Much like last year, there have been many highs and lows in the video game industry. On the one hand, it has been a real treat to see various game developers dive into their passion projects, making some incredibly creative titles, and to witness so many adventure games published by major studios. But on the other hand, the industry itself has continued its trend of massive layoffs and studio closures, and dismissing the work of the people who actually make video games a reality by pursuing generative AI. With this in mind, I feel compelled to write about smaller games, made by small development teams, all the more. Video games are something I love and care for deeply, and I feel that games of all sizes deserve to have their praises sung.
With that in mind, here are fourteen indie games that stood out to me from 2024. Four of these games are exclusively for the Playdate handheld system developed by Panic, and one title is a new edition to a game I previously covered on this blog that has received a massive overhaul. As with previous years, the games are organized based on age rating, with games intended for all ages on the top of the list, and games that are only intended for mature and adult audiences at the very bottom of the list. I genuinely hope that you’re able to discover at least one new intriguing video game here.
All Ages
A screenshot from the video game “Floralgraphic Memory” by ChaseFOX. The screenshot shows the main character, Rose, standing during a sunny day. He has various flowers in his hair and images of pink and white flowers in his eyes, his facial expression distracted and somber. He is wearing a straw hat and holding an umbrella, its silver shaft the only part currently visible, that is leaning on his right side.
Floralgraphic Memory
Developer & Publisher: ChaseFOX
Floralgraphic Memory is ChaseFOX’s newest linear visual novel and, like their previous games, they have created a vibrant, gorgeous narrative experience. Utilising digital and watercolour art, Floralgraphic Memory shows the many ways game developers can use different art forms to their advantage, and contributes to this title’s ability to resemble a living storybook. Recommended for anyone who wants a short, relaxing story that is both poignant and beautiful. Available on Steam and itch.io for Windows.
Early Adolescents
A screenshot from the video game “A Witch is Getting Married” by FeatherBoy. The screenshot takes place in a bedroom, where two women are facing each other, one in the bed wearing her sleepwear, and the other standing at the foot of the bed wearing her day clothes. Three dialogue choices are three selectable choices the player can choose: the top textbox reads “You’re all I’ve been able to think of.”, the middle textbox reads “Well, hi! It’s good to see you!”, and the bottom textbox reads “In the middle of the night?” The woman in the bed has long hair with dreadlocks, that is partially wrapped in a sleep bonnet, while the other woman has shoulder-length hair is in pigtails and is wearing an outfit associated with witches, a black pointed hat and a black dress, with a mouse sitting on the brim of her hat. Both women are smiling at each other. The scene is entirely grayscale.
A Witch is Getting Married
Developer & Publisher: FeatherBoy
A Witch is Getting Married is a short visual novel about relationships that drift apart, even if we don’t want them to. The story follows Thyme, a witch who loves spending time with her best friend, and fellow witch, Safflower. But when Safflower gets a new boyfriend, the witches end up spending considerably less time together, much to Thyme’s dismay. An emotional piece that addresses the uncomfortable, but necessary, discussion of how some relationships end due to circumstances beyond our control, with a great deal of care. Available on itch.io for the three major PC operating systems.
Content Warnings: Depictions of anxiety and complicated relationships
A moving image for the video game “After the Janazah” by yorda. The right side of the image features a woman wearing a red hijab, her eyes are closed and her expression is somber. In the bottom right corner of the image is a white Rub el Hizb that is moving. On the left and right sides of the image are textile patterns from a prayer rug, which are red and black, resembling flowers and Rub el Hizb.
yorda’s Video Games
yorda is a new developer who made their debut last year with two small, but powerful, games that left a huge impact. Focusing on interpersonal relationships, whether in times of joy or grief, and accompanied by gorgeous pixel art, yorda creates masterful vignettes that are made all the more impressive by the fact that both of their games contain less than five hundred words. I look forward to seeing what they create next. Their debut game, Circling, is available to play on a web browser (such as Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.), or as a downloadable file for the three major PC operating systems on itch.io. Their second game, After the Janazah, is also available to play on a web browser, as a downloadable file for Windows and iOS via the developer’s itch.io account, or to digitally or physically purchase as part of Indiepocalypse zine issue #56.
Content warnings: After the Janazah is about the death of a family member and going to their funeral, and also includes implied family ostracization
A screenshot from the video game “Miniatures” by Other Tales Interactive. The screenshot takes place on the shore of an island, where an obscured figure, wearing a hoodie and carrying a backpack, walks up a faint trail from the shoreline, which leads up the grassy hill and into the forest. The text on the right side of the screen reads “A small path led UP”. The figure’s kayak and paddle are docked on the sandy shore. Various rocks, trees and plants are present on the hill.
