Dredge’s understated visuals, slow storytelling, and cheerless name might make you think it’s more of a drudge than anything else, but in a matter of minutes, it proves that appearances can be deceiving. In just a couple of hours, developer Black Salt Games–a four-person team from New Zealand–proves it has created something much more compelling than dozens of multi-million-dollar studios during 2023.
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# The 16 Best Indie Games Of 2023, Ranked

Matt Gardner
Senior Contributor
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Matt Gardner is a British writer who specializes in indie gaming.

Dec 29, 2023,01:06pm EST

Updated Dec 29, 2023, 05:39pm EST

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'A Space for the Unbound' more than earned its place on the lost of 2023's best indies.

Mojiken Studio

Every year, award hosts make a huge deal of how it’s “the most competitive year yet,” and it’s easy to cringe–they say it every time. They have to. Well, apologies in advance, because I’m about to do the same thing, but with genuine sincerity. Indie games proved that 2023 wasn’t just a feast for AAA titles, because the small studio scene had a landmark year that even surpassed a superb class of 2022.

Here are the 16 best indie games of 2023. Like any list, you’re bound to have your personal favorites, and some of your top picks may not feature below. However, we must support small-studio talent, so be sure you share your choices in the comments and help support independent creators–it’s been a tough year filled with closures and widespread layoffs, and it’s more important than ever to celebrate the indies that entertained us.

If this list doesn’t quite scratch your itch for games to add to your backlog, don’t forget to check out my best indie games of 2022, 2021, and 2020.

## 16) Planet of Lana

Platforms: PC, Xbox, Series X/S, Switch, PS4, PS5

Developer: Wishfully Studios

Price: $19.99 (included with Xbox Game Pass)

MORE FROMFORBES ADVISOR

Planet of Lana appeared to have all the hallmarks of an indie classic, and while it doesn’t quite hit the heady heights of the puzzle platform games that inspired it–occasionally proving repetitive or a little unexciting–this adventure is a marvelous debut for Sweden’s Wishfully Studios, making it a developer to watch in the coming years.

## 15) Bramble: The Mountain King

Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PS5

Developer: Dimfrost Studio

Price: $29.99 (included with Xbox Game Pass)

Bramble: The Mountain King won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but those with a strong stomach will find an experience like no other. This Nordic folklore-inspired tale from Dimfrost Studio–another Swedish team–is horrific, gory, and filled with jumpscares, but juxtaposes an unforgettably dire narrative (and a heavy dose of pedicide) with a beautifully crafted and animated tale of a young boy trying to rescue his sister from a troll. Look before you leap; Bramble earns its mature rating.

## 14) Chants of Sennaar

Platforms: PC, Xbox, Switch, PS4

Developer: Rundisc

Price: $19.99

Chants of Sennaar, from Toulouse-based Rundisc, is one of the most visually captivating titles of 2023, channeling the art style of fellow indie darlings Sable and Creature in the Well while pairing it perfectly with a beguiling but consistently gratifying language-based puzzle mechanic.

It’s easy to get lost in this world in more ways than one–you’ll hit a few brick walls–but once you’re done with this ten-hour game, you’re left clambering for more. Let’s hope there’s a follow-up.

## 13) After Us

Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5

Developer: Piccolo Studio

Price: $29.99

Self-described “conceptual opera” After Us delivers an inspiring and cleverly designed game from Piccolo Studio, using incredible metaphors that capture themes of human excess, environmental destruction, and indifference to the beauty that surrounds us. As you guide the tiny Gaia through a tale that’s jarring yet inventive, she always brings hope–even if it comes at the expense of uncomfortable self-reflection.

'After Us' is a 2023 must-try indie game.

Piccolo Studio

## 12) Loddlenaut

Platform: PC

Developer: Moon Lagoon

Price: $19.99

Loddlenaut may be a little too short and a little too simple, but this delightful ocean cleanup adventure–which began as a student project at NYU, before winning funding through Kickstarter–is an escapist’s dream. You assume the role of an “interstellar custodian” tasked with undoing the pollution left behind by a huge corporation, reviving the planet’s ecosystem, and making friends along the way.

'Loddlenaut' is just a delight from start to finish.

Moon Lagoon

While it’s perhaps an odd thing to say, Loddlenaut is not the best axolotl-based indie game of 2023, but it’s definitely in the top two. More on that in a minute.

## 11) Tchia

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5

Developer: Awaceb

Price: $29.99 (included with PlayStation Plus Extra)

Tchia is a labor of love in the most obvious way: this open-world adventure is based on the Pacific nation of New Caledonia, where Thierry Boura and Phil Crifo, the founders of developer Awaceb, were raised.

