All triple A games are takin' notes
Timeless stories, innovation
And the memories, that we're makin'"
The term "independent game", or "indie game", generally refers to a video game developed without the backing of a major publisher.
The standard way that new video games get developed, currently, is that a publisher finances a development team to create the game, and the publisher also handles things like publishing the work, promoting/publicizing it, and any intellectual property issues that might come up.
However, some games are not produced this way. Some games are created by developers on their own time and/or cost, and typically published by the developers themselves (where "publish" sometimes just means putting up a web page with a description and a download link). Such games are developed independently of major publisher backing, and thus called "independent" or "indie" games. Indie games are almost always computer games (since software development kits for video game systems can cost quite a bit), are often simpler and/or of smaller scale than typical commercial games, and have less in the way of graphical and sound assets (as there's less money available in development to make highly detailed environments, textures, and such). Of course, this doesn't reflect on quality; the actual quality of indie games ranges from embarrassingly bad to embarrassing the big houses.
Nor does "indie" necessarily imply anything about who developed the game or how it was developed. Cave Story is a labor of love wholly created by a single amateur developer over the course of five years, and its success has been largely due to fans' word-of-mouth promoting, while Bastion was created by a team of several experienced developers who split off from the prominent video game company Electronic Arts and then published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Many indie games have been released as freeware games, since the process of charging people money for the software can be a hassle and rather costly (due to transaction fees for credit cards or PayPal), and furthermore, it's easy to get people interested in your work if you offer it to them for free (and there's no shortage of people looking for free games on the internet), which is especially a good thing if you're an up-and-coming talent wanting to get recognition. Additionally, the recent rise of digital distribution services (such as Steam, most famously) has made it easier for indie developers to receive financial compensation for their work from their fans. Indie games are typically lower-priced than conventionally-developed games, and especially in comparison with so-called "AAA" ("triple-A") titles that are developed with big budgets and expected to be massive blockbuster hits. In theory, the lower budget/risk and lack of Executive Meddling for indie games also permits more creative risk taking, whereas failure or even mediocrity of a game can doom a studio tasked with making a multi-million dollar game (even in good economies, statistics of under-performing AAA studios being shuttered or undergoing large layoffs are common).note
In recent years, independent game development has been on the rise, in part due to the success of various notable indie games (most notably Cave Story and Minecraft), as well as the greater availability of digital distribution. This is aided by the rise first of laptops then of portable devices such as tablets and smartphones. The smaller games indie studios are capable of producing often run well on these lower powered devices where AAA studios are typically rereleasing their games from five or ten years ago for the same devices.
While mature titles are far from unheard of, many indie games are notable for defying the "kiddie" stigma attached to family-friendly video games and being the most popular and critically-acclaimed aversions to Rated M for Money outside of Nintendo's first-party titles. Some, such as the aforementioned Minecraft, have become Cash Cow Franchises in their own right because of their Multiple Demographic Appeal with kids and adults.
See also Doujin Soft - in Japan the term "indie" refers only to games sold commercially, while "doujin" is used to describe hobby projects that are available for free or sold only at conventions.
There are also Tabletop RPGs known as "indie games", but precisely what that means is up to debate. Almost any definition includes many games not commonly identified as "indie".
