The indie scene has exploded in recent years, with new video games being published every week. In many cases, these games knock AAA, multi-million dollar titles out of the water.
2024 was no different, we were inundated with creative choice. It’s impossible to play them all — that said, QD managed to play and review a lot of them. We’re now happy to reveal our top indie games of last year.
Much like our Game of the Year, the indies of 2024 were put to a vote — and it was a close game! You’ll notice below we’re starting at number four, that’s because 2nd place was a tie and we couldn’t split them.
4. Minami Lane
Developed by Doot Tiny Games, this town management simulator is as cosy as they come. Build a little street, upgrade the buildings, complete tasks, find cheeky Tanukis and pet the cats! With our shared love for Japan, it’s easy to see how Minami Lane made its way onto the list.
Here’s what our cosy crew had to say.
Rose: “Do you like ramen? Tanukis? Cosy vibes? Management sims? If you said yes to any of these, then you simply must try Minami Lane. Wholesome and insanely moreish, Minami Lane hooked me. Create the cutest neighbourhood and maximise the happiness of both your villagers and yourself!”
Sonia: “A charming micro-cosy sim management game that you can’t stop playing, Minami Lane is short, sweet experience that you can’t pass up for the price. Filled with cats, ramen, bookshops and aesthetically pleasing visuals, I want to move there for real.”
3. Nine Sols
It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who love punishing yet rewarding gameplay, Red Candle Games’ Nine Sols is doing so much right. This 2D souls-like expertly dodges and rolls its way into 3rd place.
After months of intense recovery, here’s what the team had to say.
Tom: “Perfecting the dance of death is the only way to survive Nine Sols. A souls-like who’s combat is inspired heavily by the parry master Sekiro, it’s not for the feint of heart. Luckily the heart is strengthened to perseverer by a truly unique presentation.”
Shaun: “Nine Sols is hard. Very hard. Playing like a mix of Sekiro and Hollow Knight, its punishing combat leans heavily on parrying and deflection. Did I have to drop the game down to story mode to beat the game? Not telling. It also goes hard visually, with a hyper-stylised Tao-punk aesthetic that felt like a graphic novel come to life.”
Read our full review here: Review | Nine Sols ‘A Journey I Won’t Soon Forget’ (PC)
2. Neva
This heartfelt journey touched many of us here at Quest Daily. It’s managed to tie for second place in our top indie games of 2024.
After wiping their tears away, here’s what the team had to say.
Dan: “From the creators of the indie classic Gris, Neva was an emotional rollercoaster. This is easily one of the most stunning games I’ve experienced. I happily guided Alba and her wolf companion Neva through many platforming challenges, puzzles, and battles against the corruption to restore this world to its former beauty.”
Tom: “Neva is gaming as art. Alba and Neva’s journey to reform a fractured, dying world transcends boundaries. It’s emotional claws are embedded deep from the beginning, fangs at the ready to strike. To put it plainly, it’s unforgettable.”
Read our full review here: Review | Neva ‘Transcends The Boundaries’ (PC)
2. Animal Well
This atmospheric adventure captivated the team at QD with its charming visuals and challenging puzzles. Explore this world at your own pace, unlock new abilities and take control of deadly situations. Created by solo developer Billy Basso, Animal Well ties 2nd place with Neva on our list.
Here’s what the team had to say.
Shaun: “The beautifully haunting Animal Well is a love letter to exploration, dropping you into its mysterious world and leaving you to fend for yourself. The sense of achievement and wonder of discovering a hidden area or an unexpected use for one of your toys was immensely satisfying. With its retro-inspired pixel-art, techno-atmospheric sound scape, and puzzles layered upon puzzles, the metroidvania manages to conjour up nostalgia with a completely new IP.”
Alex: “I haven’t played many Metroidvanias and Animal Well truely set the standard. Visually, it’s a psychedelic experience with a beautiful low-fi soundtrack. Playing as a little critter you will feel transported to this enchanting world full of complex puzzles and mysterious secrets.”
Read more: 5 Tips For Navigating Animal Well
1. Balatro
Our indie game of 2024 is Balatro — shock horror! Developed solo by a man known only as LocalThunk, this game captivated the gaming world. Featuring intense card-based gameplay, astronomical high scores and cruel poker blinds — we still can’t put it down.
Here’s what this pack of jokers had to say.
Rivers: “Roguelite deckbuilders are a dime a dozen, but Balatro elevates itself from the discard pile with a stacked deck of clever design choices. This game takes the bare bones of poker and deals out delightful boss challenges, mathematically tantalising gameplay modifiers and a striking yet communicative artstyle. I ain’t some joker, Balatro was indie gaming’s royal flush for 2024.”
Shaun: “When it comes to card games, I prefer blackjack over poker. So when Balatro released to critical acclaim, I initially dismissed it as ‘not for me’. Boy, was I wrong. Dozens of hours and hundreds of games later, I’m still playing it daily. The roguelite is all about enhancing your deck of cards and building a set of jokers that modify your poker hands to earn more and more points. The endorphin hit you get when those multipliers start stacking is an addictive rush!”
That’s our top indie games of 2024! You can read our Game of the Year list here: Quest Daily’s Top 5 Games of 2024.
We’d also like to give a special mention to the following titles that didn’t make the top five, but many of us fell in love with in 2024:
