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.
patreon: / chromerot
discord: / discord
0:00 - Unskippable Intro
1:48 - Evil Tonight
3:36 - Prodeus
5:30 - Sayonara Wild Hearts
6:54 - Rain World
10:45 - Echo Generation
12:31 - World of Horror
14:16 - Crosscode
16:45 - Huntdown
17:39 - Narita Boy
20:01 - Paradise Killer
23:14 - Mo: Astray
25:08 - Book of Travels
27:59 - Spookware
30:53 - Yuppie Psycho
34:00 - Phoenotopia Awakening
36:31 - Outro
intro/outro game is Cyber Hook, goat mommy is Crimson Acid from Paradise Killer, discord is discord.com/invite/g8s5KGZTFq
And in no other game have I had so much damned fun in the hub area.
İs it free?
I loved to play that game I have 3 national records on my country, and theres a whole 16 people that played that game in Portugal
whats the song in the unskippable introM its literally a synth GROOVE
finish crosscode btw uh ur missing out on some good endgame and uh plot
Just wow. This rain in in which the world.. is.. is. There's so much of uhh TREMENDOUSLY challenges of the impact. With the IMPACT of the world in which this is.. this, this, I think this *fundamentally* says a lot about society.
What he said. Thanks for doing it for us, rezaka!
Ditto I fell in love with this game earlier this year. I had no idea what it was or what I was getting into, I just thought the little creature looked adorable, just like when I bought Hollow Knight... I keep getting my ass addicted to painful games when I be distracted by the cuteness lmao
Why does this read as something I'd see in disco Elysium.
This game was spiritually transformative for me. There's layers upon layers of meaning of your own life you will find in this game.
I’m glad i read this before watching the video
People usually put down Rain World after a bit, I did too. Because it's "unfair", but it's actually an incredibly fair game. The main reason is, the world doesn't revolve around you. If an enemy is off screen, it doesn't wait for you to inevitably attack it. It searches and hunts food, that food being you. They can camp at a pipe, you can camp at one. People are used to everything being there for them or waiting for them but this game is different. It's like real life. And games are supposed to be fun, but rain world can cause despair, if given the right situation. That's why succeeding is so precious and great to do. I love Rain World, but I also hate it.
The issue that ties with that however is that there should always be a balance between "mechanics", "fair", and "fun". The original rendition of S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl had such a realistic simulation of life that NPCs could quite literally beat the game before you. They could go and do objectives the same way you could to simulate the feeling of being in a living and breathing world that did not revolve around you. What they found however is that the game just wasn't fun. NPCs being able to complete the same goals as you, while realistic, meant that actually playing the game sucked because by random chance an NPC could just decide to take mission critical items and prevent you from succeeding. As a concept the idea of a living breathing world is fascinating, but it just isn't what most people want. It creates an imbalance that you can't plan for and most people want a game that is designed to be an enjoyable experience and not a simulation where by pure bad luck you can suffer consequences without the means to properly deal with it.
Kinda reminds me of another game people just drop quickly most of the time - Pathologic. I myself remember having played it, but not a single actual second of said gameplay. But the thing I figured out with that game is this: Designing a game will include a balance act, and I feel that is also the same one art in general faces: Either you build something with deep mechanics, which will impact the people who make it through a lot harder, or you try to go for a broader appeal, but dial back on that special design that doesn't just let you through. It's almost like you are trying to make a container, and while the measurements are yours to figure out, the volume of the thing is always fixed - making a tall glass will mean it has to be narrow, but a broad bowl can only be rather shallow. Does that make sense? I myself probably couldn't deal with these games, but I am very, very grateful that not only do they exist, there are kind people who can deal, and tell their stories. And I admire them for making it through.
Rain world is fair in the fact everyone is on equal ground, especially the scavs. Creatures are doing what your doing even if they aren’t on screen. Looking for food and moving around. but it’s seen as unfair because everyone is on equal ground, something most games don’t do. Rain world treats the enemies less like enemies but like actual animals. They aren’t gonna wait for you to show up so they can try to kill you and die. And that’s one of the biggest things I love about rain world. And if you understand the beauty in that mechanic, that system of fairness for everyone, then you can survive in rain world.
