Top 25 BEST Indie Game Hidden Gems of the Year 2023 (GOTY 2023)

hello indie game fans the hidden gems of the year are games which are around or under 1,000 Steam Reviews and are lesser known in the grand scheme of things where the number is arbitrarily chosen but do I have a treat for you beginning with kill the cres a title that appears to be a pretty box standard top down shooter but does have a weird West theme and most interestingly one hit kill as well as a special ability like the cowboy in OverWatch that allows you to rapidly take out multiple enemies as such the action can get pretty intense since you need to attack and Dodge enemy bullets with bosses also dying in one hit which leads to interesting game design choices being made and is a $5 game as well one of the most beautiful games of the year is worldless that hasn't quite hit the way I expect expected it to which I'm guessing may be the character designs since everything is very abstract and minimalist and it's also an atypical combination of genres since this has you moving around like a 2d platformer or a metric Venia but then combat switches to full jrpg Style 10 based combat which has worked in the past with games like indivisible but hasn't hooked players here still it has an interesting talent tree progression and combat as well as some interesting use of which really are quite beautiful and is probably the best example of a Hidden Gem in this video people always say that they want more 3D Platformers or be moan about how the 3D platformer is dead and to those people I say check out Kaa and the five Pirates of Mara this is an adorable title in which you play as a young Kaa the protagonist of the farm simulation RPG summer in Mara from 2020 but in which she is on a different kind of Adventure EXP exploring these islands instead there are Collectibles boss fights and more really going under the radar so pick it up if you love The [Music] genre puzzle games unfortunately do tend to end up in the hidden gems video since they don't have that same kind of Mass Appeal which is why po Bridge 3 shows up here the latest entry in the Bridge Building physics based puzzle game series but yet still manages to introduce new ideas and Concepts for example there is an open world structure to the campaign rather than the more linear approach of the earlier titles a sandbox mode without constraints to flex your creativity as well as improve physics simulation all with the wonderful low poly artart that this series is known [Music] for one of the most beautiful pixel art titles of the year is N9 years of Shadows a Metro Venia title in which our heroine seeks to restore color to the world with the help of a ghostly teddy bear companion as well as use of Elemental armors and abilities however as a Metro VOR there is perhaps more to be desired since while the basics were there there's something just a little off about this game such as in terms of balance for example with combat being a little lackluster and bosses feeling rather spongy in terms of how much damage they can absorb it's also relatively linear in structure without as much of the fun exploration that this genre is known for so it's a commendable first try with the developers working on the gorgeous Mariachi Legend snakes so we'll see if that gets any better round one fight similarly Indie fighting games tend to have a more Niche audience which is why pocket bravery is a Hidden Gem a gorgeous pixel title as well that of course from the title is taking inspiration and paying tribute to the new GE Pocket color and the fighting games on that system especially with the pixel artart and the character [Music] proportions I'm not deep into fighting games so I cannot go into the technicalities but in hearing from fighting game players this appears to be a good one of those with Snappy action and tight controls just as you expect as an edit Easter egg I read in one of your comments that the developers on this game previously worked on another title suits of Fate but due to Backstage drama with the lead developer left to make this game so kudos to them for sticking it through the game with the most number of reviews in this list is Nova lens a crafting automation title in which you're using robots instead of conveyor belts but leans more towards forager rather than factorial you know the drill by now you are first manually harvesting Resources by hand using these to construct more advanced buildings and tools to get better materials and so on eventually being able to use robots to help automate the Gathering and processing of materials but this is in addition to an exploration and combat element in which you're exploring the Wilderness it is is not super deep or mechanically complex but provides a great introduction to the genre that is a lot more friendly overall and interestingly Is Not An Early Access title with the developer just releasing the free quantum gravity update in December 2023 so I have to give them a shout out as well horror games are not usually my thing but every once in a while one that is unique enough comes along which has to be mentioned such as little goody two shoes a gorgeous pixel art title that makes us farming life and dating Sim elements along with action adventure exploration and horror when she Ventures into the woods and a mysterious cave at night which as you already know means that things have the potential to go very very wrong the 80s inspired anime art style in cut scenes is awesome mixed of course with fantastic pixel arts coming to us from the developer of bucket mirror goldener Trum as well and is one of not real name is Trevor Hills is now on the run in the popular TV show American Arcadia a smaller title that you might have missed is American Arcadia which features two protagonists as well as a setup similar to The Truman Show one of our heroes is a character who doesn't know that he's the lead character in a TV show titled American Aradia and the other is a stage technician trying to help him Escape it switches between s scrolling platforming and firsters perspective for each of the two characters with the 1970s sci-fi Metropolis setting being very well done hiding of course a much darker truth