Indie games have taken the gaming world by storm in recent years. While many people, if not most, love a good triple-A game, independent developers have gained almost cult-like followings for the various genres and experiences they offer. Indie games like Five Nights at Freddy’s and Friday Night Funkin’ especially garnered themselves large followings, even rivaling that of many popular large-studio-created games.
While indie games are often one-and-done, there are quite a few that you can play over and over again, with different endings and even different stories each time you play. Some of them include extra things to do after you finish, and others you can keep playing and improving until you master the mechanics.
Updated January 26, 2023, by Sam Hallahan: There's no shortage of indie games out there, and with a constantly growing catalog on just about every platform you can think of, there are more and more great games that can be played time and time again. Whether you're looking for replayable games on-the-go, or just those comfort titles you can always return to after brief hiatuses, these indie games are the perfect picks.
20 One Step From Eden
Deck-building games and roguelikes are a match made in heaven. So many games have combined the two and created solid gold entries that are begging to be played until the day you die. The most obvious example of this is, of course, Slay The Spire. However, since that game's marvelous conception, indie developers have been tweaking the formula and injecting new life. One Step From Eden is the result of that, and it is truly magnificent.
Boasting gorgeous pixel art, intense combat, and satisfying mechanics, you can play One Step From Eden hundreds of times and still get one of the heartiest kicks imaginable out of it. Imagine Mega Man Battle Network, if that series was speed-hacked to run four times faster, and you have a rough idea of what to expect. Tactical gameplay delivered through split-second decision-making - a sight to behold.
19 Jump King
If you want a game that requires perseverance and will keep you coming back out of stubborn frustration, then welcome to Jump King. Comparable to the infamously anger-inducing Getting Over It, Jump King boasts visuals that give it the style of a classic arcade game we would have all loved in our younger years. Plus, all those old games were much harder than we remember, so that holds up too.
You have one goal: reach the top of the tower. However, you can only jump - up, left, and right - and it's the trajectory is something you'll need to master. With increasingly-difficult platforming as you get higher up the tower, one slip-up can mean hours of progress lost. And yet, you'll come back to it after a short blood-pressure break.
18 Nightmare Reaper
If you want a game to last forever, the secret sauce is absolutely splicing in some Rogue - the father of the eponymous roguelike. Nightmare Reaper takes Rogue's formula (by which we mean procedural generation, RNG, and loot) and then throws all of that in a pot with Doom. We aren't talking modern Doom either, we are talking gritty, punchy, classic Doom from 1993. Nightmare Reaper is a masterclass in replayability and crunchy gunplay.
To spice things up even more, Nightmare Reaper has unlockables and minigames that are legitimately well-made throwbacks to classic games like Pokemon and Mario. If you are a fan of classic FPS, look no further than Nightmare Reaper. It will have you running and gunning until time itself comes to a halt.
17 Tales Of Maj'Eyal
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In all likelihood, you have never heard of this game - most people haven't, despite it being around for around a decade now. Tales Of Maj'Eyal is a true-to genre, classic roguelike with very few of the modern bells and whistles. Animations are non-existent, graphics are basic at best, and the sound is, well... it's there. Still, Tales Of Maj'Eyal has had us captivated for hundreds of hours on multiple occasions. This is turn-based roguelike gameplay at its absolute finest: countless classes, an infinite number of enemies, and endless challenges. This game goes on, and on, and on (and on...).
If you can put aside the presentation and embrace what's truly important, Tales Of Maj'Eyal can suck you in like no other, and it won't let you leave. We've gone years not playing it, and we always come back to it for another couple hundred hours of play. Oh, and did we mention it still gets updates and expansions?
16 Papers Please
Papers Please is seeing people still enjoying its gameplay. This is primarily due to the combination of challenging gameplay, unique graphics, and often rather funny characters. All this is combined into a puzzle simulation where you play as a worker instated into the border control for what looks to be a rather militaristic and restrictive state called Arstotzka.
Such a story ensues where you have to keep your family warm, fed, and well while making sure the right people are let in and the wrong people aren't. It may sound easy, but one of the main replayability aspects is the fact that most people don't succeed on the first try. Even if they do, there are multiple endings for you to aim for.
15 Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight feels like what would happen if you took Ori and the Blind Forest and turned it into an epic Soulslike. It's adorable, extremely challenging, but an absolute joy to behold. The graphics themselves only serve to engross you more in this great game. After all, the designs of the characters and the lighting in the background are both elements that brought this game to the success it deserves.
While the main replayability comes from the fact that you'll likely die a fair few times, it just ends up having such a fantastic story and most players have such a lovely experience with the game, they can't help but come back for more.
14 Slay The Spire
Complete with some great stories, an immersive soundtrack, and enough cards to keep deck-building fans happy for hours, Slay The Spire is a fantastic indie game that is undeniably one of the most popular experiences within the deck-building category.
It's the perfect combination of challenging, thought-provoking, and entertaining. All this makes most people desperate to come back and see if they can beat the bosses in this roguelike. Although that's mainly just to see how far up the spire you can get or how many times they can get to the end. After all, you need to check out all the available cards and see if you can beat this ever-changing spire.
13 Don't Starve
Don't Starve is a game where you play as a man named Wilson as he struggles to survive in a harsh landscape filled with monsters and beefalos. As the game's title suggests, one of the game's goals is to not starve. You also have to keep a close eye on your sanity level, as the dark slowly affects your character, and you become more vulnerable to the shadows.
There's also a multiplayer mode supported, as well as cross-play between platforms. The randomly-generated maps also lend to the game being different every single time.
