The AAA gaming space can often lack innovation, so people usually turn to small indie studios for something fresh. Whether it's for unique gameplay design, b...
The AAA gaming space can often lack innovation, so people usually turn to small indie studios for something fresh. Whether it’s for unique gameplay design, beautiful aesthetics or satisfying combat, these 15 overlooked indie games stood out to me. This is my top 15 list of underrated, hidden indie gems for PC that I enjoy more than any Ubisoft, Activision or EA game.
Whether it’s a classic JRPG like Crosscode, murder mystery Paradise Killer, psychological horror Yuppie Psycho, or cozy RPG Phoenotopia Awakening, I hope that at least one of my handpicked indie game recommendations from this top 15 list piques your interest.
I love CrossCode so much that, after playing it on GamePass, I bought the Collector’s edition just to give the devs some well deserved money. And then bought it a second time on Xbox, just to have an excuse to play it again from the beginning.
It’s got tons of exploration, puzzles, and cute characters. It’s also, like, MASSIVE. I had about 60 hours on my first playthrough, and 15 more for the DLC. And the thing is, I never got bored with it. Gameplay is snappy and always gives you new tools to try, puzzles are well-thought and actually challenge you, and the platformer/parkour elements were the cherry on top, which easily adds hours and hours of playthrough if you’re like me and want to collect every treasure in all the maps.
And despite being a huge game with tons of skills and craftable gear to choose from, I’ve never felt like the game was forcing me to check guides online or shoehorning me into a very specific build. The game rewards skill more than stats, and level ups are not really important which means that you don’t ever need to farm.
I’m patiently waiting for the next game from the same devs. CrossCode brought me back to when I was a kid and games felt fun and exciting and trusted you to learn how to use the tools at your disposal, instead of the constant hand-holding experience that I always find on modern AAA RPGs.
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I love CrossCode so much that, after playing it on GamePass, I bought the Collector’s edition just to give the devs some well deserved money. And then bought it a second time on Xbox, just to have an excuse to play it again from the beginning.
It’s got tons of exploration, puzzles, and cute characters. It’s also, like, MASSIVE. I had about 60 hours on my first playthrough, and 15 more for the DLC. And the thing is, I never got bored with it. Gameplay is snappy and always gives you new tools to try, puzzles are well-thought and actually challenge you, and the platformer/parkour elements were the cherry on top, which easily adds hours and hours of playthrough if you’re like me and want to collect every treasure in all the maps.
And despite being a huge game with tons of skills and craftable gear to choose from, I’ve never felt like the game was forcing me to check guides online or shoehorning me into a very specific build. The game rewards skill more than stats, and level ups are not really important which means that you don’t ever need to farm.
I’m patiently waiting for the next game from the same devs. CrossCode brought me back to when I was a kid and games felt fun and exciting and trusted you to learn how to use the tools at your disposal, instead of the constant hand-holding experience that I always find on modern AAA RPGs.