Indifferent combat mechanics and glitches aside, Tchia is an impressively ambitious release with shades of Breath of the Wild, which is often darker and more complex than it lets on.

## 10) In Stars and Time

Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5

Developer: insertdisc5 (Adrienne Bazir)

Price: $19.99

In Stars and Time is a triumph, and arguably the best-written game of 2023. In this time-looping RPG, you control Siffrin and his friends as he tries to end the reign of an evil king, but he rescues defeat from the jaws of victory and is forced to do it all again. Every time he restarts, he gains a new perspective on the world, evolving the narrative and unlocking new paths and ideas.

This game–amazingly penned, designed, and directed by lone dev Adrienne Bazir–may get unsurprisingly repetitive across its 15-hour run, thanks to its core mechanics, but it always feels rewarding, especially due to its truly superb, natural dialogue that gets every drop out of its characters. To say any more will spoil the experience; explore it for yourself as soon as you can.

## 9) Sea of Stars

Platforms: PC, Xbox, Series X/S, Switch, PS4, PS5

Developer: Sabotage Studio

Price: $34.99 (included with Xbox Game Pass)

Following in the footsteps of 2022 indie GOTY runner-up Chained Echoes, Sea of Stars became this year’s unmissable 90s-style JRPG, scooping best independent awards at both the Golden Joysticks and The Game Awards.

While it draws heavily on 16-bit classics, Sea of Stars wastes no time in modernizing the experience to give one of the most balanced and eminently playable games of 2023. Its combat may not be too challenging, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable, maintaining the game’s pace and giving you even more freedom to enjoy its incredible number of strengths–gorgeous visuals, excellent storytelling, and one of the most sumptuous soundtracks of the year.

## 8) Viewfinder

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5

Developer: Sad Owl Studios

Price: $24.99

Viewfinder showcases the untapped potential of adventure gaming and will live rent-free in your head for weeks after playing it. This debut for Scottish developer Sad Owl Studios might have a complex and often confusing narrative, but its cavalcade of puzzles–including its iconic Polaroid-based path creation–proves that the journey can be more enjoyable than the destination.

The ending of Viewfinder doesn’t leave it open for a sequel, but Sad Owl has created something so incredibly unique–and pushes the boundaries of indie gaming without burning through its best ideas straight away–that you can’t help but be excited to see what comes next from the Scots.

## 7) Pizza Tower

Platforms: PC

Developer: Tour de Pizza

Price: $19.99

Word of mouth carried a lot of games in 2023, but none more so than Pizza Tower–a game so popular that I postponed writing this article just so I could complete it myself (and, inevitably, add it to the list). Pizza Tower is heavily inspired by the phenomenal Wario Land series and adopts an art style that combines Rocko’s Modern Life and the cartoons drawn by MS Paint users, capturing a thoroughly 90s madness that perfectly complements the game’s fast, furious, and frustrating gameplay.

Pizza Tower is short and sweet, but has tons of replay value; no run feels quite the same, as you challenge yourself for faster attempts at its increasingly insane level designs. All the while, a banging soundtrack elevates its trickier sections to fever-dream-like experiences. It’s not easy, but that’s where the fun lies.

## 6) Venba

Platforms: PC, Xbox, Series X/S, Switch, PS5

Developer: Visai Games

Price: $14.99 (included with Xbox Game Pass)

Few things can do what Venba does with two hours of your time. This inspired, beautiful, yet simple story of a Tamil mother in Canada–carefully trying to balance her life around the struggles of her husband and an increasingly distant, second-generation immigrant son–is a feat of ingenuity. Told through cooking, Venba’s story is as authentic, honest, and emotional as it gets.

## 5) AK-xolotl

Platforms: PC, Xbox, Series X/S, Switch, PS4, PS5

Developer: 2Awesome Studio

Price: $18.99

After Diablo IV, AK-xolotl is my most-played game of 2023–though it probably would’ve been number one had I not uninstalled it to restore balance to my life. This rogue-lite, which proved incredibly popular at Gamescom, isn’t as soul-destroyingly brutal as 2020 indie GOTY HyperParasite, as compulsive as Nuclear Throne, or as deep as Hades, but 2Awesome Studio has created a brilliant game with heart, substance, and no frills (despite its leading characters).

