2022 was an absolute banger for indie games and picking our favorites was ROUGH to say the least. There were tons to choose from and the entire Duel Screens staff really had to think long and hard on which of gaming’s ‘smallest’ titles left the biggest impact.
Tunic
Chosen by Jimmy Fitzpatrick
Ooblets
Chosen by Sunny Rads
After being in Early Access for newly two years, Ooblets finally saw its full 1.0 in 2022 – and WOW, was it ever worth the wait! This adorable game about farming, creature collection, and dancing is such an addictive treat. Between the cute and cuddly Ooblets, the wacky cast of characters, and the card-based dance battles (that are INSANELY fun, by the way), there isn’t a thing about this game that I don’t love. Having three of my favorite genres rolled into one package is fantastic and I can’t wait to see what content the developers add in the future.
Nobody Saves the World
Chosen by Taylar Allan
Does anyone remember January, because I don’t. What I do remember is playing this curious indie dungeon crawler/metroidvania/RPG that totally engrossed me for an entire month. Nobody Saves the World is fun, charming, and complex in the best of ways. The writing is funny without being overbearing, and the character of Nobody has so many interesting combinations of abilities that make the gameplay engaging from start to finish. If you haven’t played this game, what are you waiting for?! Grab a friend and do it!
Dome Keeper
Chosen by Andy Asimakis
I fell in love with Dome Keeper. Hard. The premise is simple: mine for resources, upgrade yourself and your dome, and fend off waves of alien attackers. Sounds easy, right? But this roguelike mining action-horror game hides so much depth beneath its quaint, pixelated surface. Should you spread your resources across all upgrade paths, and balance out your players speed, load capacity, and weapons and defense systems? Or should you go hog-wild, and dump your precious materials into one specific ability like your dome’s puny laser beam, and hope it’s enough to wipe out the incoming horde? It isn’t like you have a lot of time to decide, because by the time you dig your way ever downward to find some sparkly goodness to carry back to your dome, the alien assault will be at your front door. Its this rapid-fire, beat-the-clock anxiety that makes for a fun and addictive gameplay loop. Play this game, and play it now.
Revita
Chosen by Matt Murray
Revita kind of came out of nowhere and devoured my life for a few months, and I loved every second if it. This 2D action-platforming roguelite didn’t get remotely close to the amount love and attention it deserves. Its core gameplay mechanic of sacrificing health for upgrades is a revelation. The more health you sacrifice, the juicier the upgrade. But are you confident enough in your abilities to make it through enough waves of enemies unscathed to restore your lost health? It’s a gamble Revita asks you to make that bet over and over again. There are TONS of upgrades and unlockables to discover, and plenty of alternate paths to make each playthrough feel fresh and fun. There are also more item synergies than you can shake a stick at. Developer Benjamin Kiefer (AKA BenStar) has been feverishly working on version for the last few months and I can’t wait to see what fresh hell this one-man team adds to his already devious little title.
Well there you have it, our Indie Games of the Year! What were your favorites? Sound off in the comments section.
