2023 may already be over six months behind us, but that doesn’t stop our memories of the great titles that were offered to us throughout last year! After the TOPs proposed by Fred, Marc presents 7 excellent independent games that he played in 2023, some of which have unfortunately too often gone under the radar of the year’s major releases. So here are the indie games that particularly caught Marc’s attention in 2023…
1. COCOON
Studio: Geometric Interactive | Editor: Annapurna Interactive | Release: September 29, 2023 | Gender: Reflection, Puzzles | ESRB: E (All) | Availability: PS5, PS4, XBS, XBO, Switch, PC | Format(s): Digital | LANGUAGES): Written French | Duration: +/- 5 hours | Price: $33.49
If you are fond of puzzle games, COCOON will give you value for your money! Set up by a huge one-man army, COCOON stands out for its mechanics of gameplay which will remind you of the jumps in the temporal gaps of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. Taking the role of an alien insectoid, we will have to explore various environments in order to find “the exit” to the next level. What’s amazing is that each of the worlds visited is in a sphere, in which we can teleport there in a fraction of a second, all while bringing another entire world into it. The ingenuity of having to manipulate and interact with the various devices, from one world to another, is quite breathtaking and overflows with fresh game mechanics! Jump immediately into the adventure if you still haven’t done so, you will find an incredible tour de force of gameplay!
2. Viewfinder
Studio: Sad Owl Studios | Editor: Thunderful Games | Release: July 18, 2023 | Gender: Puzzles / Reflection | ESRB: E (All) | Availability: PS5, PS4, PC | Format(s): Digital | LANGUAGES): Spoken English, written French | Duration:ND | Price:ND
If you like puzzle games where playing with the perspective of the environments is at the heart of the puzzles to be completed, Viewfinder will give you plenty of bang for your buck! In fact, you only need to play it for a few minutes to realize that from a purely technical point of view, it is almost inexplicable. Using images and photos that you find and take with the camera, you will be able to alter portions of what surrounds you in order to create certain passages or accesses to your exit portal. This will then take you to another environment, in which you will once again have to work with what tools are offered to you in order to forge your way to the next level. It’s quite astonishing to see how it is possible to deconstruct part of the visual that surrounds us in order to use it to find our way towards our objective. Pure genius!
3. Songs of Sennaar
Studio: Rundisc | Editor: Focus Entertainment | Release: September 5, 2023 | Gender: Reflection, puzzles | ESRB: E10+ (For everyone, 10 years and over) | Availability: PS4 (PS5), XBO (XBS), Switch, PC | Format(s): Digital | LANGUAGES): French | Duration: 10+ hrs | Price: $26.99 CAN
What would you do if you came to a place where no one spoke a language you knew? Whether it’s the writings in the manuscripts, the murals spread out on the various walls or the incomprehensible dialogues of the people we meet, nothing will make sense! Songs of Sennaar is initially an observation game, in which deduction will also play a huge role in understanding the dialects of the game. By observing certain gestures or certain visual representations, we will be able to quietly learn words which, through the force of things, will only come to give form to complete sentences. This is when the magic of accomplishment and gratification resonates within us. The story that is told to us suddenly takes on its full meaning and the pleasure of trying to understand 100% of everything that is presented to us is absolutely exhilarating!
