15 Best Indie Video Games Of 2016 (So Far)
2016 continues to be absolutely outstanding.
Since 2013 when the first Indie Megabooth made its mark at the Pax Prime trade show, the 'indie' label has been on the up and up, resulting nowadays in a number of titles that have budgets that truly bring the best interactive ideas to life.
And therein lies why the 'indie game' label is so exciting. Far removed from the financial constraints of larger publishing studios, many smaller teams can focus on delivering experiences that are truly unique, exploring control methods and storytelling options that the bigger teams simply can't afford to take a risk on.
It's easy to lambaste these sorts of titles for not having easily identifiable 'gameplay loops' or replayability like more mainstream-focussed games designed to be played for months or years at a time, but that's entirely the point. Think back to many of your own favourites from generations gone by, and chances are they're titles that feel as though they came out of nowhere.
Oftentimes the games that truly stick with you are those that drop right into your lap unawares, and although many middle-tier studios have shut down across the last five years, these phoenixes have risen from the ashes, delivering games that remind us why we love the medium so much in the first place.
15. SUPERHOT
When was the last time you played a first-person shooter and it genuinely felt original? We're talking Halo-style regenerating health and quickfire grenades, Call of Duty 4-esque perk systems and set-piece campaigns - that level of "Man, this really hasn't been done before" envelope-pushing.
Enter SUPERHOT, a project initially put together in seven days as an experiment, the hook being that "Time only moves when you do". This translates into gameplay in the most fun and badass of ways, as suddenly just nudging the stick means you enact all sorts of time-bending superpowers.
Bullets can be ducked under or around, foes blasted as you glide through the air in ultra slow-motion, weapons caught, items thrown - it's every Matrix-inspired action scene you've ever imagined, with you right at the centre.