Given the big swathe of posts about bad behavior from big companies, I figure we could counterbalance that with some positivity about stuff the smaller guys made that often costs us less too.
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Crimzon Clover: World EXplosion. Top 3 shmups of all-time and best shmup on Steam, IMO.
You might like !shmups@lemmus.org
Stardew Valley
Absolute favorite is Outer Wilds. The only thing I don’t like about it is that I can’t experience it again. A true masterpiece of a game.
After that, probably Noita for sheer insanity. Deeply unfair, but getting a god-run going is that much sweeter. It took me ~100 hours to beat it the first time, now I can consistently win if I try but I’m addicted to doing stupid things to see what happens.
Anything of Soldak - https://store.steampowered.com/franchise/soldak/ : 2 series - space shooters Drox and hack n slash Dins - Super coarse graphics, action, fighting, but their living worlds, like nowhere else. No other game where worlds freely grow based on player actions. Did You ever left main quest for exploration, lvling up or side games, oh well, here, world will not allow You to, as enemies won’t stay idle or wait for You, they do their business.
Orb of Creation - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1910680/Orb_of_Creation/ Semi-clicker (intense clicker, not much of idle) and immersive mage simulator, where You don’t make Your mage-avatar, but are the mage. Still beta, but already big.
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Skullgirls - Still the best damn fighting game ever made. I’ve been grinding for a full decade now, and I’ll be entering Combo Breaker 2025 once again this year.
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Slay the Spire - The game that ruined all other roguelikes for me. What I love about StS is that it never lets you get complacent, never lets you lean on just one good synergy that will carry you the entire run. You always have to keep adapting, and you have to have a well-rounded deck to deal with enemies that are designed to counter players who try to rely on only one thing. And when I eventually got to the point where I’d had my fill of vanilla, there’s so much fun stuff from the modding community to play around with. Packmaster is incredible.
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CrossCode - It’s been years since I finished this RPG and its colorful cast still lives rent-free in my head. This is a game that is perfect in every way and adds up to more than the sum of its parts. Fantastic combat, tons of side content, endearing characters, emotionally powerful story, beautiful visuals, amazing soundtrack.
More people need to know about (and play) CrossCode.
CrossCode is all about how it plays! That’s why there is a free Steam demo! Go give it a try! Take the best out of two popular genres, find a good balance between them and make a great game. That’s what CrossCode does. You get the puzzles of Zelda-esque dungeons and are rewarded with the great variety of equipment you know and love from RPGs. During the fast-paced battles you will use the tools you find on your journey to reveal and exploit the enemies’ weaknesses and at the same time will be able to choose equipment and skills for a more in-depth approach in fighting your enemies.
Yeah, I took a look because of your comment. Sounds like something I should try. The art is certainly appealing to me. Appreciative that more games are putting out demos lately.
I just beat StS Ascension 20 for the first time this week 💀
Man, I struggle with A3. I can’t imagine A20.
Congrats! It is brutal, isn’t it?
I loved cross code…except the puzzles. Im just not s puzzle person.
I’m so glad someone’s mentioned CrossCode! Such a wonderful experience from beginning to end. The world really feels alive with every inch of a mal being used to either enhance the story or hide a puzzle! I loved seeing chests and figuring out how to get to them across several maps.
I’m really looking forward to their next project, Alabaster Dawn. I hope it’s just as good!
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First :
- Outer Wilds
- Disco Elysium
Then :
- Inscryption
- Carto
- Spiritfarer
- Pyre
Hollow Knight
I love it so much that I can’t finish it, I always stop when I’m about to fight the final boss. I just don’t want it to end.
Maybe when Silksong came out I finish it once and for all.
Hollow Knight isn’t exactly over when you finish the story. There are more fights, especially Godhome. If you can beat all that you’re an incredible player.
You probably know this but just wanted to make sure you’re not unintentionally missing out.
For me, FTL: Faster than Light still hasn’t been topped. Hades II might get there, though. Disco Elysium, Ikaruga, and Papers, Please are also high on the list.
FTL!!! And yeah, PP is awesome and so unique!
Stardew
FTL: Faster Than Light
The Multiverse mod expands the game dramatically, and is, if anything, better than the base game; I highly recommend it.
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It does add a lot of very good playable content, but the quality and tone of the writing is a departure from the main game. Some find it a deal breaker.
such a great non traditional roguelike with sooo much replayability.
It’s the game that made me like these kinds of games. 1,300 hours :)
Dwarf Fortress. Not even just my favorite indie game, but favorite game ever.
I’m such a sucker for world simulation! It made me hate games where events happen just because they’re programmed to do so.
Balatro
Obra Dinn
I loved Obra Dinn. If you like that you will probably also like “Case of the Golden Idol” and it’s successor.
I tired it and it didn’t hit the same way for me
Pushing the definition but I started when it was still in beta… Minecraft has gotten hundreds and hundreds of hours put into it.
Terarria and Starbound are both really good and scratch that same itch as Minecraft. Core Keeper is another one that has some of that feel and I ended up really enjoying.
Surprised I haven’t seen it mentioned but Cave Story was made by one guy doing everything… and everything in it is immaculate. It’s still free for the original version as well.
Stardew Valley is awesome and restarted a genre.
Crypt of the Necrodancer is awesome, and well worth checking out… also goes on sale really cheap.
Pacific Drive is a fun one to check out. If you’re from the PNW, it will hit even more.
Really enjoyed Stray. Worth grabbing on a sale.
OwlBoy was a delightful game with a lot of character.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was a really nice return to form if you like IgaVanias.
If you like roguelites then you owe it to yourself to check out Enter the Gungeon (isometric) as well as RoboQuest (fps).
If you want a game that’s beautiful, with emergent story and is hard af… definitely check out Rain World.
Is Black Mesa still considered indie? It’s how I would recommend anyone play Half-Life 1 these days.
Rusty’s Retirement… isn’t so much a game… sorta… but yeah… check that out.
+1 for Pacific Drive. Nothing else like it out there. And you get to form a relationship with a station wagon, which is peak passenger vehicle design.
And the soundtrack is outstanding!
Nothing else like it out there.
I keep meaning to check this one out but haven’t yet. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1290170/Titan_Chaser/
I enjoyed Rusty’s Retirement, glad to see someone else has played it. (I do count idlers as games.) Cute little desktop idle/incremental game.
Factorio.
Honourable mentions:
- Chants of Sennaar
- Blue Prince
- Animal Well
- Raft
- Citizen Sleeper
You might like !factorio@lemmy.world
subscribed, thanks!
You might enjoy Heaven’s Vault since you’ve played Chants of Sennaar! It’s languagerific.
Janky though at times, movement wise
thanks, I’ll check it out!
I rarely play platformers and really enjoyed Celeste
Same but with spelunky 2
In my thirst for difficult games, I 100%'d it. Took more than a 100 hours but still the most fun I’ve had mastering a game to that level of expertise
