926 indie games in this list, released 2011–2026, from developers such as Olli Harjola, Otto Hantula, Tom Jubert, Carlo Castellano, Pelikan13, Croteam. 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 Olli Harjola, Otto Hantula, Tom Jubert, Carlo Castellano · Finland
The Swapper is a 2013 science fiction puzzle-platformer from Facepalm Games, an indie studio based in Helsinki, Finland. Stranded on an abandoned research station, the player finds a device that creates clones and lets her shift her mind between them, using it to solve puzzles and uncover what happened to the researchers. Its story explores consciousness and identity, and critics met the game with wide acclaim.
The TakeOver is an indie beat 'em up that openly pays tribute to the Streets of Rage series, copying its style of play and graphics. It even includes some music by Yuzo Koshiro, composer of those games. The game was made by Greek developer Pelikan13, the alias of Antonis Pelekanos, and after early access it saw full release in 2019. Critics were mixed on its writing and polish but broadly considered it a worthwhile homage.
The Talos Principle is a puzzle game released in 2014 by Croatian studio Croteam, published by Devolver Digital and built on Serious Engine 4. Its puzzles sit inside a philosophical story whose title refers to an argument by a fictional Greek philosopher that a conscious machine implies humans are machines too. It later gained the Road to Gehenna expansion, a 2023 sequel and a 2025 remaster called Reawakened.
The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia combines bullet hell dodging with typing, asking players to type out exorcism texts while weaving through enemy fire. Its hero is a former priest who now works as a freelance exorcist. It was developed by Morbidware, a studio in Italy, and released on Steam for Windows on February 14, 2019. Reviews were mostly positive, singling out its music, theme and art, and it holds a Metacritic score of 78.
The Tiny Bang Story is a point-and-click adventure built around puzzle solving, with hidden object play among its listed genres. It was developed and self-published by the Russian studio Colibri Games and first appeared on Steam for Windows and macOS in 2011. In the following years it was ported to a wide range of platforms, including iOS, Android, Linux, Apple TV and Nintendo Switch.
The Wardrobe is a point-and-click adventure game from C.I.N.I.C. Games, a studio based in Italy, and was first released in 2017. This Steam version is the Even Better Edition, available on Windows and Mac. It belongs to the classic graphic adventure genre and holds a Metacritic score of 72. The verified facts available here give little detail about its story or specific mechanics, so this summary sticks to its genre and origins.
A 2D cinematic platformer from Polish studio Puzzling Dream, The Way follows a space explorer who cannot come to terms with his wife's death. After discovering ancient texts about eternal existence on one of his final expeditions, he returns to that site hoping to bring her back. PlayWay published it for Windows in 2016, and its play combines platforming with puzzle solving.
The Wild Eight is a survival game about a group of people left stranded in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness. Players have to work together to stay alive, and the game combines action and adventure with role-playing and simulation elements. It was developed by Eight Points, a studio from Russia, and published by HypeTrain Digital, with its full Steam release arriving in October 2019.
There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension is a puzzle adventure from Draw Me A Pixel, a company based in France. It is played in point-and-click style, with casual puzzle solving at its core. The game grew out of creator Pascal Cammisotto's 2015 game jam winner There Is No Game, and is often treated as a sequel or expansion of it. It launched on Windows and macOS in August 2020, reaching mobile and Switch later.
Thief Simulator is an open-world stealth game about working as a burglar. Players scout targets to learn their routines, break into homes to take valuables, fence the loot and reinvest the money in better equipment for tougher jobs. It was developed by Noble Muffins from Poland, published by PlayWay, and released on Windows in November 2018 before arriving on Switch, PlayStation 4 and Quest 2.
This Is the Police 2 mixes story-driven adventure with strategy, putting you in charge of a small-town sheriff's department. You assign officers to incidents, make difficult calls and fight turn-based tactical encounters while the returning protagonist, now living as Warren Nash, hides from federal agents in the fictional town of Sharpwood in 1987. It is a sequel from Belarusian developer Weappy Studio, published by THQ Nordic in 2018.
This Land Is My Land is a stealth action game set on the American frontier of the 1800s, where a Native American protagonist leads resistance against encroaching settlers. Players roam a large open landscape of hostile people and wildlife, and their choices shape how the story unfolds. Ukrainian studio Game-Labs developed and published it, releasing it in early access in 2019 before a full launch in 2021; it drew criticism over stereotyping and a lack of Native American involvement.