4. The Invincible
Studio: Starward Industries | Editor: 11 Bit Studios | Release: November 6, 2023 | Gender: Adventure | ESRB: M17+ (Adults, 17 years and over) | Availability: PS5, XBS, PC | Format(s): Digital & physical | LANGUAGES): Spoken English, written French | Duration: 6-7 hrs | Price: $39.99 CAN
Based on the novel of the same name, The Invincible is a narrative adventure and exploration game, placing us in the shoes of an explorer finding herself alone on the surface of the planet Regis III, in search of her companions who have mysteriously disappeared. Although The Invincible is not much different from many other titles in its category, it offers a story that keeps us on the edge of our seats from start to finish, all thanks to an excellent storyline and gameplay. actors who manage to keep us captive at all times. Taking place in first person view, we will be able to feel the effect of claustrophobia that inhabits us, especially due to the fact of finding ourselves practically alone on the surface of a planet with arid, desert and hostile environments. Obviously, this inhospitable solitude hides much more than it appears on the surface and each little discovery that we make will ensure that we always want to push forward and understand the mystery that Regis III hides…
5. This Bed We Made
Studio: Lowbirth Games | Editor: Lowbirth Games | Release: November 1, 2023 | Gender: Adventure / investigation | ESRB: T (Teenagers) | Availability: PS5, PS4, XBS, XBO, PC | Format(s): Digital | LANGUAGES): French | Duration: Around 5 hrs | Price: $32.50 CAN
This Be We Madefrom the Montreal studio Lowbirth Games, greatly surprised us when it was released. At first glance, what seems to be a simplistic story of a chambermaid in a chic Montreal hotel, quietly transforms into a semi-unhealthy investigation game, where our character (Sophie) will let her uncontrollable habit of rummaging through personal items hotel guests in order to know everything about them and their lives. Little by little, Sophie will discover strange things, all with the complicity of her work colleagues. Thus, the game will lead you to take advantage of your status as a chambermaid in order to discover more about the lives of the establishment’s customers, all via certain puzzles in order to discover coded messages, how to open suitcases and so on. following. At the same time, you will discover a more complex story, this one leading to a darker ending…
6. BRAMBLE: The Mountain King
Studio: Dimfrost Studio | Editor: Merge Games | Release: April 27, 2023 | Gender: Adventure | ESRB: M (Mature 17+) | Availability: PS5, PS4, XBS, XBO, Switch, PC | Format(s): Digital & physical | LANGUAGES): Written French | Duration:ND | Price: $39.99 CAN
Once in a while, certain titles really surprise us, such as the game Bramble: The Mountain King of Dimfrost Studio. Modeled on action-adventure games with a narrative framework, Bramble offers a very gripping story and a gameplay full of puzzles and moments where we must use stealth in order to successfully progress towards our next objective. A bit like a game from the famous series Little Nightmares, Bramble knows how to make us feel a certain tension by making us experience certain moments inspired by terrors and nightmares from Nordic mythology. To balance it all out, the game offers superb graphics which allow us to have these little moments of contemplation, as well as those which know how to give us chills. Despite its too short adventure, Bramble remains very good entertainment for all those who appreciate games where the story is told to us via simple images and in which texts and dialogues are in no way necessary to help us understand what the game is trying to tell us.
7. Planet of Lana
Studio: Wishfully | Editor: Thunderful Games | Release: May 23, 2023 | Gender: Adventure | ESRB: E (All) | Availability: PS5, PS4, XBS, XBO, Switch, PC | Format(s): Digital | LANGUAGES): Written French | Duration:ND | Price: $24.99 CAN
If titles such as Planet Alpha, Sommerville, The Cub and others of the kind make you vibrate, Planet of Lana will easily succeed in carving out a place of choice in your game library! In a world invaded by a robotic alien race, Lana will go on a quest to find her big sister having been kidnapped by one of them. Her epic journey will lead her to have to use cunning in order to escape the various robotic guards who try to catch all living species and use them for a dark destiny. Lana will travel the vast environments of her planet to find where humans have been taken prisoner, which will lead her to befriend a friendly little creature, who will help her in return by giving her a hand in solving the various puzzles blocking their path. Although the mechanics are never overly complex, solving these puzzles is always rewarding and fun. Taking place in a 2D/3D visual, Planet of Lana offers superb landscapes, all thanks to sublime artistic direction.
So there you have it, here are 7 excellent independent games that Marc really enjoyed in 2023! Obviously, some titles are not included there, such as Sea of Stars for example, but only because Marc didn’t have the chance to play it! Maybe this will end up in another team member’s best indie games article!
And you, what are the independent titles that really surprised you in 2023? Let us know!
Author Bio
A connoisseur of the digital marketplace and a master of the written word, this 30-year-old English expert brings to the table a wealth of knowledge rooted in the sale of digital products and a passion for blogging that resonates with an audience seeking expertise and insight in the online realm.
Their insights are drawn from hands-on experience navigating the intricacies of e-commerce and content creation—leading the forefront of digital innovation and communication. Whether it’s breaking down complex marketing strategies or sharing tips on how to captivate an online audience, their work stands as a testament to a career built upon successful digital engagement and savvy business acumen.
Stay tuned to absorb compelling content from a voice that not only understands the digital landscape but also shapes its future through every blog post and digital strategy.
