External Discovery
60 indie games in this list, released 2017, from developers such as ChickMania, Funsoft, Gimzat Inc.. 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 ChickMania · Jordan
Jackaro is an online social version of Jackaroo, the board game played by two teams of two with cards and marbles and popular in the Gulf. Players can join ranked matches, play private rooms with friends and voice chat, or practise offline against bots, and unlock boards, pieces and card designs. It is the flagship title of Chickmania Entertainment, a mobile studio founded in Amman, Jordan.
By Funsoft · Morocco
Rangi is a single-player virtual reality puzzle adventure in which players explore hidden temples, cross dangerous platforms and fly through the world to restore the Musiki's stolen rhythms. It stands out for tribal art and music and landscapes inspired by African mythology and folklore. The game was designed by Funsoft, a Moroccan indie studio whose members include former Ubisoft Casablanca developers, and published by Digigo.
By Gimzat Inc. · Egypt
Speed Race - Xtreme Gear is a mobile racing game from Gimzat Studios, released on the App Store in 2017. It is one of several car games in the studio's catalogue alongside titles such as Drift Legend and the online racer Platform 6, reflecting its focus on racing games for Arabic-speaking audiences. Gimzat is an Egyptian studio founded in 2015 whose small team works mainly from Egypt.
By Game Cooks · Lebanon
VINDICTA is a first-person VR shooter with a strong stealth element, made for room-scale headsets. As Agent V, players infiltrate the facility of UB Industries, climbing, crawling, taking cover and picking up weapons to destroy its robot army, and it uses an arm-swinging way to move. It launched in early access in 2017. It was developed by Game Cooks, a studio founded in Beirut by Lebanese brothers Arz and Lebnan Nader.
By The Gentlebros · Singapore
Cat Quest is a light action RPG from the Singapore studio The Gentlebros, set in an open world full of cats, puns and loot. You explore the map, take on quests and fight with a mix of melee attacks and magic, all at a brisk pace that suits short sessions. It was well received by critics and is an easy RPG to recommend to newcomers.
By Zoetrope Interactive · Turkey
Conarium is a first-person Lovecraftian horror adventure from the Turkish studio Zoetrope Interactive, inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's novella At the Mountains of Madness. It follows a group of scientists who try to push past what they believe are the limits of nature, and it favors atmosphere, exploration and puzzles over combat. A good pick for fans of slow-burn cosmic horror.
By Acid Wizard Studio · Poland
Darkwood is a survival horror game from the Polish studio Acid Wizard Studio. By day you scavenge and explore a strange, ever-changing forest, and by night you barricade your hideout and try to survive until morning. It builds dread through sound, limited vision and uncertainty rather than cheap scares.
By Red Candle Games · Taiwan
Detention is a 2D atmospheric horror adventure from the Taiwanese studio Red Candle Games, set in 1960s Taiwan under martial law. It weaves religious elements from Taiwanese culture and mythology into a story about fear, guilt and memory. The game is widely admired for using horror to explore a real and painful period of history.
By Mahdi Bahrami · Iran
Engare is a puzzle game about motion and geometry by Iranian designer Mahdi Bahrami. You trace the path of a point on a moving object to recreate a target shape, a little like a Spirograph, and a separate free-form mode turns the same idea into a drawing tool. Its design draws on Islamic art and sacred geometry, which makes every solved puzzle look like a pattern.
By SebaGamesDev · Uruguay
Fight'N Rage is a side-scrolling beat 'em up from the Uruguayan developer SebaGamesDev, inspired by the arcade classics of the 1990s and styled to match them. It is often cited as one of the best modern beat 'em ups, with deep combat and plenty of secrets for players who dig into it.
By Yggdrazil Group · Thailand
Home Sweet Home is a first-person survival horror game from the Thai developer Yggdrazil Group, built on Thai myths and beliefs. The focus is on storytelling and stealth as you hide from dangerous spirits, with puzzles adding variety along the way. It is a good way to experience horror shaped by Thai folklore rather than Western tropes.
By Team Cherry · Australia
Hollow Knight is a hand-drawn action-adventure set in a vast underground kingdom of insects, where every new ability reopens places you already walked past. Its combat asks for patience and pattern-reading rather than button speed, and much of its story is found rather than told. A benchmark for small-team Metroidvania design from an independent Australian studio.