@@roxytechnocracy1395 Rain World is not unfair, it feels unfair at the beginning, but if you understand and discover your skills and capabilities, because you have a lot and you have them right away in the beginning, you will overcome almost all challenges, it's a curve of learning and try and error, like every species in real life, the weaker and less adapted, will die, but your decendents (your next life) will have your knowledge, and you will succeed where others failed (your fails) it is hard as fuck, I recommend this game to a lot of people and just one girl (one that has never played games more than old Mario, Limbo and old Pokémon) succeeded on getting over it, the rest get so frustrated, and is not because is unfair, I discovered that the fault is on the normal mindset of a "gamer" you see... people that play videogames is used to some general rules that almost all games have "you start in A and need to go to Z, but first go to B" and "everything here exist for you" so those two, specially the first one, makes rain world a hard wall... you need to sit and explore, that's it! play, and learn, and enjoy the landscape and try new things, new paths, and fail to learn how it works or how to overcome those things, eventually, around six hours or then of gameplay, you will know enough to overcome the harder areas in the game, and if you do that, you will find bits of what is happening and what to do, because the game has an ending, and story. Your example on S.T.A.L.K.E.R is different, because in that example you say the npcs can overcome the game, and the ending of that game is the final objective for every single npc and player in that universe, that's like say that: we, in real life are in a game, and the first man in walk on mars wins. Rain World has not this, is a “living breathing world” yes, but as in real life, is YOUR life, and journey, if another creature succeeds in his objective, is not the same as yours, and you can finish the game without knowing what in the hell is going on in that world... as in life, that's the magic of RW. But your right, is not a game for everyone, but I think everyone needs to give it a try and play it without the mindset of "I need a quest and I need to know what to do... WHERE IS THE PRINCESS!? and why I don't have power ups progression to become god?!" (metroidvanias are making some damage on the indie industry) but even on that, probably you will fail… on steam, I can see that only 8.2% of the players have finished the game, and only 2.7% had explored the whole map, I guess less than that understands the lore... and only 25% of the players had gotten the easiest achievement, so that means that for every 10 people, only 2-3 have not quit the game in the first six hours... that's sad, because rain world is fascinating and unique, the developers are madlads, they made a weird and risky formula, it barely works on a mercantile perspective, but it has greatly succeeded on his niche community.
@@roxytechnocracy1395 agreed
Crosscode probably has the best-designed combat and puzzles of any game I've ever played, and the game has so many interesting fights and encounters that it feels like you're always interfacing with the game in new and fun ways.
i couldnt take the puzzles after a certain point. they just burned me out.
But it's such a god damn ugly aesthetic I can't bare to look at a 3 minute footage, let alone play it. What is that blue haired pseudo cybernetic little girl protagonist? So bad. What is the target audience even?
@@jebes909090 I know what you mean. They aren't obtuse, but they require a lot of experimentation. Especially the multi-floor ones. I can bear with all of the above, but the ricochet switches drive me insane with some angles! Needed to take many breaks after those.
crosscode is like a well disguised iq test
@@shark-xz6lb That’s a good way to put it. When I saw the last puzzle in the game, I froze for a bit. Inhaled and exhaled, then was like, “Let’s-A-Go” 😂 It is an amazing game. It is a game that anyone can learn given the time. Though, it is easier for those who are more intelligent. Nonetheless, when you solve it once or twice. It becomes something you can do pretty easy. The puzzles look intimidating, but when you take a step back, it is actually quite manageable. I’d say that game made me more smart. Everything in the game is a puzzle. Also, tons of small things. If you go through the dungeons fast enough, you can win the race. The game reflects this with the dialogues, and tracks it by the end of the game. You can also use an unintended glitch jump, which has been officially named a Long Jump. This can help you make certain things easier, and unlock a hidden scene. The game in itself just engages the player in every part of it.
Pretty sure CrossCode's story made me cry at a couple points, so yeah, definitely stick with it, there's more in there than smooth gameplay and fun silly characters. It also has one of the coolest interactive action-story sequences I've ever played through in a game and it doesn't show up until about 2/3 of the way through
Crosscode is absolute fire
CrossCode is good, but it has some serious flaws. It is too hard, the pacing of the puzzles is not good. Also there are way too much puzzles. And it forces you to follow the boring part of the story most of the time (which is the story of the "online game") - the real story about Lea is SOOOO GOOD! It has so much potential and it is a shame that I had to quit the game in front of the last dungeon, because I was exhausted of all the puzzle dungeons.
@@lindendrache8998have to agree on that one. After every major dungeon I had to take a long break before playing it again. Just beat the second one and as far as it goes the story hadn't hooked me enough to continue
@@lindendrache8998no
@@lindendrache8998 You need to play the last dungeon, yea, it has a puzzle, not the hardest one, but still hard, it also has a really cool boss fight and what happens in that last dungeon storywise is simply crazy and unexpected, tbh its the best indie game i've ever played, not my favorite, but by far the best (yeah, i'd make puzzles easier and dungeons a bit shorter, but all in all great game)
This is like the first "underrated Indie games" list where I actually didn't know like every game. Great video man
exactly
They're all rated very positively or overwhelmingly positive, though. By definition, none of them are underrated indie games. Or even overlooked, usually having thousands of reviews each and hundreds of thousands of purchases.
🤓
🤓
@@OutlawMantisstill underrated because not many reviews or purchases
CrossCode is so insanely fun and the story is great. A full playthrough trying to explore and do everything is an over 80 hour experience.
I'm on my first playthrough and just got the Shock element at 40ish hours in >_
@@ondinnonk sounds about right. Which temple did you do first?
@@Devgal89 So'najiz (left) I'm gonna try for the other two this weekend (:
@@ondinnonk the third temple is LONG. just a warning. Loooooooooong
And you didn't count the DLC x)
reason why rain world seems so real and portrayed brilliantly is cause the animations of every single life form is procedurally generated, meaning all the animations are made by an ai real time, reacting to the player's movement. it's a true indie masterpiece! EDIT: Procedural animation has nothing to do with AI. I stupidly mentioned the term AI without giving much thought. Sorry! A user who replied to my comment has corrected me. It's just as he/she says, procedural animation don't got AI involved. It's just animations created by following a bunch of rules (in computer terms it's called algorithms). Meaning all animations are generated by computers (instead of made by humans) when certain rules and conditions are satisfied! Really sorry for the mistake, I should've been more careful.