For under $20, AK-xolotl delivers a quirky, compelling gateway to rogue-lites, and while it could be funnier, longer, or deeper, these would be cherries on top of an already fantastic pie, albeit one filled with the giblets of freshly murdered, militarized farm animals. It’s also getting plenty of updates, so there’s no better time to check it out.

## 4) Dredge

Platforms: PC, Xbox, Series X/S, Switch, PS4, PS5

Developer: Black Salt Games

Price: $24.99

Dredge’s understated visuals, slow storytelling, and cheerless name might make you think it’s more of a drudge than anything else, but in a matter of minutes, it proves that appearances can be deceiving. In just a couple of hours, developer Black Salt Games–a four-person team from New Zealand–proves it has created something much more compelling than dozens of multi-million-dollar studios during 2023.

'Dredge' never stops surprising you, in the best and worst ways.

Black Salt Games

While Dredge is a fishing game at its heart, this Lovecraftian tale is full of hidden delights, and an adventure you explore at your own pace. Its strengths shine brightest when you find yourself staring into the distance, admiring a beautiful view, and time stops. There’s no rush, but you’ll eventually check your map, charter a new place to explore, and you’ll feel rewarded again, and again, and again.

## 3) Thirsty Suitors

Platforms: PC, Xbox, Series X/S, Switch, PS4, PS5

Developer: Outerloop Games

Price: $29.99 (included with Xbox Game Pass)

If someone pitched you a game that combined Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Cooking Mama, a dating simulator, and turn-based RPGs, you’d laugh them out of the building. Thirsty Suitors doesn’t just meet this description–it runs with it, slam dunks it, and seals its status as one of the best indies of 2023.

Thirsty Suitors does justice to culture, sexuality, heartbreak, friendship, drama–and humanity–with excellent writing, fully formed characters, a heady dose of stupidity, and plenty of relatability. There’s nothing like it, and while it appears there’s no scope for a sequel–a shame, considering it ends rather abruptly–there are few games you’ll come away from with such a feeling of fulfillment. Plus there’s Arvind, the most adorable game character of the year.

## 2) A Space for the Unbound

Platforms: PC, Xbox, Series X/S, Switch, PS4, PS5

Developer: Mojiken Studio

Price: $19.99

A Space for the Unbound isn’t perfect, evenly paced, or consistent in how it tells its story, but it doesn’t matter. This tale of two Indonesian schoolchildren spins off from an oddly charming point-and-click adventure and into a cosmic tour de force involving talking cats, supernatural abilities, mind control, the end of the world, and collectible bottle caps.

Aside from the occasionally dodgy minigame, A Space for the Unbound hits all the highs it aims for, while intermittently body-blowing you with a few gutwrenching lows. It’s the best narrative indie adventure of 2023, and probably one of the top five from the last ten years. Mojiken Studio has excelled itself and has provided the world with a conscientious, carefully created tale that lives in your mind for months after you walk away from it.

## 1) COCOON

Platforms: PC, Xbox, Series X/S, Switch, PS4, PS5

Developer: Geometric Interactive

Price: $24.99 (included with Xbox Game Pass)

COCOON is not just the best indie title of the year–it ought to be considered among the triple-As that made 2023 one of the greatest 12-month periods for gaming in recent memory. It’s probably no surprise; Geometric Interactive, co-founded by designer Jeppe Carlsen and composer Jakob Schmid, are alumni of Playdead–the studio behind the iconic LIMBO and INSIDE.

COCOON regularly delivers a double dose of delights: initial satisfaction from solving challenges, quickly followed by a deep appreciation for how each puzzle has been mind-bendingly crafted. It’s pretty much impossible to find anything bad to say about it, or even understand how the game was mapped, created, and tested. COCOON is a technical masterclass in every respect.

## Honorable mentions

- Cassette Beasts– Musical Pokémon with a twist. A fantastic little experience.
- Hunt the Night – An action RPG that’s as rewarding as it is brutal.
- DE-EXIT - Eternal Matters– Death, the afterlife, GSOH, and voxel graphics.
- Season: A Letter to the Future– Cycling, photography, adventure, and cataclysmic things on the horizon.
- Trepang2– A frankly ridiculous spiritual successor to F.E.A.R. that any fan of classic, brainless, mid-2000s FPS games will adore.
- Dordogne– As sleepy as they come, but with a strong story about a girl reliving her youth at her late grandmother’s house, uncovering secrets and revelations along the way.
- Dave the Diver– Not an indie game, yet somehow received category nominations at the Golden Joysticks and TGAs. It’s great, though–really, check it out. But it’s not an indie game.

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