At GameObserver, we love indie games and especially enjoy shining light on our favourite indie releases, both new and old. Like many outlets, we’ve decided to compile a list of what we think are the 100 best indie games of all time.
This list has been voted for by our staff, who each nominated which games they believed were most suited for this list, and the order was determined via a ranked weighted points system. We have also taken into consideration what truly qualifies as an “indie” game; while some games may be an indie game by definition, having a large development team, budget, or support from a large publisher defeats the purpose of this list – which is to highlight truly remarkable games that have left a lasting impact on us despite their budget or scale.
So, if there are any games that you think are missing on this list, it might be because we consider them more of an AA game than an indie game. Or it’s Minecraft, a game that was once an indie gem developed by a solo developer and has since become a Microsoft-owned AAA monolith. Each game has been considered on a case-by-case basis.
100. Overcooked! (2016)
Developed by Ghost Town Games and published by Team17
99. Coffee Talk (2020)
Developed and published by Toge Productions
98. Untitled Goose Game (2019)
Developed by House House and published by Panic
97. Death’s Door (2021)
Developed by Acid Nerve and published by Devolver Digital
96. Paradise Killer (2020)
Developed by Kaizen Game Works and published by Fellow Traveller
95. A Hat in Time (2017)
Developed by Gears for Breakfast and published by Gears for Breakfast and Humble Games
94. Ball X Pit (2025)
Developed by Kenny Sun and Friends and published by Devolver Digital
93. Star Birds (2025)
Developed and published by Toukana Interactive and Kurzgesagt
92. Tiny Bookshop (2025)
Developed by neoludic games and published by Skystone Games and 2P Games
91. Colossal Cave (2023)
Developed and published by Cygnus Entertainment
90. A Space for the Unbound (2023)
Developed by Mojiken Studio and published by Toge Productions
89. Astronaut: The Best (2023)
Developed and published by Universal Happymaker
88. Darkest Dungeon (2016)
Developed and published by Red Hook Studios
87. Imposter Factory (2021)
Developed and published by Freebird Games
86. Little Witch In The Woods (2025)
Developed and published by Sunny Side Up
85. Travellers Rest (2020)
Developed by Isolated Games and published by Isolated Games and IndieArk
84. Indivisible (2019)
Developed by Lab Zero Games and published by 505 Games.
83. Wildermyth (2021)
Developed by Worldwalker Games and published by Worldwalker Games and Auroch Digital
82. This War of Mine (2014)
Developed and published by 11 Bit Studios
81. Eastward (2021)
Developed by Pixpil and published by Chucklefish and XD
80. That Dragon, Cancer (2016)
Developed and published by Numinous Games
79. Among Us (2018)
Developed and published by Innersloth
78. Bastion (2011)
Developed and published by Supergiant Games
77. No Straight Roads (2020)
Developed by Metronomik and published by Sold Out
76. Affogato (2023)
Developed by Befun Studio and published by Spiral Up Games
75. Palworld (2024)
Developed and published by Pocketpair
74. Shantae and the Seven Sirens (2019)
Developed and published by WayForward
73. Subnautica (2018)
Developed and published by Unknown Worlds Entertainment
72. Sentinels of the Multiverse: The Video Game (2014)
Developed and published by Handelabra Games
71. Vampire Therapist (2024)
Developed and published by Little Bat Games
70. Mullet Madjack (2024)
Developed by HAMMER95 and published by Epopeia Games
69. Transistor (2014)
Developed and published by Supergiant Games
68. Anodyne (2013)
Developed and published by Analgesic Productions (Melos Han-Tani and Marina Kittaka)
67. Pseudoregalia (2023)
Developed and published by rittzler
66. On Your Tail (2024)
Developed by Memorable Games and published by The Powell Group
65. Rain World (2017)
Developed by Videocult and published by Adult Swim Games and Akupara Games
64. Absolum (2025)
Developed by Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, and Supamonks and published by Dotemu
63. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (2021)
Developed by Team Ladybug and published by WSS playground and PLAYISM
62. Butterfly Soup (2017)
Developed and published by Brianna Lei
61. Teardown (2022)
Developed and published by Tuxedo Labs
60. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014)
Developed and published by The Astronauts
59. Unpacking (2021)
Developed by Witch Beam and published by Humble Games
58. Eclipsium (2025)
