Video Gamers Podcast - Underdogs to GOTY: The Evolution of Indie Games – Gaming Podcast

Episode Date: January 29, 2026

Gaming hosts Josh, Ryan and Ace are rolling back the clock from 2008 to today looking at the Indie Game of the Year—and to ask a bigger question: at what point did indie games stop being “impressive for indies” and just become impressive, period? From early breakout hits to modern GOTY contenders, we trace the moments that reshaped expectations, budgets, and creative freedom, while digging into the video games history that forced the mainstream to pay attention. Along the way, we debate which releases truly changed the conversation, how scope and polish evolved, and whether the indie label even means the same thing anymore. This is a thoughtful, opinionated deep dive packed with context, hot takes, and a few friendly arguments. If you love gaming conversations that challenge old assumptions and celebrate great video games no matter where they come from, this episode is for you—and a must-listen for anyone who cares about how gaming has changed forever.   Thanks to our MYTHIC Supporters: Redletter, Disratory, Ol’ Jake, Gaius, Jigglepuf, Phelps and NorwegianGreaser, and Dettmarp   Thanks to our Legendary Supporters: HypnoticPyro, PeopleWonder, Bobby S.   2025: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1903340/Clair_Obscur_Expedition_33/   Connect with the show: Support us on Patreon: ⁠patreon.com/videogamerspod⁠ Join our Gaming Community: https://discord.gg/kKA7EMyM Follow us on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/videogamerspod/⁠  Follow us on X:⁠ https://twitter.com/VideoGamersPod⁠  Subscribe to us on YouTube:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VideoGamersPod?sub_confirmation=1⁠    Visit us on the web:⁠https://videogamerspod.com/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

fellow gamers and welcome to the video gamers podcast. Today we're talking about something that's quietly but completely changed over the last 15 years. What we expect from indie games back in 2008 winning an indie award was a scrappy novelty. Fast word today and some of these titles feel like full on industry benchmarks. So the question is, when did indie games stop being impressive for indies and start being impressive? I am your host, Ace, and joining me a man who values nothing. more than innovation in indie games unless you're talking about cozy games it's josh oh that's an accurate intro right there man bro i was watching it makes me get lit up over last episode that's fine

that's fine i mean hey it's people remember the games we didn't like they didn't they didn't talk about the games that we hyped up like engine fall where they were like okay you guys really know what you're talking about. It's like, oh, no, they just don't want to be bird watchers. Hey, man, flock around is going to be huge game of the year. Well, apparently there's a lot more people that like that game than I imagined. So, oh, you had no idea what kind of hornets nest you were walking into with that one. And I find it hilarious. And he's been waiting for an episode just like this so he can make fun of the graphics. It's Ryan. Maybe just some of them, not all of them.

I think, uh, oh yeah, just some of them. Just some of them is all. So guys, we've done a lot of, you know, recent indie news looking at what's coming out, what's, you know, going to be big this year. So I wanted to take a step back and look at what did come out and how we got from there to where we're at now with indie games, because it is night and day, if you ask me. Like, comparatively. It's like gaming in a time machine.

yeah genuinely yes i was i was pleasantly surprised ace that i knew most of these games and then it also made me realize that i'm older than i thought maybe maybe the reason i know most of these is i played them at a uh not a young age at a ripe age one would say but we're going to look at the games that have won indie game awards uh starting all the way back in 2008, there was no game awards until 2014, guys.

So we're looking at the VGA, which is the video game awards that were on Spike or something like that. I don't even think it's still around anymore. The very first indie game to win an award was a game, World of Goo, which is a physics, puzzle game. And it looks like an app game if you were to ask me. Yeah. Where's my water?

I'm familiar with World of Goo? Where's my? Yeah, it does look like where's my water. Yeah, man. I mean, it's the same kind of premise, you know, where you're just like, I did, I actually played this game. I remember thinking it was really clever. I've always liked puzzle games.

I played Lemmings way back in the day, you know. I remember Lemmings. Yeah, I've always liked this kind of style of game. And so I remember this game. I remember it being a lot of fun. I had no idea at all that this is the game that won like the indie game of the year in 2008. That was the indie game of the year in 2008. of the year in 2008.

