Independent game development is where new and revolutionary ideas get a chance to shine, unconstrained by release dates and projected profits. So if you’re looking for the next indie RPG to sink your teeth into, but can’t be bothered to scour through hundreds of daily releases, well you’ve come to the right place.
25. FTL: Faster Than Light (2012)
Available on PC / iOS. Where most roguelike RPGs take place in some sort of fantasy setting, Subset Games’ FTL: Faster Than Light is a refreshing sci-fi take on the genre. After intercepting a piece of information that could turn the tide in the war against rebel separatists, you’ll have to make a run for it to the nearest Galactic Federation base – which happens to be several light-years away. That’s easier thanks to your ship’s faster-than-light travel capacity, but you never know what’s waiting at the end of your next FTL jump. Spoiler alert – it’s rebels, armed to the teeth and determined to turn you into space debris.
24. Battle Chef Brigade (2017)
Available on PC / PS4 / Nintendo Switch. Battle Chef Brigade follows the exploits of a chef who specializes in hunting down dangerous beasts and using their meat to craft exquisite dishes. Taking down beasts efficiently while racking up combos will give you a boon once you get down to cooking, which takes the form of a fast-paced match-three puzzle challenge. Trinket Studio’s gourmet RPG has a fantastic anime-inspired art-style and offers entertaining local multiplayer too.
23. Haven (2020)
Available on PC / PS4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch. If you’re looking for a heart-warming wholesome story to share with your RPG-loving special other, Haven might be right up your alley. It follows two lovers who elope to a far-away, forgotten part of the universe where they can be together without anyone getting in the way. The game offers a gorgeous art style with striking visual effects, and a surprisingly realistic portrayal of a healthy relationship with surprisingly intimate moments.
22. The Falconeer (2020)
Available on PC. Ever since man first looked up to the skies, we’ve wanted to soar high above the ground. While the Wright Brothers achieved this through the invention of the airplane, developer Tomas Sala thought it might have been more interesting if we had chosen to ride on gigantic birds of prey. The Falconeer is a fantasy third-person shooter where you’ll face airships, flying monsters, and other bird-riders in intense, chaotic aerial dogfights atop your warbird. Definitely worth a try if you have the time.
21. Path of Exile (2019)
Available on PC / PS4 / Xbox One. If you like classic isometric RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Diablo II, you can’t go wrong with Path of Exile – and it’s free-to-play! Grinding Gear Games casts you as an exile dropped in the shores of Wraeclast – a cursed continent where criminals and the unwanted are sent to die. You’ll explore massive, procedurally-generated outdoor areas and raid dungeons for experience and loot – slowly strengthening your character so you can tackle bigger challenges.
20. Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale (2010)
Available on PC. Play as Recette Lemongrass, a fledgling shop-keeper facing a mountain of debt. Gameplay alternates between hunting down valuable items in dungeons with the help of hired swords and trying to sell the treasures you uncover for the highest profit. Capitalism, ho! While not an easy game by any stretch of the imagination, you’ll slowly get the hang of running your store. Its appealing anime graphics style and charming characters make every step of the way a real pleasure.
19. Salt and Sanctuary (2016)
Available on PC / PS4 / PS Vita / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch. The easiest way to describe Salt and Sanctuary would be “2D Dark Souls”, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. The edgy, unique art-style chosen by Ska Studios for their roguelike does a lot to set a dark and gritty atmosphere for this challenging game. It’s what I picture when I wonder what goes on inside an asylum inmate’s head. And it’s perfect for a game about facing horrifying creatures on a mysterious island.
18. To the Moon (2011)
Available on PC / Nintendo Switch / Mobile. One of the things I like most about indie games is their capacity to tell deeply emotional and undeniably human stories, but without the need for lifelike graphics. This title by Freebird Games tells the story of two doctors who delve deep into a dying man’s memories to change some details so that he can feel satisfied with the life he led. They’ll grant his wish of going “to the Moon”. You’ll build a personal connection with these characters as you explore Johnny’s memories, and his personal story may resonate with you in unexpected ways.
17. Monster Sanctuary (2019)
Available on PC / PS4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch. Let’s face it – Pokémon has become stale. Even with Mega Evolutions, Gigantamax, and hundreds of new Pokémon each generation, it’s not enough to revive the charm of the first couple of Pokémon titles – and so, we have to look into indie games to get our monster-catching fix. Moi Rai Games’ Monster Sanctuary sets itself apart from other monster-catching titles by introducing Metroidvania-like exploration.
