15 Indie Game Trends from 2024
2024 has been a wild ride in indie gaming, and we’ve identified some of our favorite phenomena from the year.
Beau a.k.a. Bo_Po
co-host of indie video game podcast Underplayed
Emily Merritt
co-host of indie video game podcast No Small Games
Every year, thousands of newly released indie games offer us fresh ideas and unique perspectives. Yet, as we take a closer look, distinct trends begin to emerge across the landscape—patterns that, once noticed, are impossible to ignore. Whether they arise from shared inspiration or by complete coincidence, these curious commonalities are why we think the indies of 2024 are so damn special.
In this article, Beau of the Underplayed podcast and Emily of No Small Games break down our favorite indie game trends from the past year.
Trend #1 – Going Up
Examples: Albatroz, Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain, Chained Together, Completely Stretchy, A Difficult Game About Climbing, Flock, Little Kitty Big City, Neva, Sky: Children of the Light (PC version), Surmount, Valley Peaks
Carefree climbs and heart-pounding ascents shaped how we interacted with game worlds over the past 12 months. Is this a coincidence, or is there a collective goal among developers to symbolically reach new heights, especially after the challenges of the last few years? While other indies like Only Up! and Jusant (both 2023 releases) may have set the stage, 2024 still delivered plenty of high points—perhaps more than ever before. –Beau
Trend #2 – Little Guys Fighting with Surprising Weapons
Examples: ANIMAL WELL, Another Crab’s Treasure, #BLUD, Crypt Custodian, Melobot – A Last Song, Pepper Grinder, Selfloss
What’s a little guy to do when you’re up against the world and the odds are stacked against you? You grab your fork, slinky, field hockey bat, broom, or even the power of song, and you get to work! 2024 brought us a slew of games featuring guys (and gals) who are just little guys, getting down to business with whatever they have on hand. And we’re rootin’ for them! -Emily
Trend #3 – Released on May 9, 2024
Examples: 1000xRESIST, ANIMAL WELL, Crow Country, Cryptmaster, Little Kitty Big City, Rabbit and Steel, Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns
The release of any two of these games at once would be noteworthy, while three could cause quite the head turn. But to have at least seven renowned indie titles debut on the same day is an extraordinary cosmic alignment we may never see again. May 9, 2024 shall forever live in our hearts for being one of the best days for game releases—indie or not—of all freaking time. -Beau
Trend #4 – Horror with a Retro Visual Style
Examples: Amanda the Adventurer 2, Among Ashes, Crow Country, Fear the Spotlight, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (in certain moments), Mouthwashing, Sorry We’re Closed, THRESHOLD, While We Wait Here
This whole year was Christmas Day for retro horror fans, who received a windfall of instant classics and games nodding to retro horror vibes. Games like Crow Country and Fear the Spotlight brought the aesthetic of late 90s survival horror into the 2020s, with modern day quality-of-life features. Mouthwashing added a manic, psychedelic tinge to the genre. And many other games like Lorelei and the Laser Eyes featured sequences referencing the “olden days” of console horror classics. Whether you wanted to be scared by just how low-poly those graphics were, or just plain scared, this was a fantastic year for you. –Emily
Trend #5 – Cleaning up Messes
Examples: Crime Scene Cleaner, Crypt Custodian, DREDGE – The Iron Rig, Grunn, Melobot – A Last Song, Mizi NO!, Selfloss, Several PowerWash Simulator DLCs, Trash Goblin
At the end of the day, what’s resolving conflict in a game if not cleaning up a mess? Here’s a lineup of titles that had us literally picking up pieces, taking out trash, and sponging up sludge. Yes, it’s nasty business, but for some compulsive reason, we like that. Give us more, and let us do our jobs. –Beau
Trend #6 – Caravans
Examples: Caravan SandWitch, Coffee Caravan, Cozy Caravan, Fruitbus, PAKO Caravan
This year, the allure of the open road overcame us. We served up delicious treats in Fruitbus and Coffee Caravan. We drove around helping our communities in Caravan SandWitch and Cozy Caravan. Through it all, we had our trusty four wheels to carry us and our dreams. Maybe the chaotic year of current events led us to seek a simpler life on the road, but no matter the reason, we’ll always cherish the memories and friends that we made along the way. –Emily
Trend #7 – Strange Scaffold’s Very Busy Year
Examples: CLICKOLDING, El Paso Elsewhere (iOS and PS5 versions), I Am Your Beast, Life Eater
The spirited Strange Scaffold team is always pushing the boundaries. It seems they’ll try anything, from kidnapping simulations and motel weirdos to thrilling revenge stories and new ports of a 2023 hit. Miraculously, they delivered all of these in the same year, and they’re already teasing several new projects, including Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3, a “match-3/survival horror/comedy RPG.” We are still processing that description and can’t wait to learn more. –Beau
Trend #8 – Sassy Narrators
Examples: Cryptmaster, I Am Your Beast, INDIKA, Phoenix Springs
Many games can drive a player to yell at the screen, but few have narrators (or playable characters) that are always ready with a retort that makes you question “can they hear me?” These games spanked us with their fast-paced action, their esoteric puzzles, and their philosophical ponderings, but they also spanked us with their words. This double-dose of cheekiness humbled us, but kept us coming back for more. Let’s not unpack that, shall we? –Emily
Trend #9 – Starring Cats
Examples: Cat Bait, Cat God Ranch, Cat Quest III, CATO: Buttered Cat, Copycat, Crypt Custodian, Little Kitty Big City, Mizi NO!, Supurr Cat Cafe: Sandwich Rush, WEBFISHING
