Jonah

Making games sometimes


IndieGamesOfCohost
@IndieGamesOfCohost

It's that time of year again. December, the year of reflection, ranking, and shouting from the rooftops about our favorite games.

So it begs the question: What are your favorite indie games from 2022?

Give me your Indie Game of the Year Lists! Tag your posts with #indie goty 2022 and I'll take a look for some to share on this page throughout December.

Let's give all the great 2022 indies a shout-out. I'm sure you've played something we haven't heard of!

What counts as "indie"? Use your own discretion! Avoid big corporate publishers and massive franchise IPs as much as you can.

What counts as "2022"? Let's say anything that released between December 1st, 2021 and now, just to give more games some spotlight.

Give me your GOTY lists! Top 10, Top 5, video games, tabletop games, whatever works best for you! And share this post so we can see more people making their own lists! Let's celebrate the best of 2022.


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in reply to @IndieGamesOfCohost's post:

Here are a couple of my favorites of this year:

Sephonie is a unique take on 3D platforming, and hides the only kind of story you might now come to expect from Analgesic: https://han-tani.itch.io/sephonie

Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg by Fuzzy Ghost is a strange title and indeed a strange game, but tells a characterful and heartfelt story in its bubblegum pink, dreamlike world: https://fuzzyghost.itch.io/queer-man-peering-into-a-rock-pool-jpg

Mosaic is the best jam game of this year, and maybe the best jam game I've played. Minimalist and punchy puzzle tactics: https://zunil.itch.io/mosaic

Floppy Knights from Rose City Games is extremely satisfying deckbuilding tactics. Wonderful character designs, an upbeat and funky soundtrack, and cleverly designed missions: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1057800/Floppy_Knights/

From bigger indie publishers, my favorite of the year is certainly Norco, developed by Geography of Robots and published by Raw Fury. There's nothing else like it, and it tells one of the most affecting stories in games: https://rawfury.itch.io/norco

A duo from Fellow Traveller: Citizen Sleeper (Jump Over the Age) and Beacon Pines (Hiding Spot) tell two very different but enthralling stories and implement their mechanics around their text so cleverly: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1578650/Citizen_Sleeper & https://hidingspot.itch.io/beacon-pines

I feel that I've played too few new games to properly comment, but...

Strange Horticulture was a really good experience. Satisfying detective-ish gameplay, with some very good puzzles on top of that.

The Excavation of Hobb's Barrow was perhaps the best adventure game this year, although it's hard to choose between that and Return to Monkey Island. They're so similar, yet so different. I don't know if RtMI counts as an indie, but if it does it's on my "list" too.

Clanfolk is a pretty great colony builder. Had a ton of fun with that. Early access, so not a "complete" game right now.

Distant Worlds 2 wasn't quite what I'd hoped, but was still very enjoyable. I know the developers are still working hard on it, and honestly I trust that it will eventually be one of the greats in the 4X-genre. But I haven't actually played it since before summer, so I don't know what state it is in now.

Tunic. More than just a Zelda X Souls game where you play as a fox, it gives a neat experience through gameplay, knowledge, & much depth to get through. Pushes new & refined things in to a beloved genre. Asked a few hints on some later things but spent a lot of time with it & it was joyous. On near top list of games ever I ever played. 🦊

A thematically dissonant list of picks:

Ashes 2063. Part Metro 2033, part S.T.A.L.K.E.R., ship-of-Theseus'd from a source port of Doom 1993 and paired with a bangin' original vaporwave soundtrack, it's a phenomenal post-apocalyptic open world FPS and it does it better than a lot of big budget AAA games that have all those same adjectives.

https://www.moddb.com/mods/ashes-2063/news/ashes-2063-mod-db-launch

@everest's The Barnacle Goose Experiment, a sweet and poignant mostly text-only idle game with solid writing, a fascinating theme and a beautiful ambient indie folk soundtrack.

https://everest-pipkin.com/barnacle-goose/

Sylvie Lime, contender for "indiest game of 2022"--a cheery, very difficult Atari ST-inspired open 2D platformer with unusual action verbs and and an intensely lo-fi charm. Also adorable lesbian feelings.

https://sylvie.itch.io/sylvie-lime

Moon Rhapsody. Yes, it's an adult game, with very explicit heterosexual sex in its gameover screens (which can be disabled from the options menu if you're not into that). But it also just happens to be a solidly designed 2D survival ARPG with gorgeous environments and impeccable sprite work. Stamina is a precious resource and efficient play is rewarded--a far cry from the Zelda-like mechanics ARPGs usually take. Lots of memorable setpieces, including an endboss you are unlikely to defeat in the boss room where you encounter it, which chases you across the dungeon as you flee, destroying otherwise impenetrable barriers in its wake.

https://kosmic91.itch.io/moon-rhapsody-demo-v2

i've limited this to games that really deserve more eyeballs than they got:

"slice & dice" -- technically this dice-builder roguelike came out before last year, but the 2.0 update was such a massive change that it might as well be a completely different game. truly one of the best games i've ever played, immaculately balanced and full of surprises. my favorite mode is cursed, this game's endless mode, which gets truly unhinged at higher levels! https://tann.itch.io/slice-dice

"otteretto" -- a puzzle game that burrows deep inside your mind and doesn't let go. you'll be seeing palindrome cubes everywhere. there's a mobile version now which in my opinion is the definitive way to play. it's perfect on a touch screen. https://otteretto.app

"splatter" -- only just came out but i already love it so much, just a really funky score shooter with a fever dream 2000s internet aesthetic. (i am sorta friends with the composer, leaf let, which is great bc the soundtrack fucking rules)

also i didnt include this bc i havent played it yet but i think "impaler" is another game that deserves more attention! a retro-style arena shooter with a focus on summoning these stalagmites and impaling your enemies on them (hence the name). i only know about it because of the incredible prog-metal-through-romplers soundtrack by cat arthur, but the game itself also looks great!