There is no genre where indie games are more embraced and beloved than role-playing games. Small developers have infused the genre with classics for years and are frequently considered to be among the all-time best in the genre, even better than some triple-A titles. This is likely due to the variety of what the genre can offer as well.
While many earlier indie RPGs have reached a high level of success, the last five years have showcased a terrific run of games in the category that will be remembered for a long time. Those looking for a newer RPG from an indie developer have plenty of games to choose from.
10 Hyper Light Drifter (Metacritic Score: 84)
Many gamers out there have nostalgia for the old-school RPGs presented in 8-bit or 16-bit graphics. Hyper Light Drifter by Heart Machine pays homage to that. Players are the Drifter, a sword-wielding character who is more knowledgeable of the world’s technology than its current inhabitants. They must fight back against increasingly-difficult monsters and expand their abilities while also dealing with an unspecified illness. The story was inspired by lead developer Alx Preston’s struggle with heart disease. The game was funded on Kickstarter and over $600,000 was raised.
9 Darkest Dungeon (84)
Red Hook Studios’ Darkest Dungeon is a dungeon crawler where the player has just inherited an ancestor’s manor — the downside? Said ancestor, driven to ennui by his wealthy and opulent lifestyle, turned to elder gods and dark magics to sate his boredom, unleashing an ancient evil that has since festered in the dungeons below. It’s now up to you to recruit bold heroes and knaves alike to send it back to the abyss. The game has 15 unique characters and a variety of different options concerning skill loadouts, trinkets, and the like, allowing players to decide the best combination to conquer each procedurally-generated dungeon. However, players need to be careful once in the dungeon because when a character dies, they are gone for good.
8 Pyre (85)
Supergiant Games has risen as one of the more successful indie developers out there, especially when it comes to role-playing games. While they are currently known for a recent Game of the Year candidate, their previous title, called Pyre, was also well-received.
Set in a high fantasy world, players are thrown into sporty gameplay matches known as “Rites.” At the same time, players learn about the story through a hyperlink system and must gather materials to help their team get better at these “combat” sections.
7 Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (86)
When thinking about classic role-playing games by major developers, Nintendo’s Paper Mario games from the early-2000s come to mind. To the ire of some fans, the developers have moved away from what they feel made the series’ first two installments a solid turn-based RPG. Moonsprout Games felt similarly, and thus Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling was born. Players take on the role of three insects as they explore Bugaria in search of treasure and eternal life. Like its inspiration, the game uses paper-like aesthetics and turn-based combat.
6 West Of Loathing (87)
Those looking for a good laugh will enjoy heading to the wild west in West of Loathing by Asymmetric Publications. Players are able to explore an open world filled with different quests and puzzles that can be conquered. The game is stylized like a silly black-and-white drawing as all the characters are stick figures. It also uses a turn-based combat system where players can showcase a class they choose near the beginning of the game: Beanslinger, Cow Puncher, or Snake Oiler. Plus, players can choose a wide variety of hats to wear on their adventure.
5 Pillars Of Eternity II: Deadfire (88)
Before Obsidian Entertainment was an Xbox Game Studio, it was considered one of the most successful indie developers out there with multiple hits since its start. One of its last titles before being purchased was the sequel to one of its highly-successful role-playing games. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire once again puts players in the role of the Watcher, an individual with the ability to read people’s souls. The game focuses on traveling the open seas on a ship and also dealing with enemies once on land. Players can choose between classes that each have four subclasses.
4 Stardew Valley (89)
Some simulation games tend to lack real depth because of the lack of story, but Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone’s Stardew Valley turns that on its head with the added role-playing elements. The player character has moved to Pelican Town to live at their grandfather’s old farm.
The game allows the player to do anything they would like each day, from growing crops to fishing. However, players can also socialize with the townsfolk to grow relationships, which could lead to players getting married. There are also monsters that players will need to deal with while caving.
3 Disco Elysium (91)
Role-playing games tend to have a focus on combat, but that is not at all the case in Disco Elysium. In a game by ZA/UM, players start as a detective who is struggling with amnesia and initially learn nothing about the character as they are thrown into solving a murder mystery. The game focuses on skill checks and dialogue to drive the gameplay. Players have a set of 24 different skills that they can upgrade throughout their journey that can help get to the bottom of what is really going on in the game.
2 Hades (93)
Supergiant Games’ most recent game was considered one of the best games of 2020. Hades is a roguelike where the player character, Zagreus, is attempting to escape the Underworld and his father Hades to make it to Mount Olympus. The game is presented in “runs” that the player must go through. When going through a series of rooms, players will face hack-and-slash style combat that, if they survive, can earn them rewards that can help with continuing the run and may even help in future runs as well.
1 Divinity: Original Sin II (93)
Another sequel that was given high praise by critics, Divinity: Original Sin II is even considered by some to be the best role-playing game of all-time. The game is based in the world of Rivellon where the barrier between it and the Void has begun to fade, leading to Voidwoken crossing into the main world and beginning to feed off of the Source power citizens of Rivellon have. Players are able to control their party as they explore vast lands, choose different paths, and battle in turn-based combat. The game can be played either alone or in a cooperative mode.
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