Developed by Housefire and published by Critical Reflex
57. Doki Doki Literature Club! (2017)
Developed and published by Team Salvato
56. Tiny Glade (2024)
Developed and published by Pounce Light
55. Citizen Sleeper (2022)
Developed by Jump Over The Age and published by Fellow Traveller
54. Fatum Betula (2020)
Developed and published by Bryce Bucher
53. SteamWorld Dig 2 (2017)
Developed and published by Image & Form Games
52. Sayonara Wild Hearts (2019)
Developed by Simogo and published by Annapurna Interactive
51. Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse (2014)
Developed and published by WayForward
50. Papers, Please (2013)
Developed and published by Lucas Pope (3909)
49. Valheim (2021)
Developed by Iron Gate AB and published by Coffee Stain Publishing
48. Inscryption (2021)
Developed by Daniel Mullins Games and published by Devolver Digital
47. Date Everything! (2025)
Developed by Sassy Chap Games and published by Team17
46. ABZÛ (2016)
Developed by Giant Squid and published by 505 Games
45. Promise Mascot Agency (2025)
Developed by and published by Kaizen Game Works
44. Terra Invicta (2022)
Developed by Pavonis Interactive and published by Hooded Horse
43. Beacon Pines (2022)
Developed by Hiding Spot and published by Fellow Traveller
42. The Rise of the Golden Idol (2024)
Developed by Color Gray Games and published by Playstack
41. 1000xRESIST (2024)
Developed by Sunset Visitor and published by Fellow Traveller
40. Stasis: Bone Totem (2023)
Developed and published by The Brotherhood
39. Wanderstop (2025)
Developed by Ivy Road and published by Annapurna Interactive
38. Chants of Sennaar (2023)
Developed by Rundisc and published by Focus Entertainment
37. Shovel Knight (2014)
Developed and published by Yacht Club Games
36. Bugsnax (2022)
Developed and published by Young Horses
35. Cult of the Lamb (2022)
Developed by Massive Monster and published by Devolver Digital
34. My Time at Sandrock (2023)
Developed by Pathea Games and published by Focus Entertainment and PM Studios
33. Tunic (2022)
Developed by Isometricorp Games and published by Finji
32. Fields of Mistria (2024)
Developed and published by NPC Studio
31. Night in the Woods (2017)
Developed by Infinite Fall and Secret Lab and published by Finji
30. Anodyne 2: Return to Dust (2019)
Developed and published by Melos Han-Tani and Marina Kittaka (Analgesic Productions)
29. Ender Magnolia: Bloom In The Mist (2025)
Developed by Adglobe and Live Wire and published by Binary Haze Interactive
28. Mouthwashing (2024)
Developed by Wrong Organ and published by Critical Reflex
27. Animal Well (2024)
Developed by Billy Basso and published by Bigmode
26. Hades II (2025)
Developed and published by Supergiant Games
25. Stray (2022)
Developed by BlueTwelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive
24. Gris (2018)
Developed by Nomada Studio and published by Devolver Digital
23. Blue Prince (2025)
Developed by Dogubomb and published by Raw Fury
22. Inside (2016)
Developed and published by Playdead
21. Limbo (2010)
Developed and published by Playdead
20. Dredge (2023)
Developed by Black Salt Games and published by Team17
19. Neon White (2022)
Developed by Angel Matrix and published by Annapurna Interactive
18. Cuphead (2017)
Developed and published by Studio MDHR Entertainment
17. The Stanley Parable (2011)
Developed and published by Galactic Cafe
16. To the Moon (2011)
Developed and published by Freebird Games
15. The Case of the Golden Idol (2022)
Developed by Color Gray Games and published by Playstack
14. Balatro (2024)
Developed by Localthunk and published by Playstack
13. Celeste (2018)
Developed and published by Maddy Makes Games
12. Firewatch (2016)
Developed by Campo Santo and published by Panic and Campo Santo
11. Slay the Spire (2019)
Developed and published by Mega Crit
10. Spiritfarer (2020)
Developed and published by Thunder Lotus
9. Return of the Obra Dinn (2018)
Developed and published by Lucas Pope (3909)
8. Undertale (2015)
Developed and published by Toby Fox
7. Stardew Valley (2016)
Developed and published by ConcernedApe
6. Hollow Knight: Silksong (2025)
Developed and published by Team Cherry
5. Disco Elysium (2019)
Developed and published by ZA/UM
4. What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)
Developed by Giant Sparrow and published by Annapurna Interactive
3. Hades (2020)
Developed and published by Supergiant Games
2. Hollow Knight (2017)
Developed and published by Team Cherry
1. Outer Wilds (2019)
Developed by Mobius Digital and published by Annapurna Interactive
What games would you include on this list, do you think we’ve missed any? Let us know in the comments!