Just a little technical distinction. Procedural is not AI. It's algorithmic.
@@armyofninjas9055 ohh crap, sorry. Yeah my bad that was a stupid mistake. Really sorry. Thanks for pointing it out, I'll edit it.
its okay mate
don't feel bad about that. the term "AI" has traditionally been used to describe in-game adversary logic for like DECADES. then silicon valley tech bros took it from us :< (but the currently hyped "AI" is also just a shitload is statistic processing)
Well, AI and movement of non player controlled characters in Rain World is actually the same thing; I believe the devs once held a talk about Rain World‘s programming where they mentioned that the game‘s animals‘ AI is indistinguishable from their behaviour and movement. So, you are actually not wrong at all!
As a complete hipster indie dweeb I can vouch for half these games and the other half I had never heard of I'm going to go play immediately. In particular Paradise Killer is such a fun ride of insanity and has a great rug pull halfway through the game. Also Crosscode felt so much like a real MMO it made me want to play an actual MMO again after finishing it, which got me into playing FFXIV for over a year.
What do you recommend
Yuppie Psycho is really underrated. When ManlyBadassHero played it, it instantly fell in love with the art style and story
Same! Loved Manly's playthrough of it 💜
@@ZeroFreak1 One of the only games made in spain worth playing besides Metroid Dread xD
@@el2746 Blasphemous and Gris too
I found the game to be awful, myself. I enjoyed the atmosphere and mood initially, but I hated how badly it communicated potential danger. I found the controls to be rather bad, too.
@@KeiBrightwingI agree. I liked the artstyle and uniqueness of character designs and settings but the ending of the story kinda felt anticlimactic and abrupt
Thank you for including Rain World, it's one of the most special games I've played, I beat it 3 times already and every playthrough I played it's better than the last one. You become better passing across the vast ecosystem and the way you get to know the vast lore behind everything is engaging too.
I think we have basically the same taste judging by this comment and your profile pic
@@jaktwo same
Games like rain world is the type of indie game I wanna play
@@eerierwriter2420 do it, play it
@@jaktwo what is the pfp
As a guy who played Crosscode since beta, i wholeheartedly recomend this game. Its pixel art is so beautiful and the story is great. Secret chests, mechanics with elemental attacks, hard to kill boss fights with long dungeons. 10/10 game
If Crossworlds was a real MMO I'd be playing it 100% of the time, that's how much I love Crosscode, it pains me that I can't enjoy the world Lea and her guild enjoy as much as I got to witness them enjoy it. Truly a fantastically written game with some of the greatest puzzles and designs I've seen honestly since Majora's Mask released.
plus the fact that CrossWorlds is not just a VR MMO but basically an MMO where you control a basically 3d printed avatar in an actual MMO Shaped theme parkis really stinkin' cool. Whenever I can I shill this game.
Yeah, Crosscode is probably my favorite game of all time at this point. I sometimes feel like that game was made specifically for me. The best part of that game is that for how long it is, it just keeps getting better and better and better and BETTER until the very end of the final story DLC (which is the best part of the game BTW, the fights and the puzzles in the final dungeon are absolutely mind-blowing). It's incredible how every next zone and every next dungeon keeps surprising you with original quests and puzzles. I have no idea how they could cram so much of such perfect gameplay-related content in the game considering it's an RPG. Usually RPGs are very weak on the gameplay side, but not Crosscode. What a perfect game. As a bonus, new game plus is pretty appealing as well for a more challenging playthrough. The "Get on my level" and "No mercy" options are very nice (scales up enemy levels to yours and halves enemy cooldowns on their skills, making them essentially twice as fast). It makes the combat incredibly intense and you REALLY have to use every tool at your disposal in your circuits tree and really pay attention to the passives you get on your gear. It's almost as if the game was perfectly balanced for those settings. Did I mention the music? I'll just let these do the talking kzhead.info/sun/npaghMivqp2vYJs/bejne.html kzhead.info/sun/YJduo9xtonV7p4E/bejne.html kzhead.info/sun/f7xmg8qgmZmlnHA/bejne.html kzhead.info/sun/qb2raNeEqp2dmaM/bejne.html
I couldn't get into it the first time I gave it a go. This comment (including the music) is motivating me to try it again.
Crosscode, Unighted, and Hyper Light Drifter are my top three rn, but nothing will ever beat HLD in my eyes
It kind of depends on the type of gameplay when it comes to RPGs.
@@chloewebb5526 came here specifically to see if anyone mentioned HLD. i love that game so much i triple dipped on that. got it digitally on the PS4 originally, then again when i got a switch, then got the physical special edition with the dorky extra just for the sprite companion keychain. one of my favorite games ever.
I feel exactly the same!
FUCK YES! I have waited for so damn long for someone to mention Rainworld, its an absolute gem of a video game and probably one of my absolute favorites. The way the game just lets you have a unfiltered raw experience from its realistically brutal world is something I have never seen. I don't think it's about difficulty but its more of a way the game does not overemphasize your existence as a player which makes it feel real, alongside the games atmosphere and the behaviour of the worlds creatures and plants which actually feel alive.
exactly!
