External Discovery
8 indie games in this list, released 2014–2019, from developers such as Pine Studio, Dead Mage, Minor Key Games. Pick one to read our editorial note and jump to its store page.
These are editorial pages. The developers and publishers are not affiliated with The Gaming Nest unless explicitly stated.
By Pine Studio · Croatia
SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell is a first-person platformer from Croatian developer Pine Studio, released on Steam in July 2016. Players dash through levels against the clock, relying on an assortment of power-ups to shave time off each attempt. Its design takes cues from speedrunning in games such as Quake and Super Meat Boy, and the odd name comes from ColloSEUM, the working title used during development.
By Dead Mage · Iran
Shadow Blade: Reload is an action platformer starring Kuro, a ninja racing through trap-filled stages and cutting down enemies along the way. It is the PC counterpart of the mobile game Shadow Blade, and its developers planned additional levels, a full story campaign and Steam features such as leaderboards and workshop support. It was developed and published by Dead Mage, a studio based in Iran, and released in August 2015.
By Minor Key Games · United States
Super Win the Game is an action role-playing game with platforming roots from American studio Minor Key Games, released on October 1, 2014. A follow-up to the studio's You Have to Win the Game, it is a homage to the Zelda II adventure starring Link. Critics praised it, but weak sales prompted lead developer Kyle Pittman to label it a failure. It came to Windows, Mac and Linux, and Steam files it as an action game.
By Leonard Menchiari, Daniele Vicinanzo, Giulio Perrone · Italy
The Eternal Castle Remastered is a cinematic platformer and adventure presented as a remaster of a 1987 game that never actually existed. Set in a distant future, it follows a colonist whose ship goes down on Earth while trying to escape the planet. Leonard Menchiari led development alongside Daniele Vicinanzo and Giulio Perrone in Italy, and it was released in 2019. It holds a Metacritic score of 73.
By Atelier 801 · France
Transformice is a free-to-play online multiplayer platformer from Atelier 801, the work of two designers from France: Melibellule, who handles art, and Tigrounette, who programs the game. Built on Adobe Flash, it first launched as a browser game in May 2010. A standalone free-to-play version later arrived on Steam in January 2015, playable on Windows, macOS and Linux.
By D-Pad Studio · Norway
Owlboy is a story-driven platform adventure from the Norwegian independent developer D-Pad Studio. You fly through a world in the clouds and can pick up friends and carry them with you, using their help to fight and solve puzzles. Its development began in 2007, and the result is some of the most detailed pixel art in the genre.
By Tolga Ay · Turkey
Remnants of Naezith is a fast precision platformer by Turkish developer Tolga Ay, built around a grappling hook. You swing and dash through short levels as Kayra, destroying enchanted fragments of a dragon before anyone can misuse their power, and leaderboards reward shaving seconds off every run. It is a tight, focused game made largely by a single developer.
By Maddy Makes Games · Canada
Celeste is a precision platformer about climbing a mountain, built from short, demanding screens that restart instantly when you fail. Beneath the tight jumping and dashing sits a personal story about anxiety, depression and self-doubt, told with warmth rather than melodrama. It is a demanding game that stays encouraging, and one of the best-known indie platformers of its generation.