16. Crypt of the NecroDancer (2015)
Available on PC / PS4 / PS Vita / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch / Mobile. Other than RPGs, I’m a sucker for rhythm games. And when I heard of a dungeon crawler that brought the two together, I was sold. During an expedition to find your missing father, you’ll find yourself trapped in the NecroDancer’s crypt – and you’ll have to dance the night away if you wish to ever see the sun again. Every one of your actions, from moving to attacking, will be more effective if you match them to the beat of Danny Baranowsky’s enthralling soundtrack – and you’ll have to learn the enemies’ rhythmic patterns as well. Developer Brace Yourself Games also collaborated with Nintendo on a crossover between Zelda and CotN called Cadence of Hyrule – CotN ft. TLoZ, which you can’t miss if you own a Switch.
15. Slay the Spire (2019)
Available on PC / PS4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch / Mobile. Mega Crit Games offer us an excellent roguelike RPG that manages to set itself apart from the rabble with a complex card-based combat system. You’ll choose between three different classes and challenge the spire over and over again, slowly building up your card collection. The more you play, the better it gets. Even if you’re not into card games, you should definitely give it a shot. Spire’s blend of genres is the perfect recipe for a unique, entirely new RPG experience.
14. Darkest Dungeon (2015)
Available on PC / PS4 / PS Vita / Xbox One / iOS. Some of us like games that humble us and wipe the floor with our gamer self-esteem. Red Hook Studios’ Darkest Dungeon is bound to do just that. You’ve just inherited an estate from an ancestor who was obsessed with reaching the bottom of the catacombs lying beneath his manor – and you, too, find the allure of the depths irresistible. Each dive into the dungeon will take a toll on your squad of adventurers, who’ll develop weird fetishes, kleptomania, alcoholism, and even PTSD after fighting the horrors of the abyss.
13. Rogue Legacy 2 (2020)
Available on PC. Cellar Door Games brings us the sequel to the acclaimed action RPG Rogue Legacy, this time with a new gorgeous art-style, more varied classes, and the same goofy spirit. The game can be described as a “genealogical rogue-lite” where your character is succeeded by one of their sons or daughters upon death. Will they be a pacifist knight? A colorblind archer? Perhaps a vegan chef? It’s addictive, and the randomized dungeons ensure you’ll never run out of places to visit.
12. Divinity: Original Sin II (2017)
Available on PC / PS4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch. Developed by Larian Studios, Divinity: Original Sin II is the sequel to one of the best story-driven RPGs I’ve ever played – and it has only gotten better in the sequel. This Kickstarter-funded title takes place in the sword-and-magic realm of Rivellon, centuries after the events of the first game. The veil between the Void and Rivellon has been torn open, and fearsome creatures are pouring in – drawn to the magic known as Sourcery. If you like turn-based combat where the environment plays a large role and stories that don’t take themselves too seriously, you have to give this polished title a chance.
11. Undertale (2015)
Available on PC / PS4 / PS Vita / Nintendo Switch. Toby Fox’s Undertale stirred the pot quite a bit back when it came out. If you missed it back in 2015, now is the time to do yourself a favor and check this story-driven game out. The story and gameplay are oddly reminiscent of classic JRPGs like EarthBound, with fascinating twists that blur the line between gameplay and storytelling. You can choose whether to kill everything in your path like you usually would in an RPG, or try to find alternate solutions to these conflicts through persuasion. You’ll notice a stark difference in the tone of the story depending on your choice. Its fantastic soundtrack is also a highlight – and I’m not just talking about Megalovania here!
10. West of Loathing (2017)
Available on PC / Nintendo Switch. I love indie games because everything is possible – including an open-world RPG that looks like it was made in MS Studio Paint. From the makers of Kingdom of Loathing comes West of Loathing, a comedic adventure RPG taking place in a Weird West setting full of unique, bizarre NPCs and lots of surreal humor. Despite looking like it was made in Flash back in the early 2000s, this title is actually pretty deep, and it gives you the freedom to tackle challenges how you see fit. You can sneak around, persuade others to help you – or kill everyone in sight like the madman you are.
9. The Banner Saga (2014)
Available on PC / PS4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch. Taking place in a world inspired by Norse mythology, The Banner Saga tells the tale of a clan who’s pushed out of their lands by the Dredge – a seemingly demonic race born for battle, who herald the end of the world. As the leader of the caravan, you’ll have to keep your people safe and fed in these harsh times as you make your way to safety – wherever that may lie. Combat takes the form of a tactical RPG. Its challenging battles are only second in difficulty to the morally complex decisions you’ll have to make if your caravan is to survive. If you like the game’s incredible artstyle and harrowing soundtrack as much as I did, consider playing through The Banner Saga 2 and 3, which are just as good – if not better.
