In a year set to see a record number of stunning AAA games published (pending COVID), it’s important that we don’t forget the smaller independent developers out there taking risks and creating unique “AA” and “A” content for us to enjoy. It was very difficult to cut down the hundreds of indie games set to arrive in 2022 to a digestible list, but here are twenty indie titles that you should consider checking out when they launch in 2022:
1. Nobody Saves The World (PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) – January 18th, 2022
A new action RPG from the makers of the highly-rated Guacamelee! games, you begin your adventure as ‘Nobody’ a pale humanoid who stumbles upon a wand that allows for shapeshifting into various forms. Each form comes with its own unique look, skills, and weaknesses that can help Nobody overcome the journey ahead. Additionally, Nobody Saves The World offers online co-op (so bring a friend!) and a multitude of procedurally generated dungeons that should help keep things fresh!
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://www.nobodysavestheworld.com/
2. Sifu (PC, PS5, PS4) – February 8th, 2022
Sifu is a stylish, beat-’em-up game with a quest for vengeance and an intriguing aging system built in and tied together through flawless, combat set pieces in what looks to be a beautifully crafted urban environment. The game will heavily emphasize learning from your mistakes to overcome difficult situations and master the kung-fu techniques that will bring you victory over what may feel like insurmountable odds. While beat-’em-up games are not generally my thing, this one looks too good to pass up.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://www.sifugame.com/
3. Tunic (PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) – March 16th, 2022
Unlike most games media publications, I don’t tend to use the ‘Souls-like’ comparison often. This is one of those rare times that I will. Don’t let the adorable fox hero mislead you, this game is going to be tough and unforgiving (if the playtest demos tell us anything). Playing similar to a classic Legend of Zelda game with Dark Souls-like difficulty, overcoming difficult scenarios and unlocking new weapons/abilities will feel extremely rewarding and very much earned in many cases. This is an indie GOTY contender in my book.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://tunicgame.com/
4. Shredders (PC, Xbox Series X|S) – March 17th, 2022
Not normally the type of game I’d feature on a list like this, but in a world full of stressful decisions and situations, Shredders seems like the perfect type of game to help players chill out (pun-intended) and relax. Shredders is meant to be a love letter to snowboarding — with a flashback to the Amped games on the original Xbox to voiceovers and in-game appearances of famous snowboarders and brands; it seems set to deliver on its promise. Tons of moves to learn, styles to master, courses to experience, and ways to go big on the slopes with friends.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://www.shreddersgame.com/
5. Weird West (PC, Xbox One, PS4) – March 31st, 2022
Weird West is a dark fantasy, action adventure RPG that reimagines the ‘Wild West’ from some of the brilliant minds behind Dishonored and Prey. Discover the world through the perspectives of different characters, moving from one journey to another and watching the world around you react to the decisions you make during your playthrough. When cowboys meet fantastical creatures, anything is possible.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://www.weirdwest.com/
6. Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch) – Early 2022
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is a sequel to award-winning, supernatural thriller Oxenfree. This time set five years after the events of the original, the player controls Riley as she returns to her hometown of Camena to investigate mysterious radio signals. Similar to the original game, Oxenfree II will be grounded by a rich story that places the player with various choices that shape his/her journey along the way.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://nightschoolstudio.com/oxenfree-ii/
7. Stray (PC, PS5, PS4) – Early 2022
Stray is an upcoming third-person adventure game which will follow the story of a stray cat trying to find its way home in a futuristic, sci-fi world populated by robots. From stealth gameplay to befriending at least one unique companion along the way, Stray looks to offer players a different, furrier perspective on life in a cybercity with a heartfelt story to boot.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://stray.game/
8. Trek to Yomi (PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4) – Spring 2022
Everyone loves a good samurai game, right? Trek to Yomi is shaping up to be just that. As a promise to his dying master, young swordsman Hiroki swore to protect his town and its people against any upcoming threats. With cinematic camera angles, dynamic combat, and what is expected to be a memorable soundtrack, Trek to Yomi could be a side-scrolling, action adventure game for the ages — both feudal and modern that is š
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://www.trektoyomi.com/
9. Loco Motive (PC, Nintendo Switch) – Summer 2022
With options between direct character control and a classic point-and-click experience, this pixelated, comedic murder mystery set onboard a 1930s express train should be quite the thriller. The player will take control of three playable characters to uncover a deadly mystery laced with puzzles to solve, suspicious passengers to meet, and shocking twists and turns as the race to prove their innocence is on.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://locomotivegame.com/
10. Somerville (PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) – 2022
Somerville is a sci-fi adventure game with deep themes of family and catastrophe and the debut title for independent studio Jumpship. With one of the studio’s co-founders, Dino Patti, previously having worked as the executive producer on award-winning titles Limbo and Inside (from Playdead), this is definitely one to look out for as a sleeper hit this year. Players will control a family on a post-apocalyptic Earth, guiding the characters through a variety of environments and encountering the story through the character’s actions and settings.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://jumpship.co.uk/
11. Card Shark (PC, Nintendo Switch) – Early 2022
Card Shark is a unique adventure game focused around cunning card-play and deceitful deals. You will move from small town pubs to luxurious lounges as you attempt to climb to the top of society in 18th-century France. Cheats are a go, but don’t get caught as your fellow gamblers will shuffle you up good as a result. All-in-all, this one could very well be worth drawing into your collection when it launches this year.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://www.cardsharkgame.com/
12. Atomic Heart (PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4) – Holiday 2022