since if the main character isn't popular enough with the viewers then it's oneway trip to execution being an intense and thrilling experience a solid title that is the first commercial release for this developer is the mushroom Metro Venia lone fungus which released out of Early Access which is always a strange thing for Metro veners in particular to use that feature but I digress in which this is quite a substantial title that is worth a look most interestingly this has more of a focus on precision platforming as your mushroom jumps and bounces its way across an extensive world having different mushroom caps that Grant different abilities which are used in both exploration and combat the developer is already working on a sequel with a different art style that is taking more inspiration from Symphony of the Night so check that out in my video on the best upcoming Metro venas if you enjoy Rog light deck builders like Slayer fire I recommend checking out beneath oresa as well one that has some clever twists on the formula which makes it of Interest it does have more of a fighting game presentation in which your attacks will reposition you in combat which has to be considered since whether you are near or far to an enemy will affect the cards and their effectiveness it has an interesting two character system in which one is the companion or support character which adds bonuses switching up the choice of character to play as in an interesting manner the gorgeous visuals do hide quite the challenge so be prepared for that going in but it's a solid entry in this sub genre for sure if variety is the name of your game which is likely to be the case since you like indie games and are watching a video on 25 strange and interesting titles across all sorts of genres that knuckle sandwich will be for you first off it is very weird since you play as a young man who moves to a new city in which you may or may not have killed someone and end up embro in a mystery that involves a gang and a cult from the visuals of course you can see the Earthbound inspiration but critically doesn't exactly have t based combat instead having over 100 different types of mini games from Rhythm Action Reaction shootter map puzzles memory and more and is truly one of the most unique games of the year an awesome shopkeeping action adventure title is quiser one that is a rook light in so far as new lighter is one and that there are procedurally generated dungeons to explore and fight enemies to collect ingredients but then you get to return to your restaurant to cook food and serve customers having to earn enough money to pay off a debt as such it's not crazily Innovative since it's the exact same premise that has been used to set up other shopkeeping games like panomics or rer but it is well executed here and it's a very compelling gameplay Loop not to mention an introduction to the foods of selfie Asia which you don't see every day here's one of the most interesting and weird Rog Lights of the here in Mr Sun's head box a title that looks like a standard Rog light platformer but does have stealth elements as well you take on various missions to steal back your hats from the enemies with each hat having some unique property of modifier but then you can also flon enemies mgs5 star to capture to become your crew in the next mission as such it is very unique without a close comparison in the market and is very underrated All Things Considered here's one of the most fascinating titles of the year and after Fato in which you play as a saucer running a cafe in a city that doesn't sleep combining the visual novel and character building elements of games like coffee talk with a time management aspect seen in games like Persona 5 and also a reverse Tower Defense gameplay element when you delve into the minds of your customers to help them fight their inner demons the reverse tow defense part is neat since you lead a train of characters and choose the path they take having to play cards at the right time but in which the characters and writing are perhaps the main draw over the action but has a nice balance of all of these aspects and is worth a [Music] playing oh my God this game you guys haat down the bun barrels looks like an adorable title in which you're chasing down and catching bunnies which do have a pre-programmed Behavior but then you realize that the bunnies can stack on top of each other and produce baby bunnies which then becomes the main collectible in the game it goes from tricking bunnies and cornering them in a dead end to placing down bunny traps to catch them or to create a dead end of your own to a pickaxe that allows you to dig through the walls to using carrots to lure bunnies to a certain spot and then comes the realization that the barrels are linked and you can bring bunnies from one area to the next being one of the best puzzle games of the year and is not to be missed but if you don't like playing these I highly recommend the series on the YouTube channel aliens Rock so go check that out it's kind of crazy how a game from legendary Indie developer the behem is on the hidden gems list since Castle Crashers battle block theater and even pit people were massive hits right out of the gate but yet here we are with alien homant invasion a run and Gun action platformer that stars one of their earliest Creations that dates back to the flashh game era in which invading aliens are fighting their way to the human HQ the aliens have a variety of weapons and mutations to equip along with the pure chaos that that is four player co-op since there will be projectiles everywhere but perhaps there is a lack of variety in the things that you can do and can feel a little repetitive still I think it's worth a look especially with friends and I do wonder what is next on the horizon for this developer here's an awesome title in G low an isometric action RPG that is like Diablo but with Southeast Asian inspiration instead of the more European fol tail inspiration seen in other a RPGs g under satas and sentos replaced instead with PS and Chinese hopping vampires with this also having very interesting character classes such as an exorcist a geomancer and more which is not the regular