So, how about celebrating some of the best indie titles of 2021?
10. Kena: Bridge of Spirits
(Available on Epic Games, and PlayStation)
Kena: Bridge of Spirits certainly captivated both gamers and critics, being
regarded as one of the best fantasy games of 2021, even though it was the
first title developed by Ember Lab, which is very impressive by itself. The
game was launched for PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.
The player controls the titular character, Kena, a spiritual guide that
helps deceased people move from the physical world to the spiritual world
with her magical abilities.
The game was highly acclaimed, mainly for its artistic design of the world
and soundtrack, and was also praised for its gameplay, in particular, for
the inclusion of spirit helpers called Rot.
This title is considered a breath of fresh air in a market packed with AAA
games. What's intriguing is that this game looks like an AAA title even
though it is an indie, which shows how much the devs have dedicated
themselves to making this game.
9. Inscryption
(Available on Steam)
This is, absolutely, one of the best indies of 2021, if not the best.
We're talking about an innovative game called Inscryption, a turn-based
card game that mixes strategy and terror, launched only for PC.
In the game, the player is confined in a cabin, and to escape, he needs to
defeat a demon in a card game.
The game is separated into three acts. During those acts, some aspects of
the gameplay, like the shape of the deck, will change, except the basic
rules of how to play the card game, which will remain the same throughout
all the gameplay. There will also be changes in the aesthetics and how the
story is told.
The content variety in the game was immensely praised by the critics, who
also highlighted the visual style, the elements of terror, and the super
engaging lore.
8. Loop Hero
(Available on Steam and Switch)
Coming up, we have Loop Hero, another fantastic card game. Loop Hero is
an RPG that stood out among the 2021 releases, initially released in March
for PC and in December for Switch.
The game's plot occurs after the end of the world and reality itself. The
player takes over the character's role in search of rebuilding everything
and comes across other survivors who want to help or prevent him from
achieving his objectives.
You start the game in an empty scenario, and as you advance, enemies will
appear, forcing you to defend yourself by killing them. As a reward, you'll
earn landscape cards that will be used to rebuild the world and achieve
other effects.
The creative freedom that this game provides to the player was one of the
most acclaimed aspects. So did the experimentation system and the 80s
aesthetics present in this title.
7. Sable
(Available on Steam, and Xbox)
Another gem among indie releases was Sable, a relatively simple game but
very interesting.
Sable is an open-world exploration game where you control the
protagonist, Sable, who is in search of a ritualistic mask so she can
return to her nomadic clan.
This title has no combat nor history beyond what was said earlier. The
game is entirely based on puzzles, discoveries, journeys, and
customization.
The game has won over critics and gamers for its great aesthetics and for
being a very relaxing game.
6. The Artful Escape
(Available on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch)
Everyone loves platform games, and in recent months, they have had a
resurgence. The Artful Escape is an example of this, being one of the best
of its kind to be released in 2021.
This title is a 2D adventure focused on a narrative involving music, space
gods, and hallucinogens.
The psychedelic artistic style present in the game was one of the most
impressive aspects for those who played, as well as the voice cast
performance and the amazing soundtrack.
Nevertheless, we can definitely say that The Artful Escape is one of the
most beautiful games of 2021 and is, undoubtedly, worthy of all the
compliments it has received.
5. The Forgotten City
(Available on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch)
The year 2021 was spectacular for adventure RPGs, and among several titles,
one stood out: a game called The Forgotten City.
Interestingly, this game was originally a mod for Skyrim, but it became so
well known that Modern Storyteller, the studio responsible for the mod,
decided to turn it into a game.
The mod itself was so well made that it became one of the first to be
recognized by critics outside the modding community and even won
prizes.
The full game has also been acclaimed for various elements, such as the
mystery present in it and how the game encourages you to discover all the
endings. It's a game worth the acquisition.
4. Valheim
(Available on Steam)
The next game hasn't even been launched yet and already has a massive fan
base, reaching an incredible count of 500,000 simultaneous players. We are
talking about the fantastic open-world survival game, Valheim.
This game takes place in a purgatory in which dead Vikings have to prove
their dignity to ascend to Valhalla. In the beginning, the player has
nothing, but it will be possible to catch up and defeat the evil spirits of
that place with enough grinding.
Valheim is a third-person game based on crafting items and equipment for
survival. It also contains a combat system to eliminate enemies.
As was said earlier, this title hasn't been launched yet, but because of
the early access released in February, this game achieved more than five
million sales in the first month alone, thus receiving much praise from
critics. Those who have had access to the game said that it didn't fail to
impress despite being a demo version.
If you're a survival genre fan, Valheim is definitely a no-brainer.
3. Dodgeball Academia
(Available on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch)
Sports games rarely stand out as the best games of the year, but last year
was different, with Dodgeball Academia, a Brazilian game that broke this
taboo.
This title is set in a world where dodgeball is the greatest sport in the
world. You control a character who needs to train and advance in the academy
to become the greatest dodgeball champion of all time.
This game was well received by the indie community, getting positive
reviews on all platforms, especially on Nintendo Switch, where it was best
rated. By the way, he's on Xbox Game Pass.
Overall, he was praised for the fun combination of dodgeball and RPG and
also for the cartoonish aesthetics and very charismatic characters.
2. Dandy Ace
(Available on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch)
Another Brazilian game that greatly pleased its audience in 2021 was Dandy
Ace, a super stylish fantasy game inspired by Hades.
In this over-the-top game, you control a magician who needs to use his
cards to fight a rival illusionist and escape from his mirrored
prison.
Available on multiple platforms, the most acclaimed version of this game
was the PC version because of its streamer mode, but it's still fun to play
on Xbox or PlayStation as well.
Dandy Ace was highly acclaimed for its well-crafted story, high replay
factor, and great combat mechanics, being considered one of the best in the
genre in 2021.
1. Little Nightmares 2
(Available on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch)
In 2021, the Little Nightmares sequence came out, which lived up to the
expectation generated by the first title.
As with the first release of the series, Little Nightmares 2 is a
puzzle-focused platform horror game with you controlling a new character
whom the first game's protagonist accompanies.
This game received ratings as high as its predecessor. What is worth
mentioning is that many critics considered this title even better than the
first one, which is very rare to happen in the game industry.
The best points in this title are the graphics, atmosphere, sound design,
and the hook factor, which traps you in the game and makes you want to
explore more and more.
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