Home » Features » Why do people like Indie Games?

Why do people like Indie Games?

There’s a huge variety of reasons why people like indie games. There’s also a huge variety of indie games. 

You name it, there’s probably a game about it. From cooking sushi to prison sims, from managing underwater cities to fairytale thrillers. There’s probably a cooking in prison sim set in an underwater city fairytale if you look hard enough. 

This plethora of choice is no coincidence, indie games foster creativity. It’s a necessity to find a niche and even make an indie game a reality. Without the big budgets of major studios, without the person power, indies have to get creative for their game to be a success. 

What that creativity has developed is a culture for indie games. Something that goes beyond gaming and has created a community. Being an indie games developer is an attitude more than anything else and that’s just one reason people like indie games. 

Why do people like Indie Games?

Variety

To make an indie game you need an idea and the means to make it a reality, that’s it. What that means in context is that anything can be an indie game. 

Take a look at Untitled Goose Game. A game about corralling a bad tempered goose. It’s a title most AAA developers would not have put the resources into creating and it went on to be a huge success. These are the sleeper hits that can’t rely on marketing but capture imaginations. 

While AAA is looking at the next MMO or FPS, indies are finding the cracks in between. The niche areas like zombie fighting nuns in The Dead of Night. Or indie adventure games like Signal & Echo: Iris is Missing, where you search for a missing person. 

As well as creative content, indie games also experiment with unique gameplay. The viral hit Flappy Bird managed to change the face of mobile gaming with a one finger jump button. Many other indie games have created entirely new genres, through pushing the boundaries and trying something new.

Anything can be an indie game and they cater to every taste. That’s what makes them so special. Indie games find audiences as much as audiences find indie games. 

Supporting a Community 

Indie games are as much about gaming, as they are about the people that make and play them. Mainstream gaming is awesome, but there also needs to be a place for the off the main track titles and the people that want to play them. 

There are many events for indie gamers now. There are also vast online communities on social media and forums. There’s also lots of media coverage and content online. That’s one of the reasons Into Indie Games was created, to provide information for this wonderful community. 

An interesting point about the indie games community is that players often become games makers and many get into indie games themselves. There are a huge number of enthusiasts in the space that see the genre as accessible and can make that step from ‘player’ to ‘creator’. 

Another great thing about the indie games community is the content encourages players to be individuals and be themselves. We don’t all have to play the same games, we don’t all have to like the same things. Being individual is what indie games is all about. 

“People that like indie games are looking for the innovation and creativity that only a small team can bring. Indies are unafraid, experimental and honest. Indies also provide authenticity and genuineness that is impossible to get from a ‘AAA’ studio that is motivated by profits.

“Combine this with a lower price point and you have something that’s going to be more attractive to gamers on a budget. And finally the indie scene is a community of developers and gamers alike allowing for a type of collaboration you won’t see in any other medium. 

“Innovation, creativity, authenticity, value and community. What’s not to like?” Super8BitRafa, The Street Level Hero, The Dead of Night and Unichrome

Chasing the Dream and Making a Living

The dream for any indie is making a game that players love to play. A successful game can also mean financial rewards for the developer. The ability to keep making games, be their own boss and continue to push the boundaries, are also huge positives.

The opportunity to beat the system is something that drives all indie developers and that never-say-never attitude is also felt by the players. Why do people like indies? It’s because they go against the grain, they are independent and they are doing something different. 

As well as the desire to ‘make it big’ many indie developers earn a successful living out of making games. Indie developers are not all one person bands. Many independent developers have large teams and are certainly not bedroom industries. Many triple AAA titles also have their roots in indie games development and have kept that approach.

AAA v Indie Games 

There’s a real David versus Goliath narrative when it comes to indie games. For many the call to join the indie games industry is to be autonomous, make the games that they want to make and answer to no one. In contrast the AAA games industry is a money making machine where the end goal has to be commercial success.

But the AAA vs Indie Games debate is not always that simple. There are huge amounts of crossover. Games like Minecraft began as independent projects. Many AAA studios have independent labels that are part of the larger business. Also many people who study games have skill sets that straddle both areas of games development. 

The debate will wage on between AAA vs Indie Games but there are alot of grey areas. When is an independent studio no longer independent? Does a bigger studio give a game a better chance of reaching its full potential? Should we all develop games on our own in a cave with only a laptop and drinking water?

“Indie games take more risks with their game design, themes and art styles. I believe this is what makes them interesting and why people love them!

“Due to their huge cost, AAA games simply cannot afford to take risks in these areas and that’s why I think indie games feel fresher than their AAA counterparts.” Nicholas Fokias, Dope Games, Definitely Not Fried Chicken. 

Indie Games are Less Expensive

Last but not least, it may not be the most glamorous point, but indie games are cheaper than AAA. Many AAA games cost $50+ and then with the additional content the sky’s the limit when it comes to how much players can spend on a game. 

With indies you can pick up great titles for any amount of money. You’ll also often see discounted products in the months/years following release. Bundles can also package up some of your favourite titles. As well as vintage AAA games being rereleased or revamped as indies. All at a very reasonable prices. 

Thanks for reading our article Why do People Like Indie Games? For more interesting articles on the indie games industry, check out the links below. 

INTO INDIE GAMES HOMEPAGE

INDIE DEV INTERVIEW: SUPER8BITRAFA – THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT

INDIE DEV INTERVIEW: NICK FOKIAS, DOPE GAMES – DEFINITELY NOT FRIED CHICKEN

ARE WE LIVING IN A VIDEO GAME?

RETURN TO MONKEY ISLAND GUIDE – PRELUDE (SCURVYDOGS)

WHY ARE INDIE GAMES BETTER THAN AAA?