Independent developers can take more risks when making games, which results in more innovation or, at the very least, may provide a fresh look at already established video game genres.
Indie games often bend the rules and mix already-known recipes to create new and fresh experiences, which sometimes leads to inventing a genre of its own and spawning countless clones that will try to replicate the success of the original.
Down below you’ll find a list of some of the most genre-defining classic indie games. One could argue that the entire gaming industry from three decades ago could be considered indie by today’s standards, so we’ll be skipping most of the retro titles such as Doom from 1993, even though it would easily meet today’s indie game criteria.
Moreover, we’ll be focusing on standalone games, so no things such as Counter-Strike mod for Half-Life or DotA mod for Warcraft 3. Okay, here we go.
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Vampire Survivors | 2021-12-17 | Indie | Poncle |
 | Outer Wilds | 2020-06-18 | Action | Mobius Digital |
 | Cocoon | 2023-09-29 | Indie | Geometric Interactive |
 | Risk Of Rain 2 | 2019-03-28 | Indie | Hopoo Games |
 | Amnesia The Dark Descent | 2010-09-08 | Adventure | Frictional Games |
 | Night In The Woods | 2017-02-21 | Action & Shooter | Infinite Fall |
 | Hades | 2019-12-10 | Indie | Supergiant Games |
 | Stardew Valley | 2016-02-26 | Adventure | ConcernedApe |
 | Hollow Knight | 2017-02-24 | Action & Shooter | Team Cherry |
 | Limbo | 2011-08-02 | Adventure | Playdead |
 | Hotline Miami | 2012-10-23 | Adventure | Dennaton Games |
 | Undertale | 2015-09-15 | Indie | tobyfox |
 | Darkest Dungeon | 2016-01-19 | Indie | Red Hook Studios |
 | Braid | 2009-04-10 | Indie | Number None Inc. |
 | Cuphead | 2017-09-29 | Indie | Studio MDHR |
 | 2011-08-16 | Sandbox | Mojang Studios |
Minecraft
| Release date: | 2011-08-16 |
| Genre: | Sandbox |
| Developer: | Mojang Studios |
Surely you know Minecraft.
The idea behind Minecraft wasn’t necessarily new or novel, as it drew a lot of inspiration from the classic Dwarf Fortress, but turning it into a more visually pleasing voxel-based 3D environment made it more accessible to a wider audience, swiftly bleeding into the mainstream.
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Amnesia: The Dark Descent
| Release date: | 2010-09-08 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Frictional Games |
Horror redefined.
Amnesia was a breath of fresh air in its genre as it combined a variety of elements known from other games to create something new and unique. The story, the atmosphere, the dark setting, and the ability to pick up and throw random props scattered around, thanks to the physics-based engine, not to mention opening doors that require mouse movement, which feels oddly satisfying and realistic.
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The Binding of Isaac
| Release date: | 2011-09-28 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Edmund McMillen |
Witness the game that made roguelikes popular again.
Although the genre itself wasn’t new, The Binding of Isaac is widely considered a game that brought roguelikes back to life and made them relevant again. Help Isaac survive as he tries to escape the wrath of his religious fanatic mom. Collect necessary equipment, defeat powerful bosses, and reveal hidden secrets.
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Cave Story
| Release date: | 2011-11-22 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Nicalis, Inc. |
How dedication and passion of one person can create a little pixel-art masterpiece.
Considered the face of indie gaming back in the 2000s, Cave Story inspired countless independent developers to try their hand at game dev. A mysterious story combined with pure arcade fun, meaningful weapon upgrades, and a lot of replayability – that’s just a few selling points.
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Braid
| Release date: | 2009-04-10 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Number None Inc. |
An innovative game that lets players control time.
Complete increasingly difficult, mind-bending puzzles in this fascinating indie platformer. Alter the flow of time and observe the environment. Braid is one of those games that can be quite difficult to describe accurately with words alone; it’s best when played and experienced, and that’s what we strongly recommend.
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Player Unknown's: Battlegrounds
| Release date: | 2017-12-21 |
| Genre: | Battle Royale |
| Developer: | KRAFTON, Inc. |
Let’s not forget about PUBG which popularized the battle royale genre.
Scavenge for items and weapons and remain within the continuously shrinking playable area while eliminating the opponents. Directly inspired by the mods for the other games, PUBG started a new wave of battle royale and popularized the genre, becoming an inspiration for countless other successful titles.
This title is free to play.
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Conclusion
Believe it or not, indie games are the ones that are responsible for shaping a large part of the gaming industry. As independent developers can take more risks and experiment with novel features, they are often redefining the existing genres or creating new ones, inspiring other devs, including major studios, to follow in their footsteps and try to replicate their success.