And unfortunately, I can't look at the other, like, runners up or anything because none of this information was archived. Oh, wow. I looked everywhere. I couldn't find anything. But what do you think it was in 2009? Where do we go from World of Goo? But to the game of Flower, which is an emotional experience,

artistic style game where you're the wind carrying these flower petals through a field, bringing color and light back into the world. I feel like this is right up Ryan's alley I know This is perfect for Ryan, huh? I clicked the trailer and I pulled it up on Steam or whatever And I left I'm like,

Pretty much. Ryan was just lulled to like, it's just like, ah, this game's got me. That's what, like, I didn't know what this game was at all. Like this is, I even told you before we started recording.

I was like, bro, I know all these games except for like flower. And then I looked at it. And then I was like, oh, wait, I do know this game. Never played it. It's like oddly, I know flower.

Like that's how I would describe it as just serene, but. That's a good description. This is what would be. I mean, people swear by this game, man. People say this is an emotional, you know, unlike anything else experience that people got to try. Emotional. What could be emotional about the wind with pedals?

You're not emotional about the wind. I don't know. There's probably something. Yeah, aren't you emotional about the one? What is it? What is the Pokemon song? Of the wind. Of the wind.

Colors of the wind. What is it? The colors of the wind. Is that where you're trying to get? I couldn't remember. It's been a long weekend, guys. Oh, that's funny. All right.

2010, the VGA. It was Limbo. This is the first time I would say this is a game that deserved an award. Because Limbo is basically the inspiration where little nightmares comes from with these almost, I don't want to call it quite cozy, but minimalistic horror games. Yeah. I don't even know what the. like classification that falls under like that that that style of game limbo was great i did play limbo i thought it was awesome um that's the game that actually told me that like i actually like these

style of games um yeah it was it was haunting i thought it was a really neat game i feel like i don't know if i'd say this is the first year because it's like limbo was artistic but then like apparently watching the trailer for flower so was flower you know and it It's like, Yeah, yeah. So I feel like these were like, is it the art that was carrying these games back then? Because you look at more modern indie games and there's...

There's a massive difference coming up, man. Oh, yeah. You're not wrong. I think for Limbo, a lot of it was that atmosphere and there wasn't a lot like that yet. We didn't have a ton of these narratively creepy games where it's all silent and quiet, All of our horror games were mostly, you know, survival horror, like Resident Evil or Silent Hill, things like that.

And I think that probably just like open the flood games to a whole new genre of horror. I'm sure like if this was like the first to really kind of do that. And you said it there with like atmosphere. Like that's what it gives you. And to see that for the first time, I'm sure it blew people away, you know, in that moment. 2011, boys. The Video Game Awards crowned Minecraft. Minecraft indie

Indie game of the year for 2011 It should have been 11, 12, 13, 14 Yeah, yeah, no kidding If it was still an indie game They would absolutely still be getting awards Oh yeah You know how we say we're hoping for the

The biggest sensation What's that? I was going to say you know how we're saying That we want that like generational type game Like we're all hoping for that next like generational type game like bro Minecraft is one of those you know i like yeah this oh it absolutely is this is where like i don't know dude it's it's weird in the echelon of like games that belong in like the all

timers like in the indy list and it's like minecraft was a i feel like ahead of its time because we've got a couple years where it was way ahead of its time not so much so it's hard to look back at it and say Minecraft was indie. Like, because now it is not. It is Microsoft. Oh, yeah, it's a juggernaut now. Massive operation. Big money.

There's movies. There's freaking spin-offs. Like, it's just a huge, huge thing. And it's like, that was an indie game. In 2011, that was an indie game. Did you play this when it first came out? Minecraft. Yeah.

I think in 2011, it wasn't quite on consoles yet. And I first time I played Minecraft, I played the Xbox 360 version. Oh, okay. So that's what introduced me to the world of Minecraft. And then later, you know, I got my PC and I delved into the actual world of Minecraft with mods and all these new expansions and things they've done. Yeah. 2012, Video Game Awards crowned Journey indie indie game in the year. It was a co-op narrative emotional game.