12 Risk Of Rain
In a world full of space trains and monsters, Risk of Rain features randomly generated elements that will keep you on your toes. A train crash has left you the lone survivor on a strange planet, and it's your job to fight through the hordes of enemies and protect the cargo on your ship.
Multiplayer is also a major mechanic, where you and your friends can play as one of 12 different classes. You have to worry about permanent death in Risk of Rain, though, which can be a stressful situation for a lot of gamers. Once you finish this game, there's a newer, 3D sequel available for you to play as well.
11 Subnautica
Subnautica has been around for some time now, with many years spent in Early Access, and getting a full release in 2018. Stranded on an alien world that seems to be all ocean, you need to use what's around you - whether it be the environment or the wreckages - in order to survive and find help to get off the planet.
With lore and story to uncover, Subnautica is a fantastic game to experience for the first time. That said, however, it's also incredibly fun to load up a new game and start over with nothing but the salt water around you. And a fire extinguisher, of course.
10 Terraria
In Terraria, no two games are ever the same. Between a customized player character and a randomized seed, Terraria is a game that changes every time you load a new world. Often compared to Minecraft, the base-building and crafting systems are easy to learn and fun to explore.
A world full of resources, bosses, and helpful NPCs awaits anyone who plays. Terraria is also open for multiplayer, allowing you to explore the world with your friends locally or on opposite sides of the world.
9 Kerbal Space Program
If you've ever considered studying real rocket science, Kerbal Space Program is for you. You are in charge of building spaceships for tiny, adorable aliens called the Kerbals. Using real physics, the game allows you to blast off from your home planet to explore the galaxy around you, while focusing on keeping your crew of Kerbals alive.
Since you are the one building every ship, the options are practically limitless for how many different ones you can build, which is perfect for anyone seeking to play a game that won't disappoint. There's even a massive modding community and multiple DLC packs released, adding even more options for your gameplay.
8 Factorio
A steampunk's dream game, Factorio's limits do not exist. Your goal is to build and maintain the best factory you can, all while evading monsters drawn in by the pollution you give off. You'll be mining resources, researching technology, and streamlining production while fending off hordes of bug-like enemies.
Each map generated is different from the last, and every factory you build will be unique. Factorio has no shortage of mods as well, leading to an even bigger array of possible sessions you could play.
7 Satisfactory
While we're on the topic of building huge factories, we can't go without mentioning Satisfactory. With a fairly self-explanatory title, this game will see you building huge, automated production systems, leaving you proud to look back over everything you've built working properly.
What makes this game so replayable is the number of ways in which you can tackle projects and organize your equipment. Add in the fact that you can play with friends, and this is the perfect game to jump back into if you feel like getting creative, while still feeling productive.
6 Starbound
In Starbound, you are alone on a planet, stranded, with the tools to repair your damaged ship or build a new home. The game's developers have left it extremely open-ended, so you can do basically whatever you want to.
You can fly around to different planets and collect treasures, you can build an epic base to stay in, or even fight through dungeons. Starbound is also moddable and has multiplayer, so you can explore the galaxy with your friends and do even more.
5 Stardew Valley
A long-time favorite of many casual gamers, Stardew Valley has won over the hearts of thousands across the world. You play as a farmer from the city, eager to escape mundane office life. You can romance several eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, as well as cultivate a massively successful farm.
You can customize your character in many ways, and with mods, your options increase even more. With all of the maps you can start with, as well as your marriage options, Stardew Valley is a game that keeps on giving.
4 7 Days To Die
7 Days to Die is a game for pretty much everyone. A fan of first-person shooters? It's got that. Crafting systems? Advanced enemies? Skill upgrades? Resource management? Base-building? You can do all of that and more in the post-apocalyptic wasteland overrun by zombies. There's opportunity to explore, build, and fight through huge swathes of enemies.
As the title suggests, you have seven days to build a base and gather enough resources. On the seventh night, all hell breaks loose and a massive horde of zombies comes after you. With the variation in enemies, maps, and bases, 7 Days to Die is a game that will keep surprising you.
3 Enter The Gungeon
Enter the Gungeon is a game about destroying your past, which seems like a dark subject for such a cute-looking dungeon crawler. You can play as a wide variety of avatars, or "Gungeoneers" fighting their way through the various levels of enemies to search for their goal: the gun that can kill the past.
Each level is different, with bosses and enemies that are armed to the teeth around every corner. You can find treasures and talk with merchants to buy powerful boons on your journey to the bottom. Every level is randomized and gets progressively more difficult, so make sure to stay on your toes and keep your wits about you.
2 The Binding Of Issac: Rebirth
The Binding of Issac: Rebirth is a remake of the original Binding of Issac with a better gaming engine. It currently has three DLC packs available for purchase, each adding new characters and rooms to the game.
In the game, you'll follow Issac through a series of randomly-generated rooms in a dungeon-crawler manner to escape his mother. As you play, you'll unlock various bodily transformations that grant Issac special powers. Each room is also themed, from a literal womb to libraries, bedrooms, and Curse Rooms.
1 No Man's Sky
A pretty huge and notorious indie game, No Man's Sky is now one of the biggest and best space exploration games out there. Take to the stars, undertake missions, build huge bases, explore dangerous planets, and meet up with friends and strangers in order to achieve goals - whether honorable or questionable.
With countless expansions and updates (all of which are free) and even more on the way, No Man's Sky is a great game to return to time and time again. Whether you want to carry on playing and expand your presence in the universe, or start fresh and work to achieve everything all over again, this is a great comfort game that will always offer something new.