Best indie games on PS5 2023: Best indie games
No console is truly complete without a thriving indie gaming scene. Since the days of Xbox 360 and PS3, these little games have been giving gamers great pleasure, often through digital stores and at lower prices.
They’re often a bit more experimental than classic AAA studio games and can have art styles or textures that make them really unique, and we love experimenting with them. PlayStation 5 has a lot to look forward to as all PS4 games will run on it too. Here are the best games available, as well as links to our other game guides if you have a different genre in mind.
What are the best indie games for PS5?
- Disco Elysium
- The Hollow Knight
- Hell
- The forgotten city
- Foreign savages
- Roadless
- Travelers
- chicory
- Sun ash
Disco Elysium
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This role-playing game (RPG) takes the genre to new heights because it fully engages with the theme, allowing you to interact not only with a range of characters and locations, but also with your own psyche in inner conversations.
You’ll play as a depressed, desperate cop trying to solve a gruesome murder, all set in a darkly realistic dystopian port city. There is a lot, but everything is brilliant.
The Hollow Knight
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Hollow Knight, a 2D side-scroller that allows you to explore a large map piece by piece while building up your power and defeating a series of challenging bosses, has evolved from the template set by Metroid and Castlevania.
It’s made by a very small team with beautiful hand drawings and an absolutely irresistible sense of tone, and we’re big fans of it. If you’re a die-hard fan, you’ll find plenty of value there too, as there’s plenty of challenging post-game content.
Hell
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Inferno is the definition of an indie lover, and there’s a reason why it has such a huge following, thanks to its clever mix of sly action and heartfelt storytelling. You’ll try to escape the Underworld by learning new tactics and using new powers each time.
As you go, you’ll be infused with a beautiful story of family and grief, with narrative beats that ensure no failed escape attempt feels like a true defeat. It’s a brilliant blend that’s sure to blow your mind.
The Forgotten City
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Another classically themed game, The Forgotten City puts you in a time loop in an ancient Roman paradise, where if even one person commits any sin, everyone dies. Your mission is to figure out why and how this happened and see if you can escape.
It’s a brilliant mystery game that will have you facing off against an evil crew and deciding who you can trust. Over time, based on evidence and uncovering multiple endings, you will of course set your own course. Your way through it.
Foreign savages
If you like mystery games, Outer Wilds and its Echoes of the Eye DLC expansion is another new classic. It’s also a brilliant game that revolves around a time loop, this time asking you to figure out why a small solar system is collapsing every time.
As you circle, you slowly combine elements, decipher ancient texts, and discover exactly what happened to ignite the tissue paper and complete the life cycle of this solar system. It is an interesting experience and we recommend that you go there with as little knowledge as possible.
Without a trace
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Pathless is a game about the joy of action, a luxurious experience. You play as a hunter sent by his people to prevent the spread of mischief in the country, and you will achieve this by taking turns to take down the giant beasts that invade the territories.
What’s special is that you move around by timing your shots with your bow, hitting targets one after the other to gain speed, and it’s very satisfying to move around this beautiful open world to find new secrets and upgrades.
call to prayer
This cute little game puts you in the shoes of a curious cat who lands in a locked robot city in the distant future and has to find a way out with the help of some of the city’s friendly citizens. The game is surprisingly beautiful considering the small team and is really charming.
With a few puzzles to solve and a pretty fast runtime, it’s a really fun little game with a lot of heart and a realistic visual flair of its own. It is also part of the catalogs of the Extra and Premium sections of PlayStation Plus as a bonus.
chicory
Chicory is a game about art and self-esteem that gives you the power of a magic brush and the responsibility to keep a charming little world colorful as the colors fade. But that’s not all, as the game delicately touches on the themes of mental health and imposter syndrome.
You’ll have the freedom to draw and make your way through cleverly designed puzzles and gain power as you go, all accompanied by a pleasant soundtrack, beautiful art and impressive writing. This is a treat for all art lovers.
