As someone who considers themselvesa huge champion of indie games, even I sometimes find it hard to draw the line betweenwhat is a true indie and what is an AA game.
10 Indie Games With AAA Appeal
If you think you know some of the best indies in recent years, you have to check out DualShockers' list of indies with AAA appeal.
AA games tend to be games that aren’t quite blockbuster AAAs, but also tend to have bigger budgets, teams, and support than indie games can usually muster. However, you’ll still find many unarguably AA games get labeled as Indies.
This is because a lot of companies see value in being part of the indie scene, as looking like a plucky underdog has its perks. These games prove this, as despite their bigger budgets and teams, they have a certain indie vibe that has helped them become hugely successful.
So, if you’re on the lookout for super polished AA games that still have a certain indie charm, I have some options for you.
10Concrete Genie
Befriend Your Bullies
Concrete Genie
As someone who loved Cartoon Network and, by extension, Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends, I know the value of an imaginary friend. So, when Concrete Genie came along, boasting a story of a town in ruin and an underdog hero with a magic paintbrush that could bring his creations to life, I was immediately sold.
The title does make use of the rather antiquated PS4 motion controls that are a necessary bug to bear. But if you can get past this, you’ll uncover a AA gem that offers a heartwarming story, and a wealth of creative experimental mechanics that allow you to create a world in your own image.
I would still say that Chicory: A Colorful Tale is the best magic paintbrush indie game, and Okami takes the win for the AAA category. But when it comes to AA candidates in this very niche sub-genre, Concrete Genie is the clear winner.
9Kena: Bridge of Spirits
A Forest Fantasy
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Ember Labs may be a pretty small UK outfit by all accounts. However, due to the amount of support that Sony provided to get Kena: Bridge of Spirits to market, it’s hard to see it as anything other than a AA title.
That said, it’s a game that offers a wholesome storythat feels like a Pixar movie from start to finish,and a world that is gorgeous, and begging to be explored.
It has the wholesome indie vibe nailed, but the game also has the chops to pull off challenging souls-adjacent, meticulously designed puzzles and much more.
Plus, the game features The Rot, just about the most cute and marketable sidekicks in gaming history. If that doesn’t scream indie game, then I don’t know what does.
8It Takes Two
Better With Company
It Takes Two
EA is, without question, a AAA game-producing global conglomerate. However, in recent years, they have opened up an indie game division dedicated to smaller projects, effectively cultivating a perfect AA game breeding ground.
Some great hits have come as a result of this subdivision, but you would argue that none have been quite as successfulas the 2021 game of the year, It Takes Two.
This game showcased that, in a time when co-op games were niche, to say the least, multiplayer-focused games could and should be more frequently seen at the forefront of gaming.
And it showcased this with amazing platforming and puzzle design built around teamwork and synergetic player powers. Not to mention a zany story, beautiful visuals, and wacky mini-games.
It’s one that is soon to be replicated with Hazelight’s next game Split Fiction, so if you’re a fan of this one, keep an eye out for the next inevitableco-op masterpiece coming real soon.
7Tales of Kenzaru: Zau
A Beautiful Tribalvania
Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Speaking of EA’s AA sub-division, we have another eye-catching hit with impeccable visuals and an African tribal-focused story that is as riveting as it is touching.
While not as impressive, Tales of Kenzaru feels like EA’s best impression of an Ori game, offering a stunning Metroidvania world with a focus on platforming and puzzles, with some light combat and exploration thrown in there for good measure.
It’sa game that doesn’t boast a huge runtime,only asking for about 10 hours of the player’s free time.
But in that period, you’ll be treated to some brilliant boss battles, platforming sequences and set pieces, and a well-paced narrative that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Don’t get me wrong, it’s no Ori, but it’s a decent little Metroidvania that’s well worth the price of admission.
6Life is Strange
Middle America Teen-Bop Drama
Life is Strange
Don’t Nod is a studio that ties the line between indie and AA and has done so since its Exodus. However, I’m of the opinion that they mainly produce AA games these days, and the long-running series Life Is Strange is probably the best example of this.
This game began life as a choose your own adventure, every action has consequences game mainly focused on Max and Chloe. However, as the series has grown, we have been introduced to new characters, locations, and their stories, expanding on the first game’s narrative exponentially.
