trouble. Specifically, the game gives you a list of tasks to perform throughout a small, quaint English village, tasks that, in many cases, are annoying and sometimes even mean to the inhabitants of said village.

It’s a fairly accessible title for kids and those who don’t play video games a lot—and perfect for anyone who likes to embrace their inner chaos goblin.

3 A Short Hike

Adam Robinson-Yu

When it comes to indie PC titles, there are alternatives to Steam . If you really want to get into the indie-est of indie, it’s worth checking out the front page of itch.io regularly. Anyone can post a game there, and the front page does a good job of highlighting some of the best titles, many of which can also be found on Steam.

Itch.io also has periodic charity bundles to raise money for various causes, and they’re absolutely fantastic deals, offering hundreds of games for a one-time donation of under $10. That’s how I discovered A Short Hike , which was included in the 1,000-plus-title-strong Racial Justice bundle a few years back. It’s a short,cozy game about being a small bird on a hike; your goal is to reach the top of the mountain.

To do so you’ll need to collect feathers that make it possible to fly just a little bit higher each time, and to collect these you’ll explore a park’s various nooks and crannies and meet various other hikers and other park visitors. It’s a sweet reminder of family vacations past, with gameplay that is easy to understand but challenging to fully master (I still haven’t found all the feathers).

4 Storyteller

Daniel Benmergui / Annapurna Interactive

Years and years ago, I came across this short, charming little game called Storyteller where you would click and drag various elements to tell a particular story. I was certainly surprised when I found out the developer was making a full version for PC and console. That game was released last year under the same title, expanding the original with more characters and situations into more complicated puzzles.

This is the kind of game that really makes you examine cause and effect with a critical eye, as you drag characters along in a comic strip-like format to create the desired outcome. I don’t really remember where I found the original, but I can certainly tell you where I’d find similar games these days, and that’s itch.io.

What’s great about itch.io is not just that it’s sort of a free-for-all for indie games, but many of those games are playable in your browser, meaning you don’t have to sign up for an account or download any files, so it’s easy enough to dip in and out of new titles.

Storyteller is also now available on mobile as one of Netflix’s games .

5 VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

Sukeban Games / Ysbryd Games

Most people look at video game fan conventions like PAX as places that are loud and confusing, full of streaming stars and people who prefer games like Call of Duty and Fortnite over smaller, more intimate titles. But get past the huge, loud booths, and you’ll find yourself in a warren of smaller tables full of weird, interesting, and experimental indie games.

That’s how I discovered VA-11 Hall-A , a visual novel where you play as a bartender in a cyberpunk city. You’ll need to mix drinks while listening to your customer’s problems, and your skill at tending bar will determine how much each patron reveals to you, as well as whether you can make rent that month.

Add in a killer synthwave soundtrack, and you have one of the coolest games I’ve ever played. Even if you can’t make it to a PAX or other fan convention, take a look around for smaller local events on sites like Eventbrite and Meetup or even virtual conferences like LudoNarraCon ; you might just discover the next superstar indie title at that table in a corner.

There are plenty of ways to find indie gems to play. These are a few of the ways I found some of my own favorites and hopefully they can help you find new indie games to play too.