Just because something comes in a smaller package doesn’t mean it can’t be just as exciting or meaningful. This is definitely the best ethos in which to approach the very best indie games that have been released over the past year or so. The only problem with indie games released on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and PC is knowing where to start first, as indies are known for pumping them out so quickly and so often… it can be difficult to keep up.
Fear not, however, because we at Gaming Deals are here with the 10 best latest indie games for consoles and PC that we think you should check out first. Better yet, we’ll even tell you on which platform each one is available to play, as well as promoting the lowest best price where possible. So, with all that now out of the way, let’s take a close look at the current 10 best latest indie games out there right now.
Void Bastards
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
First-person shooters have swapped out realistic graphics for the comic book-esque cell-shaded look before (Hello Borderlands!), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t others worth seeking out. Void Bastards is yet another example of how moreish the act of boarding ships, gunning down legions of foes and constantly acquiring upgrades can be if done right.
Void Bastards is an indie game that expertly blends the act of shooting with an appreciated amount of strategy elements. Getting this around your head will prove key to escaping the regions of space with your ragtag band of misfits successfully.
Loop Hero
Platforms: PC
One of 2021’s biggest surprise indie hits was this particularly low-fi endless RPG that doesn’t actually see you control the main character. Instead, Loop Hero makes it your job to lay down and manage a constantly changing set of location cards, all in the effort to give your titular adventurer the best chances at survival possible.
It eventually becomes a delicate dance as you try to manage the flow of each new loop. Be successful long enough and your character will be primed to take a beating, acquiring better buffs and skills useful for lasting longer and making all-important adjustments when back at camp. Loop Hero is unquestionably one of the most moreish indie games out there.
Hades
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Surely, you don’t need us to tell you why Hades earns its place as being one of the very best latest indie games currently out there. You play as a humble demi-god trying to break his way out of his titular father’s hellish domain. The only problem is the various hordes of enemy types standing in your way.
Fortunately for players, there’s a generous suite of different weapon types, tactics and equippable boons to make use of. Such mechanical flexibility (coupled with the randomisation of levels) ensures that no one run of Hades ever need play out exactly the same. Hades is infinitely replayable for all these reasons and more.
Death’s Door
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
You don’t have to look far these days for indie games that want to bring back that feeling of classic Zelda games. Death’s Door just so happens to be one of the best. Puzzle-filled dungeons? Yes. Top-down perspective? Of course. And there’s plenty of key items to unlock and deploy – including a not-so subtle tribute to Link’s trusty Hookshot – as well.
It’s your job as a reaping crow to bring back and deposit the souls of the fallen, until one day you find yourself in jeopardy when your latest assignment is compromised by a shady figure. This leads to a rather epic adventure that sees you to best multiple bosses and venture into multiple zones, all in the effort to put things right.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC
Yes, if you choose to believe it or not, despite being a PlayStation exclusive on consoles, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is indeed technically an indie game. It’s also one of the best latest indie games around, releasing in the middle of last year to treat players on PS4 and PS5 to its gorgeous, Pixar-like visuals.
You play as the eponymous ancient warrior, trying to aid a local race of cute critters known as the rot in the hopes of bringing peace back to the land and somehow find yourself, too. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a throwback to the classic 3D platformers of old, shined up and sheened for the modern era.
Eastward
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC
Eastward is a clear love letter to the whimsical adventures movies like The Goonies and E.T: Extra-terrestrial were going for. The closest game we had at the time that was similar to this was Earthbound for the SNES, which this latest indie game Eastward successfully also apes. This is a near pixel-perfect top-down adventure where you play as a humble father-and-daughter duo, making their way from a tyrannical Subterranian society up to the world above.
This you do by battling enemies and solving environmental puzzles, getting swept up in the mystery at the heart of it all. If old-school adventures are your thing, look no further than Eastward.
Little Nightmares II
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
This bite-sized horror title ups the stakes in almost every way, when compared to the original. You play as a totally new character in Mono, partnering up with the first game’s protagonist’s Six to try and navigate the watery, bleak city that sits outside of the Maw.
A lot of your time will be spent trying to be sneaky, quietly navigating around dangerous horrors of the night so as to try and escape with your life. The story here might be relatively minimalist, but it’s made up for by an immensely creepy atmosphere and several creative horror-infused puzzles. When it comes to horror, Little Nightmares II is one of the best latest indie games around.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC
There’s nothing quite like getting to make your own stamp – or indeed splash of colour – to a game. Chicory: A Colorful Tale is an inventive venture through a whimsical world that perfectly understands this, casting you as a budding young artist who must take up the role of “Wielder” when the town’s superstar artist has given up all hope.
Much of this journey consists of you using colour, paint and shapes to implant your own design aspirations on this black-and-white world. If you’re an artist in any capacity, Chicory: A Colourful Tale should appeal to your creative side.
Axiom Verge 2
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC
The great thing about Axiom Verge 2 is that it requires almost no pre-existing knowledge of the first game’s events. This is, for the most part, an entirely separate standalone story that focuses on a new adventure set within the icy cold mountains, where our hero is swiftly transported to another realm in the hopes of finding her lost daughter.
Getting her back means trying to navigate this twisted world of warped pixels and monolithic monsters. Providing you don’t mind hopping back and forth between the same location, Axiom Verge 2 is a one of the best latest indie games to use the metroidvania format.
The Ascent
Platforms: Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S, PC
You don’t see too many cyberpunk games released nowadays, especially those in the indie space. However, The Ascent makes it its mandate to offer players a Blade Runner style world to explore and shoot through, tasking you to rise up through the neon-laden city blocks in the effort to get higher and higher and achieve a better quality of life.
You play as a hero who is entirely customisable, always looting sand equipping better gear to make your mission less of a bore. Whether you choose to go it alone or with another partner by your side, The Ascent is a wild ride set in a cyberpunk universe.
That wraps up our recommendations for the best 10 latest indie games, let us know your thoughts in the comments below;