This War of Mine looks at war from the viewpoint of ordinary civilians instead of soldiers on the front line. Players manage a small group of survivors in a city under siege, scavenging for food and medicine and facing hard moral choices that shape how each character's story ends. Polish studio 11 bit studios developed and published it in 2014, drawing on the siege of Sarajevo and other conflicts for inspiration.
THOTH, an abstract shoot 'em up, comes from Carlsen Games in Denmark, released for Windows and Mac in 2016 under the Double Fine Presents label. It was created by Jeppe Carlsen, who had served as lead gameplay designer on Playdead's Limbo and Inside. In keeping with its genre, play revolves around shooting and evading enemies, all presented in a stripped-back, abstract visual style that suits its minimal approach.
Threefold Recital is a narrative adventure game developed by Chinese indie studio Everscape Games and published by indienova. It was released for Microsoft Windows in January 2025. Wikidata classes it as an action-adventure game, while Steam files it under Adventure, placing it among story-led indie adventures on PC. It is the kind of release best suited to players who come for narrative rather than systems.
Through the Woods is a horror adventure played from a third-person perspective. Its Norwegian roots are central to its identity, and it is classed as survival horror, pointing to tense exploration rather than combat-heavy action. It was developed by indie studio Antagonist in Norway and arrived on Windows through Steam and GOG in October 2016. The available sources do not go into detail about its story or specific mechanics.
Timberborn is a city-building game in which players guide a colony of beavers and keep it alive through periods of scarce resources. Building and planning the settlement are the main tools for weathering those shortages. It was developed and self-published by Polish studio Mechanistry, with its full release on Steam dated March 2026. Steam categorizes it as a mix of simulation and strategy, fitting its focus on management and survival.
Tiny Glade is a sandbox city-builder where players shape medieval houses, castles and other structures, decorate them, and reshape the surrounding land with features such as rivers and ponds. Critics described it as calm and cosy, though some wished it had more content. Swedish studio Pounce Light self-published it in September 2024 after a demo during Steam Next Fest, and it went on to earn nominations at the Steam Awards and the BAFTA Games Awards.
Tinykin is a 3D puzzle platformer from Splashteam, a studio in France, published by tinyBuild. Researcher Milodane explores a strange planet and gathers tiny creatures with special abilities that help him reach new areas and complete goals. It began as Bubble Town at the 2019 Global Game Jam and takes cues from Pikmin and Paper Mario. Released in August 2022, it earned honorable mentions at the Independent Games Festival.
TIS-100 is a programming puzzle game in which players write mock assembly language so that a corrupted, fictional 1970s computer can carry out set tasks. Every challenge is solved by writing and refining code, turning low-level programming into the core of play. American developer Zachtronics released it for Windows, OS X and Linux in July 2015, and a version for iPadOS followed in January 2016.
Titan Attacks! is a fixed shooter in the arcade tradition, where the player's craft slides along the bottom of the screen and fires upward at descending waves of alien invaders. Critics liked its art style and moreish flow but noted a limited amount of content. It was developed and self-published by Puppy Games, a studio in the United Kingdom, first appearing in 2006, and it was followed by Revenge of the Titans in 2010.
To the Moon is an adventure game by Canadian studio Freebird Games, designed by Kan Gao in RPG Maker XP and first released in 2011. Two doctors try to grant a dying man's final wish through artificial memories, and the player guides them through his past, exploring the story and solving puzzles to rebuild what he remembers. Mechanics are kept light, putting the weight on narrative, music and emotional themes.
TOKOYO: The Tower of Perpetuity is a side-scrolling action roguelike in which players scale a towering structure with one aim: to reach the very top. Its roguelike structure means repeated attempts at the climb, combining action with the genre's run-based format. It was made by the Japanese developer //commentout and published by Playism, arriving in 2022 on Windows and Nintendo Switch. Critical reception at launch was mixed.
Toree 3D is a short 3D platformer that borrows its look and presentation from the early days of 3D platforming, with a few odd touches mixed in. It was made by Siactro, the working name of solo developer Marcus Horn from Germany, and first appeared on the Haunted PS1 Demo Disc compilation in 2021. Critics liked its visuals and sound while being split on the controls and brevity, and it was followed by Toree 2 later that year.