8. CrossCode (2015)
Available on PC / PS4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch. Radical Fish Games takes us on a ride through the beautifully-realized fantasy world of CrossWorlds, a VR MMO protagonist Lea finds herself trapped in. The game features gorgeous 16-bit graphics, a fantastic story, and fast-paced combat that’ll force you to strategize on the fly. The game’s biggest draw has to be its puzzles – though it’s kind of hard to separate them from the rest of the gameplay. Boss fights feel like a puzzle here, and exploration is a puzzle – and even the story is a puzzling mystery you’ll piece together as you go.
7. SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech (2019)
Available on PC / Nintendo Switch. If you’ve played and enjoyed previous Image & Form titles like SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Heist, you’re bound to love this turn-based RPG set in the same universe. Each of your robotic heroes has a deck of cards that’ll determine their actions in combat. Building a strong deck is just as important as using it, and the sheer number of possible party members adds an extra layer of complexity to this card game.
6. The Swords of Ditto: Mormo’s Curse (2019)
Available on PC / PS4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch / Mobile. This charming top-down RPG is cut from the same cloth as classic Zelda games on the SNES. Developed by Devolver Digital – who seem unable to make a bad game – The Swords of Ditto makes exploration incredibly entertaining rather than a chore. It’s a bag of surprises with charming storytelling, engaging dungeons to crawl through, and some pretty unique weapons. The game used to feature permadeath, but the Mormo’s Curse update removes the mechanic – making the game more palatable to non-masochists.
5. LISA: The Painful (2014)
Available on PC. I’m a fan of weird games that aren’t afraid to push the envelope with their setting, story, or gameplay – and LISA does it all at once. This profoundly weird turn-based RPG has you protecting a baby girl in a hopeless world with no women – only smelly, rugged, mostly insane men. The game forces you to make tough decisions at every turn, like choosing between a limb or a party member or having an ally risk their lives in a Russian Roulette game for profit. It’s pretty challenging but rewarding – and the surreal humor acts as the perfect counterweight to the grim setting.
4. Stardew Valley (2016)
Available on PC / PS4 / PS Vita / Xbox One / Mobile. Developer Eric Barone – AKA ConcernedApe – carefully crafted Stardew Valley over several years, trying to re-capture the magic of old-school Harvest Moon games. That said, the result is vastly superior to the games that inspired it. Stardew features immense gameplay variety, a sprawling world full of secrets, and the spritework is drop-dead gorgeous. Not to mention all the mods. The gameplay is really pretty engaging, too. “Just one more day”, you’ll say. Then suddenly it’s Friday again, and you’ve lost your job after a week-long absence. Time to invest in some cheap farmland!
3. Noita (2020)
Available on PC. Noita is a rogue-lite action-adventure RPG created by an all-star team of indie devs, including the people behind The Swapper, Crayon Physics Deluxe, and Baba is You – all fantastic games you can’t miss out on. Every pixel in this 2D game is simulated by a physics engine. Your job is to design spells that’ll affect the world around you in different ways. You’ll melt walls, burn clouds of miasma, freeze enemies in place – and much more. It rewards out-of-the-box thinking while traversing its procedurally-generated levels, and its sophisticated physics engine allows you to tackle challenges from many angles.
2. Hades (2020)
Available on PC / Nintendo Switch. One of the most impressive isometric RPGs in the last few years is Hades – a roguelike with deep roots in Greek mythology. Supergiant Games puts us in the role of Zagreus, the son of Hades, as he defies his father and attempts to escape the Underworld toward Mount Olympus. Die, and you’ll be returned to the beginning. After all, you’re already in hell. The story unveils itself throughout several runs – and contrary to what you may expect, it’s actually quite wholesome and carries a message of family and reconciliation.
1. Disco Elysium (2019)
Available on PC. If you’re interested in an RPG experience unlike anything you’ve played before, you have to try Disco Elysium. In this game, conflicts are solved with words and actions rather than fighting – with stats like Intellect, Motorics, Physique, and Psyche ruling what you’re able to do in each situation. Developer ZA/UM crafted an entirely new take on the RPG genre, focusing on narrative and surprising twists at every turn. You’ll play as a jaded alcoholic detective and choose whether you’ll be a good cop or a bad cop, so to speak. Will you take a bribe? Sell out your allies? Use torture to get the information you need? It’s up to you – and your choices will determine your character’s fate and how the story plays out.
