The 6 Best Indie Games of 2019

2018 has been a wonderful year for gaming. Unlike the previous years, this year saw some really big title releases such as Spider-Man (PS4), God of War (PS4), Red Dead Redemption II and some other really big titles.

But the year was also great for indie games too. We got so many new and fun different kinds of games that were not made by AAA companies and studios but had great gameplay quality.

We got updates for our favourites such as Stardew Valley and many developers have been releasing their games on all platforms, including the Nintendo Switch (which saw a surprising surge of games!)

Out of the thousands of indie games that were released this year, which ones stood out in terms of quality and gameplay? In this list, we will take a look at the best indie games of 2018. We will also include which consoles these games are available in.

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#6 Into the Breach

Release Date: 27 February 2018

Available On: PC, Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch

Price: $10

Into the Breach was made by Subset Games, who are famously known for creating the indie game FTL: Faster than Light. A turn-based video game (much like Civilization). This game feels like a Pacific Rim game where you can control giant mechanical robots.

What's unique about this game is that if you happen to lose against a boss or terrain, you travel back in time retaining the experience and gear you already had! So it starts a new game but retains everything you worked for!

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#5 Subnautica

Release Date: 23 January 2018

Available On: PC, macOS, PS4, Xbox One

Price: $20 (Free on Epic Games Store!)

Subnautica is an Indie hit that was released early this year. It is a survival and builder game, where players take control of a protagonist who is surviving in an alien underwater world. You can get the game for free on the Epic Games Store (for now).

Players will have to craft weapons and build bases while defending against enemies and researching coral reefs and other species in this underwater world. Its lack of grind, as well as an extremely engaging story, has made it one of the best indies games 2018 had to offer!

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#4 Ashen

Release Date: 7 December 2018 (No release date on PC yet)

Available On: PC, Xbox One

Price: $40 (Free with Xbox Game Pass!)

Ashen is an action RPG that was initially released for the Xbox One. There is a listing for the game on Steam, but there is no confirmed release date for the PC. You can also play the game for free if you have Xbox's subscription service Game Pass.

There are many RPGs that have come out today, but Ashen is one of them which is really good. The graphics are not all that great but the game's multiplayer, co-op, crafting and exploration systems has made this game receive overwhelmingly positive reviews and feedback.

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#3 Dead Cells

Release Date: 7 August 2018

Available On: PC, macOS, Linux, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch

Price: $20

Dead Cells was available in Early Access in May 2017 but got a full release on all platforms on 7 August 2018.

Dead Cells is a Metroidvania roguelike game where players control the "cells" of a dead person's body and progressively clears missions to get upgrades. Players need to clear all of the dungeons that the game has set for them and 4 tough bosses.

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#2 Celeste

Release Date: 25 January 2018

Available On: PC, macOS, Linux, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch

Price: $20

At first, Celeste seems to be a generic indie game where you jump around and explore the open world, maybe to collect items or defeat bosses in other games. But then, the game's protagonist Madeline faces a bigger enemy: her own emotions.

Crippled by social anxieties, an evil spirit comes out of Madeline which is the embodiment of all her bad emotions.

Throughout the game, you battle your own mind. Oh, and it's hard! The challenging aspect of the game and the emotional story that follows has made Celeste one of the best-received games of 2018.

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#1 Return of the Obra Dinn

Release Date: 25 January 2018

Available On: PC and macOS

Price: $20

Return of the Obra Dinn was made by the studios who made the hit indie game Papers, Please. In this puzzle video game, players are aboard a fictional East India Company ship and the entire crew has died.

Using deductive reasoning, the player needs to figure out how it happened. The game uses 1-bit monochromatic graphics, which is not the best. But the uniqueness of the game with its puzzles and deductive reasoning to find the solution has made this the most enjoyable indie game of 2018.

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