old Paladin Necromancer Rogue Mage Etc so that alone is a r of note furthermore it has a skill link system instead of a skill tree having a straightup grid of possible skills having plenty of new things to fiddle around with even if you're a veteran player of the [Music] genre one of the most touching narratives of the year is that of venba telling an immigrant story of an Indian mother who moved to Canada in the 1980s having to raise a son in a new land and the challenges that come along with that while I'm not Indian I can certainly empathize with the issues here of the sun being raised in two different cultures of the difference and treatment that he gets at school to the traditions and events that either culture celebrates with him being in the Middle with food playing a central role here it might just make you shed a few tears thought myself it was always going to be a oneway trip that's what I love a critically adop title that gim journalist types seem to love is El Paso elsewhere a max pain like for lack of a better term since it hits all the Beats of that game in terms of the action due to dual wielding handguns to the lunging jump and roll to the bullet time and slow more which is kind of crazy to think about since there isn't exactly that many Max pen clones in any game land it has an intriguing story set up as well of having to stop your evil act drulle who just so happens to be the Lord of vampires from ending the world with a weird trippy shifting Motel as the central location as well as all sorts of bizarre and Supernatural enemies to battle with the lead developer did also voice the main character in this game which is very well done welcome to the surface employee 3121 your mission is send the next one welcome to the surface next welcome to the surf employee 3123 here's an interesting Factory Builder automation title with a Twist since atrio the dun world is not just a simple factorial clone but has ideas of its own the main objective here is to restore light to the world but that means having to have the infrastructure necessary to do so which means setting up the necessary production lines in order to power your base however it is not as simple as mining for resources to build a robot arm but rather having to go out into the darkness to fight and capture creatures that can very well kill you being one of the most unique takes on the genre that I've seen and is criminally underrated face and complete your mission to restore power guys it's happening employee 3123 I dare say you've done send the next one a game which is going under the radar is in stars and time a 10-based RPG with an Earthbound like interface in the combat UI but having a Time Loop twist as well and Adventure game elements your party of unlikely heroes are on a mission to stop an evil King but through their Misadventures people always end up dying and the loop resets with our protagonist being the only one that notices which causes them to become increasingly stressed and depressed the characters and writing in this are excellent with the time Loop Shenanigans being very clever as well but they also managed to pull off a monochrome color scheme which is difficult to get [Music] right the next game from the developer of the friends of Ringo Ishikawa is fading afternoon essentially a Yakuza life sim beat him up title that is awesome in which you play as a middle-age gangster who is released from now having to navigate life in this new world it takes cues from classic japanese Cinema and Yakuza Focus Films josing the violence of combat which includes swords and guns with periods of solitude and quiet reflection as a protagonist really tries to figure out what he wants in Life the game does kind of throw you into things without much explanation which is what some players have found issue with but if you love to be immersed in a game world and just poke and prod at things to see what the developer has included then this this is definitely the game for [Music] you my wife's in the game of the year is probably do each since she spent many hours in it where this R light strategy title has interesting systems to master and a compelling gaml Loop you play as the village Elder with the power of Prophecy being able to foresee disasters that will come so you have a couple of turns to construct the right buildings or assign your villagers to the right tasks in order to mitigate This Disaster in the meantime however villagers need to eat so making sure that you have enough food as critical and with plenty of upgrade options at the tech tree will leave you playing for hours and [Music] hours this game might not look like much which is precisely why it's here since this monochrome soan style puzzle game comes to us from a developer whose previous game was a shooter M so it's quite the departure to say the least in which void stranger has you solving puzzles and descending deeper and deeper into the void now that might not seem like much but of course is not just a simple puzzle game but the Steam Reviews in this are interesting since the people who leave negative reviews have 1 to 3 hours of play time but then all the positive reviews have like 40 50 60 70 80 plus hours was played so there is definitely something deeper going on where it seems like puzzle games are the perfect genre to hide massive secrets that will blow your mind which I'm finding myself increasingly gravitating towards so maybe you'll see more of these on the channel if you enjoyed this then you have to watch this video on the best in the games of 2023

Channel: Best Indie Games

Views: 174,231

Keywords: best indie game hidden gems 2023, Best indie games, best indie games 2023, top 10 indie games of 2023, indie game, goty 2023, indie goty 2023, Kill The Crows, Worldless, Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara, Poly Bridge 3, 9 Years of Shadows, Pocket Bravery, Nova Lands, American Arcadia, Beneath Oresa, Knuckle Sandwich, Cuisineer, Affogato, Alien Hominid Invasion, Ghostlore, Venba, El Paso Elsewhere, Atrio The Dark Wild, In Stars And Time, Fading Afternoon, dotage, Void Stranger

Id: d6f7g1nxWYE

Length: 18min 49sec (1129 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 03 2024