126
Relevant XKCD https://xkcd.com/657/ and the reason I watched Primer in the first place. After dozens of watches I think that perhaps it's possible the graph is relatively correct (maybe)
Disco Elysium
What Remains of Edith Finch. Is that a 'small' enough game? Affected me deeply, tho.
This was such a good interactive story. Took me less than a day to go through it, but there are some sections I will never forget. The bathtub and the fish plant created some crazy emotions, I was happy to piece together what was happening, but then I had to see it through without any way to avoid the inevitable.
(Trying to stay ambiguous for anyone who wants to check out it. You totally should!)
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This game singlehandedly destroyed my negative perspective on walking simulators. Legit must-play for everyone. Lewis' scene still makes me tear up.
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Hollow Knight! Got me into indie games.
Hollow Knight was just so much well-curated content for the price. I got it on sale for $7.50, and after I played through it, I had to go buy it again at the full $15 because I felt like I'd ripped Team Cherry off.
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Silksong is likely getting announced at Gamescon this week!
Let's hope so!
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Love the Cube series, knew it was low budget, but not ‘that’ low!
I'm sure the others had a bigger budget, but yeah, the first one was hardly anything.
Of course they only needed to build one room, part of another, and then just change the lighting over and over.
I disliked the second one specifically because they gave it a decent budget. The original is genius for how it does so much with so little.
The third is an oddball. Made-for-TV budget and quality. It's interesting for fans of the series, but nothing special.
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Disco Elysium
Journey!
The game that somehow managed to make random online co-op not toxic
Also you just got me to realise that Sword of the Sea is actually out literally today
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Most indie games will end up better than pretty much every AAA title. The best games I've played in the last decade were either indie or AA.
Roboquest, Pathfinder WotR, Dyson Sphere Program, Outer Wilds, Balatro, Helldivers 2, Deep Rock Galactic, Rogue Trader, Darktide, Abiotic Factor, Rimworld, Stellaris, DV Rings of Saturn, Hardspace Shipbreaker, Voices of the Void, Expedition 33, Blue Prince, Tiny Glade, Witchfire, Instruments of Destruction, Heart of the Machine, Tainted Grail Fall of Avalon, A Webbing Journey, Planet Crafter, Kenshi, X4, Ultrakill, Schedule 1, the list goes on.
All amazing games, none of them AAA.
Games:
- To the Moon
- Gris
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- This War of Mine
- Inked: A Tale of Love
- Papers, Please
Movies (this list I had to think about for a while...):
- 50/50 (2011)
- Amour (2012)
- The Station Agent (2003)
- Columbus (2017)
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Books:
- The Bookshop
- The Lives of Others
Edit: spelling
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TUNIC
It's a good game in general, but
spoiler
If you, as a kid, had to decipher an older sibling's notes in game manual, it hits that nostalgia right on the nose. And then turns it on its head.
Thomas was alone. Never have I had such strong feelings for a bunch squares and rectangles
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Man from Earth.
Coherence.
Unpacking (game)
Small indie film? Dear Zachary is a documentary produced on a shoestring budget, and it is an absolutely devastating piece of art. Just thinking about the film puts a lump in my throat.
It's a roller coaster of uncontrollable tears and searing anger in equal parts. Devastating is the perfect word.
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Before Your Eyes. I was going through some major stuff at the time and I'll associate the game with that summer forever. It has a very unique mechanic and it ties into the game really well without feeling like a gimmick. Takes about 3 hours to complete, so not a huge investment either.
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17776, especially the start and end (you do not need to care about American football at all to enjoy this story)
SIGNALIS (indie horror game). Very good, scary, I cried. Strongly recommend.
Applying the term "Indie" to a book feels interesting to me, because almost all books, even ones that are part of intensely popular franchises, are written by a single author - so in a sense, all books are Indy.
Of course team size is only one aspect. There's also budget and commercial involvement. But budget doesn't have to be a constraining factor for books the way it is for movies. And if you're the only person pushing the keyboard keys then you are the one with ultimate creative control.
If you are a penniless author and publish a hit and get rich, does your next book then stop being indie, even though it's still just you? Or maybe it's no longer indie because your circumstances have changed.
Many books are managed by a publisher, however. To varying degrees of control. The publisher can have significant sway in the process of writing and editorial control, depending on the contract.
I think the indie part is mostly to do with size and influence of the publishing house. As well as if the art comes first or market appeal. I think A24 in film are a good example of that question.
On further thought, I think one possible criteria may be: Was this work completed independently and then subsequently published, or did this work have a publisher prior to completion?
To your question, if the author gets big off of an indie work, then writes another, independently, which gets published again, then it's still indie. But if that author agrees a contract to write said book with the publisher before it is written, then it is no longer indie.
Basically, has the creator taken it on their own risk to make this thing and then tried to publish it later? Or did a publisher take the risk by funding it and then therefore may have some degree of control?
John Langan's "The Fisherman". Its a cosmic/folk horror novel but also a powerful meditation on loss and grief.
DELTARUNE. toby's been changing my brain chemistry for 10+ years now
Chappie might be borderline, but it goes so hard emotionally for a movie that basically had no critical reception.
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I thought a game like To The Moon would have been high up, but everyone has their own tastes.
Though, I will say, the sequel, Finding Paradise, is definitely worth it and is my choice. Even with the little bits of comedy and things that take away from the seriousness of the story, it's still an amazing story. Just as good as To The Moon, if you ask me.
Games: INSIDE, We Happy Few
Honestly, all of them.
The game I wanted to say was already said, so I'll go with a movie! The 2018 Korean film "Burning".
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Mine is music and the answer is essentially literally any Indy band that I like, I like WAY more than any mainstream artist.
but like I have several Indy bands that do different styles, so I don't know what my actual taste is.
here's my recent plays if anyone wants to tell me :)
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this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2025
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