Games developers can make games in many different forms of organization. Let it be a one-man team, or a full team with a big name publisher helping them to fund and advertise their creations which doesn't work sometimes as the publishers are restricting the team's creative freedom. That is where independent teams come in as they are advertising their own games and let the consumers give feedback and support them in any way. Let it be crowd funding, or testing the game in early builds; These teams take notes from the consumers carefully to make a good game. The reason why they are being careful since they are either using the fans' money or their own money without the blessing of publisher's funding. It will really affect them badly if their game didn't bring profit as they are just small development studios.
Independent games weren't exactly popular for some time during the seventh generation of gaming when Wii, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3 were out. Many people were focused on big games from publishers like Electronic Arts, Activision, and Ubisoft but during the near end of that specific generation, it was also the same generation that made indie games popular. The big hits were games like Braid and Minecraft. Those games were big hits financially as they inspired more people to develop independently with Fez and Journey as examples since they were released a year before the eighth generation of consoles were announced and released in the same year.
The reason why those games were big hitters is because they were thinking out of the box, and be creative with their projects. Fez was special of being both 2D and 3D game at the same time as you rotate the area many times to reach the end of the puzzle. Minecraft had you in a a world composed of cubes but you can create basically anything in this game, or you just try to survive in that world. Journey had you explore around in a beautiful environment with just the music, and the sound effects to help you in the game with other players. You just explore, and the key of conversation with other people is the explorer's melodic sounds. I didn't see a triple A game that had similar creative ideas those games had, and there will be a lot of them in the eighth generation.
Now let's the talk about the current status of indie games after big hitters came out and the new consoles released. This is going the be the greatest generation of gaming the independent developers are going to have. Now a lot of indie games are being worked on for this year and possibly the next years, a lot of games are being crowd funded in both Kickstarter and IndieGoGo like Star Citizen, Broken Age, and Kingdom Come Deliverance. The console manufacturers also welcome those developers and allow them to self-publish the games on their consoles with open arms. I can't imagine something like that ever happened in the previous generations.
The journalists are also focusing on interviewing those independent developers, give details of their games, and advertise them even more than the previous generations. The big name developers are also supporting the notion of indie games' ascension. Now there are also people who are aiming to give independent developers the spotlight they deserve as I have seen a friend who is trying to support the independent developers by making a crowd funding campaign to make a game site that covers everything related to indie games like cover articles, reviews, previews and more which is called Indie Game Informer( https://www.kickstarter.com... ).
We really should give independent developers a give welcome as they are the ones who are going to change the gaming industry big time with their creativity that isn't restricted by publishers, and being cared by both the teams and the consumers. This is a start for a new age of gaming as those games are getting bigger exposure to gamers around here. Let it be a small but effective game or a huge game that could be fairly compared to a triple A game with bigger studio and funding. We are going to see some great stuff in this generation by those people, and it is going to leave a positively great effect on us and the publishers.
Thank you for reading this blog post and please share your opinions about the current effects of independent games on the gaming industry, and maybe tell us your favorite indie games in the last few years.
Star Citizen is again accessible at no cost for those who want to try it, via a Free Fly Event to celebrate the in-game version of Valentine's Day.
Ubisoft announced its financial results for the first nine months of fiscal year 2025-2026, related to the period between April and December 2025.
"Publisher Targem Games and developer Chudo-Yudo Games have announced the release date for Machine Mind. The post-apocalyptic action game with survival and RTS elements will launch on March 5 on Steam." - Targem Games and Chudo-Yudo Games.
This is a very refreshing blog. The indie scene definitely deserves the rise it's gotten. It's great to see these talented developers being given a chance at success. I've actually donated to about ten different Kickstarter video games. Still waiting on Shantae, A Hat in Time and Mighty No. 9. I think crowdfunding, as it improves, can become a regular method of indie funding. :)
Nice blog
Wonderful blog.
We are seeing indie devs aching to grow more and more, and sometimes the only way this can happen is if they get the financial backing and level of support that this requires. Kickstarter is one solution to this that I think is a game-changer on many levels.
Some studios don't need that financial support. Look at Frictional Games's SOMA for example - that game looks almost AAA in quality and it's backed by the success of their previous games, particularly Amnesia. I'm looking forward to that game more than a lot of AAA games this generation.
For a long-time I've held the belief that indie games and indie devs hold the most creativity this industry has to offer, and deserve a bigger space in the spotlight. I think this gen will propel a lot of indie devs to the forefront as they build unique and innovative projects, as well as those more aspirational devs who are building larger experiences. I think the general perception of indie games will change this gen.
The Unfinished Swan (by Giant Sparrow)- PS3 exclusive
Papo and Yo (by Minority) - PS3/ Windows
Limbo (by Playdead) - multiformat
The Cave (by Double Fine) - multiformat. If not technically an indie game (it is published by Sega) it could at least be appreciated by 2D indie game fans.
Rain (by SCE Japan so not technically an indie game)- PS3.
Quantum Conundrum - by an indie developer Airtight Games but published by a non-indie Square Enix. Like a friendlier, cuddlier, version of Portal.
Contrast (by Compulsion Games). I haven't played this but it looks a bit like Rain - Contrast is multiformat instead.
I haven't played Super Meat Boy but it's a different style to what indie games on PS3 tend to be. Super Meat Boy appears to be more 'arcadey', about quick reflexes.
Sony look set to continue to lead the way in bringing indies to their console. Microsoft will have the occasional 'spanner in the works' that make the Xbox One of interest of course (and in AAA games those are Quantum Break and Sunset Overdrive to me) but Sony are more consistent at delivering games that balance quirkiness and a strong variety of lasting gameplay and you can rely on Sony more to have sequels - or spiritual sequels- to such games if it is valid to do so.
Interesting topic.
Some nitpicking:
It's common to refer to Journey as an indie, but technically Journey is not developed independently. The game was published and heavily backed by Sony Computer Entertainment.