It’s never been a series that really grabbed me personally, but I can certainly see the appeal. The progressive teen-bop drama with a supernatural tinge to it is engaging and well-written, and while the series has its ups and downs, it’s a rollercoaster that many will not regret riding.
Not Purr-fect, But Fun
Blue Twelve was the studio that produced the well-known cat game that broke the Internet, and while many see this as an indie game. Due to the support provided by Sony and publisher Annapurna, I certainly can’t get on board with that.
Nor can I get on board with the fact that this game was a world-beater, as some made it out to be. But, I will say that it’s better than it has any right to be.
The platforming may be stiff, and there may be a lack of gameplay variety. But the game, to its credit, offers a surprisingly competent and touching narrative. Plus, it boasts a brilliant dystopian setting, and a wealth of humorous and cute feline features that will melt any cat lover’s heart.
It’s not a game that warrants the praise that it got on account of being ‘that cat game’. But it’s still a unique and interesting game that allows you to play a part in a story much bigger than yourself.
Plus, if you play on PS5, your Dualsense controller purrs, and that alone should be enough to tempt you into playing this one.
4Hi-Fi Rush
Feel The Beat
Hi-Fi Rush
There are a few publishers out there that seem like they have more money than God when putting together their latest potential blockbuster games, and Bethesda is certainly one of them.
So, it’s no surprise that I consider Hi-Fi Rush to be one of the more financially unburdened AA games in existence. But, in fairness to this rhythm action anomaly, it really makes the most of this.
The game is visually striking and has a staggeringly good and punchy soundtrack. Which is fitting as the gameplay makes use of this, allowing players to feel the rhythm of the world as they beat to the beat, using a combat system that seems complex but is actually rather intuitive and fun.
Worst Console Launch Games Of All Time
These games needed to make a good impression for a new console but weren’t up to the task.
It still shocks me to my core that despite the quality of this AA hit that the studio was shutdown by Microsoft. But then again, I’m never really shocked when Microsoft make a terrible business decision anymore.
I wouldn’t hold your breath for a sequel, but I would urge to to play this one and thank your lucky stars we got this one at least.
3Little Nightmares
Miniature Spooks
Little Nightmares
While some might argue that Little Nightmares began life as an indie breakout story, due to the growth of Tarzier Studios and their links to Bandai Namco, this series firmly sits in AA territory.
But, despite this, Little Nightmares as a series still feels like an indie horror title punching well above its weight.
This side-scrolling 2.5D platformer has two brilliant entries to date, with a co-op-focused third in production. However, the puzzles and platforming play second fiddle to the grotesque and unsettling world and monsters that inhabit it.
Playing as a tiny hero up against the odds, the feeling of vulnerability the game cultivates is chilling, and only by using your brains will you avoid becoming monster chow.
I would argue that the original still serves as the best in the series despite the technical advancements of the sequel. So, my advice would be to start there, and to play in the dead of night for the best possible spooky vibes.
Don’t Look Down
Our second entry under the Don’t Nod umbrella is a game I often refer to as the game with the best climbing mechanics ever.
That may change when Cairn releases in the next while, but until then, that accolade belongs to Jusant. This is a game where players will need to master challenging and authentic mountaineering mechanics to get from A to B. Which means knowing your carabineers from your pitons.
This essentially makes the game a puzzle platformer with a twist, and the steady difficulty curve allows the game to maintain a satisfying pace until the credits roll.
Plus, you also get to uncover a society left behind on the mountain and piece together what happened to its inhabitants.
The climbing is the star of the show, but Jusant has a lot more to offer than just one gimmick, so be sure to check out this one for a platforming experience with a difference.
1Dave The Diver
Dive Into Adventure
Dave the Diver
Despite how pixelated and cute Dave The Diver looks at a glance, don’t be fooled. This is a product of Nexon, and Nexon has more than enough money to compete with the big boys.
However, despite this, Dave The Diver manages to capture the essence of the wholesome resource management games within the indie scene, offering a interesting fishing and restaurant management gameplay loop that is devilishly addictive.
Not only that, but the game also provides tons of gameplay variety with a wealth of wacky mini-games, and about 30-hours of runtime if you’re a completionist.
It may be a AA masquerading as an indie, but to give it credit, it’s one that wears this disguise very well, and will give you all the same thrills and spills that any indie alternative would. So it’s well worth playing if you get a chance.
