- Selection Criteria
- #1 - Hollow Knight: Silksong
- #2 - Hades 2 (Early Access)
- #3 - Pacific Drive
- #4 - The Plucky Squire
- #5 - Skate Story
- #6 - Hyper Light Breaker
- #7 - Penny's Big Breakaway
- #8 - Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
- #9 - Manor Lords
- #10 - Été
- #11 - Beastieball
- #12 - Still Wakes The Deep
- #13 - Baby Steps
- #14 - Earthblade
- #15 - 33 ImmortalsÂ
- Honorable Mentions
- A Big Year Ahead of Us
After the immense success of the Indie Game Culture Game Awards, it seems like it’s now time to stop looking back at the incredible offerings of 2023 and look forward to another year of indie game wonder in the form of 2024.
We all know that there are plenty of Indie Gems that are bubbling under the surface and will spring up out of nowhere to shock us in 2024, but I still think it’s best to take a look at the projects we do know about and showcase some incredible games that should be available to play in twelve months or less.
So, with that in mind, we will be looking at the best upcoming indie games set for a 2024 release, and giving you a peek behind the curtain to get you all excited ahead of their respective releases.
So let’s jump onboard the hype train; this is Indie Game Culture’s Most Anticipated Indie Games of 2024.
Embark on an emotional journey of compassion and friendship in "Spiritfarer Digital Deluxe Edition," where you'll guide spirits to their final resting place aboard your mystical boat. With its stunning hand-drawn art style and heartfelt storytelling, immerse yourself in a unique blend of management simulation and heartfelt exploration.
Immerse yourself in the hauntingly beautiful world of "Hollow Knight," where every step unveils secrets and challenges waiting to be conquered. With its captivating art style and intricate gameplay, embark on an epic journey filled with mystery, danger, and discovery unlike any other.
Selection Criteria
A little bit of admin, just to make sure we are offering you readers realistic, quality, and authentic choices that you can earmark for the new year. Here are the criteria that we ran with:
- All games must be Indie or AA titles (No AAA games allowed, as always).
- All games must have a loose release date for 2024 at the very least
- All games must have the look and feel of a potential Indie GOTY contender
Okay, that should do it. Now, let’s jump into the action, shall we?
#1 – Hollow Knight: Silksong
Developer: Team Cherry
Genre: Metroidvania
Right, let’s mention the big hitters so we can get to those smaller gems that will be gunning to outdo them this year. First up, we have Hollow Knight Silksong, a game that aims to improve upon the staggeringly brilliant Metroidvania that Team Cherry gifted us in 2017.
Only this time, we will be trading in Hollowsnest for a land ruled by Silk and Song and playing as Hornet in an adventure that is sure to be beautifully dark, and needlessly grueling.
Truth be told, we still don’t know for sure if Silksong is a game that we will be seeing in 2024, as Team Cherry has been keeping things under wraps pretty successfully, but fans remain hopeful that we will see a concrete announcement before, too long.
While a lot of the games on this list earn their place because we expect something fresh and new, I feel I speak for most Hollow Knight veterans when I say that if Team Cherry can produce a game that offers more of the same with just a few new additions and tweaks, we would all be overjoyed.
Fingers crossed, we see this one make an appearance at a Gaming Showcase really soon!
#2 – Hades 2 (Early Access)
Developer: Supergiant Games
Genre: Hack and Slash Roguelike
Then we have the other ‘Big Hitter’ that will serve as an obvious choice for the most anticipated next year. We have known for quite some time that Hades 2 is in the works; while we don’t know exactly when, we do know that the game will be launching in Early Access at some point in 2024.
This will probably be a bit of a turn-off for a lot of Hades fans, as the Early-Access experience for the original Hades took quite a while before it became a worthwhile investment, but it may be a small price to pay to get a feel for that Hades 2 has to offer, and how it will rework the Roguelike formula that earned Hades the coveted GOTY award in 2020.
This one will see you play as the Princess of the Underworld, Melinoë, and battle to take down Chronos, the titan of time, in another adventure steeped in Greek Mythology, with just a hint of Witchcraft this time around for an added twist.
With the foundations built by the original Hades being as strong as they are, it seems like this follow-up is too big to fail. Let’s hope that’s the case.
#3 – Pacific Drive
Developer: Ironwood Studios
Genre: Survival
I mentioned recently that Horror games are really trying to offer Horror with a twist to galvanize the genre, and Pacific Drive is a new and exciting example of this.
This title will see you return to the Olympic Peninsula, an evacuated area of supernatural interest, in the hope of chatting the area that time forgot and uncover the secrets that the government would rather you leave alone.
It seems like a chilling horror adventure game with a Stranger Things sort of vibe. However, the real USP of this game is the 1980’s Sedan you’ll be traveling in throughout this adventure.