I remember Journey being one of those games like, you don't forget once you play it. it had a very unique thing where people could just randomly join you and take the journey with you and there was no way to really communicate verbally so you just walked with people to the end of the path. It was interesting. You get to know he's journey in any way.

This is one of those games I always wanted to play because I always heard like and it's a different genre than what I normally play and I these games really resonate with me sometimes. I mention you know, Firewatch occasionally or you know dispatch which was great or, you know, like, some of these, like, emotional type games where there's limited gameplay, but there's just vibes, you know, that go with it.

And Journey to me has always looked like that game, but I've never played it. And I hear that from everybody that has played it, so it gets me really curious. You know, I know full well, it might be like, bro, this game is boring. Like, what am I doing here? But it at least looks interesting to me, and that's, I, apparently they just really liked artistic games. because like Journey, flower, limbo, like those are all to me in that same category. Right now on Steam,

you can actually buy a Journey and Flower bundle. Wait, really? It's same devs. Yeah. That's funny. Oh, it's the same devs? I believe it's, yeah. Oh, that makes sense then.

I was laughing because I was looking at the Steam page earlier, and then I was like, they have like a bundle for like $5 more. You can get both. Yeah, Journey is almost a generational game, I would say, for indie gamers, because it just means so much to so many people. And I also think, like, at this time, indie meant artistic, like, out of the way, not just independent development, but just, like, different.

Yeah. And that's a good thing. I think that's a great thing. Oh, yeah. All right. We have nothing else for the VGA, but for the VGX was the game gone home in 2013. It was a narrative-focused walking simulator. The story was the gameplay.

It kind of looked like a, when I looked at it, like a horror blueprints. almost. Oh, that's a good description. Yeah, that's like genuinely. Like the graphics made me think of blueprints, but also like it has the story progression of like what remains of Edith Finch. That's exactly the comparison I was going to make. Yep. Which is also saying something considering it was in 2013.

I know, right? Like we're already getting those kind of games that early on in the world of indies. And that's just, that's impressive. Genuinely, good on them. You find it, I find it neat guys with the exception of World of Goode and Minecraft that all of these games are trying to tell a story. You know? Yes.

That's the big thing, right? Is it's like all of these are story-based artistic games. And it's like, and then we're going to see like a heavy change here. Yeah. I think we're seeing that transition of it's impressive for an indie to it's getting impressive. Yeah. Genuinely. Like you're starting to set standards that we're not seeing else.

I think that was also kind of like, you know, is out of necessity because it's not like they have the funds or the ability at that time to keep up like they can now. And these, you know, they can, with Unreal and all these things, like, they're able to develop some pretty killer stuff on a decent budget. Oh, yeah. And back then, I don't think they could do. These are shoestring budgets. Yeah, so you had to make it artistic and stand out in some way and make a crazy story

to where people would be drawn to the game. So it's cool to see what they did. you know, because they had to back then. Genuinely, yeah. And it's, it's cool to see that these games got as big as they did without any kind of big marketing or big company to push them forward. Like now when we get big indie games like Hades 2, Hades 2 had a massive budget.

It's got a massive studio. They were able to pay for a ton of marketing, get it out in front of everyone. Holonite Silk Song, you know, they were able to literally shadow drop a trailer that said it's out in two weeks and we were all on it. Yeah. That wasn't the case back in like 2013. All right, we're going to move on to the main event of the Game Awards indie game of the year right after this break.

All right, we are back looking at games that won indie game of the year throughout the years, and we're finally to the game awards. These are the awards we watch to this day, started all the way back in 2014 with one of my favorite indie games of all time. Shovel Night won indie game of the year in 2014. I freaking love Shovel Night. It absolutely deserves it. What is this? Shovel Knight?

I've never heard of this. What is this game? You're making Ais's I-Twich, Ryan. Who's your art club games? What is that? No. That's it. I'm calling Celia.