Sun Ash
Like The Pathless, this game is all about action and the sensations it provides. It takes place at the end of time, when a civilization is in ruins, and you embark on an adventure to see if you can save the country from corruption by once again fighting giant monsters.
The art style of this game will be etched in our memories for years to come, and the feeling of skating through its huge environments is just perfect – plus, it’s not a very long game, so you shouldn’t feel overwhelmed. because of all this.
Disco Elysium
The best indie RPG we’ve played in years, Disco Elysium is a completely unique experience.
for
- such an inventor
- amazing post
- Great sense of style
against
This role-playing game (RPG) really takes the genre to new heights, simply because of its commitment to the theme, allowing you to interact not only with a range of characters and locations, but also with your own psyche in internal conversations.
You’ll play as a depressed, desperate cop trying to solve a gruesome murder, all set in a darkly realistic dystopian port city. There is a lot, but everything is brilliant.
hollow knight
Brilliant side hustler with beautiful tone and beautiful art.
for
- huge card
- Great fights
- So much to see
against
Hollow Knight follows the example set by Metroid and Castlevania, a 2D side-scroller that lets you explore a large map piece by piece as you power up and defeat one difficult boss after another.
It’s made by a very small team with beautiful hand drawings and an absolutely irresistible sense of tone, and we’re big fans of it. If you’re a die-hard fan, you’ll find plenty of interest here too, as there’s plenty of challenging post-game content.
Hell
Roguelike Excellence
It’s a really great roguelike that succeeds in part because of its approach to storytelling.
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- Great story
- Super well structured fights
- Infinite replayability
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- The challenge is a bit unpredictable.
The definition of an indie lover, Hades has a huge fan base for good reason, with its expert blend of villainous action and heartfelt storytelling. You’ll try to escape the Underworld by learning new tactics and using new powers each time.
As you go, you’ll be infused with a beautiful story of family and grief, with scripted beats that never make any failed escape attempt feel like a real defeat. It’s a brilliant blend that’s sure to blow your mind.
The forgotten city
An awesome and rewarding puzzle game to watch.
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- Great central story
- fun characters
- Some good puzzles to do
against
- He holds her hand a little.
Another classically themed game, The Forgotten City puts you in a time loop in an ancient Roman paradise, where if even one person commits any sin, everyone dies. Your mission is to figure out why and how this happened and see if you can escape.
It’s a brilliant mystery game that will have you facing off against an evil crew and deciding who you can trust. With time, based on evidence and uncovering multiple endings, you’re sure to make your way through this game.
Homeless
Just a game that makes the action on the map endlessly fun and satisfying.
for
- Excellent movement system
- Nice look
- Simple and fun story
against
A game about the joy of movement, The Pathless is a magnificent experience. You play as a hunter sent by his people to stop the spread of corruption throughout the country, and you will do this by taking turns killing the giant beasts that invade the zones.
What’s special is that you move around by timing your shots with your bow, hitting targets one after the other to gain speed, and it’s very satisfying to move around this beautiful open world to find new secrets and upgrades. .
As we said in our introduction, thanks to full backwards compatibility with PS4 games, there are plenty of indie games on the PS5, so you’re spoiled for choice. The following questions can help you make your choice.
What genres do you like?
The advantage of indie games is that they are rarely limited to genres, and you can find examples of games of practically any type. However, if you’re particularly into RPGs or shooters, consider this as a starting point, and you can limit yourself to a narrower range of options when browsing.
What art style do you prefer?
Indie games are often freer to express themselves visually, with graphical fidelity and realism not as important to their success. So if you like hand-drawn or cel-shaded looks, you can look for indie games that use these techniques.
Do you like short games?
Finally, we love indie games because they aren’t massive behemoths that often take weeks to complete. So it might be worth researching how long it will take you to complete a game, as you can find some great titles that will only take a few sessions to complete.