You’ll have to explore this weird and wild Peninsula to find scrap to kit out your vehicle, and with a bit of luck, you’ll find something with supernatural powers to help you drive deeper into this surreal part of the world.
It seems like a survival game that embraces new ideas to offer something completely fresh and new. I mean, how many games do you have a car as your only companion? It’s one to keep on your radar, so add it to your wishlist soon, and we will see you in the Olympic Peninsula.
#4 – The Plucky Squire
Developer: All Possible Futures
Genre: Action Adventure
If you’re looking for a game that oozes childish wonder and carefree whimsy, then The Plucky Squire is undoubtedly the game you’ll want to add to your wishlist from this bunch.
I was a little worried that this game would be beaten to the punch with many games using picture book visuals to try and cash in on the success of this game’s initial trailer, but even with games like Born of Bread, Tinykin, and the upcoming Echoes of Plum Grove using this art style to great effect, I still think The Plucky Squire has them all beat.
This game will see you play as Jot, and along with your friends, Trash and Violet, you will set off on a 2D picture book adventure with regular escapes to the 3D realm, all in the hope of restoring their picture books once happy ending.
It’s an action-adventure game with a lot of interesting ideas that will blend 2D and 3D seamlessly, offer plenty of playtime antics, and generally, will aim to help you find the child within you for a few hours at least. It’s not storytime just yet, but we can turn the page sometime this year, and I’m excited.
#5 – Skate Story
Developer: Sam Eng
Genre: Adventure/Sports
In case you were wondering, of all the titles listed, this was my vote for most anticipated in 2024. That may not be a surprise as I am reeled in by just about any game where skateboarding is involved, but I assure you, Skate Story has a lot more to offer than all the Skate Simulators and arcade skaters out there today.
Skate Story sees you on a quest to explore and escape the Underworld in a game that offers satisfying skate mechanics combined with the promise of a truly special story.
But don’t get it twisted; it seems like the skating is as cathartic as it comes, which will make navigating this Underworld setting as chill and serene as carving through Downtown LA.
I have coined this one as ‘Devolver Digital doing their best Annapurna Impression’. It seems like a Walking Simulator with a difference, and I don’t know about you, but this is really up my alley. If it’s the same for you, be sure to keep an eye on this one in 2024.
#6 – Hyper Light Breaker
Developer: Heart Machine
Genre: Action Adventure
I’ve always been a fan of Top-Down hack and slash RPGs like Supergiant’s Transistor, Heart Machine’s own Solar Ash, and, of course, Hyper Light Drifter. Well, if you’re looking for something in that arena but done at a much grander scale, then you need to get looking at Hyper Light Breaker.
This game aims to offer a procedurally generated exploration epic with ‘Infinite Worlds.’ It allows players to explore with new means of traversal, not unlike Genshin Impact and OMNO, and also, allows players to fight the creatures that inhabit each world with combat that feels not unlike intense boss gauntlet fighter Furi.
It seems like this game will be an amazing 3D evolution of the high-octane gameplay found in Hyper Light Drifter, and best of all, if you can’t wait to get your hands on this one, you can play it in early access right now. So, if you want to support the devs and see what this is all about, then hop right in!
#7 – Penny’s Big Breakaway
Developer: Evening Star
Genre: Platformer
Yo-Yo’s are cool, right? Well, they were at one point, and we could see a real revival if Penny’s Big Breakaway has anything to say about it. I have always been and always will be a champion of Pure 3D platformers, and I reckon that this year’s candidate to push the genre forward is Penny’s Big Breakaway.
This game makes use of Penny the Street Performer’s Yo-Yo abilities to traverse the colorful world and unlock the abilities of the Cosmic String. Oh, did I not mention that your Yo-Yo is sentient, has supernatural powers, and an appetite for destruction? My bad.
You’ll need to use your Yo-Yo companion’s abilities to stop the Emporer’s penguin army, save the world of Macaroon, and become an unlikely hero in the process.
It’s a game that feels like a beautiful blend of A Hat in Time and Sonic Mania, which might have something to do with former Sonic Mania devs, Game Director Hunter Bridges, and Creative Director Christian Whitehead leading the project. With that kind of pedigree in fast-paced platforming, how could you possibly fail?
This one looks like a nailed-on mascot platformer hit, so be sure to practice your Walk the Dogs and Rock The Cradles before this Yo-Yo hit arrives.
#8 – Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
Developer: Jump Over The Edge
Genre: CRPG
While I was late to the party with reference to the first Citizen Sleeper, as the game is a bit of a tough nut to crack, I eventually powered through to uncover what is easily one of the finest indie CRPGS of the modern era. Citizen Sleeper was a game that had you play as a runaway AI hellbent on survival on a hostile and unforgiving space station known as The Eye.
