Indie RPGs With Great Experimental Storytelling

Big-budget video games, often called ‘AAA’ titles, rarely take big chances. With huge development costs, pressure from investors, and passionate fans, developers tend to stick to familiar formulas to avoid upsetting anyone. This often leads to games that are predictable rather than innovative.

Independent developers have a lot more creative freedom. They can explore truly unique and unusual ideas, and often, taking that risk pays off when players connect with their vision. This is especially true for indie role-playing games, which aren’t afraid to experiment with storytelling and, as a result, often deliver incredibly impactful narratives.

Disco Elysium

Twists And Turns Of The Player’s Own Making

Many role-playing games (RPGs) ask players to make important choices with lasting consequences. However, Disco Elysium takes storytelling a step further. As detective Harry du Bois, you don’t just decide what happens, but how you interact with the world – from who you talk to and what you say, to even whether you sing karaoke. Your choices, combined with the skills you develop for your character, dramatically affect the story’s direction, with success or failure often determined by skill checks similar to those in Dungeons & Dragons.

Investing in locations like the Inland Empire gives players a sensitivity to the supernatural, letting them discover hidden paths and creatures they’d normally miss. This connection even allows a special item to communicate with the player, offering compelling dialogue. What’s really clever about this game is how your character’s development can dramatically alter the story, encouraging multiple playthroughs. Each time you play, you’ll experience something new, as it’s impossible to uncover every side story in a single run.

Bastion

The Narrator Watches The Kid’s Every Move

Supergiant Games, now famous for Hades and Hades 2, first made a name for themselves with Bastion. Released in 2011, this game tells the story of the Kid, who wakes up in a world destroyed by a catastrophic event. The city of Bastion offers hope for survivors, but only if the Kid can collect the necessary parts to rebuild it.

Throughout the game, the player meets Rucks, who serves as the narrator (voiced beautifully by Logan Cunningham). He stays at the central hub, the Bastion, and constantly comments on everything the player does. He notices even small details – if you take time to break objects looking for secrets, he’ll playfully mention the Kid needing to “let off some steam.” He also reacts to your weapon choices, perhaps noticing a preference for explosive weapons. This subtle responsiveness is incredibly immersive, encourages experimentation, and showcases the developer’s dedication to detail.

Undertale

An Unforgettable Story, However You Choose To Approach It

Undertale is a remarkably creative role-playing game and a fantastic example of what a single developer can accomplish. While it’s not as lengthy as games like Persona 5 Royal, that’s not a drawback. Instead, Undertale constantly surprises players, encourages experimentation, and lets them shape the story through their choices.

Most RPGs use battles to help characters get stronger, but those battles usually don’t affect the story. This game is different – how you approach combat directly impacts the plot and how it ends. You can choose to defeat every enemy or show mercy to them all, and that decision significantly changes the story and the final outcome. Like Disco Elysium, this game gives players a lot of control over the narrative, encouraging multiple playthroughs to see how different choices unfold. It also features beautiful pixel art.

Citizen Sleeper

A Roll Of The Dice Shapes Your Destiny

As a longtime D&D player, I’m used to how a single dice roll can completely change everything – like, a character who should be dead suddenly isn’t, and the whole quest is saved! It’s not for everyone, but that random chance always keeps things exciting. That’s why I was so surprised – and impressed – to find the same mechanic in Citizen Sleeper. It’s a really cool throwback to tabletop games in this super high-tech, cyberpunk setting, and honestly, it works brilliantly. It reminds me a bit of Disco Elysium in how it uses this unusual element.

This 2022 game puts player choice front and center. The story unfolds based on the decisions you make and how you spend your time. Playing as a Sleeper is incredibly difficult, and your journey is directly shaped by your actions. You can track your relationships and see how they impact the overall story using a feature called the Clock. What makes the game so engaging is the significant control players have, although luck still plays a role through dice rolls.

Hylics

What’s Really Happening? You Decide

Games with complex, non-linear stories often grab players’ attention more than those with simple, direct narratives. The Soulsborne series is a great example – it doesn’t spell everything out, instead relying on short videos and cryptic notes to tell its story. This encourages fans to share their interpretations and theories, keeping the games relevant and discussed for years. While not as well-known, Hylics demonstrates this same principle and is well worth checking out.

Mason Lindroth’s 2015 game, Hylics, is a strange mix of familiar and completely original ideas. The characters don’t say much, so you have to piece together the story through the environment and what little information you can find. While the game features classic RPG elements like turn-based combat and traveling between areas, it’s set in a bizarre world and tells a unique story. You’ll battle an entity called Gibby, who seems to be the King of the Moon, but much of the context remains a mystery, adding to the game’s intriguing atmosphere. The art style is also unlike anything else out there.

2025-12-07 11:35