10 Best Indie Games With 100+ Hours of Content

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Independent games provide game creators with a chance to escape the rigidity of the AAA model’s corporate structure, allowing them to concentrate on what truly matters.

For approximately the past 15 years, indie games have led the way in game development, introducing fresh concepts like novel gameplay mechanics, distinctive visual aesthetics, and compelling narratives that set them apart from mainstream video games.

As a gaming enthusiast, if you’re looking for the most value for your time investment, indie games offer an extensive variety. Ranging from quick, 30-minute bursts of fun to epic adventures that can consume up to 100 hours, there’s something for every kind of player in the independent gaming scene.

Today, we’ll zero in on some outstanding independent games boasting more than 100 hours of gameplay. These titles will be organized from least to most playtime, excluding those like Mount & Blade: Warband and Space Engineers that lack a definitive ending.

All playtimes are from How Long To Beat unless otherwise stated.

10.
FTL: Faster Than Light

111 Hours

In this game, titled FTL, you’ll navigate as captain over a diverse team consisting of both human and alien crew members. Your primary goal is to traverse eight distinct regions of outer space, with approximately twenty potential stops in each sector. Each stop offers new challenges and opportunities for progression.

You often find yourself unprepared about what you’ll encounter, and in case of an adversary, combat ensues immediately.

In this scenario, the game transitions into a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) format, enabling you to direct your team to various sections of the spacecraft – whether it’s strengthening the shields, arming the weaponry, or managing other areas within the vessel.

If you end up losing, then your voyage comes to an end. You’ll need to begin anew with a different vessel and fresh crew members by your side.

As a devoted player, conquering this game comes with an intense learning curve, but the allure lies in the 10 vessels waiting to be unveiled, not to mention the numerous accomplishments to strive for. You’ll soon find yourself immersed for well over 100 hours!

9.
Stardew Valley

168 Hours

In Stardew Valley, fed up with the monotonous office life, you opt to relocate to the named valley to breathe new life into your grandfather’s old farmstead.

As you journey along, there’s plenty to keep you busy – from angling to excavating mineral resources, not to mention cultivating a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Additionally, you’ll take part in the local community events, ranging from festivities to connections, lending a hand in some enchanting experiences too. You’ll also aid a mouse in securing its income by retailing hats.

To sum up, there’s a great deal to learn in this game, but it’s always manageable because the game provides time for players to grasp each system before introducing another.

In essence, finishing this game might require more than 150 hours, much like a farmer’s daily tasks are endless.

8.
Baldur’s Gate 3

173 Hours

Without a doubt, you might wonder if Larian isn’t part of a larger gaming company due to the high-quality production seen in Baldur’s Gate 3. However, that’s not the case; Larian is an independent game studio.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, you embark on an immersive role-playing journey that rivals the creativity of a seasoned Dungeon Master. The game offers numerous choices at every turn, from the tactics you employ in combat to the characters you develop romantic relationships with. These decisions culminate in four significant endings, each with over 17,000 possible variations.

Given that Patch 8 enriches the game with 12 fresh subclasses, there’s no better moment than now to embark on this epic journey!

In total, you could spend more than 150 hours immersed in the realm of Baldur’s Gate, and this time doesn’t even account for delving into the fascinating world of modifications.

7.
Slay The Spire

185 Hours

In the game “Slay The Spire,” you manage a single character as you embark on a roguelike journey. Unlike in “FTL,” this game adds an additional layer of complexity through card building mechanics, offering over 730 unique cards to discover and utilize.

As you progress, you face numerous adversaries, traversing three distinct acts and 51 levels. Along the way, you collect cards, elixirs, and artifacts.

Or:

You make your way through multiple foes, moving across three different stages and 51 levels. You gather cards, potions, and relics as part of your journey.

Or:

You encounter a series of opponents while navigating three acts and 51 floors. During this adventure, you accumulate cards, potions, and relics.

Each sentence conveys the same meaning, but with slightly different word choices to provide variety in style and flow.

Potions serve as single-use tools that offer assistance when needed. They can boost your abilities, like increasing Block count, or deplete resources, such as exhausting your hand.

Artifacts hold significant power, offering unique passive benefits ranging from bypassing certain levels to granting additional vitality.

Much like many roguelike games, you can theoretically complete

6.
Terraria

200 Hours

In simpler terms, Terraria is an open-ended game where you guide a character through a randomly generated 2D environment. Within this world, you gather resources, battle foes, and bring non-player characters (NPCs) to live as villagers.

In this game, each level is randomly created as you play, but there are specific tasks essential for advancing. These tasks mainly involve overcoming certain powerful enemies, known as bosses. Overcoming these bosses grants access to new environments or boosts the challenge level within the game world.