Facts also there’s a new dlc called downpour coming 2023
@@triggerhappy4199 the devs are aiming for this year and judging it's current state, it's very likely the deadline will be met
I mean... foekoe...
Fearless leader of gaming intellecutal community Tone Loke did praise it, though. kek
The first time I saw rain world, it heavily reminded me of Heart And Darkness with its setting and with how small it makes you feel. But looking more into it? It grew to be so much more than that, other games just don't feel that alive and moving - the ecosystems don't feel like random bunches of enemies, they feel like living, breathing biomes with their own sets of rules and hierarchies.
Rainworld gives me ps1 vibes
That thumbnail certainly got my attention.
weird
@@jojiravi700 why you calling him weird for being straight
@@drinkwaterhot4840 straight?
There's at least five of these that I'd never heard of that are now on my Steam wishlist. Excellent video🤘🏼
appreciate it 🙏
I was extremely glad that you mentioned rain world in this video, it is 100% an underappreciated gem, but it's understandable, the realistic brutality of the environment, and very little tutorial kind of locks much of the beauty of the game behind at least 20 hours of gameplay. I do believe that this is intentionally done as it makes the game that much more enjoyable once you break that threshold. Not to even mention the OST, each song perfectly encapsulates your situation in the husk of a fallen civilization taken over by wildlife. Easily one of my favorite games of all time
I wonder how the tutorialized hints in the DLC are going to effect the game
The story and all endings of Yuppie Psycho ARE AMAZING it needs more attention and would make an AMAZING series if adapted omg the back story and how it ties together! I also love how anything u think is an ending is. Like getting to the office and just leaving 😂
I tried CrossCode thanks to you’re recommendation in this video… I reached 120+ hours in the matter of 2-3 weeks, and 100 percented the story, chests, DLC…etc Now it’s one of my top favorite games of all time, and definitely the most underrated. Thank you for including it on this list and sending me in its direction. I’m not even sure why it’s so good, it just perfectly nails every part of its gameplay loop (story, exploration, combat, puzzle), and is otherwise exactly what you’d expect it to be.
Exactly it's such an awesome game that sadly so little people know about. It's a crime against gaming itself tbh.
I have it downloaded and probably wont play it, it looks up my alley but adulting is rough, i dont have that much extra free time anymore to spend on a single game. Hell Persona 5 royal is a game i wanted to play since i was a teenager now that i finally got it i dropped it an hour in when i realised its a 100+ hours game. Crosscode is also pretty long, i can barely finish 10-20 hours games these days.
@@Dee-yj1im I played it right before I started my current job, so I get it. But, keep in mind, if you just play the main story it’s a lot faster, and I’m a very slow player. It’s still an indie, so they don’t have THAT much content. Otherwise, just keep it on your list for when you have time. Good luck adulting!
I absolutely adore Paradise Killer. The atmosphere, the lore, the bangers, and I found myself trying to get every collectable and find every clue in the first run. 10/10 I highly recommend
Same my dude, same. Also the additional songs with voice are absolute bangers, I already memorized them and sing them aloud whenever riding a bike.
Amazing. Everything in that game is just SO good
So, is Paradise Killer like Danganronpa? Like, it immediately gave me those DR vibes. The way the character moves, the menu screen, the rest of the UI, the 2d character models all remind me of Danganronpa? If you or anyone else has played both titles, am I on the money here? I'm a huge Danganronpa fan and want to play other games like it.
goat cleavage
Paradise Killer is amazing. Probably one of my favorite gaming experiences in the year I played it. Just, the whole world was extremely well thought out and fascinating to inhabit.
Sooo glad you included Crosscode! It seriously deserves more attention because it's such a hidden gem! The DLC just made it so much better!
it honestly has one of the best video game stories i've ever played. i did not think i would get that attached to the characters. and the gameplay is so well designed with how the elements seamlessly blend puzzles and combat
@@icecreambone It's a decent story, but I believe it could've been delivered a bit better and with higher impact - especially since for the first half of the game it barely trickles through. It's one of the weaker Crosscode elements, and this just shows how strong the overall game is, it's probably one of the best indie titles out there.
Puzzles killed crosscode for me. I came for rpg,not for zelda
@@ppokll8524 cry about it jk, actually puzzles are challenging but if you give 'em time you'll notice the right way.
@@swetdep no thank you . cant skip? Better quit. Its like if a Doom game would wanted u to solve math equations rofl. Boring ass puzzles for kids
This is a brill video with awesome narration. I think it’s really cool to see such a range of games here and each with different parts assessed of them to their own. I also have rain world, so far 3 hours. May try out some of the other games here like Paradise Killer, thanks for the video!
bought Phoenotopia during the winter sale and safe to say it's AMAZING. adore it so much
CrossCode has been my favorite game for years, definetly still the best game I've ever played
Yuppie Psycho was SUCH a joy to play through, and I really recommend you go back and finish it if you have the time! I’m not one to usually do completion playthroughs, but I just couldn’t put it down once I got a bit further into it. I definitely had to lean on a few walkthroughs to find all the hidden secrets - but there was plenty of story, even for those who don’t want to go searching for all the extra bits of content! Exploring the different endings is a bunch of fun, as well, and deepened some of the character’s backstories (or at the very least hinted to them), which is always a plus for me. Overall, I really enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to anyone who’s interested!
