1 Stardew Valley
Cosy, great for unwinding
A relaxing farming sim with village life, friendships and a co-op mode.
The best indie games on PC and PlayStation
Small studios, big ideas: games made away from the big publishers, often bolder, more personal and more playful than the next sequel.
How to find games that really suit you: Select up to 5 games you have played and enjoyed. Playalike compares 36 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.
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1 Stardew Valley
- Cosy, great for unwinding
- Sandbox with your own goals
- Co-op or multiplayer
A relaxing farming sim with village life, friendships and a co-op mode.
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2 Terraria
- Lots to discover
- Building and crafting
- Strong character progression
A 2D sandbox adventure where you dig, build and craft while ever-tougher bosses unlock new gear tiers and biomes. Its huge item pool and hidden secrets make it a near-endless experience, especially with friends.
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3 Hades
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Melee combat with weapons or fists
Escape from the underworld as a roguelike with fast-paced combat and a story that grows with every run.
2 Terraria
Lots to discover
A 2D sandbox adventure where you dig, build and craft while ever-tougher bosses unlock new gear tiers and biomes. Its huge item pool and hidden secrets make it a near-endless experience, especially with friends.
2 Terraria
- Lots to discover
- Building and crafting
- Strong character progression
A 2D sandbox adventure where you dig, build and craft while ever-tougher bosses unlock new gear tiers and biomes. Its huge item pool and hidden secrets make it a near-endless experience, especially with friends.
3 Hades
Runs that play out differently every time
Escape from the underworld as a roguelike with fast-paced combat and a story that grows with every run.
3 Hades
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Melee combat with weapons or fists
Escape from the underworld as a roguelike with fast-paced combat and a story that grows with every run.
4 Hollow Knight
Lots to discover
A hand-drawn Metroidvania in a ruined insect kingdom full of secrets.
5 Vampire Survivors
Strong character progression
A minimalist auto-attacking roguelite where you only steer while your weapons fire on their own, snowballing through clever upgrade synergies into a screen-clearing force against thousands of monsters. Short runs and constant unlocks make it wildly addictive.
- Strong character progression
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Fantasy setting
A minimalist auto-attacking roguelite where you only steer while your weapons fire on their own, snowballing through clever upgrade synergies into a screen-clearing force against thousands of monsters. Short runs and constant unlocks make it wildly addictive.
6 Celeste
Jumping and platforming
A precise platformer about climbing a mountain and overcoming inner fears.
6 Celeste
- Jumping and platforming
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
- Challenging difficulty
A precise platformer about climbing a mountain and overcoming inner fears.
7 Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Lots of humour
A chaotic physics battle sandbox where you place wobbly units from eras ranging from the Stone Age to fantasy and watch them hilariously clash. Figuring out the perfect army on a tight budget meets glorious slapstick absurdity.
7 Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
- Lots of humour
- Sandbox with your own goals
- Distinctive, stylised art style
A chaotic physics battle sandbox where you place wobbly units from eras ranging from the Stone Age to fantasy and watch them hilariously clash. Figuring out the perfect army on a tight budget meets glorious slapstick absurdity.
8 Undertale
Strong, story-driven narrative
A charming indie RPG where every fight can be resolved without violence, blending turn-based menus with bullet-hell dodging. Its quirky humor, memorable monsters and a story that remembers your choices made it a cult classic.
9 Subnautica
Lots to discover
Stranded on an ocean planet, you dive ever deeper into a gorgeous yet terrifying alien sea. You build bases and submarines while piecing together the planet's mystery, and the dark depths themselves become the real source of dread.
10 The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Runs that play out differently every time
A frantic top-down roguelike shooter where Isaac fires tears through randomly generated basements. Hundreds of items stack into wild combinations, making every run different and grotesquely strange.
10 The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Shooting and gunplay
A frantic top-down roguelike shooter where Isaac fires tears through randomly generated basements. Hundreds of items stack into wild combinations, making every run different and grotesquely strange.
