Too often relegated to the sidelines, a handful of indie games (cough, Balatro, cough) were among the most discussed releases of 2024. But indie gaming doesn’t stop with just those games that get their due at The Game Awards. Some of this year’s best indies stand shoulder to shoulder with the blockbuster giants and Game of the Year winners in terms of innovation, and the sheer joy of play. The only thing missing is the big development budget and even bigger marketing investment.

With that in mind, Inverse’s Gaming team collected our favorite indie games of the year, from the simple but infinitely replayable to the dense but captivating. In a year where indies broke into the mainstream more than ever before, these are the games we’ll be playing and talking about well into 2025.

The Inverse Awards celebrate the best of 2024 in TV, movies, and video games with definitive rankings, exclusive interviews, and everything in between.

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