Editor’s Note: This is the first year we have run the “Best Indie Game” award.
BEST INDIE GAME
I’ve always been a firm believer that indie games are the heart and soul of gaming. Low budget gaming fanatics create their own work to tell their own story. While indie games are almost always great, there can only be one best. Here are the nominees for best Indie Game
Salt and Sanctuary
NA Release Date: March 15, 2016
Platform(s): Steam, PlayStation 4
If you love Dark Souls then this is the game for you. An unforgivable, yet rewarding game filled with plenty of great visuals, music, and brutal, but memorable enemies. This is an unbelievably great game, made only better when you realize this was made by a team of only two people.
Pharaoh Rebirth+
NA Release Date: March 17, 2016
Platform(s):Steam
A Metroidvania style game where you play as a…rabbit? Indeed, you play as a treasure-hunting rabbit on a quest to find the 7 Holy Grails of Egypt, in order not to be killed by an ancient curse. The bosses are outlandish but are also very challenging. It really is hard to find anything to dislike here.
DubWars
NA Release Date: July 19, 2016
Platform(s): Steam
DubWars is a Dubstep/EDM rhythm game under the guise of a top-down shooter. In it, you try to survive against waves of enemies, with only the power of music by your side. The clever gimmick here is that you only fire when the beat from the music dictates, so there is a level of planning and reaction there as well. It’s a really unique concept that works in every sense of the word.
VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
NA Release Date: June 21, 2016
Platform(s): Steam
This game is a Visual Novel/Simulation Game hybrid set in a cyberpunk world. Each character is unique and has at least one interesting draw that makes you want to learn more about them, and every character in the game has their own story. The gameplay is also very fun, in that you make drinks for the people who come in. The only problem is that they sometimes are either very vague or tell you the “wrong” drink. There’s a lot of careful planning that goes into what you need to do.
Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus
NA Release Date: March 29, 2016
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Steam, Wii U
A sequel to Finding Teddy, this game is a 2D puzzle-platforming game in which you attempt to help a king protect his kingdom. What makes this game unique is that there is almost no English explanation for what is going on. Instead, you have a Musicom that helps you decipher the runic hieroglyphs that are everywhere throughout the game. This game truly is a unique and different experience.
AND THE WINNER IS…
VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
To anyone who’s played this game, this should come as no surprise. It’s clear that the stories were all well thought out and came from the heart, as they were all very personal and emotionally driven. Not only that, but the gameplay is also really complex. Instead of making them the drink they ask for, you may have to make them a stronger drink or whatever else the game may call for. You have to look through the hints in their dialogue to get different dialogue or even branch off into another ending path. This game is really fun, keeps you interested all the way through, and has a lot of replayability to it. In my mind, this is without a doubt the best indie game of 2016.