11 Garry's Mod
Sandbox with your own goals
An endless physics sandbox on the Source engine where you spawn, weld and pose props, ragdolls and contraptions however you like. Its legendary status comes from countless community game modes like Trouble in Terrorist Town and Prop Hunt that deliver chaotic multiplayer fun.
11 Garry's Mod
- Sandbox with your own goals
- Co-op or multiplayer
- Lots of humour
An endless physics sandbox on the Source engine where you spawn, weld and pose props, ragdolls and contraptions however you like. Its legendary status comes from countless community game modes like Trouble in Terrorist Town and Prop Hunt that deliver chaotic multiplayer fun.
12 Inside
Dark, serious atmosphere
A wordless, oppressive puzzle-platformer in which a boy slips through a bleak dystopia, controlling bodies with his mind along the way. Masterful atmosphere and a disturbing finale make it unforgettable.
12 Inside
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Lavish presentation
- Puzzles and brain teasers
A wordless, oppressive puzzle-platformer in which a boy slips through a bleak dystopia, controlling bodies with his mind along the way. Masterful atmosphere and a disturbing finale make it unforgettable.
13 Life Is Strange
Strong, story-driven narrative
As photography student Max, you discover you can rewind time and dig into a disappearance in a sleepy coastal town, with your choices shaping friendships and fates. It's a heartfelt coming-of-age drama with an unforgettable indie soundtrack.
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Choices with consequences
- Dark, serious atmosphere
As photography student Max, you discover you can rewind time and dig into a disappearance in a sleepy coastal town, with your choices shaping friendships and fates. It's a heartfelt coming-of-age drama with an unforgettable indie soundtrack.
14 Stray
Sci-fi setting
You play a stray cat lost in a decaying, robot-inhabited neon city, climbing, sneaking and poking around to uncover what happened to it. Its charming feline interactions and dense cyberpunk atmosphere make this short adventure stand out.
14 Stray
- Sci-fi setting
- Lavish presentation
- Post-apocalyptic setting
You play a stray cat lost in a decaying, robot-inhabited neon city, climbing, sneaking and poking around to uncover what happened to it. Its charming feline interactions and dense cyberpunk atmosphere make this short adventure stand out.
15 Dead Cells
Runs that play out differently every time
A fast, fluid 2D roguelite with Metroidvania structure, where tight, punchy combat and a huge arsenal of weapons make every run feel different. Permanent unlocks and new routes give you a real sense of progress even as you die again and again.
15 Dead Cells
- Runs that play out differently every time
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Melee combat with weapons or fists
A fast, fluid 2D roguelite with Metroidvania structure, where tight, punchy combat and a huge arsenal of weapons make every run feel different. Permanent unlocks and new routes give you a real sense of progress even as you die again and again.
16 Slay the Spire
Cards and deck-building
A deckbuilding roguelike in which every run demands new card combinations and strategies.
17 Slime Rancher
Cosy, great for unwinding
As rancher Beatrix, you vacuum up adorable slimes on a distant planet, feed them and sell their plorts to expand your ranch. It pairs a laid-back farming loop with relaxed exploration of a colorful world full of secrets and new slime species.
18 Deltarune
Lots of humour
Toby Fox's follow-up to Undertale mixes menu-based party battles with bullet-hell dodging, and enemies can be spared instead of fought. A charming, funny cast, a standout soundtrack and an unsettling meta-mystery sit beneath its colorful surface.
18 Deltarune
- Lots of humour
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Turn-based combat
Toby Fox's follow-up to Undertale mixes menu-based party battles with bullet-hell dodging, and enemies can be spared instead of fought. A charming, funny cast, a standout soundtrack and an unsettling meta-mystery sit beneath its colorful surface.
19 Deep Rock Galactic
Co-op or multiplayer
Play as gruff space dwarves carving through fully destructible procedural caves with up to three friends, mining minerals and holding off massive alien swarms. Complementary classes, dry humor and a famously wholesome community make every dive a blast – Rock and Stone!
- Co-op or multiplayer
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Playing together in co-op
Play as gruff space dwarves carving through fully destructible procedural caves with up to three friends, mining minerals and holding off massive alien swarms. Complementary classes, dry humor and a famously wholesome community make every dive a blast – Rock and Stone!
