18 Best Indie Games Of The Decade (So Far)

6. Journey

Some say it was thatgamecompany's Journey that really kickstarted the whole movement into fifth gear, as although the time-twisting Braid and fantastically macabre Limbo were doing the rounds for years prior, Journey's take on putting you slap-bang in the middle of a gorgeously-rendered desert replete with an ethereal world and controls that just came naturally made everyone realise the triple-A scene wasn't always where the best stuff was.

Journey has many beautiful things worth celebrating, but two that stand out are firstly its religious symbolism and messaging, that you can take as much or as little away from as you like - the game doesn't attempt to preach or lay anything down concretely, so interpretations about what your character and their own journey 'really mean' are up to you.

Secondly, multiplayer is reconciled to just a single button press, one that emotes a variety of one-note sounds, letting you and whoever's randomly joined your game know that you've found something, or just to say hello.

You'll no doubt end up going through the whole game with two or three people in total, and following a very emotional climax derived just from animation alone, it's only then you'll find out the usernames of the people who shared in your adventure since the start.