Miniatures
Developer & Publisher: Other Tales Interactive
Miniatures is a small anthology collection of four unique, unsettling narratives, each with their own distinct artstyle and atmosphere. While all of the stories are stellar, “Familiar” especially stood out to me as a game that, unintentionally, captures the anxiety and frustration of being an autistic person trying to follow the vague instructions of neurotypicals. Highly recommended to those who love creative approaches to narrative design and gorgeous visuals. Available on Steam and itch.io for the three major PC operating systems, the Nintendo Switch, and the App Store for iOS.
Content warnings: Unsettling imagery, uncomfortable and tense familial scenarios (“Familiar” & “The House of the Moon”), and implied child neglect (“The Paludarium”)
A screenshot from the video game “The Abandoned Planet” by Dexter Team Games. The screenshot takes place inside of a stone temple, which has a skylight bringing natural sunlight into the chamber. There is a statue of a bipedal figure, standing on top of a structure with a doorway. The figure is wearing red robes and has two pairs of arms. Their upper pair of arms are raised above their head while their lower pair of arms are pointing downwards from their waist; both pairs of hands have their palms pressed together in prayer. In the four corners of the screen are various green coloured icons representing the player’s abilities and actions. In the bottom left corner is an image displaying the player character, a woman with an afro who has a focused expression.
The Abandoned Planet
Developer: Dexter Team Games
Publisher: Snapbreak Games
The Abandoned Planet is a short, but in-depth, sci-fi point-and-click adventure game that is a fun experience for both longtime fans of the genre and newcomers alike. With gorgeous pixel-art environments, puzzles that are clever but never infuriating, and an impressive amount of worldbuilding, this game is an utter delight to play through. Also, while this game is technically the second entry in an interconnected game series, you don’t need to play the first game to understand The Abandoned Planet. Available on Steam for the three major PC operating systems, the App Store for iOS, and Google Play for Android. Will be released for all major consoles sometime in the near future.
Content warnings: Dead bodies of humanoid aliens in various states of decay, imagery of a post-apocalyptic event, flashing lights at various points
A picture of a Playdate handheld gaming system developed by Panic. The machine is a small yellow device with a screen on the top half, directional-pad on the bottom left, a B and A button on the bottom right, a circular menu button on the top right, and a metal crank that is docked on the right side of the device. A green-blue coloured Aqua Playdate cover has been placed on the system, the cover slightly lifted above the screen. The screen shows a scene from Lucas Pope’s video game “Mars After Midnight”, which shows a one-eyed alien peeking into a building through a rectangular metal cover. The game is entirely black and white, like all Playdate titles.
Playdate Games
In the latter half of 2023 I received my very own Playdate console, which allowed me to finally play this quirky little handheld for myself. Between the two dozen free games that came with the console for free, and its extensive Catalog full of titles developed by a vibrant community of developers, this funky little crank-wielding machine has deeply impressed me. Of the numerous games that I enjoyed playing on the system in 2024, I wanted to briefly highlight four games that were originally released during that year.
bumbleborn’s Echo: The Oracle’s Scroll is an extensive, well-detailed non-violent Metroidvania game, with three gorgeous kingdoms to explore and various platforming challenges to overcome. A deeply impressive romp, especially for a first game. Available on the Playdate Catalog and the developer’s itch.io website.
James Gameboy’s Initial Daydream is a role playing game inspired by genre classics, but with a stronger focus on humour and gameplay that doesn’t rely on leveling up, but rather what updates you choose to buy. Available on the Playdate Catalog and the developer’s itch.io website.
Lucas Pope’s Mars After Midnight has been anticipated for several years now, and I can safely say it more than delivers. A fun twist on the life sim genre, you help a quirky cast of Martians using an even odder assortment of tools. Available on the Playdate Catalog.
Gregory Kogos’ oom is, in many ways, a sequel to his first Playdate game, Omaze, but with a focus on rhythm and Metroidvania-esque exploration. A delightful examination into the type of games that can only be played with the system’s signature crank. Available on the Playdate Catalog.
Content warnings: Background character death, and discussion and depiction of fatal disease in Echo: The Oracle’s Scroll. Cartoony violence, one non-graphic puzzle with a blood-related solution, alcohol consumption and inebriation in Initial Daydream. Flashing lights appear frequently in oom and semi-frequently in Initial Daydream and Mars After Midnight. A certain degree of dexterity is required to use the crank frequently in oom and semi-frequently in Echo: The Oracle’s Scroll.
Teenagers
A screenshot from the video game “31st March, Midnight.” by Prof. Lily. The screenshot takes place in front of a workplace cubicle, with various posters placed on the walls, and a potted plant and a ceramic mug on the desk. The textbox in the middle of the screen reads: “Chair and monitor set to their optimal heights – – check. Text editor and plugins all installed and set up – – check. Playlist of chill beats to work to fully populated – – check.”