No, no. Yeah, shovel night. She'll set you straight. Perfect throwback to the old Nintendo days, man. I mean, what a fun game. Ace, you made us play this game. Really enjoyed it. Checks off all the nostalgia boxes.

The gameplay is tight. and feels really good. It's got some built-in humor. I mean, all around, just a really, really good game. I can absolutely see how shovel night would win indie game of the year. And in 2014,

that was just shovel of hope. That was not the entire collection of games. That's just shovel night standing on its own two feet, which is crazy impressive. Well, you see that... I was going to say, you see how good it is?

I'm going to go. You have to wait for me. I'd say The reason that they have all that extra collection is because the game was so good Yeah, it's because it did so well I mean they also promised it in the Kickstarter But yeah

Yeah 2015 The Game of the Year awards Oh baby Indy game of the year Rocket League Yeah baby Rocket League is a game that needs no

Introduction it's been around for so long At this point and it's still going and it's a game that impresses me whenever I see people playing soccer with cars because my brain cannot comprehend it. Dude, I'm just like... My son the other day was playing it with like a hockey puck

and it was on ice. Yeah. Yeah, that's... Yeah. Oh, dude, they got all kinds of modes. Oh, man. Yeah, Snow Day is great. I'm behind on Rocket League, man.

I played it on the Nintendo Switch and it barely ran. I was like, oh. I freaking love Rocket League as most people that listen to this podcast. No, I played like 2,000 hours of Rocket League. Rocket League is one of those games where within, I heard the hype. I picked it up. I said, let's see what everybody's talking about. And I don't know that a game has clicked with me faster than Rocket League has. Like, I played one match and legitimately called like Andy

and Paul and like other people and said, you guys have to, you guys have to buy this game. Like right now, I'm telling you this game's a blast. And they all did. And we all played Rocket League for just, like, I mean, I played it for 2,000 hours and so did Andy. Paul not so much, but he still put in probably 100 hours, if not more, in Rocket League. It is an all-timer game for me. It's another one that's insane to see here, too, because I don't think of Rocket League as an indie, but it was. It started off as an indie game before it was bought out by Epic, and now it's, you know, run by Epic games. Like, that's their whole thing now.

Yeah, look what it's turned into. Like, that's, yeah. Yeah, now it's part of Fortnite. I know, right. I just, I haven't played. I mean, I've played Rocket League here and there, you know, but I never lost. So it just drives me nuts because I'm so bad at it.

I'll see these people like juggle and they can just drift across the sky. I'm like, how are they doing that? But I don't care enough to learn. I don't want to put the time in to figure it out. But, uh, yeah, it's, it's gross. John, I was curious. Has there been another game like Rocket League that's like grabbed you like that?

Since, since that one? Has there been another one? I mean, I've loved games, but not that fast, dude. Like I said, I was one match in and went there's something special here. This game is stupid fun. Like just crazy fun. And the way that how good the car drove, the goal explosions, like everything together just absolutely blew me away like instantly. And, you know, yes, I've had other games I absolutely love like that.

Like Overwatch was one of those too, you know, but like. Yeah. But yeah, it's, it's, it hit very quick. I knew it was something special. Before we move on from it, would you say. Rocket League is another generational game? I, like, for people that have played, like, no. I would say so.

I think it is. In a way, that one's tough. It's like on the line for me. Because if people that are familiar with Rocket League and have played it, like a lot, like, yes. And I mean, the e-sports side of Rocket League is still thriving. So it's like, on the one hand, yes, but like, there are a lot of people I know that have never heard of Rocket League.

And it's like, to be generational, like, I feel, yeah. That's, that's crazy. crazy to me. I don't know how could you know because what I was trying to gauge it on is like you know when you look around and you see a bunch of little iPad kids all of them are like having Minecraft on there or Roblox you know or those are those types of games and like I've seen a bunch with Rocket League so that's surprising that that you know people that don't know what Rocket League is I think they've heard the name but like they don't know anything that's not familiar they don't know a name clicking in their head kind of thing but yeah

that one's borderline it's a good question man that's hot that's tough Yeah, I was curious. All right. Moving on to 2016, the indie game of the ward a winner was inside, which was the similarly similar to Limbo. It was made by the same developers, I believe. It was basically a continuation of these dark narrative refined platforming style games. And it took off like crazy.

