8 Indie Games That Outgrew Their Indie Label

In one way or another, large corporations have the capacity to obtain your cherished independent game titles. This can happen through purchasing intellectual property rights, acquiring the entire indie studio, or an independent studio growing and transitioning into a Triple-A company.

Discussions abound about the definition of an independent (indie) game, as the Game Awards classified Dave the Diver as such. However, it’s fascinating and somewhat daunting to witness a small studio grow to such a scale.

In an ideal situation, not only do you witness your cherished pet project, initially a small-scale game, transform into a globally recognized and popular brand, but on the other hand… that may not always be the case.

Typically, when an independent studio sells its popular game to a new owner, the fans are often vocal about changes made to their beloved title, and in many cases, their criticisms may indeed be valid.

In this context, I refer to “indie games” as those developed by small teams, typically from independent studios that aren’t affiliated with major corporations. The role of publishers in determining this classification is minimal, given the success stories like Among Us, which gained immense popularity despite being self-published and created primarily by a team of three individuals. In today’s gaming landscape, I don’t believe the involvement of a publisher significantly impacts a game’s status as an indie title.

8. Five Nights at Freddy’s

Scary Growth

The classification of Five Nights at Freddy’s as independent or not can be quite controversial, but given that it initially emerged from the indie scene and grew into a colossal franchise, I thought it would be appropriate to place it towards the end of the list.

Originally spawned from the frustrations of game designer Scott Cawthon over his child-friendly 3D models being repeatedly labeled as terrifying, he cleverly transformed this perception into an opportunity and produced one of the most successful breakout games in history.

Within just six years, this initial triumph rapidly expanded into an enormous franchise. By about 2021, its creator, Scott Cawthon, declared that he was stepping away from developing more games for it.

To clarify, he remains the lone proprietor of the franchise’s rights, however, he doesn’t restrict its use only to independent game companies or film studios; instead, it’s primarily utilized by more established entities in the industry. As for the question of whether the franchise itself can be considered indie, that’s debatable and open to discussion.

7. Palworld

Too Big To Fail

In simpler terms, the game Palworld has faced numerous challenges during its development, and it remains incomplete. Interestingly, the team behind it, Pocketpair, is simultaneously working on a project that resembles Pokémon, but with gun-based elements, all while having just a small workforce of 10 individuals.

As the demands of Palworld’s development increased significantly, this small business expanded due to factors like engine change, project expansion beyond initial plans (scope creep), and a substantial delay that led to even greater financial losses.

In the end, it was worth it, as they reached more than $X in revenue, which led to an unexpected financial boom. This influx of money enabled them to expand their workforce to over 50 employees, establish a partnership with Sony, and amass millions of dollars for future projects.

(where X is the exact figure)

In essence, the popularity of Palworld led to rapid expansion for Pocketpair. This growth was so significant that Nintendo chose to initiate legal action, claiming patent infringement on inventions that were developed after Palworld’s launch. This move suggests that they have reached a level where they are being noticed by industry giants like Nintendo.

6. Fall Guys

Not That Epic

The triumph of Fall Guys might be attributed to an ideal confluence of circumstances, given its launch in the summer of 2020 garnered widespread acclaim, while, with few other options available, many took up playing this game.

The battle royale genre was due for an innovative twist, and a multiplayer party platformer appeared to be just what it required. It appeared as though Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, were determined to maintain a strong presence in this particular genre, potentially preventing others from making significant headway.

1) After Epic Games acquired Mediatonic, it became evident that changes had taken place. Now, players need an Epic Games account to access the community and the battle pass, and the game is no longer available on Steam.

At minimum, Epic might have released the Nintendo Switch and Xbox versions along with the game becoming free-to-play, but the recent update has turned the game into a buggy mess, significantly less refined, to the point that I can’t even manage to start it anymore.

5. Tetris

Falling Into Place

As a dedicated admirer, let me share a tidbit about Tetris: It boasts an impressive legacy, filled with captivating tales that I could delve into, but there’s a comprehensive film available for that very purpose! More importantly, what intrigues me is its origins as a solo-developed game.

Originally, it was exclusively created by Alexey Pajitnov within the Soviet Union, using a computer lacking graphical capabilities. Each piece consisted of just two simple brackets.

