GamesRoguelikeFrom Balatro to Animal Well, here’s the best indie games of 2024When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRoguelikeFrom Balatro to Animal Well, here’s the best indie games of 2024When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Balatro)
After a stellar showing last year, the best indie games of 2024 have only continued the trend: some of the most interesting and creative work in gaming is coming from small teams with tiny price tags. With a wonderful spread of genres across the board, there’s been something for everyone, from artsy puzzlers to slapstick comedies to deviously addictive roguelikes. The indie game space continues to be a powerhouse of innovation and expression – so don’t overlook these important games.
If you’ve had your eye purely locked on this year’s big blockbusters, this list should help you find indie gems that may have slipped through the cracks. So good are most of these releases, that there’s plenty of crossover with our fullbest games of 2024picks! For those who keep up with ourIndie Spotlightinitiative you’ll also see some familiar faces. After all, the picks below are the ones that have captivated us throughout the year and kept the conversation flowing throughout that whole time. We’ve played a hell of a lot of amazing indies this year, making this one of the hardest lists for us to assemble, but after someheateddiscussion, we’ve chosen a top five. So, please join us in celebrating our picks for the best indie games of 2024.
5. Thank Goodness You’re Here
(Image credit: Coal Supper)
Developer:Coal SupperPlatform(s):PC, PS5, PS4, Switch
Comedyslapformer Thank Goodness You’re Here may be the funniest game of 2024. Playing as a teeny tiny salesman, you’ve traveled to the fictional town of Barnsworth for a meeting with the mayor but decide to have a nice romp around the town and help the locals with their problems. This unassuming Yorkshire town becomes the perfect stage for an absurdist comedy where grocers are engaged in fruit-based warfare with their customers, one chap has his arm trapped down a drain grate, Big Ron the pie maker has run out of ingredients, and Matt Berry’s having a barney with a garden mole – andyou’rethe only one who can help them all. The Yorkshirisms and Northern charm are out in full force in this love letter to British comedy. Thank Goodness You’re Here is hilarious, absurd, and a fantastic debut from Coal Supper.
Learn more in ourThank Goodness You’re Here spotlightwhere we said it shows “the side of England you won’t get from Downton Abbey”
4. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
(Image credit: Annapurna Interactive)
Developer:SimogoPlatform(s):PC, P55, PS4, Switch
With a stylish noir design stuffed to the brim with captivating puzzle designs, all wrapped up with an intriguing and mysterious storyline, once Lorelei and the Laser Eyes has its hooks in you, you won’t be able to break free. Invited to the Letztes Jahr Hotel, a sprawling building with endless rooms and impossible architecture, everywhere you explore is home to strange and interconnected puzzles that tease out the larger narrative. Keypads with odd symbols, math problems, wordplay, riddles, hidden symbols, cipher decoding, the moon phases during one week in 1846 – you’re bombarded with information at a rapid pace, and untangling this web of information as you head deeper into the jaws of the hotel is wholly satisfying as it all feels important and relevant. Keep a notebook to hand! A haunted house ride meets puzzle box, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a compelling and enthralling puzzle adventure.
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Learn more in ourLorelei and the Laser Eyes reviewwhere we called it “totally engrossing” and “effortlessly stylish”
3. Tactical Breach Wizards
(Image credit: Suspicious Developments)
Developer:Suspicious DevelopmentsPlatform(s):PC
Tactical Breach Wizards isn’t just about wizards with guns – it also manages to be a deep strategy game that’s able to carefully onboard those who often find the genre intimidating. In this world, spellcasters have replaced staffs with modern-day tactical gear, and must take on similarly supernatural enforcers. There’s a focus on puzzle solving challenges here rather than brute force, as you’re encouraged to use your squad’s magical abilities to reach peak room clearing efficiency. Fiddling with different combinations of moves until you’re happy with the plan is all part of the fun, though booting an enemy out of a 4th-story window is still very much an option. With a genuinely captivating and funny cop drama storyline,Tactical Breach Wizards manages to put its own spin on the genre, while appealing to newcomers at the same time.
Learn more in ourTactical Breach Wizards spotlightwhere we called it “a hilarious blend of Harry Potter and Into the Breach”
2. Animal Well
(Image credit: Bigmode)
Developer:Billy BassoPlatform(s):PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch
With multiple “layers” of puzzles (as developer Billy Basso describes it), Animal Well is an enigma that’s full of “aha” moments right up until the very end. What begins as a retro-style metroidvania quickly becomes more as you come upon cryptic symbols in the background, discover new uses for items that were always possible, and learn new ways to approach rooms you’ve already navigated. Spelunking through an ancient, underground cavern solving devious platforming puzzle rooms, and surviving deadly encounters with the cave’s unwelcoming animal dwellers (often rendered in an almost creepily realistic style), Animal Well always rewards really taking in the details of every screen, and pushes you to dismantle it a little more at every turn. Simply hitting credits for the first time is satisfying enough, but for those looking to unpack a much bigger mystery, Animal Well becomes a true must-play.
Learn more in ourAnimal Well reviewwhere we called it “an endlessly inventive Metroidvania with unfathomable depth”
1. Balatro
(Image credit: Playstack)
Developer:LocalThunkPlatform(s):PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Switch, Mobile
Learn more in ourBalatro mobile Now Playingwhere we said that “chasing new ideas as you stumble upon new cogs for your great big scoring machine is all part of the fun”
What’s next on the horizon? Check out ourupcoming indie gameslist to add new favorites to your calendar!
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More about roguelikeI didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tastyUnhinged outtakes from live-action Balatro trailer reveal we could have seen Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr gobble down a banana too many waysLatestThe 33 greatest post-credits scenesSee more latest►
More about roguelikeI didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tastyUnhinged outtakes from live-action Balatro trailer reveal we could have seen Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr gobble down a banana too many waysLatestThe 33 greatest post-credits scenesSee more latest►
More about roguelikeI didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tastyUnhinged outtakes from live-action Balatro trailer reveal we could have seen Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr gobble down a banana too many ways
More about roguelike
I didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tastyUnhinged outtakes from live-action Balatro trailer reveal we could have seen Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr gobble down a banana too many ways
I didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tasty
I didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tasty
Unhinged outtakes from live-action Balatro trailer reveal we could have seen Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr gobble down a banana too many ways
Unhinged outtakes from live-action Balatro trailer reveal we could have seen Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr gobble down a banana too many ways
LatestThe 33 greatest post-credits scenesSee more latest►
Latest
The 33 greatest post-credits scenes
The 33 greatest post-credits scenes
The 33 greatest post-credits scenes
See more latest►
Most PopularTeam Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changesForget AAA: this year, all I wanted to do was optimize my conveyor belts in Satisfactory
Most PopularTeam Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changesForget AAA: this year, all I wanted to do was optimize my conveyor belts in Satisfactory
Most PopularTeam Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changesForget AAA: this year, all I wanted to do was optimize my conveyor belts in Satisfactory
Most Popular
Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s past
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé
17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding”
Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over Christmas
Spy x Family season 3: Everything we know so far
One of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strength
How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future
I’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle games
The Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier”
Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes
Forget AAA: this year, all I wanted to do was optimize my conveyor belts in Satisfactory
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5
Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”