People love this game, man. I actually have not played inside. Have either of you? Yeah, I have. Yeah, like Limbo inside and Limbo. Oh, really? You played inside and limbo. is one and two like really i like these i like these style of games i they are more like emotional

like i don't love the gameplay in them necessarily like i do find the gameplay to be just kind of routine it's it's satisfactory you know like it doesn't detract from the game for me but it's kind of like you know but yeah i like i like all these games man and i've somehow wound up playing all of them that's wild yeah that's fair i i love the genre i just haven't gotten around to these for some reason. And I know they're like generational for some people, but I just haven't gotten to it. That's kind of how that's where I'm at two-ace. Like I always, I know all of these and I remember seeing them and I remember thinking that they looked cool. And I mean, they're very, it's something that I definitely, I mean, I honestly may play some of these. But yeah, I never, I never got around

to it. If you're listening to this episode and you've never played these games, which you've heard their names, this is your, your call out to go check them out if they interest you. There's a reason that people. They won these awards for a reason. Like, genuinely. All right. 2017. Indy Game of the Year award went to Cuphead. Cuphead is a one-of-a-kind game, dude. Genuinely, nobody has done it better.

The art, the gameplay, the difficulty, the vibe. Like, Cuphead is an awesome game, dude. Like, it is hard. Like, you have to be okay with dying multiple, multiple times. Oh, yeah. Like, it does not hold back at all, but everything it does, it does incredibly well, dude. For a boss rush game,

it does a very good job of not making it feel like all you're doing is rushing through buses. It genuinely feels like you are progressing through a world, completing these contracts, moving on to the next island and so on. And Cuphead is just awesome, genuinely.

No, it's a great game for sure. This is one of those where I think it may not be, you know, like a Minecraft or any of these where it's generational to the world, but every gamer, everyone that's like a real gamer that plays video game stuff,

they know about Cuphead. You know, everyone's hurt. Even if they haven't played it, they know of Cuphead and they've seen videos of it in clips and stuff like that. So, yeah, that's a good one. I feel like it's always well regarded. Yeah.

Yeah, I don't think anyone hates Cuphead. It's either for you or not for you, but you can't really dunk on it just because it's not for you. I would also say this is where we see that turning. Oh, I was going to bring that up. I was going to say, like, Ace, this is the year.

Yeah, we could, hey man, we think like, you know, like, this is the year where I'm like, this is when Indies went from like good artistic. Impressive for an indie. Some people notice them to like, bam. Like now Indies, you better watch out AAA because Indies are like, they're knocking on the door of like. Now there are must play. Game of the year. Not just indie game of the year, but like, bro, these are game of the year type games now. Oh, and there's no better example of that.

than 2018, where they nominated and won Celeste for indie game of the year. Celeste is probably the best 2D platformer you can buy with money right now. I'll back that up 100%. It is a fantastic game. Bad graphics aside. Bad graphics aside. Bad graphics aside. It doesn't matter.

I'm telling people it doesn't matter. Celeste is incredible. There is not a better 2D platformer out there as far as like the mechanics. and how the game just throws new stuff at you. Play Celeste if you haven't played it. If you're into the story, the story is really moving and really good and has a really good message about,

you know, just dealing with depression and things like that. Celeste is just a great game, genuinely. I love it. You've played Celeste a bit, right? Yeah, I've definitely played some. And then I saw just the other,

I think it was like maybe a year ago or something. Wasn't Paul's son doing some crazy run? I forget what he was doing. He was like a no-die run or something. I believe you all talked about that. I just remember seeing a play by... All the seaside. Like the seaside.

Oh, the seaside. Yeah, that's what it was. It was some other thing like that. Yeah, I just remember that and thinking like, man, that's an old game and, you know, kids are playing it still. And like trying to do... Celeste is another really hard game. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

By the way. Like, genuinely. Oh, my gosh. All right. Indie Game of the Year Award in 2019 went to Disco Elysie. Oh, yeah. Mind you. This is not Disco Elysium final cut.

