25 Best Indie Games of 2024 | 10 - 1
Check out Part 2 the 25 Best Indie Games of 2024! Explore why these games made the list and dive into full reviews for an in-depth look.
Thanks for tuning in to Part 2 of the 25 Best Indie Games of 2024! If you missed part 1 you can check it out here. Today we are going through the top 10 Indie Games of 2024. Thank you for an amazing year—I can’t wait for what’s in store for 2025! Make sure to subscribe for new reviews, coming soon.
10. Flock
This is the second game by Hollow Ponds released this year, and both made it onto my top 25 list. I highly recommend exploring the inventive and colorful worlds of both Flock and Wilmot Works It Out.
Sometimes, when playing a game like Flock, you get lost in its world so much that you don’t want to leave. Soar around this beautiful, colorful world, collecting creatures, unlocking new threads, and customizing your bird companion.
9. SCHiM
This was my first review for Good Game Lobby and will always hold a special place in my heart. Pirate PR, who I highly recommend following, took a chance on a creator with little to no subscribers. Between the shorts, reels, TikTok, and review, I reached over 30,000 views. It blew up, and I don’t think it was just because of me. This charming game was so unique it captivated everyone who saw it.
I watched the review so often to critique my own work that my son thought the main character’s name was “Lobby” because he kept hearing me say Good Game Lobby. To this day, he still calls him Lobby! It might rank number nine because I enjoyed a few games more, but it’s #1 in my heart forever.
Read the full review here.
8. Crypt Custodian
This was a game that surprised me. The demo was so good I played it multiple times—it felt like those days when you’d get a PlayStation 1 demo disc and replay a demo hundreds of times. The Metroidvania backtracking, gigantic map, power-ups, and bullet hell enemies made for a fantastic game with a beautiful story about a cat, its life, death, and the friends it made along the way.
7. Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure
Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure is another example of an indie title unafraid to be uniquely itself. Over four years of development, Furniture & Mattress have delivered a fresh new IP with beautiful art direction, a charming soundtrack, and an addictive new type of puzzle-solving game mechanic.
6. Mouthwashing
With its compelling narrative, intense gameplay, and immersive atmosphere, Mouthwashing positions itself perfectly as a psychological horror. The game invites players to confront not just the external horrors of isolation but also the terrifying realities of their own minds.
It took me two hours to complete, and honestly, the timing was perfect. It felt like a movie where your fear of solitude and the first-person perspective haunt you from start to finish. Wrong Organ is onto something special with Mouthwashing, and I am eager to see where they go next. It’s a must-play, and I highly recommend this psychological horror experience.
Read the full review here.
5. Thank Goodness You’re Here
Thank Goodness You’re Here is easily one of the best games of the year. Its comedic gameplay and voice acting bring this small British town to life. The beautiful hand-drawn cartoon style and the ability to slap everyone and everything make it a must-play for everyone—except maybe not for kids. Definitely not for kids.
It took me roughly one hour and 40 minutes to finish. I reviewed this game on a Rog Ally, which ran beautifully with no hiccups at all. I don’t rate games on a scale at Good Game Lobby, but this is easily a 10/10 for me. Even if you aren’t a fan of platformers, I recommend checking this out if you have a funny bone in your body. It’s hilarious.
4. Caravan SandWitch
This was my biggest YouTube video review to date. I’m not sure what led to my first 3,000+ view video, but the discourse in the comments about the game being “woke” was hilarious to witness.
This brilliant game is inclusive of people of color and genders, but that wasn’t even the game’s main focus. It simply exists in a world that reflects our everyday lives—aside from the world-ending sci-fi implications and frog people, of course. (Because those don’t exist… yet.)
I loved that the game’s lead and community management leaned into the discourse and used it to increase sales and visibility. While some were claiming they wouldn’t pay for the game, many others were saying, “Thanks for bringing it to my attention,” and buying it.
Regardless of the discourse, the game is brilliant, fun, imaginative, and unique. With open-world exploring, Death Stranding-like vehicle mechanics, and mysteries to uncover, Caravan SandWitch is a fantastic outing for Plane Toast’s first title.
3. ARCO
ARCO’s simplistic pixel style, matched with its intricate bullet-hell turn-based tactical gameplay, is one for the ages. The surface level of gameplay is outstanding, and the game's dialogue-based sections and intertwined stories lead to dark paths of revenge. A true standout of the games released this year, and to much fanfare—even Balatro's winning speech at the Game Awards made sure to mention the game's deserved praise.
2. Another Crab’s Treasure
This was the first indie game I completed in 2024, and it easily claimed the number 1 spot on my list—until something extraordinary came along. Unfortunately, since it was on Game Pass and I no longer “own” it, I can’t give it a proper review. (I started reviewing games two months later.) That said, it left an unforgettable impression.
I fell in love with the Souls-like genre, like many others, through Elden Ring, and I was itching for a new challenge. When I saw the trailer for Another Crab’s Treasure, with its Pixar-like visuals and a hilarious premise about a crab searching for its lost shell, I was sold. A Souls-like set in a vibrant, underwater world? Sign me up!
