20 Best Indie Games Of The Decade

14. Shovel Knight

Is there any new-age game mascot as damn-near loveable as Shovel Knight?

Conceptualised through a Kickstarter campaign from developers Yacht Club, Shovel Knight has become a staple of modern gaming, appearing everywhere from Yooka-Laylee to Super Smash Bros., to even his own amiibo.

Thankfully , it's all off the back of an immaculate video game. The cerulean hero bursts onto each level with a forward flip, shovel held aloft, as a fantastically chirpy, hummable soundtrack powers you through every level. Yacht Club's environments are colourful, pacy experiences with a rewarding difficulty curve and expert writing.

Seriously, by the time you get to the final fight and see how this ends, it's a surprisingly emotional turn that cements just how much Yacht Club know exactly what they're doing. Even better, all profits have resulted in a TON of free updates, comprising additional story campaigns with different characters, a Smash Bros-style battle mode and a co-op story.

Shovel Knight is just one hell of an achievement, and props to Yacht Club for doing right by their backers, and all of us that jumped on board after.