The setting makes me want to build a box fort in the middle of the office or a secret base
Do anyone think that if Bret Easton Ellis wasn’t so focus on being the next great American author he would have choose Yuppie Psycho instead of American Psycho .. I mean it’s closer to the real thing right…
yuppie psycho is the best gem on there !!!
I'm so happy Phoenotopia made it onto this list! I really loved the original flash version to pieces, and the remake is so much better. If you're still poking around at games to try out, I'd like to recommend Dungeon Munchies. It has a wild story, a lot of fun little details, and some really fun gameplay mechanics. It *is* a metroidvania, but surprisingly low on the backtracking that usually entails.
the fact that the only 2 games in this list I ever heard about are Rain World and Yuppie Psycho is insane, this was very useful for finding some new stuff to try, tyvm!
I feel like Hollow Knight being a confusing mess to explore was a deliberate choice, taking advantage of the setting as a bug hive. Perfectly understandable people wouldn’t jive with this, although I loved how it works out. Given how much stuff you stumble on which is not part of the main story, it’s a goldmine of experiences. Still, like I said, this won’t work for everyone.
I loved the exploration of hollow knight
Yeah, you are not wrong there. At some point I felt lost, not knowing how to progress further, so I ended up getting bored and stop playing the game, which is a shame because I really enjoyed the combat and aesthetics of the game.
Absolutely hated Hollow Knight. Going to every corner of the map to find out what to do every time you do anything irks me. No clue how anyone rates it any higher than a 5/10.
I usually hate those kind of games, but to me there is something so special about hollow knight. It's atmosphere is so engaging to me. Maybe I just played it at the perfect time with the perfect mindset as I've played games people call similar and gotten so bored of them quickly. But going through the world of hollow knight for the first time, exploring everywhere I could is my favourite single player experience I've ever had.
Hollow Kight is fun, but it has like ZERO landmarks that help with navigation, and the texture work while good looking, all blends into itself. If I am a bug, I should be able to figure put where to go in the bug hive. I am not playing as a human who can't recognize bug landmarks for navigation, I am a bug as well and there need to be some sort of unique parts to areas that share themes.
I got Paradise Killer from a bundle and got completely hooked on it. I dunno if anything similar to it exists with the same chill vaporwave atmosphere but, if you random reader know about it, please point it out to me so I can buy it in a heartbeat. The game was extremely fun and it's always great to explore around and find some menial or crucial clue...or simply help a ghost dog in need of assistance.
There is a game on steam called Broken Reality with a similar focus on exploration in a vaporwave aesthetic setting :)
@@yourpalparanoid Oh, yeah. Love that game. I had already bought it and also recommend it. It's a short but nice experience.
You have my like for putting the Paradise Killer intro jump in the video, one of the most memorable gaming moments of all time for me.
Oh my goodness yes to everything you said about Phoenotopia Awakening. Not many people have played it and it’s such a shame. What a wonderful, cozy game.
Paradise Killer is such a joy. They just understood how to make a fun engaging world. Honestly if they added a skateboard and the ability to grind and kickflip it would be a perfect game.
I played through Phoenotopia Awakening a while ago and I wholeheartedly agree with his review. It's an absolutely AMAZING game, with an extremely charming and captivating atmosphere. The difficulty spikes kind of hard as it gets near the end, and some of the platforming sections can get extremely frustrating, but those minor gripes are vastly outweighed by the sheer joy I got from playing through the whole game. The characters in particular are the parts I remember the most.
I played the original flash game, and followed the remake as it was being developed, it's dedicate a game I recommend any time I get a chance too. It does get pretty difficult for sure, I haven't finished awakening, but in the original I got stuck at misty gorge, mul caves, and the wastelands outside the wall for a while.
i played crosscode because of this video, its absolutely amazing, the combat feels so fluid and the combat or moving around never feels "slow". i also played yuppie psycho, and while the game is good, i did not expect the mc's name to be brian because of the anime-like art
great game but mc's name is brian, 2/10 unplayable
Hey man, thank you for introducting me to Paradise Killer, I dont even remember when I first watched this video, but it appeared again on my youtube homepage and nowadays I have 100% completion it it, so thank you
awww 💙
Crosscode is the only game i've beaten 3 time, and i'm planning for a fourth. This game has everything that i love. Fluid combat, great boss battle, interesting setting, creative puzzle, many secrets, amazing sidequest, and much more!
CrossCode is top of the list of my favourite games of all time, both from the indie space and AAA. It took me back to when I first started gaming on the SNES and the early years of getting into the JRPG genre. Game is gorgeous in every way and it's the first game I recommend to anyone looking for a good action rpg.
I hope you've finished Crosscode. It's one of the best games I've ever played. It represents near perfection with the only gripe being how insanely hard the final boss was for me. Just the way games should be. Back when beating them was a serious achievement and not "when the game officially starts." Phoenotopia was just a joy. I've played most of these but these 2 were just breaths of fresh air in a time when we can only remember when we actually enjoyed games, as you put it.