- 1001 Spikes
- 10 Second Ninja
- The 4th Wall
- 80 Days
- A Hat in Time
- A Normal Lost Phone
- An Untitled Story
- A Story About My Uncle
- Absolver
- ABZÛ
- Adventures of Pip
- Aether
- The Amnesia series
- AMY
- An Airport For Aliens Currently Run By Dogs
- Anarcute
- Anomaly: Warzone Earth
- Antichamber
- Alien Hominid
- Alphabear Two
- Alto's Adventure
- Alto's Odyssey
- Always Sometimes Monsters
- Anatomy
- ANNO: Mutationem
- Antonblast
- Ape Out
- Aquaria
- Ares
- Armello
- The Artful Escape
- Chzo Mythos
- The Ascent
- Ashen
- Autonauts
- Awesomenauts
- Azure Striker Gunvolt
- Back To Bed
- Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning
- The Banner Saga
- Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden
- Barry Steakfries series
- Bastion
- BattleBlock Theater
- Battle Chef Brigade
- Battle Racing Stars
- Beat Hazard
- The Beginner's Guide
- Beholder
- Bendy and the Ink Machine
- Big Bang Mini
- The Binding of Isaac
- BIT.TRIP
- Black Knight Sword
- Blade Kitten
- Blade Strangers
- Bleed
- The Bloodstained series
- Bomb Chicken
- Bomber Crew
- Bonesaw: The Game
- Botanicula
- Braid
- Brawlhalla
- Breath of Death VII
- Broforce
- Broken Age
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- Bunny Must Die
- Canabalt
- Card Shark
- Cart Life
- Carrion
- Castle Crashers
- Cat Girl Without Salad
- The Cave
- Cave Story
- Celeste
- Charlie Murder
- Chipmonk
- Chuchel
- Clean Asia
- Clockwork Calamity In Mushroom World
- Cloud
- Cloudberry Kingdom
- Clustertruck
- Coil
- Colossatron: Massive World Threat
- Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley
- Constant C
- Contrast
- Cook, Serve, Delicious!
- Costume Quest
- CounterSpy
- Craz'd!
- Creepy Castle
- CrossCode
- Crossing Souls
- Crossy Road
- Crypt Of The Necrodancer
- Cthulhu Saves the World
- Cult of the Lamb
- Cuphead
- Cyber Shadow
- Dandara
- Dark Train
- Darkest Dungeon
- Darwinia
- Deadburg
- Dead Cells
- Deadlight
- Dead Nation
- Dead Pixels
- Dear Esther
- Death's Door
- Death's Gambit
- DEFCON
- Defense Grid: The Awakening
- Dementium: The Ward
- Depression Quest
- Devil Daggers
- Devolver Bootleg
- Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor
- Dicey Dungeons
- Disc Jam
- Discover My Body
- Disc Room
- The Dishwasher
- Divekick
- DLC Quest
- Dofus
- Doom And Destiny
- Don't Look Back
- Don't Starve
- Donut County
- Downwell
- Dragon Fantasy
- Dread X Collection
- Dropsy
- Duck Game
- Duck Season
- Due Process
- DUSK
- Dust: An Elysian Tail
- Dustforce
- Dwarf Fortress
- Edge
- Eets Munchies
- The End Is Nigh
- Enter the Gungeon
- Escaped Chasm
- Escape Goat
- Event[0]
- Eversion
- The Everybody Edits series
- Every Day The Same Dream
- Every Extend
- Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
- Everything
- Evoland
- Explodemon
- The EXTRAPOWER series
- FAITH: The Unholy Trinity
- The Fall
- Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
- Fancy Pants Adventures
- FTL: Faster Than Light
- Fatum Betula
- Fe
- Fez
- Fight Knight
- The Final Station
- Firewatch
- A Fistful Of Gun
- Five Nights at Freddy's
- The Flame in the Flood
- Flappy Bird
- Flinthook
- Florence
- flOw
- Flower
- Fluidity
- For the King
- Foul Play (2013)
- Framed
- Freedom Planet
- From Dust
- Frozen Synapse
- Fruit Ninja
- Furi
- Garden Gnome Carnage
- Gato Roboto
- Geneticognito
- Genital Jousting
- Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
- Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams
- Gish
- Goat Simulator
- Gods Will Be Watching
- Golden Light
- Golf With Your Friends
- Gone Home
- Gorn: Visceral Reality
- Gorogoa
- Graveyard Keeper
- Grey Matter
- Groundhog Day: Like Father, Like Son
- Griftlands
- GRIS
- Guacamelee!