Your choices mattered, your resources were limited, and each day could be your last as you tried to outrun your fate. In short, it was terrific, and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector aims to keep that momentum.
The experience promises to be more of the same. A familiar TTRPG formula, with key choices to be made, relationships to nurture, and enemies to avoid at all costs. However, this time, we will be playing as a new Sleeper in a new system known as the Helion System.
You’ll have to manage your malfunctioning body, form a crew from those you find hiding out in the Starward Belt, and you’ll need to choose a side in a war raging across the system that will undoubtedly complicate your escape.
There are so many layers to this narrative adventure, and you can choose your own path when Citizen Sleeper arrives in 2024. Wake up, Sleeper, it’s almost time.
#9 – Manor Lords
Developer: Slavic Magic
Genre: City Builder, RTS
I can’t pretend that city builders are my thing, nor are Real-Time Strategy games. In fact, pairing the two is an immediate turn-off for me personally.
So the fact that I am including Manor Lords on this list should serve as the ultimate endorsement because while it’s not a game for me, I can clearly see that this one has the legs to be up there with the Bannerlords, the Civilisations, and the City Skylines out there.
Manor Lords is what I imagine Kingdom Come Deliverance would look like had it of been an RTS City Builder. The game is steeped in European Medieval history, inspired by the region of Franconia in the 14th century, and sees the player create townships and run militias to expand their territories and engage in Medieval warfare.
It’s a game that offers staggering levels of detail and favors historical accuracy over common gamified medieval tropes, leading to a game that will appeal to history buffs and real-time strategists alike.
The duality of Manor Lord and War Lord within the gameplay makes this such a fresh and engaging experience, and what’s all the more impressive is that a sole developer has developed this game. This is all the more reason to check this one out and support this bewilderingly deep and nuanced project.
#10 – Été
Developer: Impossible
Genre: Adventure/Walking Sim
While they may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I have all the time in the world for a Walking Simulator game that uses its narrative as the driving force to keep the player engaged, and if the game looks the part, all the better.
That seems to be a formula for success that Été has employed, as this game aims to tell a riveting story through the medium of painting. Think The Unfinished Swan, but with more color and whimsy.
This game will have you explore Montreal in the summertime, painting the world around you to explore further, find interesting scenes to immortalize through art, and then you can take these Stamps home to create your own unique artwork in your studio.
The game is one for the cozy collective that wants to relax, stop and smell the roses, and pour hours into creating the finest portfolio of artwork the world has ever seen.
Simply existing in this lovingly created world promises to be a wholesome and fulfilling time, so be sure to pick up a brush and paint to your heart’s content when it finally releases in 2024.
#11 – Beastieball
Developer: Wishes Unlimited
Genre: Sports, RPG
Speaking of games about using paint to bring a world to life, do you remember Chicory: A Colorful Tale? That was a great game, wasn’t it? Well, the developers Unlimited Wishes are back, and aim to create a game to rival Pokemon in the form of Beastieball, a turn-based doubles RPG that draws a lot of comparisons with Pokemon.
This title will have the player work tirelessly to rise through the ranks to become one of the best Volleyball players that the world has ever seen.
You’ll have to master lively turn-based combat with a Volleyball twist, and when you aren’t spiking the ball over the net, you’ll be able to explore an expansive open world where you’ll encounter new coaches, bosses, and so much more.
Again, it’s basically the Pokemon formula of old, but considering how successful Cassette Beasts was at tweaking this formula, I’m expecting big things from beastieball.
Turn-based RPGs can be a little daunting for those who don’t love that sub-genre, but this seems like a very accessible one that just about anyone can enjoy. So, if you are sick of the usual Pokemon formula and want to see how this game shakes things up, then keep your ear to the ground.
#12 – Still Wakes The Deep
Developer: The Chinese Room
Genre: Horror
What would you consider a perfect recipe for Horror? Maybe it’s a complete sense of isolation. Maybe it’s narrow halls, tight spaces, and an overwhelming feeling of Clustraphoiba. Or maybe it’s a terrifying setting where everything is not all that it seems.
Well, Still Wakes the Deep, a game from the creators of Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs and Everyone’s Gone To The Rapture, has all of these ingredients for terror, with a few more heaped on for good measure.
This game takes place on an Oil Rig off the coast of Scotland in 1975. All lines of communication have been lost, and now it is up to you to survive amidst the punishing conditions at sea, and find out what is causing these complications aboard the Rig.
You’ll need to work to keep your crewmates alive, find a means of surviving the seemingly inexplicable events that will befall you, and somehow find a way back to land again.
It’s a game where the environment is your number one enemy, and all you’ll have to protect you from the perils that await you is your bravery, your want to survive, and your problem-solving skills when in a crisis.
For those with Thalassophobia, this one may be a bridge too far, but for horror fans, this is sure to be a masterclass in world-building and suspense.