If most of the KZhead content was like this quality, I think I won't sleep, in fact, this is one of the rarest moments I enjoy a half-hour video without feeling, you have great taste, you picked an epic games can't wait to try them, I subscribed cuz I'm excited to your next shots.
I freaking love this kind of content on KZhead, not only did you show me games that I'll definitely check out but also those I already played and loved so much. Mo:Astray and Rainworld especially just make me happy to see here
I'm glad this video gave Rain World the praise it deserved. Never heard of Mo:Astray before this video which is surprising because it seems epic. On a side note, if you liked Rain World you'll probably love CrossCode too, because I know I did.
19:50 getting lost is one of the most important aspects in the Hollow Knight. Exploring new locations and not knowing where to go because you have tons of possibilities is such a wonderful experience
Hollow knight was my first metroidvania. I got disinterested and quit for a while at the start of my first play through. but i did come back to it a month or so later and I was very glad I did. After you just get past that start it became my favorite game.
@@grantw1325 We share the same story, I did exactly what you did. I gave this game second chance and quickly it became my favourite game
I've gone back to Hollow Knight twice. Both times got lost and couldn't progress further, so I ended up getting bored and quit. I understand some people don't mind aimlessly roaming, but at least for me it got boring not seeing the progression I was expecting.
@@PersonaPrime I finished hollow knight after dropping 3 times but now its one of my favourite games.
Very good video! You picked up some amazing gems there. I wrote down some of those titles to check them out. Also, your video stands out among all the "50 top indie games of..." when it comes to content. Great work dude. 👍
Ahhh I never see people talk about Phoenotopia that much, it’s refreshing to see it get some well deserved love!
Wow, these games look so unique! We really are missing out on not looking at the less popular games. Also glad to have you back! Always love your videos.
glad you're still here!
You've convinced me to wishlist Rainworld, Spookware, and Yuppie Psycho (I already have Sayonara Wild Hearts, Crosscode, and Mo :Astray). I really love the way you articulate your thoughts and feelings of these games. You've earned my sub 👍
Wishlist downpour dlc for rainworld
This is a refreshingly new indie game list. I hadn't heard about a lot of these, so your video definitely succeeded, and I'm looking forward to checking these out!
Paradise Killer was one of my favorite experiences of the past few years; really glad to see it get some love here.
i still think about it from time to time
I am sooooo happy you played Rain World, my absolute favourite game of all time! (Oh and by the way, this video was fantastic. So we'll made)
glad you enjoyed!
Crosscode is absolutely phenomenal. That game was hidden gem and it deserves more attention. I was honestly surprised it isn't as popular. Same with Mo:Astray because that game is not only gorgeous, it actually has a really interesting story.
it have over 10k reviews on steam , That's already popular enough. An indie game that have reviews over 1k consider popular for me.
Ram is so hot
This video is badass. Ticked all my checkboxes. I think we both share the love for innovative/out-of-the-box gameplay design, doesn't matter what the game looks like. Truly some of the best hidden indie games out there. Thank you!
I adore Paradise Killer, I wish that game would've taken off with a wider audience because I could talk about its bizarre world building forever
goat cleavage
Phoenotopia Awakening is an absolute gem that I'm so glad you talked about. I actually shouted in joy when you mentioned it at the end. ITS SO GOOD. Also got super pumped when you talked about Paradise Killer and CrossCode. Those games are sick af.
you have good taste friend
Phoenotopia awakening is so unbelievably fucking amazing and it hurts me internally that it didn't get a bigger following
Same. Loved the flash game, followed the dev blog, and played on launch day. Only game I've ever preordered and possibly the best 20 dollars I've ever spent.
@@cpukabuto2132 Same man, same. I found the flash game on a "hacked" games website in like 4th grade and I've followed it ever since lol
Paradise Killer is one of the most aesthetics I've seen in a game. Simply amazing. The game itself was pretty enjoyable too but the art style/music stayed with me.
Looks a lot like Neon White
There are so many of these "Top 10 Games You've Never Heard Of" or "Best Roguelikes of 2022," but your video had both solid game choice and great explanations of pros and cons. This is the first video I've seen from you and I already subscribed
welcome homie 😎
I've watched a ton of videos like this suggesting underrated games and I don't think I've ever been so interested by every single game on the list, even the ones that are from genres I'm generally not interested in. Instant sub.
Wow, never seen an underrated list ticking so many boxes of personal interests. Amazingly put together video
love to hear it
how can people call this underrated when all of the games are popular and successful af?
@@poiuytrewq3546 Speak for yourself. I've been in the game community for a while, and the only game I already knew was crosscode.
@@spheromancer_ "for a while" lmao
Thank you for including Narita Boy, loved that game! Narita Boy is definitely not a metroidvania though, it's a linear action platformer. You never go back to old areas with new abilities that allow you to reach previously inaccessible areas. When you unlock an ability, that ability is only required in the same area that you got the ability in OR in areas after. I legit have no idea why so many people call it a metroidvania.
