10 Most Disappointing Indie Games of 2024

As a seasoned gamer with years of experience under my belt, I must say that this year has been quite a letdown for many indie games I was eagerly anticipating. It seems like Inti Creates, a studio known for their exceptional work, had a rough go at it this time around.

To put it simply, I enjoy praising video games more than criticizing them, particularly those made by independent studios. However, our goal is to provide balanced feedback, so you’ll find a few indie titles in this list that seemed promising initially but didn’t live up to expectations this year.

Without doubt, these indie games stand out for their innovative concepts, breathtaking art styles, or tapping into nostalgia – ones that we wholeheartedly suggest you check out.

Keep in mind that unlike many other lists, this one is arranged in reverse order. It begins with the least objectionable item and concludes with the poorest indie of the year.

10. Parry Nightmare

Dream a Little Nightmare

As a gamer, I’d describe Parry Nightmare as a thrilling blend of the tower defense and bullet hell gaming realms. In this game, you step into the shoes of the protagonist, who finds themselves ensnared in a dream world. Alongside me, a mischievous ally known as Honno-Chan – a demon with a heart of gold – I navigate through this fantastical realm to escape and save the day!

They give you the strength, while it’s your task to dodge enemy assaults and create opportunities that Honno can utilize.

The game includes a few power-ups, but most of your time will be spent navigating cautiously through the stage as you dodge continuous streams of relentless enemies.

Initially, you’re enshrouded in low visibility, but as you progress through the level, you gradually uncover a stunning glimpse of the multitude of horrors that are hot on your heels.

Although you aren’t required to vanquish every opponent, you must manage to overcome a sufficient number to build up the meter and complete the stage. However, the challenge ramps up significantly from the beginning, making it tough to advance further.

Incorporating an inexorable adversary layout and hordes of enemies that are challenging to spot promptly, Parry Nightmare fell short in delivering a tranquil respite.

9. The Dark Cave

Retro Darkness

Among the numerous impressive tactical RPGs and roguelike adventures flooding the market, it’s unfortunate that The Dark Cave doesn’t quite fit into that category.

As a passionate admirer, I must say that the game, developed by Leaves Games under the publishing house of 2P Games, exudes an old-school charm reminiscent of classic adventures. Admittedly, its art style might not stand out as a winner in any competition, but it’s undeniably unobtrusive and easy on the eyes.

The problem with the game comes from how it balances the tactical role-playing elements of the game. You have a limited grid to maneuver around, dodging enemy attacks and retaliating with your own. The issue is that you have limited amounts of moves before every move costs your health.

Another point to consider is that each of your attacks requires a cooling period, which prevents you from launching continuous assaults on your opponent. Instead, you’re left juggling a limited selection of moves. Add to this the poor translation and lack of an engaging storyline, and it seems that this RPG would have been better off remaining in the retro gaming era.

8. Forgotten Mines

There’s Goblins in Them Mines!

Compared to The Dark Cave, Forgotten Mines, with its unique yet straightforward visuals and an engaging storyline featuring dwarves, revenge, stolen ancestral mines, and unsavory goblins, had the potential for success. However, it fell short due to a lack of proper gameplay equilibrium.

In this game, you form a three-member squad to navigate as many levels as possible. However, be aware that eventually, your team will meet its demise. Healing doesn’t occur naturally after moving to the next level, and just a few powerful blows can turn your team into cold corpses.

After you begin using scarce ores to enhance your team and infrastructure, one might assume that the game becomes less challenging. However, despite investing numerous hours into the game and unlocking many features, it continues to delight in testing your limits.

I hope that Ishtar Games and Cannibal Goose collaborate effectively, leading to a follow-up with a better balance.

7. Spirit Mancer

Beautiful Bimbo

Being a enthusiast of both platform games and card-based games, I had high hopes for Spirit Mancer. However, its storyline, which involves demons clashing with humans, a mystical portal, and subsequent chaos, is generally difficult to follow.

Regardless, the game successfully combined two excellent genre types and boasted an impressive visual aesthetic, thanks to the creativity of Sunny Syrup Studio.

As a devoted admirer, I must express that Spirit Mancer bit off more than it could chew, attempting to blend various elements but falling short on execution. The platforming felt uninspired and cumbersome, while the card-based summoning mechanism for deckbuilding seemed like an afterthought rather than a core feature. From the beginning, the game failed to captivate me, feeling dull and lacking the excitement I was hoping for.

Despite an abundance of tasks within the game, such as side quests, fishing, and other activities, it doesn’t rectify the fundamental flaws that mar the main gameplay.

6. Magical Delicacy

Not Magically Delicious

Similar to Spirit Mancer, Magical Delicacy offers an alluring journey that captivates from the very beginning. What makes it intriguing is its unique blend of two rarely seen genres: culinary simulation and Metroidvania-style exploration.

Weave a tale encompassing childhood memories, mystical practices, and other elements; one could wish for the diverse ingredients to blend harmoniously into a satisfying, flavorful dish. However, while it may not be overly spiced or undercooked, this particular concoction might not appeal to many taste buds.