Additionally, this game features Role-Playing Game (RPG) aspects, enabling you to boost your character’s health and magical energy (mana) by acquiring and using different items.

In summary, similar to other open-ended games, this one offers endless playtime. However, if your goal is to reach the final credits, it could take you anywhere from 50 to 200 hours.

5.
Factorio

218 Hours

On a distant alien planet, you find yourself stranded after a crash landing. Your goal is to construct and upgrade complex factories to eventually repair your spaceship and return home. In essence, Factorio is a game that challenges you to build a thriving city in an extraterrestrial environment.

As soon as I dive into reshaping this world according to my gaming strategy, it won’t be long before alien forces show up. It’s time to gear up with the weapons I’ve got on me, ready for a fight. But I can’t rely solely on myself; I’ll need to construct defensive structures like sentries and towers around my factory to bolster my defenses.

In the early stages of play, the game actively promotes exploration to gather top-quality resources and optimize your factories for improved efficiency.

Similar to Terraria, it’s possible to complete the main objectives within approximately 50 hours. However, if you aim to uncover all the achievements or strive for optimal performance, you might find yourself engrossed in gameplay for more than 200 hours.

4.
Balatro

233 Hours

In the game of Balatro, you engage in rounds of poker with an aim to reach a specific point total. To boost your chances, you’re allowed to use Joker cards, which come with various benefits and multiplication options.

Additionally, unique decks such as Tarot decks, Spectral decks, and Planet decks may also be utilized in the game. Each deck brings distinct effects into play, altering strategies and enabling novel combinations, resulting in unconventional poker hands like Five of a Kind.

Like the other deckbuilders on this list, one single run can be completed in under an hour.

As a dedicated gamer, it takes me more than 200 hours of gameplay to collect all Joker cards and reach the ultimate 38 antes level – unfortunately, beyond this point, the game is unbeatable due to a coding glitch causing an overflow.

3.
RimWorld

313 Hours

In essence, RimWorld entails managing and building a human settlement on an alien planet named RimWorld, situated at the outer limits of explored space.

Instead of managing the colonists constantly, you assign them tasks such as constructing walls or communicating with fellow colonists. However, during combat situations, you have the ability to take direct control over them.

In RimWorld, the narrative unfolds in a unique way as it’s dynamically created based on your decisions, the level of challenge you’ve chosen, and the AI narrator you selected.

You could choose among three different narrative styles: Cassandra Classic, who crafts her stories using the traditional method of increasing tension, climax, and resolution; Phoebe Chillax, who offers a more relaxed pace with ample moments for reflection; or Randy Random, who surprises you with unexpected plot twists and events in an unpredictable manner.

In this game, based on the additional content you’ve purchased, there are four distinct objectives for you to achieve, ranging from constructing a vessel to summoning an ancient darkness. The time it takes to finish these tasks varies significantly, with some players completing within 60 hours, while others may exceed 300 hours.

2.
Bloons TD 6

584 Hours

For years, Bloons has been a faithful companion for high-school students during their daily commutes, providing entertainment when they’re feeling bored. This is a tower defense game series, where you strategically position towers, shaped like monkeys, to repel continuous onslaughts of ‘Bloons’.

In the sixth installment, the game shifts from a traditional 2D view to a more advanced 2.5D perspective. This update introduces fresh gameplay features such as Paragons – potent final enhancements for certain towers, and an additional roguelike DLC mode.

For every map, various game modes are available based on the level of challenge you’ve accessed. These range from modes limiting the tower types you can employ, all the way to CHIMP mode, where you cannot utilize continues, health points, earnings, Monkey Knowledge, abilities, or sell towers.

This game boasts more than 68 detailed maps, which equates to approximately 500 hours of engaging playtime. New content is frequently introduced at regular intervals.

1.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

597 Hours

In “The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth,” you’ll find yourself controlling either Isaac or one of 34 other characters as you journey through a roguelike-style shooter experience. Your goal is to navigate the deep, mysterious recesses of Isaac’s basement, with the ultimate objective being to confront and defeat his mother at its heart.

In this game, the layout of each room is dynamically created as you play, offering a unique experience every time. Additionally, there are more than 700 different items available for you to use, altering your gaming strategy significantly.

Certain objects can aid you passively, offer fresh abilities, or alter your look; others become active only upon use.

In total, including Afterbirth and Repentance expansions, the game offers an overwhelming variety of play choices, boasting 22 different conclusions and approximately 590 hours worth of content to explore.

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2025-05-25 17:40