Just want to say how impressed I am with all the great unheard of games you found, actually excellent list that got me playing some new titles
I'm so glad you talked about Phoenotopia: Awakening. It quickly became my favourite game ever back in February and the devs didn't even earn their money back on it until fairly recently. Hopefully this video will shine a spotlight on it and 'awaken' more people to what a phenomenal game it is.
Yoooooo the EBF Lance pfp
@@criticalf0ll0w16 Epic Battle Fantasy is great
I've been following pho:a through it's development and despite the fact that I'm a lot busier now and I don't know if I'll ever finish it, I bought the remake as soon as I could because of how good the original was that I felt the need to pay for what I already got free.
@@bishop8958 Awakening is definitely worth the time. I've recently played the original and while it's great, the remake is better in almost every single way in my opinion. I've already got over 120 hours in Awakening and enjoyed every second of it. The Speed Runner achievement has even persuaded me to have a go at properly speed running the game as it's quite enjoyable.
Im sooo happy to see Yuppie Psycho! That game is SOOOO good and underrated. I only played through to one ending but I'm so curious about the other endings 😳
Sssssooooooo good when fully completed and all endings tie together and the story
Oh u need all the endings and backstory especially on the A HOLE boss that loves boppin around like a feog
Rated overwhelmingly positive. Most underrated indie game of all time for sure.
🤓
why is it so obscure it's so good
Literally started playing Yuppie Psycho this morning. And now I'm added a few games to my wishlist because of this video!
Bro how do you not have more followers you’re hilarious and the video was incredible. Immediately subscribed bro
Just want to say. It's indie game lists like these that really open up my view of what's out there and what's genuinely worth spending what limited time we have on this earthly realm. Thank you, you're efforts will not go to waste. Keep up the great work!
I’m pretty familiar with most of the games on this list but of all of them I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Paradise Killer. It was such an excellent break from the weird status quo of modern gaming, and had quite a few great plot twists, absurdly funny framings you could find yourself with, and the perfect blend of existential horror AND vaporwave camp.
those are some seriously phenomenal recommendations. thank you for the 4 new entries to my wishlist!
Man, I’m so glad you put this video together, it’s like another person would know and recommend the 15 games I wanted to play but never knew existed. Thank you so much.
that's the goal! makes me happy to hear that
CrossCode is an amazing game. I, personally, hate puzzles in videogames. I just hate them. The only puzzle game i liked was Portal 2 (because of its stellar writing). I find them tedious and boring. But in CrossCode i absolutely loved puzzles because you are not just solving problems, you use what you learned from said puzzles in combat, in platforming, in exploring etc. Everything comes together perfectly.
i feel similarly about puzzles, i'll definitely need to get back to crosscode at some point
Really looking forward to playing Narita Boy, Echo Generation, and Yuppie Psycho. Thanks so much for the suggestions!
Finally someone who understands underrated. Often when I see someone say underrated they go like: ”Yeah have you heard about this little underrated hidden gem called Undertale? That game is so good, you must play it.”
I enjoyed pretty much all aspects of phoenotopia and i played it thanks to your video. I now finished it for the first time hovering around 40 hours. And i just wanna chip in and say that the puzzles and dialogue from npcs were so witty and well done it made me search out most of them just to talk to them. Wich i rarely do. It really is a hidden gem. Thank you so much for showing it off
omg I LOVED reading this
Amazing list. I DEFINITELY didn't expect to find MO: Astray among these. I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere, but it deserves it so much. And you included some of my favorite indie games ever. Now, as you enjoyed Yuppie Psycho, I recommend Baroque Decay's previous game, The Count Lucanor. And I haven't played Narita Boy yet, but The Eternal Castle definitely delivered on a similar promise in my experience. Other than that, I recommend Haven if you have someone special to play it with. A Short Hike for some distilled gaming chill good times which will make you wonder how such a simple game can nail every aspect in a game so well. And lastly, Webbed, a game with such good traversal mechanics that you will enjoy every second controlling that little spider.
Speaking of Haven, I have to bring up the developers' ( Game Bakers ) previous game, which I honestly like more than Haven, Furi. It's a difficult boss gauntlet ( every enemy is a boss ) game where you play as The Stranger, someone who's been locked up for most likely years before being freed by a mysterious man known as The Voice, who tells you that, to free yourself, you have to kill 9 Guardians ( 10 if you decide to go for the good ending ), each having their own backstories, personalities, and some even have their own relations with your character. The visuals are great, the story is good, the combat is fun ( albeit difficult, and I mean _difficult_ ), and the soundtrack is one of the best I've ever heard. Definitely one of my favorite games ever.
dude you have the best selection of games i ever have seen this is the perfect balance of art graphics and impresive gameplay
I randomly saw this in recomendations, and altho I had in mind to try few listed games before, now I definitely gonna get them on winter sale. I hope you will make more vids, I like how you deliver all points.
Phoenotopia Awakening looks absolutely amazing. The starting town and some of the world design reminds me of Shovel Knight a bit while The movement and fluidity of thebcharacter also reminds me of another game that I can't remember at all. The animation for when she wakes up is freaking adorable. The cooking I don't why but it reminds me of Genshin Impact a bit with mechanics for it and when she fails it's absolutely adorable. There are Zelda-ish aspects in the game as well.
