Despite the many certainties had with the noble titles of the big development houses, the now past 2022 has seen many surprises in terms of independent titles. Even if they are not part of this list, games like Tunic, Cult of The Lamb and Thymesia are excellent titles, but here we list you the best indie games of the past year, according to the editorial staff.
Return to Monkey Island
Our list begins with Return to Monkey Island, the latest effort by Ron Gilbert and companions, as well as the title that every fan (or who dares to call themselves such) of LucasArts and graphic adventures should have in their catalog. Of course, compared to the previous chapters it does not stand out in difficulty or complexity in the puzzles compared to the LucasArts games (known for being crazy and unpredictable to say the least), and the artistic style is very far from the old glories of the brand. Nonetheless, the game still manages to pack a memorable title, able to move and excite every enthusiast.
In breve, Return to Monkey Island è a welcome return from Ron Gilbert after more than 30 years, a love letter not only to Monkey Island and graphic adventures (a genre that is increasingly declining in the contemporary era), but to video games in general. We have to thank not only Gilbert himself for making this chapter possible, but also to the guys at Terrible Toybox and even Devolver Digital.
vampire survivors
Vampire Survivors is that mistreated title on which no one would invest a penny, but which inexplicably manages to drive everyone crazy. The goal is to survive for 30 minutes, but those minutes turn into hours, which then turn into days. Like a slot machine, Vampire Survivors is addictive and addictive: an all-Italian legalized drug.
Even this game does not lack originality, being practically a copy (bordering on plagiarism) of Magic Survival, an Android title from just three years ago, but evolves it with a more functional, immediate and engaging system. It costs very little on Steam and is currently free on Android, but you will unintentionally find yourself paying for hours of life by implementing daily "quick" game routines.
Sifu
Sifu is a true miracle made video game. The Slowclap title is a scrolling fighting game, reinterpreted with modern mechanics like those already seen in titles such as Rocksteady's Arkham series, with a very technical and punishing combat system for inattentive players in the various stages of the game. In Sifu you don't really die, but you are "reborn" aged a few years and with coins that represent the various missing lives of the protagonist.
Sifu is the perfect representation of a game from over 30 years ago catapulted into the future, a phenomenon not seen since Undertale. Sloclap takes the best of the past and evolves it thanks to interesting gameplay ideas and a high but challenging difficulty. If you are lucky, titles like this come out once every 10 years, and only time will do justice to a game immediately forgotten after its peak release.
Scorn
Scorn is a work of art in motion of which nothing is known. The game is raw, powerful, claustrophobic, violent, enigmatic, heartbreaking, but it's more than that. Scorn is a title that bases its strength on symbolisms, on the themes it wants to deal with (albeit in a way that only a very attentive eye would be able to grasp) and on their interpretation. The game world is alive and pulsating, with an artistic sector that closely follows the artistic influence of Hans Ruedi Giger (as well as the related masterpiece by Ridley Scott, Alien), as well as that of Zdzisław Beksiński (for example the various game posters vaguely reminiscent of his works).
Scorn is a rare experience to find in contemporary gaming, but at the same time it's not a game for everyone. Referring to more "authorial" titles such as Inside and Limbo by Playdead, Scorn is not a commercial title and doesn't want to be: wants to show everyone its purest nature, and should be appreciated for what it is; the game is hated and loved at the same time precisely because it is divisive, particular and almost dreamlike. We don't recommend Scorn to both fps game lovers and puzzle game fans, but maybe it would suit horror fans; however, we highly recommend it to those who would like to play Scorn regardless of everything.
Immortality
Among the best indie games of the year listed here, surely there is also room for Immortality, multiple-nominated game at The Game Awards, making the Cinderella title to giants such as God of War Ragnarök and Elden Ring. We will be the protagonists of the investigation of the sudden disappearance of Marissa Marcel, a great promise of cinema who starred in three films never released theatrically, but of which the shots inexplicably appeared only in 2020. Improvising ourselves as editors, we will discover a much greater mystery than the actress herself and her case, in a whirlwind of mystery, lust and blasphemy that is never too hidden.
Sam Barlow, after an easily forgettable Telling Lies, in this Immortality returns along the lines of Her Story with gameplay no longer focused on textual keyword research, but on the complete interaction with the images. Thanks to the multifaceted story, the interpretation of each actor present and above all an extremely convincing performance by Manon Gage in the role of the "famous" actress, Sam Barlow establishes himself not only as a talented developer, but as a videogame author to all effects.
Which of these titles have you played, which would you like to recover and which would you have liked to put on the list? If you also want to consult the best AAA games of the year or other videogame-themed articles, we invite you to follow us on our various channels and on {marca_origen}.it.
