Introduction
No-one can agree what an indie game is. Some combination of a small studio, a weird idea and no publisher is the nearest we can get to agreement - but to paraphrase Potter Stewart - you know one when you see it. We've picked out the ones we like best and a few that we're anticipating most.
We admit this is somewhat foolhardy as there are so many great indie games released each day and each game's community is so rabidly aggressive that to pick just 10 is like dipping a hand with a cut pinky into a shark tank and waiting.
So, to be clear; we don't expect that you agree with this list, and we admit it's purely subjective. If you want to evangelise your favourite, why not share your favourite in the comments?
That Which Sleeps
Format: PC
There's nothing that says indie like some Eldritch Horror poking its fingers up a mortal's ken - whether Five Nights At Freddy's, Amnesia or the numerous Slender games, indie gamers love a good fright.
But to play as the origin of that fear… to slowly subvert the heroes and people of a peaceful land before emerging to consume them all..? Well, we've not seen that since Cthulhu Saves The World or Barbie's Horse Adventures.
Hyper Light Drifter
Format: PC / Mac / Linux / PS4 / Vita / Wii U / Ouya
A 2D action RPG based on the best 8- and 16-bit classics, Hyper Light Drifter was a big Kickstarter success, presumably because of its glorious pixel graphics and its combat that's halfway to SuperGiant's seminal Transistor.
Despite appearances, it's a combat-focused game where you explore the unknown, ruined world of Buried Time, inspired by nightmares and dreams, where your Drifter is searching for a cure for a fatal disease...
No Man's Sky
Format: PC / PS4
Previously, Hello Games was known for Joe Danger - a so-so series of games that tracked a kid-friendly stuntman.
So No Man's Sky is a big departure, as the team promise to create a huge procedurally-generated universe where you can fly to distant worlds, then land on them and walk around. Oh, and you can play with your friends. And it's probably going to be amazing in Sony's Morpheus VR headset.
Pathologic
Format: PC / PS4 / Xbox One / Linux / Mac
One of the most bizarre, theatrical games ever made (alongside Ice Pick Lodge's other titles The Void and Cargo!), Pathologic was first released in 2005. Ten years later, the original developers are releasing a new version for console and PC.
You play one of three disturbed individuals investigating a strange plague in a surreal town on the steppes. We say investigating - surviving each day yourself is a challenge, let alone keeping the important members of the town alive until the plague and plot have run their courses.
The Witness
Format: PC / PS4
Jonathan Blow is best known for Braid and… nothing else. That's because he's been working on The Witness since Braid came out, and pouring all the money he earned into it.
It's a first-person puzzle game somewhat like Myst, but with a beautiful hand-crafted open world to explore and a deeply-strange backstory. The only problem is that, as he's such a perfectionist, we're a little worried we're not going to see it for another ten years...