Hard Shell Crab
What caught me off guard was just how challenging the game turned out to be. It was every bit a true Souls-like: die, lose everything, and face the nerve-wracking task of retrieving your belongings before starting over. Enemies respawned with each save, keeping the stakes high. Yet the game’s underwater, colorful world and witty dialogue lightened the tension.
The accessibility options were a revelation. If the difficulty got overwhelming, you could strap a life-sized pistol to Krill and one-shot any enemy. Full disclosure: I used this once when a boss stressed me out, and my Game Pass subscription was running out! Accessibility in gaming earned this title an Indie Game Award, and it was well-deserved.
Community
A great game becomes even better with a great community, and Another Crab’s Treasure excelled in this regard. Its witty dialogue and style were a reflection of its fantastic community manager, who even won Best Community Manager at the Indie Game Awards. The memes, updates, and genuine sincerity of the team were outstanding, even in the face of adversity—like their studio being robbed four times in one year!
This game is a shining example of how humor, heart, and creativity can make a Souls-like both challenging and accessible. It’s only been edged out by the next entry.
1. Animal Well
I learned about Animal Well late in the 7 year development by Billy Basso. In fact, it was only a few weeks before the launch. So many aspects like the trailers showing off next to nothing that made sense but the visual pixel eerie style was so intriguing. Pair that with the fact that Video Game Dunkey a staple among my friends as one of the best video game reviewers alive and I was hooked. With how Dunkey makes a joke out of everything and roasts games often I was pretty sure he had something great on his hands with Basso’s Animal Well. I mean he needed to or the internet would have the biggest roast of all time starring Dunkey.
PlayStation +
Lets cut back to the release, I just acquired my PS5 a year prior and was going through a large back log of exclusives and as I went through them I realized I don’t have the same passion for AAA games I used to. I mean I loved Returnal, Death Stranding is my favorite game of all time, and Spider-Man Miles Morales were great exclusives I loved, but I was gravitating towards more indie releases. With that being said I was also leaning heavier on Platformers and Metroidvanias which were genres I didn’t realize I loved. I started with The Messenger and was blown away by the combat, graphics and soundtrack, the constant back tracking, and exploring new areas -intrigued me. Its why I am not surprised 2D platformers, puzzle platformers and Metroidvanias were at the top of my games I spent the most time on for my steam review.
The reason why I am talking about PlayStation at all is I subscribed to a year of the service and was downloading every monthly release and trying them out but nothing was hitting and then saw that Animal Well was coming to the service. This was amazing I already have the subscription and figured I would love the game and I was hyped.
Animal Pilled
Animal Well released and I am not kidding I believe I spent 12 hours on it the first day. Every single aspect of the game kept me on my toes. The look and feel for starters, but each audio cue and animal to the mysterious songs and lighting alone. How I unlocked the bubble wand that made me think if this is the first thing I am finding what else is there. The yo-yo I used for buttons, but when I used it to break spikes once again blew my mind.
Every. Damn. Thing. Blew. My. Mind.
As you explore and go deeper into the well it becomes more mysterious. Sometimes I would enter a new room and not even move around just look around for some hidden image or hidden passage way by looking at the intricate and detailed map.
At first I thought I want to solve this all on my own. If I was stuck I kept at it. 15 hours in and I never wondered oh when is this game going to end? Now 20+ hours in I was puzzled with what to use a new item with one of my close friends was also playing and gave me the advice to think outside of what I was using a item for and without hesitation tried something new and immediately solved a puzzle I was stuck on. That’s when I realized okay I need to see what the rest of us Animal dwelling friends are doing in this game so I can find all these hidden eggs.
Discord Its A Family Affair
Joining the official Animal Well Discord was like stepping into an FBI investigation—with spoilers meticulously censored. It’s clear that this game is best enjoyed solo, allowing you to savor the joy of discovering secrets on your own. However, the community aspect adds another layer of intrigue. Finding a unique puzzle piece and sharing it with others to reconstruct an image was an experience unlike any other.
Billy Basso’s custom game engine delivered a 33MB masterpiece filled to the brim with secrets, making Animal Well my favorite game of the year. I poured over 40 hours into it, uncovered two endings, and eventually watched the third online—an extraordinary feat I’m still in awe of.
I did order the limited edition so once it arrives in January I will make sure to put together a proper full review for you all.
Thank you so much for reading Part 2 of the Good Game Lobby 25 Best Indie Games of 2024. If you want to check out Part one make sure to use this link.
Thank you for a stellar year of indie gaming reviews, a weekly newsletter of the latest releases, and many wonderful subscribers commenting, liking and sharing their experiences in Indie Gaming. I am very excited for 2025 and cant wait to share more of my plans to connect with each and every one of you!
We have the same #1 and great choice with Crypt Custodian! An under-appreciated game, but the most fluid and fun combat in an indie this year I think. And great soundtrack
Great list! Arco is one of my favorites, but Animal Well deserves the first position, nice choice :)