While the cooking simulation part of the game is fine enough, the Metroidvania elements didn’t really come together. For one thing, there’s no combat whatsoever, and while that’s not strictly necessary, it is pretty standard. For another, the game’s UI is clunky and hard to use at the best of times.

Above all, Magical Delicacy seemed to hold the potential for great taste, yet its ingredients lacked harmony and coordination, often resulting in an unsatisfying experience for many.

5. Broken Roads

Australian Apocalypse Now

Initially, Broken Roads appears to be an extraordinary game, set in post-apocalyptic Australia and featuring flexible gameplay systems designed for diverse players. However, in practice, it turned out to be one of the least engaging and underwhelming games I’ve experienced recently.

One issue is that the game’s systems are excessively complex and confusing, making them essential for playing.

Instead, in this game, the branching dialogue trees lack emotional connection. You may witness characters being killed by a barrage of bullets, yet question when the next quest will appear.

Most disappointingly, the fighting in Broken Roads lacks creativity and seems reminiscent of a traditional tabletop RPG, minus contemporary enhancements. Despite my appreciation for numerous games stemming from tabletop roots, this is the first one that left me disgruntled rather than captivated within its imaginary realm.

4. Mars 2120

Red Planet, Dead Planet

Many impressive games have been created by Brazilian development teams, however Mars 2120 is not among them. Despite its appearance, even on platforms like the Switch where it was recently released, it fails to impress. The success or failure of any Metroidvania game lies in its gameplay, and unfortunately, that’s where Mars 2120 collapses.

In the year 2120, Mars becomes your playground as you traverse its crimson expanse, unraveling mysteries surrounding an abandoned space station while dodging lethal extraterrestrial perils.

As you advance, you’ll acquire fresh combat tools and movement abilities, which is great. However, the issue lies in finding platforming and combat to be quite challenging or difficult.

Even with an abundance of ammunition, your weapon’s shooting distance is quite limited, which enemies often use to their advantage by dodging and bombarding you with various projectiles.

The game’s bosses, excessively powerful, seem to enjoy trapping and destroying you mercilessly. Adding the challenge of difficult-to-use upgrades makes this a Mars-like world better left unexplored.

3. Elsie

Mega Man It’s Not

Surprisingly enough, there are some fantastic roguelike platformers out there, like the outstanding 30XX. You might have expected Elsie to join their ranks. However, regrettably, this roguelike journey from Knight Shift Games and Playtonic Games was vibrant on the surface, but lacked depth within.

Despite bearing a strong resemblance to Mega Man, this game doesn’t pass the essential criteria for an excellent Mega Man title. Essentially, what’s missing are engaging and straightforward platforming elements, and a balanced level of difficulty.

Elsie is overwhelming, with bullet hell aspects and a hard-to-utilize dodge and parry mechanic.

Perhaps you’re expecting the boss fights to elevate the game, but they seem quite repetitive. Unfortunately, given the game’s delightful aesthetic and captivating narrative, it’s disappointing that it doesn’t qualify as the standout indie game of the year.

2. PuzzMiX

A Puzzling Disaster

Hey there fellow gaming enthusiasts! If you’re like me, who’s played an impressive amount of games from the creative minds at Inti Creates, let me share a little gem with you – PuzzMiX. This game could easily become your new favorite pastime. Give it a try and see for yourself!

While I’d be delighted to express my thoughts, the truth is that my assessment of this perplexing game might not align with reality. This game seems to have missed its mark, coming from a team that typically delivers well.

As a devoted enthusiast, I find myself captivated by the core mechanics that center around joining Lola’s identical orbs based on their shape, merging them to form increasingly grand configurations.

The issue lies in the fact that the game consists solely of matching items until your board fills up, with just a single level available. The rewards for playing are limited to a few tracks of music.

This is all there is to the game; it can be completed in just five minutes if you wish. If you were anticipating the typical difficulty or creativity from Inti Creates, you might want to search elsewhere.

1. Umbraclaw

Unlucky Black Cat

I find no pleasure in penning down my final thoughts on Umbraclaw. Previously mentioned, Inti Creates consistently delivers outstanding video games, many of which I’ve had the pleasure of playing and appreciating. However, my anticipation for this title was high, and unfortunately, it fell short of expectations.

Hailing from the same creators as Blaster Master Zero series, this game is a platformer that incorporates elements of roguelike style, where you guide a black cat in her quest to break free from the Soulplane and make her way back to her owner.

The game boasts stunning artwork and distinctive features, like Anima Revive, a mechanism that revives the black cat character, Kuon, endowing her with fresh animal abilities when she’s defeated in combat.

Regardless, the game turned out to be quite a grind, with an unbalanced system and the requirement for excessive resources to improve skills.

Despite the fact that Umbraclaw emphasizes exploration and battles, the exploration aspect doesn’t provide much satisfaction, while the combat can feel intense – particularly against the incredibly powerful bosses, who really challenge your evasion abilities.

As a fan of cats and platformers, I wanted to love this adventure. But sadly, it just fell short.

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2024-12-19 20:09