Indie Dependent: The Best Indies of 2021

We might have been trapped indoors for the majority of the last year, but at least we've been blessed with plenty of quality indie titles to sink our time into. Honestly, the list of eligible games was pretty lengthy in size, and it took some pretty arduous work to narrow them down, but in the end, we feel confident with our nine finalists. Here our favourite picks:

Boomerang X

Boomerang X was a title that we overlooked on our July Indie Dependent list, and for that we are still hanging our head in shame. The break-neck speed of its boomerang-slinging action has drawn a lot of comparisons to Doom and we would say that is pretty apt. Throwing ourselves into the air and slowing down time so we could pinpoint our shots within a room full of enemies was addictive. There was always a constant sense of danger too, as health is limited, and you only heal by snagging pickups dotted around the arena.

Before Your Eyes

It might be pretty short, but boy does Before Your Eyes leave a lasting impression. This narratively-driven title sees you recount your entire life story, as you are being whisked off on a boat to the afterlife. The touching moments here are plentiful, as you start to uncover the tragic events that led to your early demise. We can't forget the novel mechanic at the heart of its story either. Instead of clicking with your mouse to progress, you instead need to blink and this changes the scene when you reopen your eyes. It might sound gimmicky, but this isn't the case, as it helped us feel more interconnected with the game's story.

Death's Door

There's not a lot to say about this delightful indie title that hasn't already been said. Death's Door from Acid Nerve has grown to become not only one of the highest acclaimed indies of the year, but it's regarded as one of the best games of the year. Seeing players take up the mantle as a soul-reaping Crow, the premise of this brilliantly thought-out action-adventure revolves around you having to slay various immortal beings as you follow the trail of the soul that got away. Based in a vivid fantasy world, with all kinds of weird creatures and foes, this is a game that will resonate with The Legend of Zelda fans and anyone who enjoys a challenge wrapped in an enthralling narrative.

The Forgotten City

The Forgotten City sure has had a fascinating journey, with it going from an award-winning Skyrim mod to one of the year's most celebrated indies. Its rather unconventional story sees you come to the aid of a city in ancient Rome that is forced to live without sin. Upon arriving, you learn that one of residents is up to no good and risks transforming the entire city into golden statues by breaking what is referred to as the 'Golden Rule.' There are multiple branching endings here and the story keeps you continually guessing, as many of the characters that you meet have questionable morals.

Solar Ash

Just sneaking onto our list before the year closes is Solar Ash - a game that we recently handed a near-perfect 9/10 score. Heading in a completely different direction to Heart Machine's previous effort Hyper Light Drifter, Solar Ash is more focused on traversal and exploration. The game's environments are beautifully decorated with vibrant neon colours, and it's incredibly relaxing to journey through them, with protagonist Rei moving as though she is on a pair of roller stakes. That's not to say the game isn't without its intense action sequences. The boss battles here are similar to Shadow of the Colossus, as you'll scale the backs of giant beasts to try and hit their weak points.

The Artful Escape

The Xbox platform really has been the home for indies in 2021, with the likes of Twelve Minutes, The Ascent, and The Gunk arriving as console exclusives. The standout within this group for us, though, was The Artful Escape - a psychedelic musical journey that sees a struggling artist carve his own identity. This isn't your typical rags to riches story, as it sees you shred your guitar in front of audiences across the stars and jam along with some curious alien lifeforms. What's great too is that you can shape your own rock n' roll persona, with you able to chose your own stage name, outfit, and kooky backstory.

Tails of Iron

Okay, so we might have handed a Tails of Iron a pretty standard 7/10 score when we first we reviewed it, but upon some reflection, we still feel it deserves a place on this list. A Soul-like starring rats with a storybook style just exudes charm, and its action feels pretty unique with it scraping the stamina mechanic completely. Here battles take place on a 2D plane and players have to rapidly respond to telegraphed moves to either dodge, block, or parry at the right time. The game has grown even stronger since launch too, as it has just received multiple patches and a free post-game DLC titled Bloody Whiskers.

Twelve Minutes

Few games make you feel like taking a cold shower after playing them, but this is one rare feat that Twelve Minutes was able to achieve. This time-looping thriller sees you replay your brutal demise at the hands of an intruder again and again until you can stumble upon the right chain of events to escape. The amount of outcomes you can reach here given the limited items available is impressive and so is the A-list talent that helps to bring the script alive, as both Daisy Ridley and James McAvoy voice the game's lead characters.

Kaze and the Wild Masks

If you grew up on the SNES-era Donkey Kong Country titles and haven't picked up Kaze and the Wild Masks, then we're deeply ashamed of you. The inspirations for this cartoonish platformer are pretty clear, as you're tasked with collecting letters throughout its varied stages, and you can take on the form of several different animals by finding masks. Just like those classic platformers, the difficulty here is certainly challenging, and there are many shiny collectibles that will entice you into revisiting past stages.