The Best Indie Games We've Reviewed — Handpicked and Ranked

Indie games thrive on creative risk — small teams chasing big ideas without a safety net. The titles on this list prove that vision and craft can outshine any budget. Whether you're after a deep mechanical rabbit hole or a brief, emotionally devastating experience, these reviewed gems represent the very best the indie scene has to offer right now.

1. Orb of Creation

Orb of Creation — Score 9.1/10

Orb of Creation earns its place at the top of this list through sheer ingenuity. At its heart an incremental sandbox, it wraps number-crunching progression in an intricate spellcraft system that constantly rewards curiosity. Unlike many games in the genre, it never feels like idle busywork — every decision carries genuine weight. If you have even a passing interest in theory-crafting, this one will consume you entirely.

2. DAVE THE DIVER - In the Jungle Content Pack

DAVE THE DIVER - In the Jungle Content Pack — Score 9.0/10

Dave the Diver – In the Jungle Content Pack swaps the ocean for freshwater and delivers a surprisingly meaty expansion to one of the most beloved indie hits in recent memory. Bancho's revamped menu brings fresh culinary chaos, while a new jungle village and its secrets give the story welcome new legs. It's more of what made the base game great, confidently executed and generously sized.

3. and Roger

and Roger — Score 9.0/10

And Roger is barely an hour long, but it uses every minute with surgical precision. This short narrative experience tells a story of dementia that is intimate, quietly devastating, and utterly sincere — no cheap tricks, no melodrama, just an honest portrait of love and loss. It demonstrates better than almost anything else reviewed here that games can be literature. Bring tissues.

4. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo — Score 9.0/10

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo feels like a lost Game Boy Advance classic that somehow got even better. The yoyo as a primary weapon is a wonderfully inventive conceit, enabling combat and puzzle solutions that feel genuinely fresh throughout. Beneath the charming pixel art lies Zelda-calibre dungeon design — thoughtful, layered, and brimming with ideas. A must-play for anyone who grew up on handheld action-adventures.

5. The Scroll of Taiwu : Beyond The Dome

The Scroll of Taiwu : Beyond The Dome — Score 8.7/10

The Scroll of Taiwu: Beyond The Dome is an ambitious beast — a wuxia RPG that layers martial arts mastery over a living village simulation, letting emergent stories grow organically from its interlocking systems. It demands patience and willingness to engage with dense mechanics, but those who commit are rewarded with a world that feels genuinely alive. Few indie RPGs offer this level of systemic depth.

6. Cursed Words: The Word Game That Isn't

Cursed Words: The Word Game That Isn't — Score 8.7/10

Cursed Words: The Word Game That Isn't lures you in with Boggle-style letter grids and then promptly goes completely unhinged. Stickers, stamps, and roguelike synergies transform what could have been a pleasant word puzzle into something delightfully chaotic and deeply replayable. It's the rare game that manages to be simultaneously accessible and mechanically surprising. Word game fans and roguelike veterans alike will find plenty to love.

7. Berry Bury Berry

Berry Bury Berry — Score 8.6/10

Berry Bury Berry commits fully to its surreal premise and is all the better for it. The loop of farming berries and burying them sounds absurd on paper, but in practice it generates a strangely hypnotic rhythm that is hard to put down. Its offbeat humour and odd visual identity give it a personality that few farming games dare to develop. If you want something cosy but decidedly weird, this is your game.

8. Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library!

Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library! — Score 8.5/10

Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library! rounds out this list with a generous helping of charm. Sorting enchanted books sounds modest, but the game wraps its tidying loop in just enough magical mystery to keep things consistently engaging. The cosy atmosphere is impeccably crafted, making it the perfect palate cleanser after something heavier. Sometimes the best indie games are simply the ones that know exactly what they want to be.

What unites every game on this list is a clarity of purpose — each one knows what it wants to say and how it wants to say it. That conviction, more than any budget or technology, is what makes indie games worth celebrating.