This is just Disco Elysium. That's crazy. There was no voice acting. Like the first time I played it and went, nope. This game stood out so well on its own that even without voice acting, it was able to take home the award for indie game of the year in 2019. And that's impressive as heck. To the people that bought Disco Elysium and played through it when it was all text-based,

like I just want to say thank you. Thank you to each and every one of you. My hats off to you. Because you gave them the money for them to make the director's cut or the final cut. And the voiceover work is what I got to enjoy. So thank you to all of you for your sacrifice. But man, what a game. Oh, man.

Disco Elysium also just has some of the best voice acting, like, ever. It really does. Like, it's so good and emotional. I love it. Yeah. Agreed. All right. 2020 indie game of the year was Hades.

baby the game that set the standard for the roguelike and brought it to the public holy crab what can we not say that has been said about hey i hope they make a sequel like genuinely yeah yeah they make a sequel what are they going to do the first game's already great you can't get like oh no the first game's already so great man we need to find that clip of you saying that and just like overlay it Hey, I love being proven wrong, man. Honestly, sometimes it's a happy, happy surprise. Like, yeah, if you haven't played Hades, you're, you're missing out, like completely. Matt, my, you know, buddy at work, just started playing Hades too, had never played Hades.

Nice. And is just absolutely loving it. He was like, dude, this game is so good. Yeah, like, so good. I'm like, I told you. Yeah. It's great. Man, I can't wait for him to come out with a sequel in five years that'll lose.

We won't talk about that. All right. I'm not super familiar with this game, but in 2021, the game that won Indie Game of the Year was Kenna Bridge of Spirits. But when I looked this up, holy crap, this looks like a AAA game. Yeah. Like generally. I'm not really sure what you do in this game, though. I saw that you, you know, you take spirits from place to place.

You fight enemies and things like that. but when you had like all right not everything was archived for this stuff but the other nominees in 2021 were 12 minutes which you played I believe

yeah that was Death's Door inscription and loop hero and personally for me I would went with inscription because I think inscription is fantastic but man

Kenna must have been something special man it's a beautiful looking game dude beautiful looking game and I think I think that it and I'm completely ignorant to this game. I'll be honest with you.

I don't know what the gameplay is. I have seen people that have played it that speak highly of it. But like it does make me wonder if like part of why it won was because of how good it looked. Like the fact that in a studio can make a game that rivals a AAA title game in the visual department is super impressive. You know, and so I think the game has great gameplay. I'm not saying it doesn't. but I think like, I think that's part of the reason

it definitely won that year. Because, I mean, inscriptions great. Loop hero is super popular. I mean, but I think... Death Store is fantastic. Yeah, I never played Death Store, but I know people like that one too.

But yeah, I think they just went, this game's like the whole, the complete package, so to speak. That's, this is the one, like,

I pretty much knew every single game that we were gone, gone over and are going to cover. And, uh, this was one of the ones. ones that I don't have any memory of seen or anything

at all, which is wild, especially because it was in 2021, but yeah, I don't have any memory of ever seen anything about this. Was that a PlayStation exclusive when it launched? I feel like it was. It might have been a PlayStation. Well, no, it's on Steam. No, it is now, but I don't, I'm going to look it up real quick

because I feel like it was PlayStation. Maybe it might have been, because this says 2022 it came to Steam, so. So it may have my a very possible. PlayStation. All right. Well, speaking of 2022, the game that took home any game of the year in 2022

was none other than stray, which was the game where you played as the cat and he went through the dystopian. Ryan and I were both filled with robots. You guys did not play stray, and I can tell. Also, Kenna was PlayStation exclusive,

timed exclusive. It was a place, okay, well, that explains why we didn't get to it. That makes sense. That's why Josh didn't buy it because he didn't want to Yeah, no PlayStation. It's at the end of the generation.