Warning — this is a weird one. Atomic Heart is an open world, action RPG set in the height of the Soviet Union which sees the player take on the role of Major P-3, a special KGB agent who is sent to investigate a system failure at Soviet Facility No 3826. From rebelling robots to protecting classified intel, this one promises to be a thriller from start to finish. Again, this one is not for the faint of heart — some of these enemies are pure nightmare fuel.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://mundfish.com/
13. Little Devil Inside (PC, PS5, PS4) – 2022
Little Devil Inside is an action adventure RPG that throws the player into a mysterious world of humans and creatures, tasking the player to truly feel and interact with the world around them in order to not only discover, but to survive. While the game will have a main questline, the developers plan to give players plenty of reasons to veer off the beaten path and explore even more of what the world has to offer. Another potential indie game of the year contender in my book.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: http://www.neostream.com/
14. Replaced (PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) – 2022
Take on the role of an artificial intelligence trapped in a human body against its own will in this 2.5D sci-fi retro-futuristic action platformer by Sad Cat Studios. Replaced is set in an alternate version of 1980s North America flooded with corruption, greed, and cyberpunk-esque themes all tied together in a gritty pixelated adventure. This one promises a deep single player experience combining cinematic platforming with free flow combat to make it one of the most anticipated indie games coming this year.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://playreplaced.com/
15. Planet of Lana (PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) – 2022
Planet of Lana is a hand-painted puzzle adventure game that follows a young girl and her loyal friend as they embark on a rescue mission with a grand story that spans across “centuries and galaxies.” From diverse, puzzle-based challenges to tight action sequences to beautifully crafted environments, Plant of Lana looks to be an epic saga laced with discovery and survival, all while making a strong argument for videogames being an exquisite form of art.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://planetoflana.com/
16. Hollow Knight: Silksong (PC, Nintendo Switch) – 2022
The long-awaited sequel to award-winning action adventure game Hollow Knight is finally making its way to a PC and Nintendo Switch near you! In Silksong, the player will take on the role of Hornet, princess-protector of Hallownest, and journey through an unfamiliar world ruled by ‘silk and song’. With over 150 all-new foes to face, an array of varied zones to traverse, an arsenal of weapons to craft, and a stunning orchestral score tying it all together, Hollow Knight: Silksong is ready to follow in its predecessor’s footsteps — and even possibly overtake it. This is easily another potential indie GOTY contender.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://www.hollowknightsilksong.com/
17. Cult of the Lamb (PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch) – 2022
Warning — this is another weird one. Cult of the Lamb puts players in the role of a possessed lamb saved from death by a stranger and tasked with starting a cult in a land of false prophets. From venturing into mysterious lands to recruiting followers to building new structures for performing rituals to taking on hordes of enemies and fearsome bosses, this one is classified as a roguelite dungeon crawler that has a bit of everything — with a sadistic twist.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://www.cultofthelamb.com/
18. Midnight Fight Express (PC) – Summer 2022
Midnight Fight Express mixes old school brawl mechanics with fast-paced, motion-captured combat as the player fights their way across a variety of beautiful, hand-crafted environments. Win fights to level-up and unlock new cosmetics, moves, and weapons to aid you on your way across a city fully of brutality. This one won’t be easy as seemingly impossible challenges arise, but as one masters the techniques, the mountains will become hills along your journey.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://www.humblegames.com/games/midnightfightexpress/
19. Bear & Breakfast (PC, Nintendo Switch) – 2022
Ever dreamed of running a bed and breakfast? How about as a bear? Well — this is your year. Bear & Breakfast is a laid-back management adventure game where you build and run a bed and breakfast as you guessed it…a bear. The player takes on the role of Hank, an aspiring entrepreneurial bear, who along with a few friends, sets out to create a B&B to make money from unsuspecting tourists. As the game progresses the player will be diving deeper into the mysteries of the forest and hundreds of customization options, all while trying to complete quests and manage a successful business — it sounds like a lot, but it won’t be unbearable. Don’t hibernate on this one, folks!
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://www.bear.game/
20. Sea of Stars (PC, Nintendo Switch) – Holiday 2022
Sea of Stars is a retro, turn-based RPG that tells the story of two ‘Children of the Solstice’ who have the power to perform Eclipse magic by combining the powers of the sun and moon to take on an evil alchemist, The Fleshmancer and his creations. Breaking away from the classic bound-to-the-grid movement system, Sea of Stars allows players to swim, vault, climb, and more as they navigate their way across awe-inspiring 2D pixel-art landscapes. In addition to grinding out the main questline, the player can also choose to kick back and sail, fish, play a game of ‘Wheels’ in a local tavern, and more to take a break from their journey at hand. Sea of Stars seems to be lining itself up to shoot the gap between paying homage to retro classics and making a name for itself through innovation along the way.
Trailer: YouTube
Website: https://seaofstarsgame.co/
Honorable mentions: Slime Rancher 2, Kerbal Space Program 2, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, Sons of the Forrest, Endling, Occupy Mars: The Game, Salt and Sacrifice
While not all of these games will resonate with everyone (myself included), these are twenty games (+ honorable mentions) that are at least worth your consideration. For those with limited access to gaming consoles, it is worth noting that almost all of the platform exclusivity on the games listed above is time-limited and the developers already have plans to ship to other consoles in the future. If you like our choices, disagree with our choices, or think we missed a gem in the rough — lets us know in the comments below. For more gaming news in the future, please consider adding us to your favorites and/or following us on Twitter @OTNMedia.
If you are a game developer that would like us to consider reviewing your game, please reach out via email at support@OTNmedia.org. Thanks!
*Will continue to update this list as release dates get announced.