- Gundemonium Series
- Gunpoint
- The Gunstringer
- Gylt
- Half-Minute Hero
- Happy Game
- Happy's Humble Burger Farm
- Happy Wars
- Hargrave
- Haven
- Headlander
- Heave Ho
- Heavy Bullets
- Hello Neighbor
- Hello Puppets!
- Hellpoint
- Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit
- Her Story
- The Hex
- High Hell
- Hollow Knight
- Hotline Miami
- Hover: Revolt of Gamers
- How To Survive
- Hue
- Human: Fall Flat
- Huntdown
- Hyper Light Drifter
- Hypnospace Outlaw
- I Am Bread
- I Am Dead
- I Wanna Be the Guy
- Iji
- Illusion Lands
- I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1NIT!!!1
- Immortal Defense
- Indie Brawl
- Indie Pogo
- Indivisible
- Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
- Inscryption
- INSIDE (2016)
- The Invisible Hours
- Invisible, Inc.
- Iron Brigade
- Jazzpunk
- Joe Danger
- Journey
- Just Die Already
- Just Shapes & Beats
- Katana ZERO
- Kentucky Route Zero
- Kill It with Fire
- Kingsway
- Klaus
- Knytt Stories
- Kyle Is Famous
- La-Mulana
- The Last Night
- Last Stop
- Lawn Moving Simulator
- Layers of Fear
- Lifeline
- Liero
- Limbo (2010)
- The Lion's Song
- LIT (2009)
- Little Nightmares
- The Legend of el Lobodestroyo Vs. la Liga de los Villanos
- LocoCycle
- Lone Survivor
- Loop Hero
- Luftrausers
- Lugaru
- Lumino City
- Lyle in Cube Sector
- Machinarium
- Manual Samuel
- Marble Knights
- Mark of the Ninja
- Maquette
- The Maw
- Meadow
- Mercenary Kings
- The Messenger (2018)
- Mew-Genics
- Mighty Flip Champs!
- Mighty Jill Off
- Mighty No. 9
- Mina the Hollower
- Minecraft
- Mini Metro
- Minit
- Minubeat
- Misshapen
- MO: Astray
- Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine
- Monday Night Combat
- Mondo Medicals
- Monument Valley
- Moon Chronicles
- Moon Diver
- Mother Russia Bleeds
- Mr. Shifty
- Mutant Mudds
- Mute Crimson
- My Friend Pedro
- Mystik Belle
- Narita Boy
- Nefarious
- Neon White
- Never Alone
- The Next Penelope
- Nidhogg
- Night in the Woods
- Nikujin
- Nin²-Jump
- Noby Noby Boy
- Noitu Love
- No Man's Sky
- No Time to Explain
- Norrland
- Northgard
- Not a Hero
- Not for Broadcast
- Not the Robots
- Nuclear Throne
- Oblitus
- Observation
- >OBSERVER_
- Obusite
- Octodad
- Offworld Trading Company
- Olli Olli
- OmniBus (2016)
- OMORI
- Ooblets
- Orc Attack: Flatulent Rebellion
- Orcs Must Die!
- Order Up!
- Orwell
- Osada
- An Outcry
- Out There
- Outer Wilds
- Overcooked!
- Oxenfree
- Oxygen Not Included
- Papers, Please
- Papo & Yo
- Paprium
- Paradise Killer
- Party Hard
- The Pathless
- Pathologic
- Penny Arcade Adventures
- Phoenotopia : Awakening
- PIGSAW
- Pikuniku
- Pillars of Eternity
- Pinstripe
- Pit People
- The Pixel Junk series
- Pony Island
- Pool Panic
- PopSlinger
- Prismatic Solid
- Prison Architect
- Project Zomboid
- Protect Me Knight
- Prodeus
- Proteus
- Psychosomnium
- Punch Club
- Pyre
- Quantum Conundrum
- Q.U.B.E.