Initially, the fundamental concept for the game design came from the basic prototype, which centered around stacking tetrominoes. This idea grew and evolved to create a game that became incredibly popular on IBM computers, spreading rapidly throughout Soviet Russia as if it were an infectious trend.

Bypassing a wild sequence of occurrences, Tetris ultimately found its way onto both the Game Boy and NES platforms, eventually earning a spot among the highest-grossing video games ever produced. To this very day, the influential Tetris Company continues to provide royalties to its creator, Alexey Pajitnov.

4. Risk of Rain

More Bank than Ghor’s Tome

One notable indie success story is Risk of Rain, which was primarily developed by a team of three – two friends and a composer – who established Hopoo Games. They played a significant role in creating the initial game, and subsequently redefined an underdeveloped genre with its sequel.

Originally, Risk of Rain 2 had a sole problem: it wasn’t available on consoles. However, that gap was later filled when Gearbox Software stepped in to adapt the game for console platforms. This allowed Hopoo Games to focus primarily on refining the main PC version.

There’s just one point of contention, however. The console versions of this game are less than ideal; they’re plagued with bugs, inconsistencies, lag, and stuttering frames. Players generally didn’t enjoy them, but surprisingly, they agreed when Gearbox proposed buying the IP rights from Hoppo.

As time went on, the development of Risk of Rain 2 was steadily advanced by Gearbox, with Hopoo becoming progressively less involved. Interestingly, all members of Hopoo are now employed by Valve, a highly reputable AAA game developer, which is ironic given that they were once a part of the team creating Risk of Rain 2.

3. Rocket League

Hit Their Goal

Remarkably, much like the journey of Fall Guys, Rocket League presents an intriguing tale. Originating from humble beginnings as a minuscule company, Psyonix expanded into a sizable independent studio, garnering a substantial team along the way.

They managed this expansion primarily by forming an outstanding collaboration with Epic Games, turning one of their Unreal Tournament modifications into an official project. Additionally, they were involved in the development of Gears of War, earning sufficient revenue to acquire a few original games.

They mastered playing Rocket League, a remarkably swift and distinctive multiplayer game where vehicles equipped with rocket boosters aim to score soccer balls into goals. Developed by approximately a dozen creators, Epic Games (who are close friends with Psyonix) have been considering purchasing the company.

In 2019, four years following the remarkable success of Rocket League’s debut, Epic Games managed to acquire the studio, which had grown significantly by then.

Additionally, they took away Mac and Linux compatibility, made the game available for free, along with numerous other controversial alterations.

2. Crash Bandicoot

Surprisingly Small Mascot

It’s possible you recognize Naughty Dog primarily for their recent blockbuster games such as The Last of Us and Uncharted. This is not surprising, given that for the past 18 years, they have focused mainly on these projects. However, their humble beginnings were far from where they stand today.

Initially, they started off with two committed developers and one somewhat unreliable one. However, they soon expanded, kicking off the creation of a small game titled Crash Bandicoot. At this early stage, there were approximately 10 team members involved in the project, and the development process took about 14 months.

They demonstrated the game to Sony, who chose to publish it. The game’s impressive sales of approximately 7 million copies seemed to have greatly impressed them, leading to Sony deciding to acquire Naughty Dog entirely.

Originally, they created the Jak and Daxter series with this. Later, in 2007, they moved their entire focus to the Uncharted series due to the transition of Crash, once a PlayStation emblem, into a Microsoft-owned property, which might seem quite amusing.

1. Minecraft

From Dirt to Diamond

Most likely, one of the most notorious independent acquisitions in history, Minecraft initially originated from a single developer’s endeavor. This project was spearheaded by Markus “Notch” Persson, who rapidly established a company named Mojang, primarily dedicated to crafting Minecraft and only a few other projects.

Due to its immense popularity, running a pay-to-win Minecraft server could have been extremely lucrative. However, considering the ethical implications of such gameplay mechanisms in servers catering to kids, Notch strongly opposed this idea.

In 2011, Notch stopped working on the game, but he continued to own the largest portion of Mojang. When Microsoft proposed buying it for $2.5 billion, he agreed promptly because he grew frustrated with the game’s fan community.

Following a string of questionable Twitter posts, it became customary for wealthy individuals like Notch to act in an unbecoming manner. Consequently, Mojang and Microsoft decided to significantly disassociate themselves from him. Now, whether this development turns out to be advantageous or disadvantageous remains to be seen.

2025-01-20 18:09