Key Takeaways
- In 2024, a record number of indie games have scored 90+ on Metacritic, with five titles earning the 'Must Play' badge.
- There was an impressive lineup of indie games in previous years as well, with four games hitting the 90+ mark in 2023 and 2018.
If this feels like a good year for indie games, that's because it is. In fact, according to Metacritic, there were more indie games scoring 90 or higher on the review aggregation site than any other year, making it a record.
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23 Best Indie Games on PS5
This gem deserves a place in your library.
Five different games earned a score of 90 or higher, earning the 'Metacritic Must Play' badge. This is a feat that has never been achieved before.
2024 was the best year in indie history
Indie games shined this year. The following five games achieved 90+ on Metacritic:
Things got off to a rocky start in February when The Game Awards Game of the Year nominee Balatro captivated players with its ever more vicious roguelike action. May is here and Animal Well's deep and mysterious Metroidvania is released, earning a perfect score from TheGamer.
August and September then saw the release of two indie greats: Thank God You're Here and UFO 50. The final edition of Slay The Princess finally arrived in October, making it the best way to play one of last year's highest-rated titles.
In addition to these five, Lorelei and Laser Eyes and Neva were all nominated for 'Best Indie Game' at The Game Awards, while Manor Lords, The Plucky Squire and Pacific Drive were nominated for 'Best Debut Indie Game'. There were years.
It was close, but
2024 was the first year that five indie games scored 90 or higher, but in as many years four games have broken the record.
Last year, Baldur's Gate 3 was released. technically Indie Games), Against The Storm, Slay The Princess, and Videoverse all received scores of 90 or higher. Widely considered the best year for indie games, 2018 saw four hits hit 90+: Hades, Celeste, Hollow Knight, and Into the Breach.
Who says you need a big Triple-A game to have a good year?
Balatro adds roguelike gameplay to the classic poker card game, using joker cards with different abilities to build your deck and defeat pesky blinds.
