With the year coming to a close, our team is taking a moment to look back over the list of titles released throughout 2021. While The Game Awards have passed and the official awards have been handed out, our team wanted to give out some recognition to the titles we thought brought the most entertainment to our team this year and so we have created our Top 5 Games list for this past year. As usual, we are separating our AAA and indie titles to their own lists, so here are our choices for games in the indie category!

Indie Game of the Year: IT TAKES TWO

As the title that took the official Game of the Year award this year, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see that we agree that It Takes Two was one of the best games to release in 2021. EA and Hazelight went above and beyond with this game and created an experience that can bring two players together as they bond through an adventure unlike any other. With a friendly storyline, cooperative-based gameplay, and a memorable journey, this game deserved more than just a positive review - it deserved to be considered the top game of 2021!

DEATH’S DOOR

A surprising release from Devolver Digital, this rogue-lite game was able to bring hours of entertainment with a mission that was easy to get behind. Death’s Door by Acid Nerve was a game that seemed to have been released suddenly but it was a purely enjoyable game. Filled with creative enemies and created with smooth gameplay controls, this is an indie game that any action-adventure fan can enjoy. Backed by positive reviews, this game is definitely a top title of 2021.

LIFE IS STRANGE: TRUE COLORS

As a game series that is known for beautiful storytelling, Square Enix and Deck Nine have outdone themselves with Life is Strange: True Colors. In this new title, they provided a deep and impactful story, loveable characters, and a setting that is easy to love. Not to mention that they also managed to have a story that is relatable for the players to really be able to immerse themselves into everything going on. It really is easy to see why this game is on our top list when you play the game and look into its reviews.

TRIBES OF MIDGARD

During the Summer, Gearbox Publishing released this co-op-based gem for players to work together and conquer. Tribes of Midgard by Norsfell is a game with addictive gameplay elements that blend with a replayable scenario that makes it easy for players to keep coming back to. From its positive reviews at release to the continued positive feedback as the game continues to get new content, this is a title that has a future ahead of it and an entertaining run from release to now, making it more than deserving to be on our top indie games of 2021 list.

SABLE

Bringing an interesting game to players library, Raw Fury and Shedworks released their game Sable earlier this year. Blending together striking visuals, daring exploration, and heartfelt storytelling, this was simply a game that couldn’t be overlooked. From the first time we had a chance to play it and through the playthrough of the final version, this game brought a memorable experience that won’t soon be forgotten. It truly earned the positive reviews it received and was a must-include title for our top indie games of 2021 list.

Honorable Mentions

Just as there were too many titles to choose from for our AAA list, there were a lot of indie games that were truly worth the time to play through this year. While we did end up narrowing down our list to a Top 5, here are some more titles that were considered and are still worth mentioning.

• Little Nightmares 2

• Twelve Minutes

• Lacuna

• Valheim

• Tails of Iron

• Dandy Ace

Now, all there is left to do is look forward to another year of surprising game releases and announcements from new and old studios that not enough people have heard of yet. But before going into 2022, we are curious to know - do you agree with our list? What games would you put in your top indie games of 2021 list?