History of video games/Indie games
"Indie games" (short for "independent games") are independently-produced games that are created by a single person or very small team.
1999
editIn 1999 the first version of the GameMaker engine is released, and later gains popularity among indie game developers.[1][2]
2000
editA pirated English translation of RPG Maker is released by Don Miguel, introducing many to game development.[3]
2002
editRPG maker 2003 was a continuation of the RPG maker engine, and had surprising longevity, with commercial indie games still being released that were made the engine as of 2018.[4]
2004
edit2004 was a seminal year in Indie gaming history, with several high profile releases attracting attention.
N was released as a freeware browser game, and would see a number of notable followup games.[5] Alien Hominid was a browser game that was ported to PlayStation 2 and Gamecube in 2004,[6] making it an early indie game to see a port from web to console.
2004 also saw the release of one notable game engines used by a number of games, including N and Alien Hominid.
Yume Nikki
editA Japanese horror surreal 2D RPG.
Cave Story
editA Japanese 2D platformer and shooter popular on PC at the time.
2005
edit- First release of the Unity game engine.
2006
editLine Rider
editA unique flash platformer game of sorts that allowed players to draw lines which would then be traversed by a character using a physics engine. Players would often leverage Line Rider to create their own artwork,[7] some of which was enormously complex.[8]
DEFCON
editA real time simulation of Nuclear War. This game is known for it's simple yet deep mechanics, as well as it's retro vector graphics reminiscent of depictions of nuclear commands in Cold War era popular culture.
Dwarf Fortress
editLoosing is Fun!—Common phrase among Dwarf Fortress players, The New York Times Magazine[9]
A text based open world game known for it's extensive systems which lead to emergent gameplay.
2007
editI Wanna Be the Guy
editA freeware 2D Retro-styled Platformer known for it's notorious difficulty. This game artfully used level design to both increase the difficulty of the game, as well as to parody techniques commonly used by 2D platformer games in the late 1980's and early 1990's.
Jazzuo & B-Games
editIn 2007 Polish developer "Jazzuo" creates several so called "B-Games", influencing a number of notable indie developers.[10]
2008
edit- Spelunky
- Meat Boy
- OFF
- Braid
- Mighty Jill-Off
- Audiosurf
- Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden
- Castle Crashers
- World of Goo
- N+
You Have to Burn the Rope
editA flash 2D platformer known for it's exceptional simplicity and briefness.
2009
edit- Machinarium
AaAaAA!!! – A Reckless Disregard for Gravity
editA base jumping game between high rise buildings.
Canabalt
editAmong the first popular endless runner games. It's aesthetic qualities were well received, leading to the game being featured at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Angry Birds
editAn touchscreen physics puzzler hit on early iOS and Android mobile devices, which lead to an extended franchise.
Bit.Trip Beat
editA Wii-ware arcade style music game that found widespread popularity, launching ports to other platforms and a series of successor games.
I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1
editAn action shooter that proved to be among the most popular indie games available on the Xbox Live Arcade.
2010
editUnity Asset Store
editIn 2010 Unity launches their asset store, making it easier for indie developers to find assets for use in their games.[11] As the decade progresses, other engines follow suit, such as the release of the Unreal Engine Marketplace in 2018.[12]
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
editA popular melding of adventure and survival horror game genres, and commonly considered among the best horror games of the era.
Fruit Ninja
editA mobile game focused on using a touch screen to cut fruit and build combos, while avoiding slicing bombs.
Octodad
editA freeware physics game focused on maneuvering an octopus man character through a 3D environment with unconventional controls.
Super Meat Boy
editA 2D platformer known for both its difficulty, and its ability to quickly retry levels.
VVVVVV
editA 2D platformer hallmarked by replacing jumping with inverting gravity and it's Atari 2600 style aesthetics.
Cart Life
editA simulation game focused on the challenges of being a street vendor.
-
A screenshot from Cart Life, showing the art style of the game.
-
Another screenshot from Cart Life.
2011
edit- Terraria
- Bastion
- The Binding of Isaac
- Dungeons of Dredmor
- The Stanley Parable
- Hatoful Boyfriend
- Jetpack Joyride
- Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
Kerbal Space Program
editA 3D space action game featuring the green aliens.
To the Moon
editA 2D RPG without battle mechanics known for it's plot revolving around the concept of memory.
2012
edit- GameMaker Studio
- Dust: An Elysian Tail
- Frog Fractions
- Fez
- FTL: Faster Than Light
- Hotline Miami
- Mark of the Ninja
- Plague Inc.
