Tag: Best Indie Games of 2021

Some of the best indie games coming up for release in 2021. Check back at the end of the year as I will be updating the list with what came out and was great :) Similar to last year’s.

Last Stop

“A single-player third-person adventure set in present day London, where you play as three separate characters whose worlds collide in the midst of a supernatural crisis.

“Donna, a spaced-out high-schooler who feels trapped by her stifling home life and her overprotective big sister. John, an overworked middle-aged single dad. Burdened with debt and the pressures of being an only parent. Meena, a ruthlessly ambitious professional who struggles to find the same satisfaction with her family that she does in the thrill of her work.

“Make choices to shape their conversations. Walk in their shoes and discover where their individual stories lead.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows, Xbox One
Release: 2021

Recompile

“Combining traditional Metroidvania mechanics with a dynamic narrative system, Recompile challenges players to explore, fight, hack and survive. Discover the many secrets beneath the ancient digital landscape, and prepare for system-wide reconfiguration.

“The game’s entire narrative takes place within 1 second of real time.

“Recompile is a game about choices and consequences.  Life and death.  Chaos and determinism.  Sentience and sapience.  Intelligence exists in many forms. In this dying world, one must explore all possibilities.  Observe and respect all perspectives.  Only then, can we truly survive.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows, PS5, Xbox SX
Release: 2021

Inkulinati

“A turn-based strategy with medieval animals inspired by 700 years-old real-life medieval marginalia.

“Become master of the Living Ink and lead your illustrated animal army on the pages of medieval books.  Create your own bestiary, duel with medieval celebrities and go on wild quests, encounters and challenges.  Through obscene actions write your story and become a legendary Master Inkulinati!”

Back on Kickstarter

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Nintendo Switch
Release: 2021

Cygni: All Guns Blazing

“A twin-stick vertical scrolling Shooter hybrid with a cinematic flare.  An unrelenting onslaught of eye-popping visuals, ear bursting soundscapes and mind-melting action makes Cygni the vanguard for the next generation of shoot-em ups.  Outgunned, outmanned and out on your own, plunge into a sky full of hell in a last-ditch battle for survival.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows, Mac, PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Release: 2021

via ClemmyGames

Dordogne

“A narrative adventure game in which you play as Mimi, a 32-year-old woman visiting the house of her recently deceased grandmother.  As a souvenir of the childhood summers Mimi spent with her in Dordogne, her grandmother left her letters and puzzles to solve, to remind her to make the most out of life.

“In this colourful region, full of wonderful scents and feelings, Mimi will immerse herself back into her childhood memories, and see once again through the eyes of the little girl who marveled at everything.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Nintendo Switch
Release: 2021

Eastward

“A beautifully detailed and charismatic adventure game with RPG elements, from Shanghai-based indie developers Pixpil.

“In the near-future society is starting to collapse, with the human population shrinking to an all-time low.  As the world around falls to ruin, a hardworking miner called John discovers a young girl named Sam deep underground in a secret facility.  After escaping the town, the unlikely pair embark on an emotional journey to discover the strange truth about her origins and the mystery behind the sinister creatures who descend on the local towns, devouring everything in their path.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Nintendo Switch
Release: 2021

Lucen

“Explore unknown lands and fight mythical beasts on a quest to ask the old gods to restore light to your village.  Harness light with your sword and bow to cut down your foes, and discover ancient secrets.

“You play as a boy named Lucen, and after your village is mysteriously shrouded in darkness and fellow villagers won’t wake up, you must take it upon yourself to venture into the vast lands outside the village.  Armed with your sword, bow, and legends passed down by generations, you must set out on a quest to ask the mythical old gods for their help.

“Along the way you will traverse environments that have been untouched by civilisation for centuries – lush woods with ruins of altars to the old gods, caves hoarding mystical light orbs to augment your abilities, foggy swamplands occupied by terrifying creatures, and many more.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows (hopeful for consoles)
Release: 2021

A Juggler’s Tale

“Lead Abby the string puppet through a bruised, but beautiful world in this poetic 3D adventure.  

“Abby is an artiste held captive at a circus: She spends her days entertaining the audience and her nights in a cage, longing for freedom.  One day, she escapes the circus and gets to explore a mystical world.

“Alas, freedom comes at a cost and Abby soon finds herself dragged into the dangers this world has to offer: In a war-torn, medieval fairytale, surrounded by ravaged, starving citizens and hunted by the relentless cut-throat Tonda, Abby has to cross raging rivers, make it through bandit camps and around traps.  Her adventure is always accompanied by the lyrical rhymes of puppet master Jack, who is telling her story while holding the strings of his puppets firmly in his ever-helpful hands.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Release: 2021

Backbone

“A noir-inspired detective adventure.  Step into the shoes of anthropomorphic raccoon and private eye, Howard Lotor, and explore the beautifully rendered 2.5D pixel art environments of dystopian Vancouver.

“Howard Lotor is smart, self-assured and set in his ways.  Caught in the tedium of day-to-day life, he’s resigned to the abuses of the authoritative regime in power and compliant with the systemic inequality that permeates society.  But a string of cases that grow progressively more outlandish will put his worldview to the test.

“Backbone’s gameplay is a new take on point-and-click adventure, featuring stealth, exploration, and extensive branching dialogues inspired by classic CRPGs.  As Howard, you must traverse the diverse districts of a now walled-off Vancouver, sniff out clues, collect evidence, interrogate witnesses, and choose which leads to follow.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Release: 2021