20 Balatro
Cards and deck-building
An addictive poker roguelike where Jokers, card upgrades and wild synergies push your scores to absurd heights. Every run plays differently, and the hunt for the perfect build never gets old.
20 Balatro
- Cards and deck-building
- Tactical depth
- Runs that play out differently every time
An addictive poker roguelike where Jokers, card upgrades and wild synergies push your scores to absurd heights. Every run plays differently, and the hunt for the perfect build never gets old.
21 Cuphead
Lavish presentation
A brutally tough boss-rush shooter animated like a 1930s cartoon, where precise dodging, parrying and shooting decide every fight. A swinging big-band jazz score and local co-op round it out.
21 Cuphead
- Lavish presentation
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A brutally tough boss-rush shooter animated like a 1930s cartoon, where precise dodging, parrying and shooting decide every fight. A swinging big-band jazz score and local co-op round it out.
22 RimWorld
Economy and management
A colony sim where an AI storyteller turns raids, famines and your settlers' personal dramas into unique, often darkly funny emergent stories. Its deep simulation and per-colonist management make every run unpredictable.
22 RimWorld
- Economy and management
- Deep systems to master
- Sandbox with your own goals
A colony sim where an AI storyteller turns raids, famines and your settlers' personal dramas into unique, often darkly funny emergent stories. Its deep simulation and per-colonist management make every run unpredictable.
23 Papers, Please
Choices with consequences
As a border inspector in the fictional Eastern Bloc state of Arstotzka, you scrutinize paperwork under time pressure while balancing duty, your family's survival, and the fates of desperate travelers. A bleak, morally gripping game with many endings.
- Choices with consequences
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Puzzles and brain teasers
As a border inspector in the fictional Eastern Bloc state of Arstotzka, you scrutinize paperwork under time pressure while balancing duty, your family's survival, and the fates of desperate travelers. A bleak, morally gripping game with many endings.
24 Factorio
Building and crafting
Stranded on an alien world, you grow a crude mining operation into a sprawling automated factory, endlessly optimizing belts, production chains and logistics. All the while you must defend it from native creatures angered by your spreading pollution.
24 Factorio
- Building and crafting
- Economy and management
- Deep systems to master
Stranded on an alien world, you grow a crude mining operation into a sprawling automated factory, endlessly optimizing belts, production chains and logistics. All the while you must defend it from native creatures angered by your spreading pollution.
25 A Short Hike
Cosy, great for unwinding
Play as Claire, a young bird climbing and gliding through a charming park toward its summit, chatting with quirky hikers and stumbling on little secrets everywhere. A short, heartfelt, pressure-free adventure with a lovely pixelated low-poly look.
25 A Short Hike
- Cosy, great for unwinding
- Lots to discover
- Open world
Play as Claire, a young bird climbing and gliding through a charming park toward its summit, chatting with quirky hikers and stumbling on little secrets everywhere. A short, heartfelt, pressure-free adventure with a lovely pixelated low-poly look.
26 Hotline Miami
Action-packed real-time combat
A brutally fast top-down shooter where one hit kills and every floor is mastered through rapid trial, error and instant restarts. Its neon visuals, pulsing synthwave soundtrack and unsettling, surreal story about violence make it unforgettable.
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
- Dark, serious atmosphere
A brutally fast top-down shooter where one hit kills and every floor is mastered through rapid trial, error and instant restarts. Its neon visuals, pulsing synthwave soundtrack and unsettling, surreal story about violence make it unforgettable.
27 Doki Doki Literature Club!
Strong, story-driven narrative
What starts as a sugary anime dating sim about a school poetry club gradually turns into unsettling psychological horror that breaks the fourth wall and even toys with the game's own files.
28 Postal 2
Shooting and gunplay
An infamous first-person shooter where you spend a week as the Postal Dude running mundane errands in a small town, either peacefully or by unleashing total mayhem. Crude, provocative humor and an open sandbox town define the experience.