Oh, the sheer variety of cat games in 2024! The emotional Copycat told a thoughtful story of adoption, the acclaimed Crypt Custodian offered a sizable Metroidvanian world to explore, and the surprise hit WEBFISHING provided leisurely online hangout spots. This cat-egory isn’t new to the indie scene, but the year was nonetheless replete with feline-focused fun. –Beau
Trend #10 – Set in the Afterlife
Examples: Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus, Crypt Custodian, Cryptmaster, Hades 2 Early Access, Hauntii, Selfloss
Video games have always provided a safe space for exploring our ideas about what lies beyond our mortal world. Devs releasing games this year seem particularly fascinated with life after death, however. These games featured main characters who are tasked with protecting and cleaning the land we inhabit after leaving this plane, as well as characters who are desperate to leave it. The jury’s still out on what’s actually beyond the veil, but we hope it’s as entertaining as these games. –Emily
Trend #11 – Follow-Ups with a Greater Emphasis on Action
Examples: Anger Foot, Crow Country, Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines, Judero, Neva, Nine Sols
Look at the previous offerings of these games’ creators and you’ll notice predecessors that utilize tamer combat or even forgo action altogether in favor of other gameplay mechanics. In 2024, developers such as Nomada Studio and SFB Games followed up their less aggressive titles by having us shoot, clash, and kick our way to victory. –Beau
Trend #12 – Productivity & Co-Working Games
Examples: Dino Market, Lofi Cafe, On Track, Rusty’s Retirement, Spirit City: Lo-fi Sessions, Weyrdlets
Co-working and body doubling are having a moment right now, as strategies to improve focus and get sh*t done. Thankfully, indie game devs have our back as well, creating helpful and comforting co-working games for when we need that extra support. Whether they live on a second monitor, or take up a small side of your screen, these games all give you an idle or intermittent gamified experience and keep you company while you kick butt. –Emily
Trend #13 – TITLES WITH CAPS LOCK ON
Examples: 1000xRESIST, ANIMAL WELL, ANTONBLAST, #BLUD, CATO: Buttered Cat, CLICKOLDING, CONSCRIPT, DAEMON MASQUERADE, INDIKA, KILL KNIGHT, LOCKDOWN Protocol, MULLET MADJACK, ODDADA, ONE BTN BOSSES, PICO PARK 2, PILGRIM, RKGK, SCHiM, SULFUR, SUMMERHOUSE, THRESHOLD, UFO 50, WHAT THE CAR?, WEBFISHING, WORMHOLE
A name in all caps is not necessarily angry or shouting at you. Meditative games like ODDADA and SUMMERHOUSE exemplify this, while clever titles like CLICKOLDING and SCHiM would fall flat in any other style. Often, all caps exude a confidence that says, “Hey, this is what I’m all about, so you should pay attention.” AND TO THESE GAMES, WE DID. –Beau
Trend #14 – Unexpectedly Phenomenal Voice Acting
Examples: Cryptmaster, Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, I Am Your Beast, INDIKA, Lil’ Guardsman, Phoenix Springs, Two Falls, Vampire Therapist
S Tier voice acting is no longer a luxury afforded only to AAA titles, and it’s certainly not relegated solely to action adventure blockbusters either. These games proved that any genre can be enriched and enhanced through the work of passionate voice actors, and that big emotional impact doesn’t require a big budget. It should be noted that this list includes multiple instances of the dev team members dusting off their microphones as well. We laughed, cried and snarked right along with these characters, and hope that this trend extends long into the future. –Emily
Trend #15 – Bending the Rules of Classic Games
Examples: Balatro, Bean to Me! (demo), Dungeon Clawler, Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers, Peglin, Pip My Dice (demo)
Like the house rules you might invent for board game nights, these games reimagined analogue classics with creative twists, striking clever balances of structure and freedom. While we didn’t come up with these concepts ourselves, there’s a familiar giddiness in using a library card to modify a round of blackjack or tweaking the quantity of game pieces to work in your favor. This was an oddly specific trend—one widely recognized thanks to this year’s indie juggernaut, Balatro—that still has us fixated on all the ways something dull can become something new. –Beau
It is my fervent opinion, and I’ve always said this, that board games live and die by the house rules that govern them. I will forever be here for a creative custom rule or twist on a classic board or card game experience, and this year brought it all digital. Balatro has charted a path for many more games in its wake to transform how we think about some of our favorite tabletop gameplay. The speed at which the Balatro-ified takes on classic games feels like the space will quickly be saturated, but until then, I will gleefully lap up every ounce of this particular brand of serotonin. –Emily
Want more cheeky takes on the state of indie gaming?
Follow No Small Games and Underplayed on Spotify! Both shows cover indie game trends and news, as well as provide in-depth reviews of indie games new and old!
You can also check out live gameplay of the indies we’ll be reviewing on Beau (Bo__Po) and Emily’s (aSpecificEgg) Twitch channels.
About No Small Games
No Small Games is an indie game recap and review podcast brought to you by hosts Kate and Emily! They became friends while streaming on Twitch and bonded over their love of indie video games. In each episode of No Small Games, the two will discuss an indie game they both played independently. They’ll compare their experiences: the good, the bad, their most memorable moments of their playthroughs.
Learn more about the podcast and its hosts on the About page.