Celeste, however, pulls it off, making it one of our best indie games picks. It’s not often that a platformer is able to balance challenging and engaging gameplay with an emotional and thought-provoking narrative. Image Credit: Matt Makes Games, Matt Thorson (Image credit: Matt Makes Games) Stardew Valley will have you playing for hours on end, for better or worse. Pass out, and you’ll lose a considerable amount of money and items you’ve worked hard to attain. You should keep in mind that your health and energy are finite however, so you'll want to keep your character rested and fed to avoid suffering from exhaustion. You can even go explore procedurally-generated caves to mine for items and even fight slime-monster-things. You can go fishing, you can cook, you can craft stuff. Stardew Valley isn’t just farming, however – it’s a whole bunch of other things at the same time. Stardew Valley is an addictive farming simulator, which lets you interact with townees to the point where you can literally marry them. If you’ve ever played a Harvest Moon game, you’re already familiar with its premise – you may just not know it yet. Image Credit: Eric Barone (Image credit: Eric Barone)ĭeveloped single-handedly by Eric Barone, Stardew Valley is a technical feat for that little fact alone. Well, that and those awesome weapons you can have in your arsenal.ĭeep Rock Galactic is simply the coolest co-op FPS game to hit Steam in 2020, and definitely among the best indie games we’ve played this year. The best part, however, is that there’s no set path so you can complete your mission as creatively as you want, so long as you work together. But, you’re not only battling alien swarms here - there are also resources to collect and a goal to finish. In the game, you’re playing with three others (or you can also play on your own, if you’re a loner) to dig and shoot your way through a procedurally-generated cave network. Although it is an infant next to these classics on our list, it’s already built quite a fanbase. It’s no surprise that co-op games have made their way to the indie scene – who wouldn’t want to beat up hordes of enemies alongside friends? One of the best indie co-op games out there is newcomer Deep Rock Galactic, which only officially hit the streets in May 2020. Being in early access means the game is not in perfect condition just yet and it's not known exactly how long Ooblets will be in early access before it gets its final release. Ooblets early access is available on Xbox and through the Epic Games Store. It all comes across as very sweet and gentle, a perfect feel-good antidote to a hard day. At the same time, you’ll have to balance your ooblet training with the real-world responsibilities of being a farmer, helping to put your old farmhouse and your town back together. In the game, you can train and battle your ooblets against other ooblet trainers. Developed by first-time studio Glumberland and published by Double Fine, the game is a kind of mash up of Pokémon, Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley so if you're a fan of games of that ilk your interest has likely been piqued.

Ooblets has been on our radar for a long time thanks to its charming art style and intriguing concept and as of July 2020 it's finally available in early access. Image Credit: Glumberland (Image credit: Glumberland)

Best indie games of 2017