As someone who loves indies I thought this list was really cool to hear someone try to branch and play more! I even learned of some new ones and added them to my list or at least keep some to note to actually purchase that I forgot about. Excited to see future vids on the games you played here!
Paradise Killer was just a random game on PS+ that I gave a shot. Loved the soundtrack and style, found the jump upgrades very late but still enjoyed exploring the world. Been working on CrossCode this month. Combat has lots of depth though I just stick to the basics and get by. Dungeon puzzles are challenging, the rest usually come down finding the starting point.
From the bottom of my heart thank you for this video, it was 40 min long but even for a second I did not feel unentertained and thank you for the great recommendations! Subbed to you!
Ah! Crosscode. The one game which I never find boring ❤️
I have loved Rain World for a long while now and there has been only a few content creators who actually talked about the game. The story, absolutely deep lore and small slug cats trying to go trough this world are amazing. There has been a huge DLC announced that's going to add 5 more slug cats, with unique abilities and I'm completely hyped out of my mind. If anyone has been on the fence thinking about trying Rain World, go and do it. Support the devs, it's trully a shining diamond among the sea of precious gems and I swear that game is absolutely worth it. It's unforgiving, will put you down but once you master the movement and understand the enemies you can truly enjoy Rain World!
> once you master the movement Actually mastering the movement is close to impossible though. Everything is _so_ precise at that point. (I started a run as the Hunter, but never got enough karma to pass the gate...)
Honestly Indie games are such a breath of fresh air for the most part. I am a big time multiplayer gamer.. and after so much Dota 2 and CS, I really needed a change. I started playing indie games and man.. I have felt so much more enjoyment playing these. Thanks man.
Got recommend this video on my home page just there, your stuff is good! Really well structured video, alot of games I hadn't seen before but now want to play. You might be able to leverage this and get bumped up to a bigger spot on KZhead. Really sucks you were going through a rough time, hopefully by the time of my comment it's gotten better
Both crosscode AND rainworld in one video..? This is the greatest video ever.
This actually is a pretty solid list of recommendations! Old gems, new entries - well picked! Thanks and cheers!
Book of Travels was the last game I expected to see on this list, but it's really cool to see it appreciated like this! It's a really interesting game, I have ~45 hours in it so far and it really de-gamifies the genre. Any tasks you are given or rumors you hear are not recorded for you. The game gives you no objective markers, you have a journal and a map, and the game just lets you explore the braided shores. You get to set your own goals and build your own experiences, which is something a lot of games nowadays don't really do. But yeah, the art style is beautiful, the skills and powers you can learn are awesome, and the lore is super interesting, would recommend.
THANK YOU for including world of horror. I've been playing that game for so long. is so underrated and the modding scene is awesome.
Great video! I love learning about smaller titles I would have missed otherwise. Paradise Killer was a surprise treasure for me, as well, I highly recommend it for anyone who likes solving mysteries and open world exploration.
I've played but had a hard time beating the original Phoenotopia but haven't gotten around to playing Phoenotopia Awakening, it's such a good game and I'm so glad you're shedding light on it
I managed to beat the original, I haven't gotten around to finishing awakening yet, it's deejay more difficult, but it's more fair in its difficulty, no more contact damage, just damage on actual attacks. The only thing I think is easier (that I've gotten too) in awakening is the kobold boss fight.
Such a wow. This is really a video and it's on the channel of KZhead wow But seriously, I absolutely loved it. Thanks for the great stuff, man. Subscribed
This is a really well made video, it’s super entertaining while displaying these lesser known games. While I certainly wouldn’t play all of them, I’ve seen one or two I’m certainly gonna try out sometime.
Paradise Killer was such an enjoyable playthrough. Glad you included it :) big recommend
Glad to see you enjoy Book Of Travels! It's a game with immaculate vibes and I can't wait to see the new stuff they have planned, especially the big city of Kasa. In other news, you covered some interesting games, it's too bad that I can't do spooky/horror games. But Crosscode and Phoenotopia looks cool, I'll have to check them out.
Great list! I had only played Yuppie Psycho and World of Horror before. If you can, try playing Candleman: The Complete Journey. By far my second favorite indie game after Hypnospace Outlaw. Amazing moody 3d platformer with insane atmosphere. Very cute too.
Thank you for sharing! I'm trying to become more familiar indie scene as I'm trying to work on games and be able to support other creators! Supporting small creators is the best! I recently played a cute little platformer called "A short hike" as a friend recommended it
with regards to backtracking: it's mostly in regards to completionism. Not being able to backtrack to certain areas means that you now have permanently missable content, which means that 100% completion is predicated on getting everything your first run through an area, rather than being able to go back. And designing *for* that ability can lead to fun moments with optional content made available by going back to an area with a later upgrade.
I find many of the creative indie games are those middle point in popularity. The popular games are all replicated to the point where the originals don't feel unique and the obscure is typically obscure for a reason
Amazing selection! Thank you. I think I’ve bought 3 or 4 games just based on your recommendation
omg yuppie psycho is one of my faves!!! im so glad you covered it, Thank You!
Crosscode is such a underated game, i have played probably thousands of games but crosscode is probably in my top 10!