The indie game boom started a few console generations ago and has only gotten bigger over time. What were initially cool, experimental niche games have evolved to be some of the best PS5 games you can play. They have come so far that using the term indie game as a genre doesn’t feel appropriate now that they can take the form of anything from Metroidvanias and Roguelikes, to FPS games and RPGs. They can also be made by small teams, or even made by a one person. The PS5 is home to almost every indie game you could ever want, which is both a blessing and a curse. Sadly, not all indie games are worth your time and money. If you want to know which indie games pass our quality tests for the best of the best, we’ve collected the top indie games right here.
While you’re looking for your next indie game to play, also check out all the upcoming PS5 games for more.
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Stardew Valley
87%
Platforms
PlayStation 4, Linux, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Strategy, Adventure, Indie
Developer
ConcernedApe
Publisher
ConcernedApe, Chucklefish Games
Release
February 26, 2016
Stardew Valley could perhaps be described best as a small-town life simulator game. The game opens with the player inheriting a farm in a run-down village, and from there it’s all about everyday living. The game is divided into days, months, and years. Players can only accomplish so many activities in a given day, forcing them to choose their priorities wisely. Whether they’re growing crops, helping townsfolk with problems, or exploring caves to find resources, players must decide what they value and pursue it. You’ll easily get dozens of hours of enjoyment from this game and then can start adding Stardew Valley mods to switch things up once your simple farming life has lost its luster.
Balatro
87%
Platforms
Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Indie, Card & Board Game
Developer
LocalThunk
Publisher
Playstack
Release
February 20, 2024
Depending on how addicted you get, Balatro might be the best indie game you ever play or the worst. Balatro is a poker roguelike that came from a single developer and ended up capturing the hearts and minds of the entire industry. The brilliance of the game is that you don’t need to know anything but the basic poker hands to get started. Once you start picking up jokers, the game evolves slowly and in very specific ways that are clearly communicated. As the stakes get higher, you will lose track of time trying to hit that high score with the perfect setup of jokers. It’s a game you can play for five minutes or five hours and have a blast either way.
Haven
74%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Adventure, Indie
Developer
The Game Bakers
Publisher
The Game Bakers
Release
December 03, 2020
Haven is something of a unique game. It’s a cross between an RPG and a dating sim that follows two lovers as they try to survive on a hostile world. The game is split between developing the relationship between protagonists Yu and Kay, turn-based combat, and exploring the world they are stranded on. It’s interesting because the game’s core relationship is already established, and leveling up is partially based on how well you foster it. Indie games are well-known for being inventive and structured around excellent writing, and Haven is a prime example of what the genre is capable of and what we can expect on the next generation of consoles.
Bugsnax
77%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Puzzle, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Young Horses
Publisher
Young Horses
Release
November 12, 2020
For younger players, a game like Bugsnax is a great casual game with a lot of charm and visual quirkiness. The game is a cross between Viva Piñata and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. It’s also a first-person adventure with a Pokémon Snap element. There isn’t a game quite like Bugsnax on the market, and that’s what makes it so unique. It’s a challenging game by no means, but it’s a colorful and interesting game that’s great for kids and adults wanting a more laid-back adventure. The writing is also surprisingly sharp, so there is something in it for everyone. If you’re looking for something off the wall and different, Bugsnax comes highly recommended.
Crow Country
83%
Platforms
Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Shooter, Puzzle, Adventure, Indie
Developer
SFB Games
Publisher
SFB Games
Release
May 09, 2024
Those of you who grew up playing the best PS1 games, especially all the survival horror games, need to put Crow Country on your must-play list. Because of the unsettling nature these models can give off, horror games are a very popular genre to utilize them in. Crow Country feels like a lost Resident Evil game from that era in all the best ways. You need to manage resources, slowly explore an old amusement park that gradually opens up as you solve puzzles and collect items, and a sinister plot filled with off-kilter characters. It is tight, terrifying, and knows how to play with your expectations as fans of the genre.