Okay. Do you guys know the other nominations in 2022 that Stray went up against? I don't know what any of them should have been picked. Yeah. Neon White, Tunic, Colt of the Lamb, and Seifu lost to Stray. Seafood lost to stray. Seafood lost to stray. That shows how many

It shows you how many people How many gamers are cat people to? Yeah, how many people love their cats. For sure. Stray is a beautiful game, by the way. And if you enjoy those emotional, atmospheric style games where you just kind of explore

and do missions as is, like it's a good time, genuinely. I enjoyed it. I don't know if I would have given it the wind over for the other nominees. Yeah, I'm sure people love it. It looks cool and I'm sure it's probably a really,

cool experience overall, like the whole gameplay with the story and everything and the exploration. But yeah, this just, I think this is one of those, if it's not your style or not for you, you just, it's not for you, but good on them for beating out what they did. Good on them. All right. 2023,

the award went to Sea of Stars, which is a retro inspired turn-based RPG, very similar to the Mario RPGs, honestly, when I looked at it. It's a beautiful looking game, and I need to play it. I did not get to this one somehow. Oh, you haven't played this one?

I have not played this one, but man, oh man. What I saw impressed me. This is, generally. This is just a pixel-based J-R-PG, right? Like, I mean, I don't want to say like all the other space.

It's a pixel-based J-R-PG where you have like team-up moves. You're able to play it with up to three people co-op. Oh, that's cool. That's really cool. Yeah. A co-op J-R-PG, I feel like would take a hundred years to play. Probably so, dude. In my, like, here's what.

Here's why, dude. I am a, like, I grew up on, like, JRP's. And, like, I, I love them. But then I, I did not ever get into these pixel-based ones. And I know they're great, dude. I know, like, I know, dude. But here's the problem. I feel like all of these games, like, and I know this is probably a bad take,

but I feel like all of these games are, like, 60 hours required to play this game. Like, you know. and then probably another 40 hours of like additional content and they just intimidate me because it's like I know they tend to be a little bit slower paced like you know modern RPGs are so good to me that it's like it's hard for me to want to go back to these like classic ones so like the time commitment and the fact that like in my brain they're just older nostalgia even though I know they're awesome I just I don't know why man I've got this like barrier where it's like I don't want to pick up any of these, even though I know

they're going to be good. That's fair. I mean, Sea of Stars is a more modern adjacent RPG. It takes a lot of those modern elements from what we have now and throws them into a retro-inspired kind of game. And it won game in a game of the year because people

really, really enjoyed it. And it had some tough competition. I was going to say who to beat out. It beat out Dave the diver. A game called Viewfinder. A game called cocoon and dredge. Oh. What? Dude. It beat Dredge and Dave the diver as well as cocoon, which that would have been huge for those developers to take a third one home, man.

Dang, that's wild. Yeah. Dave, the diver should have won that one. But there's people that say they don't think it's an indie, so I don't even know why it's there. Yeah. All right. We're getting closer and closer to the end here, boys. But 2024, indie game of the year was Balatro.

Everyone knows it. Everyone loves it except for John. I wish. I wish I loved it. loves Bellatro, dude. He hates Belatro. He refunded it twice. Dude, I try, listen, listen. I don't know that there's

another game that I wanted to love more, but just could not love than Balatro, dude. Like, normally I'm like, nope, not my kind of game. I'm fine. I played an hour. I'm out. It's not for me. Whatever. Dude, I bought Balotro two different times

and played it. Eight bucks, by the way. That's the worst part is I just I should have just let them keep the money, man. But they didn't need the money. Belancho. It was $8. Everybody in the world loves Belatro except for me.

And I don't know what's wrong with me, guys. I admit it. I'm sorry. I tried really, really hard. I wanted to like it so bad. That's funny. So Bellatro's competition in 2024, I'd be like there was nothing close to Volatro in 2024,

but it was Lorelai in the Laser Eyes, UFO 50, Animal Well, in niva. Yeah. Dude, what happened in 2024? Yeah, man. What on earth? Devs had to delay their games in 2025, I guess.

