Games come in all shapes and sizes and from various places of origins, but some of us have differing opinions of what an indie game is. How do we differentiate an independent developer from a major, excuse the term, Triple-A studio? Should we even have labels?
These aren’t nostalgia grabs or gimmick-laden throwbacks. They each bring something genuinely fresh to the table, mechanics that feel baked into the exploration and combat, not just tacked on.
Play as Dik, a nimble acrobat exploring the depths of Hell to rescue his brother from the Devil’s hands. With no weapons to rely on, success hinges on mastery of physics-driven movement, and quick adaptation to deadly obstacles.
GDC 2025 has revealed the finalists for the 27th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF).
This is always one of those strange arguments that people claim to not care about until other people start talking about it.
Indies really are a tricky bunch because the term is so vague, and everyone has different expectations. I agree that we really shouldn't have labels and just enjoy games as they are, but there will always be labels so I guess it's a bit of a fantasy to think that way.
Why not just use levels based on the amount of people working on the game and funding.
(lvl) (emp)
A 100 - $5,000,000 -
B 50-100 $1,000,000 - 5,000,000
C 20-50 $500,000 - you get the idea.
They're all games. Whether they're good or not is all that matters.
Weird obsession this.