- Slender: The Eight Pages
- Skullgirls
- Thomas Was Alone
Mari0
editA notable fanmade mashup of Super Mario Bros and Portal.
2013
edit- Antichamber
- BattleBlock Theater
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- Don't Starve
- Cookie Clicker
- Gone Home
- Papers, Please
- Risk of Rain
Bubsy 3D: Bubsy Visits the James Turrell Retrospective
editAn unofficial fangame of Bubsy 3D, posted online when the domain name for the original game expired.
The game was set in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art during an exhibition of the postmodern work of James Turrell. The game itself delves into strange scenes, perhaps in a postmodern exploration of its own.
2014
edit- Five Nights at Freddy's
- Shovel Knight
- 2048
- Lisa: The Painful
Lethal League
editA 2D fighting game centered around successfully passing a ball back and forth between players.
Freedom Planet
editA 2D platformer made in the style of 2D Sonic the Hedgehog games.
Nidhogg
editA 2D sword fighting game known for it's balance and 1980's inspired visuals.
-
A trailer for Nidhogg, both showing gameplay and a common indie marketing technique of the time.
-
A gameplay screenshot of Nidhogg.
-
An arcade stick for Nidhogg.
Transistor
editReleased in 2014, the game Transistor is known for many of its qualities, particularly its unique art direction. While working on Transistor, game artist Jen Zee took inspiration from the Art Nouveau style, as well as the work of 19th century Austrian artist Gustav Klimt.[13][14] The game is also well known for its less direct storytelling methods, as well as it's unique hybrid real time and turn based action system which leads to interesting strategic choices for the player.[15]
Game Engines
editUnreal Engine 4 is released in 2014, offering a number of improvements.
The Godot and Xenko (now Stride) game engines are open sourced.
2015
editUnreal Engine 4 goes gratis
edit- Unreal Engine 4 eliminates subscription fees,[16] making it more accessible to indie developers.
Games
edit- Undertale
- Axiom Verge
- 2064: Read Only Memories
- Crypt of the NecroDancer
- Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Soma
Nuclear Throne
editA top down 2D shooter known for it's difficult bullet-hell style gameplay.
2016
edit- Furi
- Tattletail
- Job Simulator
- No Man's Sky
- Owlboy
- Salt and Sanctuary
- The Witness
- Rec Room
- Stardew Valley
- Starbound
- Superhot
VA-11 Hall-A
editA mix of bartender simulation and visual novel created by a team in Venezuela.
2017
edit- Cuphead
- Bendy and the Ink Machine
- Hollow Knight
- Doki Doki Literature Club!
- A Hat in Time
- Hello Neighbor
- Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
- Night in the Woods
- Yooka-Laylee
- Pyre
-
Gameplay of Getting over it with Bennet Foddy
-
Heart Machine, developers of Hyperlight Drifter, at GDC 2017.
2018
edit- Celeste
- Baldi's Basics
- CrossCode
- Dead Cells
- Donut County
- Gris
- Into the Breach
- Hades
-
Night in the Woods dev team at the 2018 IGF.
-
Gameplay of Celeste
2019
edit- Baba Is You
- Beat Saber
- Outer Wilds
- Untitled Goose Game
- Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
2020
edit- Omori
Friday Night Funkin'
editFriday Night Funkin' was developed for the Ludum Dare game jam.[17] Some news outlets noted the similarities of Friday Night Funkin' to the sorts of games which were based on Adobe Flash.[18] It's important to note that there was an increased interest in Adobe Flash games,[19] as the time of this game's launch corresponded with the discontinuation of Flash. Notably the game was open source[20] which attracted modders to the game.[18] At the time of release, it was somewhat unusual for original indie titles to launch under an open source license.
2021
editPoppy Playtime
editis a horror game developed and published by american independent developer MOB Games. The player takes the role of a former employee of toy-making company Playtime Co., who revisits its abandoned toy factory 10 years after its staff's disappearance. The player navigates through a first-person perspective and must solve puzzles, some requiring a gadget named the GrabPack, to progress while avoiding various enemies. first game chapter is released on October 13, 2021, The second chapter is released on May 5, 2022 and the third chapter is released on January 30, 2024.
2022
editCult of the Lamb
editis a single-player construction and management simulation, rogue-like action-adventure game developed by indie developer Massive Monster and published by Devolver Digital. The game was released on 11 August 2022 for macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game follows a possessed lamb who is saved from death by a god-like stranger named "The One Who Waits", and must repay their debt by creating a loyal following in its name.
