19 Indie Games You Should Check Out Immediately
Ted Hentschke
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5) ARK: Survival Evolved
Have you ever been a human being, and wished that there was a game where you could fight and train dinosaurs? Of course you have. That’s why ARK: Survival Evolved is easier to get your friends to play than a rousing game of “talk about the hottest person you fucked.” ARK is expansive and deep, but also simple. You can figure out how to play the game quickly, and layers of complexity are added on in a manageable way. This game would be ruined if it was too obtuse for newcomers, but luckily the people behind the project get this. It is intuitive, fun, and offers a ton of content for those that want to delve more into it. Another must have.
6) The Long Dark
Have you ever been trapped in the frigid Canadian wilderness, and wished the wolves weren’t just so damn friendly? Well, then The Long Dark is here provide you with a canine conundrum. Foregoing the monster claws for bestial ones, the enemy in The Long Dark is mother nature herself. It isn’t uncommon now for survival games to come out that make you weather the elements, but this is one of the few where the elements are the focus. There are no zombies lurking in the dark, and no creepers waiting to blow up your base. Hunger and cold are your greatest foes, and animals just as hungry as you compete for the scant remaining resources. This is the apocalypse, but not the Fallout one. This is more like The Road, where crippling starvation and cold provide all the terror you need. It’s difficult to learn, but worth the commitment.
7) Stasis
Have you ever been living your life, all happy and free, and wished it was more hopeless and hideously depressing? Well, Stasis is here to grant your dark wishes. While technically not upcoming, it is a recent enough release to deserve a place on the list. Adopting the isometric view of classic games like Fallout, Stasis is a callback to a long dead day when games still required you to use your imagination to fill in the graphical gaps. That isn’t to say that the game doesn’t look gorgeous, but just requires you to have an appreciation for a distant, building dread rather than an in-your-face splatterfest. The deaths are still entertaining and graphic, and you will see them. A lot. This game does not hold your hand. While short, you will die several times before crossing the finish line. It is quintessentially old school, and a serious nostalgia trip.
8) Darkwood
Have you ever wished that Silent Hill was a top-down survival game and unforgiving as fuck? Well, Darkwood is here to test the limits of your sanity. From the start, it is clear that this is not your average survival/adventure game. A darker, more surreal environment awaits you. Survival is practical, but your foes are not. How can one hope to beat back the horrors of the dark with mere mortal arms? It’s a struggle, rewarding to those that muster through it. Oh, and I might add too that the game is actually fucking terrifying. It has an excellent use of blind spots and narrative pacing, which makes the package so much more than the sum of its parts. Top that off with responsive devs that care about their game, and this is well worth the $15 asking price.
Categorized:Horror Gaming Lists News
