Best Indie Game of 2023 - Article

by Evan Norris , posted on 16 January 2024 / 2,894 Views

One of the best parts of any year is surveying the indie game landscape and finding those hidden gems and sleeper hits. For 2023, the voters zeroed in on the following five: Blasphemous 2, which elaborated on the grim action-adventure foundation of its predecessor; Cocoon, which captured the hearts of gamers with its mind-bending puzzles; Dredge, which deftly merged Lovecraftian horror with fishing simulation; Sea of Stars, which excelled in presentation and turn-based RPG mechanics; and, finally, Trine 5, which delivered the same rewarding puzzle-platforming gameplay that has defined the series for two generations.

The Shortlist:

Blasphemous 2

Cocoon

Dredge

Sea of Stars

Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy

The Runner-Up:

Cocoon

Directed by Jeppe Carlsen, who previous designed Limbo and Inside, Cocoon is an inventive, reality-shifting puzzle game with a lot going on. With its alien landscapes and synth soundtrack, it will transport you convincingly to another world. Then it will demand that you solve its many environmental puzzles, using an intriguing, imaginative hook: each world is contained inside a hand-held orb, and players must leap in and out of each one to make progress. Finally, it will leave you contemplating its unanswered, cryptic questions as the credits roll.

The Winner:

Sea of Stars

Sea of Stars isn't simply the best indie game of 2023, it's one of the best games of the year, period. This sophomore effort from Sabotage, which previously designed the excellent Metroidvania game The Messenger, has it all: eye-popping pixel art; credible world-building; sympathetic heroes and villains; a vast fantasy world filled with wonders; and riveting turn-based battle mechanics inspired by the greats of the genre. Fans of games like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG should not pass this one by.