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Best Indie Games like Resident Evil in 2023

What are the best indie games like Resident Evil in 2023? Don’t go exploring abandoned mansions for them, you’ll find them right here.

Capcom’s Resident Evil games have been delivering quality spooky moments for more than a couple of decades now, and they’ve done much to define the nature of horror in the video games industry. Needless to say, they have inspired several indie game developers, and only the best of their creations have made it to our list of the Best Indie Games like Resident Evil in 2023.

Do you think there’s an indie game like Resident Evil that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

Daymare: 1998

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Daymare: 1998 is rather obvious with its Resident Evil inspiration, and like many of the games in that series, it is a third-person survival horror game. You’ll solve puzzles as you explore the nightmarish (sorry, daymarish) environs as one of the game’s many characters, and there’s enemies to kill too – but they won’t go down easy.

With resources being scarce, you’ll have to make tough decisions on how to survive and search for evidence in the secret research facility that serves as the game’s setting.

Heaven Dust and Heaven Dust II

Platforms (Heaven Dust): PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
Platforms (Heaven Dust II): PC, Switch

If you don’t mind a slightly cartoonish take on the Resident Evil formula, the Heaven Dust games from One Gruel Studio offer a top down look at surviving zombie outbreaks. You play as a lone man in a zombie-infested location – just like classic Resident Evils – and the gameplay involves collecting items, making judicious use of your resources, fighting (or running from) zombies, and solving puzzles.

Both Heaven Dust games are standalone and independent of each other, so you don’t need to play one to enjoy the other.

Signalis

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch

Signalis is a sternly sci-fi take on the old Resident Evil formula, and it’s set in a retrotech dystopia, where you’ll play as a technician searching for her lost partner. Also, humanity has discovered a dark, cosmic secret, so you’ll have that keeping you on your toes.

Inspired by the works of Stanley Kubrick, Hideaki Anno, and David Lynch, Signalis has all the hallmarks of a classic Resident Evil game – from scarce resources to dicey combat, and it’s all backed by a story about identity, memory, and terror.

Tormented Souls

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch

Tormented Souls wears its inspiration on its sleeve, and it’s got an abandoned mansion, horrifically deformed monsters, claustrophobic environments, and of course, puzzles and action.

You play as Caroline Walker, who goes investigating the disappearance of twin girls, only to find herself trapped in a nightmare, where the only way out is to survive long enough to learn the truth.

Darkwood

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch

Darkwood might sound like an odd one on this list, but it’s definitely not lacking in the scares department. With its top-down perspective and abject lack of hand-holding, Darkwood ensures that you’re always on the edge as you scavenge for supplies, find shelter, and set up traps.

You’ll meet eerie characters and make decisions that affect them, all without quest markers or hints in an ever-changing forest.

Outlast and Outlast 2

Platforms (Outlast): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Platforms (Outlast 2): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch

The first-person Outlast games have made quite the mark in the indie horror game community, and they should be right up the alley of any dedicated Resident Evil fan. The first game is set in an abandoned mental asylum, while the second is set in a cult-occupied town – and both games make sure you can’t fight back against your enemies.

To survive, you’ll have to use stealth and sneak around the gruesome enemies that are out to get you. No shotguns here, but there’s plenty of deadly scares to be had. Also look out for the upcoming The Outlast Trials, which is currently in Early Access, and which takes a co-op spin on the Outlast formula.

The Tartarus Key

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch

The Tartarus Key is a fresh new entrant on the list, having released in May 2023. You play as one Alex Young, who has, for reasons unclear, woken up in a strange mansion covered in traps and cameras. She’ll have to solve puzzles and interact with fellow captives as she uncovers the grisly truth of what she’s doing there.

You’ll largely be solving puzzles and exploring in Tartarus Key as you uncover the plot you find yourself in. There are no combat or chase sequences to be found here, but the tension and atmosphere are right along the lines of a Resident Evil game. There’s three different endings to unlock here, so your actions will have more of an impact on you than just your survival.

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Thank you for reading our article on the best indie games like Resident Evil in 2023! For other interesting articles on indie games, check out the articles below!

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