28 Postal 2
- Shooting and gunplay
- Lots of humour
- Sandbox with your own goals
An infamous first-person shooter where you spend a week as the Postal Dude running mundane errands in a small town, either peacefully or by unleashing total mayhem. Crude, provocative humor and an open sandbox town define the experience.
29 Outlast
Dread and tension
As a defenseless journalist armed only with a night-vision camcorder, you creep through a nightmarish asylum where hiding and running are your only options. Relentless, unfiltered terror with no way to fight back.
29 Outlast
- Dread and tension
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Sneaking and hiding
As a defenseless journalist armed only with a night-vision camcorder, you creep through a nightmarish asylum where hiding and running are your only options. Relentless, unfiltered terror with no way to fight back.
30 Schedule I
Economy and management
A quirky first-person crime sim where you grow from small-time dealer to drug kingpin in Hyland Point. You experiment with recipes, hire staff, buy property and dodge the cops, ideally with friends in co-op.
30 Schedule I
- Economy and management
- Strong character progression
- Playing together in co-op
A quirky first-person crime sim where you grow from small-time dealer to drug kingpin in Hyland Point. You experiment with recipes, hire staff, buy property and dodge the cops, ideally with friends in co-op.
31 Lethal Company
Co-op or multiplayer
You and your friends scavenge dangerous abandoned moons for scrap to meet the Company's quota. Proximity voice chat, lethal monsters and chaotic mishaps blend real tension with slapstick laughs.
32 Katana Zero
Action-packed real-time combat
A blistering neo-noir action platformer where one hit kills and each room plays like a puzzle solved with your katana, slow-motion and deflected bullets. It's wrapped in a twisted, fragmented story with dialogue choices and a superb synthwave soundtrack.
32 Katana Zero
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
- Melee combat with weapons or fists
A blistering neo-noir action platformer where one hit kills and each room plays like a puzzle solved with your katana, slow-motion and deflected bullets. It's wrapped in a twisted, fragmented story with dialogue choices and a superb synthwave soundtrack.
33 The Forest
Building and crafting
After a plane crash you build shelters and traps in a dense forest while tribes of cannibals stalk and attack you. Creepy mutant-filled caves and the mystery of your missing son drive the exploration, and it's best played with friends in co-op.
33 The Forest
- Building and crafting
- Dread and tension
- Dark, serious atmosphere
After a plane crash you build shelters and traps in a dense forest while tribes of cannibals stalk and attack you. Creepy mutant-filled caves and the mystery of your missing son drive the exploration, and it's best played with friends in co-op.
34 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Turn-based combat
Turn-based RPG with real-time parrying and dodging, set in a melancholic Belle Époque–inspired fantasy world.
34 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Turn-based combat
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- A party of several characters
Turn-based RPG with real-time parrying and dodging, set in a melancholic Belle Époque–inspired fantasy world.
35 OneShot
Puzzles and brain teasers
A pixel-art puzzle adventure in which you help a child named Niko relight the dead sun of his world. The game breaks the fourth wall, involving your computer and your own decisions in touching and clever ways.
35 OneShot
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Distinctive, stylised art style
A pixel-art puzzle adventure in which you help a child named Niko relight the dead sun of his world. The game breaks the fourth wall, involving your computer and your own decisions in touching and clever ways.
36 Helltaker
Puzzles and brain teasers
Helltaker is a short sokoban-style puzzle game where you push through Hell to collect a harem of demon girls. Slick art, a driving soundtrack and dry humor make it stand out.
36 Helltaker
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Lots of humour
- Fantasy setting
Helltaker is a short sokoban-style puzzle game where you push through Hell to collect a harem of demon girls. Slick art, a driving soundtrack and dry humor make it stand out.
37 Inscryption
Cards and deck-building
A creepy card game played against a shadowy figure in a dark cabin, mixing deckbuilding with escape-room puzzles while constantly breaking its own rules. Beneath the surface lies a surprising, fourth-wall-bending mystery.