#13 – Baby Steps
Developer: Bennett Foddy & Others
Genre: Walking Simulator/Adventure
You may remember Bennett Foddy as the sadistic developer who made us all climb up a series of random in-game assets with nothing but a huge hammer to fling ourselves upward and hold on for dear life.
Well, I’m sure everyone will be thrilled to hear that he and his team are back and have a new awkward ‘Get from A to B’ adventure game that is sure to entertain and frustrate us in equal measure.
Baby Steps is a game that takes the old flash game QWOP and drags it into the modern era of gaming, as you will control Nate, a man-child who has never taken the time to learn to walk.
So, you’ll need to control their limbs as they navigate ever-increasingly treacherous terrain to reach your ultimate goal. It’s Getting Over It, but less vertical and more horizontal.
It’s a game that really takes the term Walking Simulator, perhaps a little too literally, and is almost guaranteed to be Twitch’s favorite game when it finally launches this year.
I can’t imagine that I will have the patience to take this one on myself, but if you are immune to the rage that games such as this can invoke, this may be a cool one to check out next year.
#14 – Earthblade
Developer: Extremely Okay Games
Genre: Metroidvania/Platformer
Here’s a little info about me: I do not like Metroidvanias. I often have to review them, and critically speaking, I know what separates a good one from a poor one, and I want to love them, but even when speaking of Metroidvania royalty like Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, Dead Cells, or Ori and the Will of the Wisps. I can’t bring myself to say I like any of them. Yet despite all of this, I am super-excited to play Earthblade.
Why? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that I adored Celeste, one of the most polished and refined 2D platformer of all time, and the team behind this platforming masterclass are essentially taking the bones of Celeste and reworking the format into a Metroidvania. Which, despite my hang-ups, I can absolutely get on board with.
This game promises to be very similar to Celeste in terms of movement and platforming, but with the addition of combat, upgrades, an open world with lots of backtracking, and probably a bunch of brutal bosses to take on.
Provided the combat can match the smoothness of the platforming, this game could do what Celeste did to the 2D Platformer genre and become a certified greatest of all-time contender. Only time will tell, but I am hopeful that this will be the Metroidvania that makes me reconsider my disdain for the genre.
#15 – 33 Immortals
Developer: Thunder Lotus
Genre: Roguelike/Hack and Slash
Then, lastly, we have the next game from Thunder Lotus, the creators of Sundered, Spiritfarer, and Jotun. 33 Immortals is a wild departure from their last outing, Spiritfarer, heading back to their hack-N-Slash roots and offering a format that promises to be like no other.
The game seems like a typical dungeon-crawler hack-and-slash Roguelike affair, not unlike games like Hades or Transistor. However, the wild gimmick that will set this one apart from the rest is that this game offers players 33-player co-op.
That’s right. You, alongside 33 other warriors, can drop into raids and take on this challenge to earn eternal life and take down God for damning you for all eternity.
Until very recently, I would have written off this idea as a bit of a pipedream, but with games like Karma Zoo and Wizard with a Gun showing how co-op campaigns can be majorly successful, I think that 33 Immortals just might pull off something tremendous.
Plus, with Thunder Lotus’ trademark visuals and sound design, I can’t help but root for this one to succeed. It will be an Epic and Xbox exclusive, but for those able to play on those platforms, this is one you absolutely have to try when it comes along.
Immerse yourself in the hauntingly beautiful world of "Hollow Knight," where every step unveils secrets and challenges waiting to be conquered. With its captivating art style and intricate gameplay, embark on an epic journey filled with mystery, danger, and discovery unlike any other.
Honorable Mentions
Then we also have a few fun entries that might not be the cream of the crop, but will undoubtedly achieve big things if they come good on their promises and match the quality of their trailers and demos upon full release, so be sure to check these out as well:
- Promenade
- Nightingale
- Lightyear Frontier
- Core Keeper
- Palworld
- Broken Roads
- Replaced
- Witchbrook
- Mika and the Witch’s Mountain
- Wild Bastards
- Windblown
- Little Nightmares 3
A Big Year Ahead of Us
as you can see, there is quite a lot to look forward to in 2024, and this is probably only the tip of the iceberg as more games are revealed and announced over the coming weeks and months.
There are some absolutely mesmerizing projects on this list that I personally cannot wait to get stuck into, but much like you guys, I’ll have to wait patiently, which sucks.
But at the very least, I hope that this has allowed you to add some cool projects to your wishlist for next year, and until next time, thank you for reading Indie Game Culture.
Embark on an emotional journey of compassion and friendship in "Spiritfarer Digital Deluxe Edition," where you'll guide spirits to their final resting place aboard your mystical boat. With its stunning hand-drawn art style and heartfelt storytelling, immerse yourself in a unique blend of management simulation and heartfelt exploration.
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