2019 has been an amazing year for gaming already and we are only a couple of months in. It seems like we are greeted by a new, highly anticipated release every week, which has its benefits, of course, but leads to quite a few games being overlooked as well! Anyone who is a fan of the best indie games will be aware of such games, ones that deserve recognition, yet stay in the shadow that has been cast by the major game development companies.
Recent years have proved that independent games can become legit contenders for Game of the Year honors, best showcased by Celeste being among the nominees in 2018. Hopefully, this year the trend will continue! If the little bits and pieces that we’ve seen of the upcoming games are anything to go by, we are in for a treat this year! Although there is no way to know for certain which ones will turn out to be the best indie games in 2019, some games have already managed to stand out of the bunch!
Untitled Goose Game
Remember when Goat Simulator was huge? It offered up endless fun in an immersive environment, which made for a relaxing experience and the whole time playing was spent with a grin on your face. Untitled Goose Game promises to be a similar experience, presented in a unique style. The premise in this House House developed game is simple – you are a goose and you hate everyone! You’ve been set free in a sandbox world and do your best to ruin everyone’s day. After all, the best indie games have often been ones that have decided to shift away from the norm in gaming, and Untitled Goose Game definitely does that. One to look out for, surely!
Release Date: TBA
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Moon Studios are looking to cash in on their success with Ori and the Blind Forest with a game that promises to be everything that fans of their previous release have been waiting for! Ori and the Will of the Wisps will also be a Metroidvania platformer filled with magical adventures. Its predecessor was one of the best indie games for the year of 2015 and Moon Studios are trying to pull off the same in 2019 as well! The developers have said they added elements of Dark Souls into the game, while we’re still unsure of how they will be implemented, a mixture of Dark Souls and Metroidvania is enough to get the gaming community excited!
Release Date: TBA
Beyond Blue
E-Line Media knows how to choose a team to work with when developing a game, that much is for sure! They have set out to create one of the best indie games in 2019 and what better way to do that than by teaming up with BBC and the creators of Blue Planet to create an underwater ocean exploration game! Submerge and swim around in an ABZU-like fashion in what may just be the most realistic game of its kind to date! Instead of traversing an outer-world ocean filled with mythical creatures, Beyond Blue is all about getting to know the life that actually lives underwater on our planet Earth. Call it an ocean scientist simulator, if you will! One thing is for sure, it seems to have all the chops required for the best indie games!
Release Date: TBA
Disco Elysium
Being alcoholic, amnesia-ridden, and out of shape does not sound quite as fun as it turns out to be in Disco Elysium, where your character is just that. Another key detail – he is also a detective, set up with a task of solving a murder mystery. This isn’t easy when you have a hard time dressing yourself. Disco Elysium is a game that puts every decision in your hands, leading to most random, yet unique storylines in gaming! Saying that this game has the potential to be one of the best indie games in 2019 is an understatement. It may turn out to be a serious GOTY contender if everything goes right! Amazing, oil painting-like artwork, a vast array of characters and even many identities for your own character, a serious storyline presented in a rather comical way, Disco Elysium has everything you can possibly ask out of a game of its kind!
Release Date: TBA
Lost Words
Talking about games that have gone under the radar, Lost Words is the definition of the phrase! However, it presents an idea that has no parallels in gaming as of yet and may just provide the best in-game narrative we have ever seen! After all, the best indie games have always been ones that climbed over the barriers of expectation and do everything their own way. Lost Words is set out to do just that, striving to become a pop-up book, brought to life through a gaming screen, telling a dramatic, immersive story written by Rhianna Pratchett.
Instead of simply reading words to understand the story, use the words to unveil it in its true, pure beauty! The words will help you make your way through the story, the game simply would not exist throughout them. It is a fantastic way to help understand the importance of words and get the player immersed in the story! Will Lost Words ever become popular? That remains to be seen, however, one thing is for sure – it has the potential to be one of the best indie games in 2019, maybe one of the best ever!
Release Date: TBA
Whether or not the games above will unveil their true potential upon release remains to be seen. However, there is no doubting that they have our love and attention, even through times when releases from major companies are hitting the headlines every day. And they deserve it, too! After all, the best indie games have treated us to numerous wonderful experiences in the past and it looks like they will continue to do so, only becoming better with years to come!
