Summary
Among the constantrelease of AAA titles over the years, backed by large publishers and extensive teams of developers, some indie titles have managed to make a competitive name for themselves. Smaller development teams, and occasionally sole individuals, set off to work on their passion projects, creating titles inspired by the favorite games of their childhood or a novel idea. Despite having fewer resources at their disposal, oftentimes indie developers find a way to knock it out of the park.
Among the cozy games, farm sims, rougelites, and RPGs, quite a few action-adventure titles have been made by indie studios. These are some of the best action-adventure games made by indie studios that players can find.
Hearkening back to the glory days of 3D platformers on Nintendo 64 and the original PlayStation,A Hat in Timeis a classic 3D platformer with an action-adventure twist. The action isn’t complex or challenging, and the adventure lies on the light-hearted side, butA Hat in Timeis an endearing experience with plenty of fun mechanics.
Maintaining features of generations past,A Hat in Timealso allows for local, split-screen co-op. Perhaps most notable about this title is its massive variety of level design. Each one feels incredibly different from the last and provides its unique challenge.
Throwing players into the role of an all-powerful cult leader is a dark concept, to say the least. But turn all the in-game characters into cute farm animals, and the entire concept becomes oddly light-hearted and goofy.Cult of the Lambstirs the pot by incorporating rougelite aspects into the town management, action-adventure title.
Caring for the cult members by ensuring they all have food, a place to sleep, and regularlyattend sacrificial ritualsis just as addictive as progressing through the action-filled isometric levels. The narrative isn’t particularly deep, but a handful of unique characters helps keep it engaging.
No Man’s Skywas originally released to a mixed reception, leaning more to the side of negativity than praise. However, in true passionate, indie developer fashion, Hello Games continuedto pour effort intothe space exploration title until it became the refined, boundless experience fans wanted.
Now,No Man’s Skyhas been filled to the brim with new content including story-based progression that makes it an excellent entry into the action-adventure category, with exploration and survival elements thrown into the mix.
For the roguelike fans out there, look no further thanUnderMine.UnderMinedelivers a little bit of everything. Its progression system merges RPG concepts witha roguelike flow, asking players to journey into the randomly generated hallways of the game’s dungeons, collect what they can, slay a couple of bosses, upgrade their character, and repeat.
Despite playing as a humble miner, players can expect over-the-top, sometimes chaotic combat with each room they enter. Of course, there is a little mining to be done as well.
Hyper Light Drifteris a classic action-adventure title with a handful of RPG elements thrown in for good measure. Much like other games previously mentioned, its graphics are a call back to the classics, featuring a16-bit art stylefull of character. Combat is fast-paced and forces players to think critically, using a variety of weapons and abilities throughout the progressively challenging encounters.
Unique to the title is its narrative style. Rather than focusing on dialogue to tell the story, the developers decided to rely on visual representations and an original soundtrack. For players looking for a little bit more out of theirHyper Light Drifterexperience, a special edition of the game is available that comes with a new challenge mode, extra weapons, and an additional boss.
Take a classic, isometricLegend of Zeldagame, make the main character a soul-reaping crow, add in a tablespoon of bureaucracy and ateaspoon ofDark Souls, andDeath’s Dooris born. Navigation around the world requires completing dungeons, solving puzzles, and taking advantage of new abilities to find new routes in previously explored sections, making it a great pick forZeldafans.
Top to bottom, from its art style and its gameplay to its dark yet endearing narrative,Death’s Dooris a must-play for action-adventure seekers.
It’s hard to imagine any studio taking on the task of developing a title using only hand-drawn assets and animations, let alone indie developers. However, that’s exactly what Studio MDHR did with their side-scrolling action-adventure titleCuphead: Don’t Deal With The Devil. PlayingCupheadis like being thrown into a cartoon from the 1930s.
But players shouldn’t be fooled. The game mixes its unique art style with unforgiving,boss-focused combat, making it a real challenge from beginning to end.
The beauty ofBastionlies in its colorful art style, varied level design, and engaging, unique story told through the soothing voice of an omniscient narrator. As players progress through floating forests and ruined cities, they will consistently be upgrading the home base, called the Bastion, which will lead to new weapons and abilities.
Along the way, challenge levels will also be unlocked, asking players to complete specific scenarios based on the different weapons available in exchange for upgrades. For those looking to experience everything, they will have to jump into the new game plus mode that unlocks after completing the campaign as it comes with a handful of additional content.
Metroidvanias have long been a staple subgenre in the world of action-adventure games, and few are as compelling asHollow Knight. The developers managed to create an engaging world through a unique monochromatic art style that focuses on exploration, challenging combat, and fluid movement.
The narrative slowly unravels as players progress, unlocking new abilities and, in turn, getting access to new areas. Though the game is fantastic from top to bottom, its bosses in particular are worth noting. Each one is unique in its abilities and challenging in its own way.
Gamers looking for an experience from the past should surely check outShovel Knight: Treasure Trove. This collection’s modern take on the classic 8-bit style is full of nostalgia and joy, with plenty of modern upgrades in the animations, level design, and gameplay.
Players should expect old-school running and jumping mixed with someclassic platformercombat. The four main entries in the collection each feature their own story and main playable character, whereas the fifth is a party-style multiplayer game.
