10 Best Indie Video Games Of 2016
9. The Witness
An early entrant into 2016, The Witness was released back in January, and there were high expectations for creator Jonathan Blow after the success from his first game, Braid. With eight years development, and a larger team to help keep Blow's creative vision in tact, The Witness was an instant success and has seen rave reviews since release.
Inspired by similar island-puzzler, Myst, Blow wanted the player to use the environment to solve said puzzles, without use of verbal or written communication.
The island is designed in sections, so, whilst it is open-world, the player doesn't have to stray too far from the puzzle at hand to get all the information they need. While the game ensures all mechanics are consistent and clues available, there is little story or otherwise external information to help.
Blow described his intentions as "anti-Nintendo", removing the hand-holding in most modern games. At risk of isolating his potential audience, gamers around the world were fascinated by the idea of needing physical pen and paper to help solve in-game puzzles.
One of the most challenging puzzlers both this year and from years gone by, The Witness set out to reinforce how gaming can be an exemplary art form.