2023
editPizza Tower
editPizza Tower is a 2023 platform game created by the indie developer Tour De Pizza. It follows a pizza chef, Peppino Spaghetti, who must scale a tower to prevent the destruction of his pizzeria. Across 20 side-scrolling levels, the player increases their score by gathering collectibles and defeating enemies to build combos. At the end of each level, they activate an escape sequence and must return to the beginning within a time limit. Pizza Tower does not feature health or lives, and its difficulty depends on what the player chooses to achieve.
2024
editIndigo Park
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Ten Years of Game Maker 1999-2009". 14 November 2009. https://gamemakerblog.com/2009/11/15/ten-years-of-game-maker-1999-2009/.
- ↑ "GameMaker Studio creators look back at 17 years of development". VentureBeat. 4 September 2017. https://venturebeat.com/2017/09/03/gamemaker-studio-creators-look-back-at-17-years-of-development/.
- ↑ Zavarise, Giada (11 October 2017). "The secret history of underdog game engine RPG Maker and how it got its bad reputation". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/the-secret-history-of-underdog-game-engine-rpg-maker-and-how-it-got-its-bad-reputation/.
- ↑ Zavarise, Giada (1 September 2018). "Are RPG Maker games as bad as people think?" (in en). Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-09-01-are-rpg-maker-games-as-bad-as-people-think.
- ↑ "Toronto developers create 2,360-level video game they hope will last a lifetime CBC News". CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/n-the-perfect-video-game-that-took-10-years-to-complete-1.3179232.
- ↑ "Alien Hominid Invades Retail Stores; Critics Are Raving About This Bigger, Badder Console Version of the Cult Game Now Available from O-3 Entertainment and The Behemoth" (in en). www.businesswire.com. 18 November 2004. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20041118005596/en/Alien-Hominid-Invades-Retail-Stores-Critics-Are-Raving-About-This-Bigger-Badder-Console-Version-of-the-Cult-Game-Now-Available-from-O-3-Entertainment-and-The-Behemoth.
- ↑ "Crazy for Line Rider". Pogue’s Posts Blog. 2006-11-22. https://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/11/22/22pogues-posts-2/.
- ↑ "11 years later, this gobsmacking Line Rider track is finally complete" (in en). Rock Paper Shotgun. 2020-11-28. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/11-years-later-this-gobsmacking-line-rider-track-is-finally-complete.
- ↑ Weiner, Jonah (2011-07-21). "Where Do Dwarf-Eating Carp Come From?". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/magazine/the-brilliance-of-dwarf-fortress.html.
- ↑ Macgregor, Jody (11 April 2018). "The creators of Spelunky and Getting Over It talk about Sexy Hiking and 'B-games'". PC Gamer. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ↑ "Unity: "Games wouldn't see the light of day" without asset stores" (in en). GamesIndustry.biz. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-07-19-well-88-percent-of-what-asks-unitys-global-head-of-asset-store.
- ↑ "Epic Announces Unreal Engine Marketplace 88% / 12% Revenue Share". Unreal Engine. https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/epic-announces-unreal-engine-marketplace-88-12-revenue-share.
- ↑ "The Cyberpunk Art Nouveau Style of Transistor - The Phoenix". 6 April 2016. https://swarthmorephoenix.com/2016/04/06/the-cyberpunk-art-nouveau-style-of-transistor/.
- ↑ "The diverse artistic influences behind two of 2014’s prettiest games" (in en-us). AV Club Games. https://games.avclub.com/the-diverse-artistic-influences-behind-two-of-2014-s-pr-1798277930.
- ↑ "Hardcore Gamer’s Best Games of the Decade (2010-2019)". Hardcore Gamer. https://hardcoregamer.com/2020/01/10/hardcore-gamers-best-games-of-the-decade-2010-2019/364857/.
- ↑ "Unreal Engine is Now Free!". Unreal Engine. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ↑ "South Cariboo game designer reaps success". 100 Mile House Free Press. 21 November 2020. https://www.100milefreepress.net/entertainment/south-cariboo-game-designer-reaps-success/.
- ↑ a b "Friday Night Funkin' Fondly Recalls Flash Games" (in en). TechRaptor. https://techraptor.net/gaming/features/friday-night-funkin-flash-games.
- ↑ "If You Missed the Golden Age of Flash, You Should Try THESE Games". CBR. 1 February 2021. https://www.cbr.com/flash-games/.
- ↑ "Twitter @ninja_muffin99". https://twitter.com/ninja_muffin99/status/1320215862578606080.