I sent an ask to thegamingmuse to the effect that it was strange to me that someone who cares so much about issues of representation and social justice in games never plays indie games, where those issues are typically explored much better and much deeper. I offered to give hir a list of games to try. Hir response was this:
I’d love a list! And as I’ve said, it’s mostly been an issue of availability that’s kept me from playing indie games. I have a very limited reserve of gaming money and I have to save it up to buy anything, and often I only buy things I’m absolutely sure I’ll like, like the next game in a series I’ve already played.
But my birthday’s around the corner, so maybe I’ll get some extra money and try out some indie titles.
First, I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone cite low funds as a reason for sticking exclusively to AAA titles. That’s like citing starvation as the reason you’re throwing away all your food. You can often buy three or four indie games for the price of a AAA title. Secondly, only playing sequels to established franchises means you are missing out on so much of what gaming has to offer. If you want to make games your life as you say, I cannot strongly enough recommend branching out. With that in mind, here is a short list of indie games worth trying:
- Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
- The Binding of Isaac
- And Yet it Moves
- Dear Esther
- Terraria
- VVVVVV
- Limbo
- Home
- Braid (I didn’t like it, but most people do)
- Hide
- Traitor
- Dys4ia
- Fixation
- Mainichi
- Passage
- Looming
- is it time?
- Sequester
- Unmanned
- Don’t Look Back
- The Cat and the Coup
- The Company of Myself
- Every Day the Same Dream