31st March, Midnight.
Developer & Publisher: Prof. Lily
31st March, Midnight. is a short, but powerful, linear visual novel examining and discussing some of the uncomfortable contradictions that come from working in the video game industry. A thoughtful game discussing topics such as media representation and the way that visual novels are perceived as jokes rather than a legitimate video game genre. Available on itch.io for Windows and macOS.
Content Warnings: Queerphobia and workplace microaggressions
Mature and Adult Audiences
A screenshot from the video game “Dead Names” by flower studio. The screenshot shows an image of a transmasculine individual, with short hair and a birthmark on the right side of their face above their lips, gazing forward, their mouth slack and eyes wide in shock. The textbox on the bottom of the screen says “An old me I didn’t recognize.” The only colours are various shades of blue and green.
Dead Names
Developer & Publisher: flower studio
Dead Names is a short, linear science fiction visual novel that tackles heavy subjects such as transphobia and how people (fail to) process grief. Despite its fantastical setting, the game does what many great sci-fi works have done before it, by providing a mirror on present issues through a glimpse into a hypothetical future. Available to play on a web browser (such as Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.), or as a downloadable file for Analogue Pocket and Game Boy ROM, through itch.io.
Content warnings: Transphobia, death and murder
A screenshot from the video game “Mechanical Relations” by gaybreast. The screenshot takes place inside the interior of a stylized spaceship, where two women are standing, the one on the left looking out the window into space, and the one on the right standing in front of a control panel. A character sprite shows the woman on the left, Marmalade, speaking. The textbox on the bottom of the screen says “Date stuff!” Marmalade has short orange hair, and is wearing a purple cap with two lighter purple ribbons trailing from the back of it, and is wearing a purple outfit. Her eyes are closed, with a slight wrinkle above her right eye, and she has an open-mouthed smile. The woman on the right has long shoulder-length purple hair and is wearing an orange and purple outfit. The only colours in the screenshot are various shades of orange and purple.
Mechanical Relations
Developer & Publisher: gaybreast
Mechanical Relations is a cute, funny, and sexy erotic video game about two girlfriends who suddenly find themselves stranded in the middle of space, but decide to make the most of their current situation. With fun dialogue, delightful character designs, and minigames that help ramp the, ahem, tension this is a delightful example of the kind of games that can be made for adult audiences. Available to play on a web browser (such as Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.), or as a downloadable file for the three major PC operating systems through itch.io.
Content Warnings: Explicit sexual content, minigames that simulate sexual foreplay, temporary loss of a limb for a robot character, flashing images, shaking images
A screenshot from the video game “Without a Voice” by L³. The screenshot takes place in the middle of a forest in the daytime, with several flowering trees in full bloom. The textbox in the center of the screen reads “The disparity between Elowen’s indifferent expression, and the biting tone of her voice, made Cassidy’s heart ache.” Under the textbox are two selectable choices the player can choose: the top textbox reads “She must have had a bad experience” and the bottom textbox reads “She must love trees.” Two women are standing, both with saddened expressions on their faces. The woman on the left has long dark-purple hair, a light skin colour, a black dress, and golden accessories that look like leaves; the woman on the right has long light-blonde hair, a dark skin colour, and an expensive looking white, red, and gold dress with two red and gold ribbons in her hair.
Without a Voice: Blooming Edition
Developer: L³
Publisher: Bellhouse (Studio Élan)
Four years after its initial release, L³’s grim fairytale inspired yuri visual novel, Without a Voice, has received a massive update, which includes voice acting, updated UI, and a new sidestory which can be accessed once all of the game’s endings have been unlocked. In addition, the Blooming Edition downloadable content, which can be accessed for free for players who have already purchased the original DLC, contains several new features including four new epilogue stories for the game’s two good endings and two of the six bad endings, as well as an in-game artbook which provides deeper insights into the game’s story, characters, art, and inspirations. Highly recommended for fans of the original visual novel, or those who love character driven sapphic fairytales, and aren’t afraid of the grimmer aspects of the genre. Digital versions of the game can be purchased on Steam and itch.io, while the physical edition can be purchased through the webstore of the game’s publisher, Studio Élan. Without a Voice is playable on the three major PC operating systems.
Content warnings: Death and gore, cannibalism in one of the bad endings, homophobia, one-sided incestuous desire, toxic codependency
Image Sources: All images of these video games belong to their respective developers. Playdate image from Playdate’s Media Kit. Creators are free to contact me if they wish to have an entry discussing their work edited, removed, or to have any image descriptions changed for clarity.