It goes, oh my gosh, 2025. Yeah, 25 was... All right. I probably don't even have to say what won indie game of the year for 2025 because it was already not the game awards. It was the Claire Obscure Awards. But the winner of Indy Game of the Year in 2025 was Claire Obscure Expedition 33. the culmination of 17 years of indie games dude expedition 33 is basically like infinity war and end game

where you had like a decade of just you know stuff leading up to this perfect culmination of an indie title that did it all boys graphics gameplay i mean audio like characters story voice action 333 has now officially taken home more awards than Eldon Ring. I saw that. Yeah, I don't know about that one. Yeah, I don't know about that. John is like, it's my brain. The ballers conflicted with this information.

Elden Ring wasn't in any, though. It wasn't. So there you go. Dude, competition for Expedition 33 was tight, though. I don't like hearing that. with I put elder, you just ruined his night ace. I did.

You guys know I love Expedition 33. Oh yeah. But it's not better than Elder Ring to me. I agree. It's not better than Alder Ring. Elder Ring is an all-timer. But the competition in 2025 was quite steep. And Expedition 33 beat out Absalom,

blueprints, Pades 2, Ballex Pit, and Hollow Night Silk Song. Is 2025 the greatest year of Indies that humanity is ever known? Probably the greatest lineup of Indies. It has to for sure, dude. Absalom's so freaking fun. I love Absalom so much. Oh, I think looking back now, I would have voted for Absalom for indie game of the year.

Over Expedition 33? Absalom. I gave Exposition 33 a lot of awards. I think Absalom did way better what they were, like, budget, what they were trying to get across. Were they unique? Josh's brain isn't competing again. He's like, I don't know about that one. Yeah, I don't know about that one.

Absalom also had great music too. And I love Absalom, like, I don't know, man. Absalom just, I feel like it deserves more hype than it ever got. Now, I, yeah, for sure. I agree too. Because I've recommended it to a couple other people and they're like, you know, oh, this is awesome. And then they're hitting me up to play all the time.

But this is for sure. Did you tell them you can't play video games anymore? Yeah, you say you don't do that anymore, Ryan? Oh, no, I've played with them. Yeah. Yeah. I played with them. Why do you think I'm always

Unvisible on Steve? Right? Hang on guys. Pause the game. Pause the game. Josh is bugging me again. So guys, looking back through the history of indie games to where we started with World of Goo and ending with Claire Obscure Expedition 33, I would say we've seen a massive

change in what is considered good for an indie game now. Oh, yeah. And not just good. good like standard setting dude i go ahead josh i'm just going to say like we i you know 2025 greatest year of indies ever but if you look over the last eight years i mean starting with cup head yase you and i both said it i mean there has been a turn in the indie industry to where i think we are going to continue to see this i do not think that this was some blip on the radar i think that indie studios are getting the traction they need.

And dude, I mean, that's not counting this year. And we've covered the Indies that are coming out this year. I'm absolutely pumped to see what I'm saying, dude. So, like, I think, I think we're seeing the proof that like Indies, they've evolved. And we are reaping the benefits of that in a big time way, dude, like big time way. And I love seeing it, dude. Yeah. It's definitely awesome.

Indies aren't like that kind of just side thing anymore where, like, oh, this one's cool or, oh, that ones. And then the others are like, eh, you know. They are active competitors now. Oh, big time. They're not just like, oh, well, it's an indie game. Well, like you remember in like, um, in Iron Man, you know, Howard Stark, he's like, the technology's ahead of my time.

I think, you know, back then the technology was, uh, too much for their budget. So they couldn't really keep up. But now with, with the way that's advanced and it's so, uh, cost effective for them to design these games now and they can make them look just as good, uh, you know, AAA better watch out because the technology is caught up with the passion. So now they're able to make these awesome things and masterpieces. But it's cool. Yeah, dude, I'm stoked for this year.

Indie's going to be dope. Yeah. So if that doesn't get you excited for what we've got coming this year, looking back at what we've had so far, I don't know what will. But I really hope you guys enjoyed this episode. You enjoyed this little walk down memory lane and what indie games were to where they are now. If you enjoyed, be sure to follow the show.

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