Indie games you shouldn’t miss

Indie gaming titles do not have the same advertising budget as that of the next Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto, and as such can pass us by undeservingly unnoticed. Their high scores on a ranking site like Metacritic might pique your interest, but we can easily be swayed by the bright flashes and sounds of the trailers of their blockbuster counterparts.

It is my intention to bring some of these little gems under the spotlight, and hopefully contribute to someone’s lazy Sunday afternoon. Score indicated are from Metacritic

Botanicula – 82%

Happy is the word that immediately comes to mind when I start playing Botanicula, a game clearly inspired by the unseen microcosm of nature.

You control a ragtag group of slightly recognisable garden citizens as they try to undo an evil that has invaded their world. The creativity that has gone in bringing this world to life shines with the bright green overtone of the visuals, and the happy clappy soundtrack that punctuates key moments in the game.

I challenge anyone to not be infected with a smile while playing this game.

The Swapper – 87%

You are an astronaut sent to a space-base that seems to have long been deserted. The sole accessory given to you: a clone gun, allowing you to create a number of clones of yourself as you try to solve the puzzles that block your way to the next rooms and areas of the game.

The how and why you find yourself in this base, is all left up to you to figure out. It is this mystery that very quickly hooks its creepy claws into you and never lets go until you figure it all out. Just like a well written thriller, you keep on getting fed hints here and there, enticing you further and further along.

It is all presented in a delightfully gloomy atmosphere oozing out of the mixture of the dark palette and the plinks and clicks of the machinery that you encounter – both alien and somehow familiar at the same time. This game is best served as an evening dish with the lights turned down low.

Thomas Was Alone – 77%

How much story would you ever imagine four rectangular shapes to be able to convey? Not much … unless you introduce a capable narrator it seems.

The premise is this: you are Thomas, a lonely little piece of software AI caricatured as a rectangular shape. You find yourself questioning the very nature of what you are and what you’re supposed to do, with the single action available to you being ‘jumping’.

You very quickly meet up with more of your brethren, each with a special ability that helps complement the group, and together you set off to discover the meaning behind your simplistic existence. The narrative here takes centre stage, both the writing thereof and the voice behind it, and you find yourself playing just to hear the next part of the story. Grab yourself a cup of tea and enjoy this unexpected lovely piece of storytelling.