37 Inscryption
- Cards and deck-building
- Turn-based combat
- Dark, serious atmosphere
A creepy card game played against a shadowy figure in a dark cabin, mixing deckbuilding with escape-room puzzles while constantly breaking its own rules. Beneath the surface lies a surprising, fourth-wall-bending mystery.
38 Gris
Cosy, great for unwinding
A poetic platformer about grief, almost wordless and with a watercolour look.
38 Gris
- Cosy, great for unwinding
- Distinctive, stylised art style
- Jumping and platforming
A poetic platformer about grief, almost wordless and with a watercolour look.
39 Ultrakill
Action-packed real-time combat
Ultrakill is an extremely fast retro first-person shooter that blends style-ranking from character action games with brutal carnage. You heal by bathing in enemy blood and must fluidly chain weapons, movement and combos.
39 Ultrakill
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
- Shooting and gunplay
Ultrakill is an extremely fast retro first-person shooter that blends style-ranking from character action games with brutal carnage. You heal by bathing in enemy blood and must fluidly chain weapons, movement and combos.
40 R.E.P.O.
Playing together in co-op
A chaotic online co-op game for up to six players where you haul fragile valuables through procedurally generated levels while monsters hunt you. Physics-driven slapstick mishaps and proximity voice chat blend big laughs with real tension.
40 R.E.P.O.
- Playing together in co-op
- Co-op or multiplayer
- Lots of humour
A chaotic online co-op game for up to six players where you haul fragile valuables through procedurally generated levels while monsters hunt you. Physics-driven slapstick mishaps and proximity voice chat blend big laughs with real tension.
41 American Truck Simulator
Driving or flying
A relaxed trucking simulator where you haul freight across the American landscape, grow from hired driver to company owner, and simply enjoy the open road.
42 MiSide
Strong, story-driven narrative
MiSide traps you inside a mobile life simulation where your seemingly sweet companion grows increasingly unsettling. A short, story-driven horror adventure that surprises with genre shifts and stylish presentation.
42 MiSide
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Dread and tension
- Lavish presentation
MiSide traps you inside a mobile life simulation where your seemingly sweet companion grows increasingly unsettling. A short, story-driven horror adventure that surprises with genre shifts and stylish presentation.
43 Omori
Turn-based combat
A surreal RPG that contrasts bright dreamlike worlds and childhood friendship with psychological horror and heavy themes. Its emotional story and memorable soundtrack stand out, and turn-based battles use emotions as a core mechanic.
43 Omori
- Turn-based combat
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Dark, serious atmosphere
A surreal RPG that contrasts bright dreamlike worlds and childhood friendship with psychological horror and heavy themes. Its emotional story and memorable soundtrack stand out, and turn-based battles use emotions as a core mechanic.
44 Don't Starve
Open world
A merciless survival game with a gothic, Tim Burton-esque hand-drawn style, where you scavenge, craft and fend off hunger, insanity and monsters in a procedurally generated wilderness. Death is permanent, but every run teaches you something new.
44 Don't Starve
- Open world
- Lots to discover
- Distinctive, stylised art style
A merciless survival game with a gothic, Tim Burton-esque hand-drawn style, where you scavenge, craft and fend off hunger, insanity and monsters in a procedurally generated wilderness. Death is permanent, but every run teaches you something new.
45 Pizza Tower
Jumping and platforming
A frantic, chaotic 2D platformer starring the manic pizza chef Peppino, built around momentum-based movement, score chasing and wildly hand-drawn animation. Its zany humor and driving soundtrack turn every level into a spectacle.
45 Pizza Tower
- Jumping and platforming
- Lots of humour
- Action-packed real-time combat
A frantic, chaotic 2D platformer starring the manic pizza chef Peppino, built around momentum-based movement, score chasing and wildly hand-drawn animation. Its zany humor and driving soundtrack turn every level into a spectacle.
46 Castle Crashers
Co-op or multiplayer
A chaotic, hilarious cartoon brawler best enjoyed with up to four friends on the couch. Light RPG hooks like leveling, weapons and animal orbs keep you coming back between its absurd boss fights.
