The Best Indie Games You've Never Played

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Although AAA games still take up a large amount of space in the gaming sphere, the appreciation and audience for indie gameshave been rapidly increasing in recent years. Part of this is due to the booming success of best-selling indie games like Hades, Stardew Valley, and Celeste, which managed to reach a huge amount of players worldwide. This success has inspired many other independent developers to make titles of their own, and while some may not reach the heights of popularity that other creators have achieved, more and more small studios are releasing praise-worthy projects with each passing year.

It can be easy for even the best indie games to fall under the radar — smaller budgets mean it's easy to be overshadowed by AAA titles when it comes to marketing and press opportunities. Some titles simply fall victim to circumstance, perhaps releasing during a busy month of game premieres, or having an initially buggy launch that is rectified at a later date. Whatever the reason, each year there are many excellent indie games that garner only a small following despite their unique qualities, with many of 2021's best indie games being no exception.

Related: Biggest Indie Games Releasing In 2022

Part of the beauty of indie games is the unique visions of the creators behind them. While large developers may be beholden to concepts meant to appeal to a massive audience, independent developers are free to explore any concept they'd like. Spanning a myriad of genres and subjects, there's a slew of indie titles that deserve more recognition.

Co-open is a wholesome indie game about community and the wonder of childhood. Players assume the role of a young bird going to the supermarket alone for the first time. After being dropped