Favorite Indie Games Played in 2023
I streamed and played a lot of indie games in 2023.
Normally I’d do a YouTube video of my top games, but going forward I think I want to write coverage of indie games instead of make longer videos about them. While I plan on doing some video essays at some point, video format is harder for me (outside of let’s plays, which I still want to do). I get in my head about my appearance, how I’m saying words. That social anxiety is pervasive. Which means it takes more time, so I have less energy and cover less games and other content! So—writing! That thing I am most comfortable with as a communication medium. Don’t worry, you can expect a brief tl;dr on TikTok at least! But this year is all about writing more and embracing my lower energy needs while still creating what I want and am passionate about 💜
Without further explanation or ado, here are the indie games that stood out the most from what I streamed in 2023. Some of these were just their demos, but they left a huge impression.
Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles (Little Leo Games)
I found the art and dice deck building mechanics of this roguelike game unique and fun enough to keep playing the demo until I had no further options left! The game is out fully now too and it’s on my list of games to get to this year.
BOSSGAME: The Final Boss is My Heart (Lilycore Games)
It’s no secret I loved this game. This lesbian romance boss rush game certainly won my heart over. I wrote a whole article on why I found Sophie and Anna’s relationship dynamic refreshing. The gameplay has a lot of timing and button pressing, and thankfully there’s a bunch of accessibility settings to help you play at whatever your comfort level is!
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly (Toge Productions)
I’m still working on the let’s play of this one (it’s taken a solid year, apologies, but I plan on continuing it soon), but I loved the first Coffee Talk and the sequel has already been similarly fun. It’s listed as a “heart-to-heart talking simulator,” and you really do get into some serious conversations. For example the new characters, Riona and Lucas, get into a conversation pretty early in about social media and influencers and fame, and it’s pretty great. If you like narrative heavy visual novels and also want to make fun drinks for your favorite patrons, try this one out.
Dredge (Black Salt Games)
I picked Dredge up for a Halloween stream. I’d seen friends stream it and felt it was a cute fishing game with only occasional scary deep sea horrors, so I could handle it. I wasn’t expecting it to take over my streaming schedule. I’m still trying to finish it on stream and am determined to get through the main quests at least! If you like fishing with the occasional hello from the deep cosmic horror fish of the abyss, try this one out. It’s very chill. Until it isn’t. But it’s fine! It gets chill again really fast. Something strange might’ve slithered into your cargo but don’t dwell on it, it’s fine.
Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP)
This is another I wanted to play fully on stream but haven’t gotten to yet. I did play two demo versions of it and loved it. The art and animation, the voice acting, the queer characters, the impending meteor? I love it all. This is definitely a narrative heavy game with some rhythm minigames to check out. Plus I still really need to know how the meteor thing resolves. I’m already attached to these dinosaur teens, help.
Have a Nice Death (Magic Design Studios)
I’m not the best at platformers or hack and slash games, but Have a Nice Death pleasantly surprised me. It’s a funny and engaging roguelike. Play as Death and restore balance to your corporate afterlife because the middle management has really gotten out of control.
In Stars and Time (insertdisc5)
I really loved the demo for this turn-based RPG. I love time loop shenanigans, I love twists on the hero’s journey, I love found family and trying to make sure everything turns out okay. Naturally this means I adored what I played of the demo, and this is another one I’m eager to stream this year (I fell behind due to health issues late 2023). Siffrin finds himself in a time loop and they have to die again and again and again in order to figure out how to defeat the big bad, save their friends, and get free of the loop. Also the enemies have a Rock, Paper, Scissors triangle of difficulty and I found that really fun. Basically go play this one if you like RPGs, snarky and delightful queer characters, and clicking on everything in game because there’s a ton of text and I was constantly impressed by the level of detail.
Kingdom Eighties (Fury Studios)
I have never played a Kingdom game, but I do love 80s synthwave vibes. I picked up the demo during a Steam Next Fest and ended up playing it all night long—so long, in fact, that my partner bought it for me because he could tell I really enjoyed it. It’s a shorter game, but very satisfying if you like base building with some strategy in there as a treat.
Let’s! Revolution! (BUCK, Antfood)
Another “played the demo and really loved it” game on this list, Let’s! Revolution! is a fun puzzle game where you flip tiles by jumping onto them and use hints and abilities to avoid getting hit by the baddies! The animation is fun and satisfying. If you like puzzle mechanics and turn-based combat, try this one out.
Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio)
I haven’t finished this retro inspired RPG, but I intend to (either on stream or let’s play, depending on length and energy for narrating all the text). Play as Valere or Zale, the chosen ones of the game, along with their buddy Garl, who is just a normal dude really good at cooking and being the heart of the group. If you like classic RPG vibes and turn-based combat, this one will absolutely stand out. Though, I’m sorry, the Fleshmancer as a term will always make me giggle like a five year-old, just saying.
Sticky Business (Spellgarden Games)
Would you like to play out the wish fulfillment of a cute indie business where you create custom stickers and send them to customers and nothing stressful or bad happens in that process, ever? Even when you forget orders? Yeah, play Sticky Business. Also the stickers you can make are just too cute. And! While there is a day/night cycle and a daytime timer, you can turn the timer off and just relax and play the game at your pace. It was a gentle reprieve when I played it for stream. Chat did, of course, make some questionable stickers but it wasn’t too awful. Mostly!
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (Summerfall Studios)
Do you like, well, musicals? Do you like the ridiculous list of notable voice actors in this game? Do you like flirting and spinning around on a dialogue wheel peak Dragon Age style? Then Stray Gods is for you! I personally enjoyed the ending I got (I romanced Freddie by accident after going for Persephone, oops), and you can watch my full VOD playthrough on my YouTube channel, but didn’t adore every question choice (Persephone and Medusa, mostly). That being said, the fun and overall writing definitely outweighed the frustrating elements. I still need to do a Pan romance playthrough. Maybe I should do that soon…
Word Factori (Star Garden Games)
This puzzle game really set out to answer a fundamental question: do you want to make every word in the alphabet with only the letter “i”? I absolutely did not expect to enjoy this one, as I am awful at complex puzzle games and easily frustrated, but in that frustration came the dopamine rush of success anytime I figured a puzzle out. At $5.99 USD, it’s an easy pick-up for any puzzle enthusiasts.
Wildfrost (Deadpan Games, Gaziter)
Have I mentioned I really love card games and roguelike deck builders? Wildfrost has cute card art and fun gameplay mechanics that don’t necessarily do anything groundbreaking with the genre, but do put unique spins on familiar deck building elements. It’s a memorable little game and many of the cards are hilarious or cute. Seriously I want a Bushu plushie. Get as far as you can and try to free the world from an eternal winter!
Venba (Visai Games)
I played Venba in one stream and nearly cried at several points in the story. Venba and her family move to Canada hoping for a chance at a different life. When their son is born, things get complicated. He tries to assimilate and fit in, and you experience this family’s story through chapters as you cook delicious South Indian food. Personally I had never had biriyani before playing this game and immediately found a place to order it afterward. It was so good. And it was awesome to see a game not centered on Western white American characters for a change. This game is a brief but beautiful experience and I recommend it to everyone. So go play it!
And that’s it for the indie games from 2023! There were a ton more I either played demos of and enjoyed or wanted to get to but couldn’t due to time restrictions and low energy issues. Can’t wait to play more indie games in 2024!
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