47 BattleBlock Theater
Lots of humour
A hilariously irreverent platformer from The Behemoth where you play a prisoner forced through tricky block-based stage levels, solo or in co-op. The sarcastic narrator, cartoon style and chaotic fun with friends define it.
48 Outer Wilds
Lots to discover
Explore a solar system caught in a 22-minute time loop and unravel a cosmic mystery.
48 Outer Wilds
- Lots to discover
- Sci-fi setting
- Open world
Explore a solar system caught in a 22-minute time loop and unravel a cosmic mystery.
49 A Hat in Time
Jumping and platforming
A charming 3D collectathon platformer in the vein of N64 classics, where a tiny girl uses magical hats to bounce through varied, wonderfully weird worlds. Its chapters, from a mafia-run town to dueling bird film studios, overflow with humor and creativity.
- Jumping and platforming
- Lots of humour
- Distinctive, stylised art style
A charming 3D collectathon platformer in the vein of N64 classics, where a tiny girl uses magical hats to bounce through varied, wonderfully weird worlds. Its chapters, from a mafia-run town to dueling bird film studios, overflow with humor and creativity.
50 Gorogoa
Puzzles and brain teasers
Gorogoa is a short, hand-drawn puzzle game where you stack, zoom and shift illustrated panels to uncover hidden connections. Its wordless tale of longing and a life's journey unfolds entirely through this inventive mechanic.
50 Gorogoa
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Distinctive, stylised art style
- Lavish presentation
Gorogoa is a short, hand-drawn puzzle game where you stack, zoom and shift illustrated panels to uncover hidden connections. Its wordless tale of longing and a life's journey unfolds entirely through this inventive mechanic.
51 Black Mesa
Sci-fi setting
A loving fan-made remake of the original Half-Life: as Gordon Freeman you fight through the disaster at the Black Mesa research facility, with rebuilt levels, new voice acting and music. Classic first-person shooter action with alien fights, physics puzzles and the extended Xen finale.
51 Black Mesa
- Sci-fi setting
- Shooting and gunplay
- Action-packed real-time combat
A loving fan-made remake of the original Half-Life: as Gordon Freeman you fight through the disaster at the Black Mesa research facility, with rebuilt levels, new voice acting and music. Classic first-person shooter action with alien fights, physics puzzles and the extended Xen finale.
52 People Playground
Sandbox with your own goals
A physics-driven sandbox where you freely experiment with weapons, machines and odd gadgets on ragdoll characters. The fun comes from creative tinkering and the unexpected, chaotic results.
53 The Room
Puzzles and brain teasers
A tactile puzzle game where you twist, slide and inspect an ornate safe full of hidden compartments and clever mechanisms. Its moody, occult-tinged atmosphere makes every discovery feel eerie and satisfying.
53 The Room
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Lavish presentation
A tactile puzzle game where you twist, slide and inspect an ornate safe full of hidden compartments and clever mechanisms. Its moody, occult-tinged atmosphere makes every discovery feel eerie and satisfying.
54 Chants of Sennaar
Puzzles and brain teasers
You climb a Babel-inspired tower and decipher the distinct languages of its peoples by observing symbols and deducing meanings yourself. The striking comic-like art and the satisfying feeling of truly learning to communicate make it special.
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Lots to discover
- Distinctive, stylised art style
You climb a Babel-inspired tower and decipher the distinct languages of its peoples by observing symbols and deducing meanings yourself. The striking comic-like art and the satisfying feeling of truly learning to communicate make it special.
55 Neon White
Action-packed real-time combat
A fast speedrunning first-person shooter where card-based guns double as movement abilities. You optimize routes through short levels, wrapped in anime style, dating-sim-style dialogue and a driving soundtrack.
55 Neon White
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
- Shooting and gunplay
A fast speedrunning first-person shooter where card-based guns double as movement abilities. You optimize routes through short levels, wrapped in anime style, dating-sim-style dialogue and a driving soundtrack.