- QWOP
- Rain World
- Raskulls
- Read Only Memories
- Redout
- The Red Strings Club
- Reigns
- Retro City Rampage
- Return Of The Obra Dinn
- RiME
- Rivals of Aether
- River City Girls
- Rochard
- Rock of Ages
- Road Redemption
- RONIN (2015)
- RUINER
- RUMU
- Runbow
- Samorost
- Sanctum
- Sayonara Wild Hearts
- Scanner Sombre
- Seiklus
- Sequence
- Serial Cleaner
- Serious Sam
- The Sexy Brutale
- Shadow Warrior (2013)
- Shakedown: Hawaii
- Shank
- Shantae
- Shatter
- Shelter
- Shoot Many Robots
- Shovel Knight
- Shütshimi
- Sigma Star Saga
- Skullgirls
- Sky
- Slender: The Arrival
- Sludge Life
- Smashroom
- Solar Ash
- Söldner-X
- SOMA
- Soulcaster
- Speed Runners
- Spelunky
- Spewer
- 'Splosion Man
- Spoiler Alert
- Stacking
- The Stanley Parable
- Stardew Valley
- Stealth Bastard
- Steambirds
- The SteamWorld series
- Stories Untold
- Strafe
- Strange Adventures In Infinite Space
- Streets of Rogue
- Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People
- Sub Rosa (FPS Game)
- Sundered
- Super Amazing Wagon Adventure
- Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
- Super Gear Quest
- Super Hexagon
- Superhot
- Super Indie Karts
- Super Meat Boy
- Super Time Force
- The Swapper
- The Swindle
- The Swords of Ditto
- Tacoma
- The Talos Principle
- Tamashii
- Tattletail
- Techno Kitten Adventure
- Telling Lies
- Terraria
- tERRORbane
- Teslagrad
- Them's Fightin' Herds
- There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension
- They Bleed Pixels
- They Breathe
- Thomas Was Alone
- Thumper
- Time Fcuk
- Tiny Heist
- Titan Souls
- To the Moon
- Torment: Tides of Numenera
- Touhou Project
- Transformice
- Transistor
- Triachnid
- Trine
- Twelve Minutes
- Two Brothers
- Type:Rider
- Uplink
- Undead Darlings
- Undertale
- The Unfinished Swan
- The Upturned
- Uurnog
- The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
- Venture Kid
- Vitamin Connection
- Volgarr The Viking
- VVVVVV
- This War of Mine
- Warp
- Wattam
- We Happy Few
- Weedcraft Inc
- Weird West
- Westerado
- What the Golf?
- What Remains of Edith Finch
- Wheels Of Destruction
- White Night
- Windosill
- The Witness
- Wonderland Adventures
- World of Goo
- World of Horror
- World to the West
- Xeodrifter
- Year Walk
- YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG
- Yooka-Laylee
- Yume Nikki
- Yuppie Psycho
- Zombie Driver
- Adult Swim Games
- Amanita Design
- Annapurna Interactive
- Badland
- The Behemoth
- Jonathan Blow
- cactus
- Capybara Games
- Terry Cavanagh
- Choice Provisions (formerly Gaijin Games)
- Chucklefish
- Climax Group
- Curve Games
- Daniel Mullins Games
- Dear Villagers (formerly Playdius)
- Devolver Digital
- Dot Emu
- Double Fine
- Drinkbox Studios
- Finji
- Phil Fish
- Toby Fox
- Fullbright
- Galaxytrail
- Giant Sparrow
- Halfbrick Studios
- Heart Machine
- Inti Creates
- Introversion Software
- Klei Entertainment
- Lab Zero Games
- Edmund McMillen
- Team Meat
- Motion Twin
- Nicalis
- Nitrome
- Paradox Interactive
- Playdead
- Lucas Pope
- Rain Games
- Raw Fury
- Renegade Kid
- Team 17
- Team Cherry
- Tequila Works
- thatgamecompany
- tinyBuild
- Twisted Pixel
- Vlambeer
- WayForward Technologies
- Davey Wreden
- Yacht Club Games