#BEST INDIE GAMES 2021 FULL#
#BEST INDIE GAMES 2021 PC#

There are plenty of honorable mentions to our list of favourite indies. You know what, we might bugger off and give it another run now. This is a game that absolutely stacks you with unlocks and trinkets as you play, and you canвЂ™t help but feel the tug of вЂone more goвЂ™ every time you finish a run. But the peak of HadesвЂ™ Mount Olympus is its replayability. ThereвЂ™s the combat, which is balletic and a joy to replay. ItвЂ™s a riot of comic book imagery and mythology, and we love it. ThereвЂ™s a reason so many people are cosplaying itвЂ™s characters: their design and that of the world is stupendous. ItвЂ™s starting to look a bit like Smaug with all the trophies itвЂ™s accumulating.Д«ut, you know what? Sod trying to be different.

Hades has already snagged BAFTAs, Game Awards, Nebulas and even a Hugo Award for its brand of dungeon crawling, and now weвЂ™re chucking a Best Indie Game on top of that pile. After over a year of Stadia exclusivity, this surprisingly emotional tale has finally landed on consoles and PC, and itвЂ™s well worth the wait.We know, we know, weвЂ™re hardly offering you a deep cut as our number one indie game of the year. Last but certainly not least is Lost Words: Beyond the Page, a tale penned by superstar game writer Rhianna PratchettвЂ“the driving force behind the first two Tomb Raider reboots. Whether or not its online community remains strong is up for debate, but thereвЂ™s a lot to love here.

#BEST INDIE GAMES 2021 FULL#

The gameвЂ™s Sergio Leone-inspired, red ocher-heavy world is filled with bandits and other neвЂ™er-do-wells, who are beaten by timing, puzzle-solving, and sneakiness.Дrive Buy, from BAFTA-nominated British studio Glitchers, may not offer the same value for money as other games on this listвЂ“and it might not be perfect in terms of executionвЂ“but itвЂ™s eccentric and full of heart, leaning hard on tried-and-tested vehicular combat tropes while delivering something new and fresh, with intuitive controls and frantic gameplay.ДЄcross five-minute rounds, its various game modesвЂ“including the superb tag-like Piggy Bank, as well as the gold-rushing PaydayвЂ“are reminiscent of Blur and Twisted Metal. This gorgeous, isometric, non-violent stealth game follows six-year-old boy El Hijo, whoвЂ™s searching for his mother after their farm is burned down, and heвЂ™s sent to a monastery for his own safety.

#BEST INDIE GAMES 2021 PC#

Landing on consoles in March after a late-2020 release on PC and Google Stadia, El Hijo вЂ“ A Wild West Tale is one of those stunning games thatвЂ™s just as satisfying to watch someone else enjoying as it is to play yourselfвЂ“which is great, because itвЂ™s the perfect title for families. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Stadia At about five hours long, itвЂ™s short but incredibly sweet. While its puzzles often swap clarity for style, the payoff always feels wonderful, and it may well be one of the most enchantingly original games of the year. Matching its unique visuals is a remarkable story focusing on the very existence of the universe itself, where you play a detective in a classic American film noir, like a high-concept alternative to surprise 2020 hit Chicken Police: Paint it RED!.

This point-and-click adventure from developer Feral Cat DenвЂ“which successfully funded the project via Kickstarter back in 2018вЂ“channels the style and creativity of classic 90s LucasArts games, but combines the age-old formula with a stunningly unique art direction.

Genesis NoirДЄs one of the latest coups for Game Pass subscribers, day-one addition Genesis Noir is a real contender for indie GOTY shortlists. Mundaun may not truly excel at one specific thing, but the sum of its parts creates an intriguing and utterly moreish eight-to-ten-hour tale thatвЂ™s well worth its $20 asking price. Given itвЂ™s a horror game, maybe thatвЂ™s the point. MundaunвЂ™s visual calibration is frustrating, tooвЂ“the game is way too dark, forcing you to close the curtains and max out your brightness settings to make out anything in its darker scenes. ItвЂ™s a genuinely difficult game to understand at first clues are often devious, while combat feels a little forcedвЂ“especially as itвЂ™s combined with an Amnesia-style sanity/fear mechanic. It suffers from a few problems, for sure.

Best indie games 2021