56 What Remains of Edith Finch
Strong, story-driven narrative
A moving narrative game where you wander the sprawling Finch family home and relive each relative's final moments through short vignettes, each with its own inventive gameplay twist. Melancholic, creative, and unforgettable in just a couple of hours.
56 What Remains of Edith Finch
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Lavish presentation
- Dark, serious atmosphere
A moving narrative game where you wander the sprawling Finch family home and relive each relative's final moments through short vignettes, each with its own inventive gameplay twist. Melancholic, creative, and unforgettable in just a couple of hours.
57 Broforce
Action-packed real-time combat
A chaotic run-and-gun platformer starring parodies of action movie heroes, where nearly everything is destructible and explosions tear levels apart. With up to four friends in co-op, the mayhem becomes gloriously over-the-top fun.
57 Broforce
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Shooting and gunplay
- Lots of humour
A chaotic run-and-gun platformer starring parodies of action movie heroes, where nearly everything is destructible and explosions tear levels apart. With up to four friends in co-op, the mayhem becomes gloriously over-the-top fun.
58 Return of the Obra Dinn
Puzzles and brain teasers
As an insurance investigator, you use a magical pocket watch to relive the final moments of a ghost ship's crew and deduce the identity and fate of every sailor. Its striking 1-bit visuals and brilliant deduction design make it a one-of-a-kind detective game.
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Strong, story-driven narrative
- Distinctive, stylised art style
As an insurance investigator, you use a magical pocket watch to relive the final moments of a ghost ship's crew and deduce the identity and fate of every sailor. Its striking 1-bit visuals and brilliant deduction design make it a one-of-a-kind detective game.
59 Oxygen Not Included
Economy and management
A deep colony sim inside an asteroid where you keep your Duplicants alive by managing oxygen, heat, food and waste through interlocking physics-like systems. Spectacular failures are part of the fun, often with dark humor.
60 Phasmophobia
Co-op or multiplayer
You and your friends play ghost hunters, using EMF readers, spirit boxes and cameras to work out which kind of ghost haunts a location. Voice recognition and sudden hunts make for genuine panic and plenty of hilarious co-op moments.
60 Phasmophobia
- Co-op or multiplayer
- Playing together in co-op
- Dread and tension
You and your friends play ghost hunters, using EMF readers, spirit boxes and cameras to work out which kind of ghost haunts a location. Voice recognition and sudden hunts make for genuine panic and plenty of hilarious co-op moments.
Nothing matches this selection.
What matters: Indie games
Indie games tend to commit to one strong idea and build everything around it. That is why the genres here range from cozy farming to punishing platforming to card-based strategy. The first thing to decide is what kind of experience you want: relaxed, challenging, or just silly.
If you want a calm pace, Stardew Valley is a pixel-art farming sim with co-op and a relaxing tone. Subnautica suits players who like exploring an atmospheric open world, though its tags include horror, so expect some tension. If difficulty appeals to you, Hollow Knight is a hand-drawn Metroidvania tagged as difficult, and Celeste is a precision platformer that also has a story-rich side. Both are tagged difficult, so they reward patience.
For short, repeatable sessions, look at the roguelikes. Hades combines fast action with a story-rich mythology setting, while Slay the Spire and Balatro are deckbuilders built on strategy and turn-based decisions. If you prefer to laugh, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator is tagged comedy and strategy. Check platforms too: almost everything here is on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, but Garry's Mod is listed for PC only.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good indie game for relaxing?
Stardew Valley is the most obvious choice, with its cozy farming, pixel art and co-op option. Subnautica is also an option if you prefer exploring, but note its horror tag.
Which indie games are the most difficult?
Hollow Knight, Celeste and Slay the Spire are all tagged as difficult. Hollow Knight tests exploration and combat, Celeste tests platforming precision, and Slay the Spire tests deckbuilding strategy.
Which indie games can I play with friends?
Stardew Valley, Vampire Survivors and Garry's Mod all carry co-op tags. Garry's Mod is listed for PC only, while the other two are also on consoles.
Not quite your taste?
Tell us your favourite games and we'll find recommendations that fit you exactly.