No Man's Sky
69%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, SteamVR, PlayStation VR, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Meta Rift
Genre
Shooter, Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Hello Games
Publisher
Hello Games, 505 Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release
August 09, 2016
No Man’s Sky was arguably one of the most disappointing games of the last generation upon release. However, a few years later, and after several updates, No Man’s Sky is now the game it was hyped up to be. With revamped visuals, real multiplayer, and better customization and building features, No Man’s Sky is an endless game you will want to keep playing. The game is colorful, fun, and its worlds are meaningfully varied and fun to explore. If you haven’t given it a chance yet or felt burned by the release, now is the perfect time to give No Man’s Sky a try. It’s finally the game it was meant to be.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
79%
Platforms
Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Adventure, Indie
Developer
Ember Lab
Publisher
Ember Lab
Release
September 21, 2021
When you look at Kena: Bridge of Spirits and see just how stunning the graphics are, you probably wouldn’t peg it as an indie game. Yet it is true that this is the first game from studio Ember Lab, though you wouldn’t know it from playing it. This game feels like a modern PS2 action platformer in all the best ways. You play as Kena, a Spirit Guide trying to reach the mountain shrine. You will engage in fun platforming, a bit of puzzle-solving, and surprisingly tough battles along the way.
Untitled Goose Game
79%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Puzzle, Simulator, Adventure, Indie
Developer
House House
Publisher
Panic
Release
September 20, 2019
Untitled Goose Game was one of the sleeper hits of 2020, and it is just as fun on the PS5. In this game, you play as a goose terrorizing a small English village as you steal items, destroy property, and generally raise a muck around town. It even has a dedicated honk button. The game is surprisingly peaceful, thanks to the minimalist art design and calm soundtrack. With the latest update, you can even play with a friend. Two geese are better than one. If you haven’t played it yet, the game is worth picking up, especially if you have someone to play it with.
Animal Well
79%
Platforms
Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Platform, Puzzle, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Shared Memory
Publisher
Bigmode
Release
May 09, 2024
When you think about how many indie games were made by one person, you might start to think game development is easy. Animal Well was the work of one passionate individual who will make you wonder how one person could be so creative in all areas of design. This is a 2D metroidvania, but one of the most open and off-beat you will play. The game encourages you to follow your own curiosity for exploration but requires it to figure out alternate ways to use the game’s strange powers to fight and solve puzzles. It is a game best experienced without any outside influence or expectations for the satisfaction you feel every time something clicks into place in your mind.
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
95%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Adventure, Indie
Developer
ZA/UM
Publisher
ZA/UM
Release
March 30, 2021
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is the most ambitious game maybe ever. It is a detective story, which alone is hard to pull off in a satisfying way in a game, but also one that is so strong in terms of narrative and writing that it has absolutely no combat at all. Everything, from speech checks to physical actions, is determined by your stats and a roll of the dice. But failing a roll doesn’t mean failure. The game adapts and changes to every choice, success, and failure, pushing on in ways you probably thought a game never could account for. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is a masterpiece every gamer should experience at least once.
Hades
93%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Supergiant Games
Publisher
Supergiant Games
Release
September 17, 2020
Roguelikes, or roguelites, have been huge in the indie scene for over a decade now. The random generation makes them far more replayable and long-lasting than linear experiences, but few manage to also have enough variety between runs to actually get people to stick with them for long periods of time. Hades somehow has all the variety one could want between the various weapons, powers, rooms, and upgrades, but also some of the best-feeling progression for the genre. Each run moves you forward in at least one way, whether mechanically or narrativly, and it’s all wrapped up in a beautiful artstyle.
Outer Wilds
91%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Puzzle, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Mobius Digital
Publisher
Annapurna Interactive
Release
May 28, 2019
Not to be confused with The Outer Worlds, which came out at almost the same time, Outer Wilds is one of those games where the less said about them, the better. To be as brief as possible, this is an exploration and puzzle-solving game, but not one where you are following some path, occasionally blocked by a door where you need to turn the tiles in the right order to open it. You’re actually an explorer, going wherever you want to go, or think you should go, to try and figure out how to solve a big problem (which we won’t spoil). The puzzles are actually puzzles, too, in that you will need to think and figure out solutions yourself, making the whole experience uniquely satisfying.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
80%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5
Genre
Puzzle, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure, Indie
Developer
Greg Lobanov
Publisher
Finji
Release
June 10, 2021
If you just want to chill out with a creative, lightly-Zelda-inspired game about a cute dog bringing color back to the world, that’s oddly specific, but also exactly what Chicory: A Colorful Tale provides. You explore this blank coloring book world, solving puzzles and interacting with the fun and charismatic NPCs around while coloring in as much, or as little, of the world around you as you want. This game is a complete zen experience if you want it to be, with no pressure to go fast, do everything, or even fight very challenging enemies. It’s just a great, relaxing time from beginning to end that players of all ages can enjoy.
