While many gamers have mixed feelings about this year’s AAA releases in terms of whether or not they delivered, likely because of setbacks caused by theCovid-19 pandemic, it’s inarguable that 2021 has seen a large number of substantial and beloved indie titles. The Game Awards has finally unveiled its list of nominees for the 2021 award for best indie game, and while many of the games shown are well-deserving of their praise, it also snubs other amazing titles that could be equally deserving of awards and recognition.
In reality, it seems like many of the games listed made it as a nomination because of their statuses or where they got their funding and marketing from. It begs the question of what should be considered an indie game and whyThe Game Awards' list of nomineesfeatures the titles it does, despite how successful or resounding their reception may have been.
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What’s Considered An Indie Game
While games likeKena: Bridge of Spiritswere lucky enough to have funding and promotional aid from Sony, others don’t get that same opportunity, which, in turn, can affect the overall outcome of the final product. That’s not to say thatKena: Bridge of Spiritsisn’t deserving of any awards, but rather that its access to funds that most independent developers don’t or may not have has put it ahead of the pack at The Game Awards, which fails to recognize games that also had a huge impact but didn’t receive as much mainstream attention because they don’t have the aid of major companies like Sony.
It brings up the debate of what should or shouldn’t be considered an indie game. After all, there’s a large gray area between games developed by a small group if not a single person likeStardew Valley’s Eric BaroneorUndertale’s Toby Fox and the biggest companies, such asPersona’s Atlus,The Last of Us' Naughty Dog, and Bethesda, now owned by Microsoft. While ‘indie’ sometimes refers to developers that self-publish their games, Annapurna Interactive has one title on the nominee list and Devolver Digital three, which is over half. The work these two publishers do for the indie side of the industry is valuable, but it’s possible that some games may have made the list over others due to their far reach, leaving out other developers and publishers with less influence but equal talent.
Indie Games Overlooked for the 2021 Award
Several indie games debuted in 2021 that were both loved and impactful, leaving lasting impressions on both the players and the industry. They are not necessarily more or less worthy of the titles on the list likeLoop Hero, an interesting take on the roguelike formula, though12 Minuteshas raised some eyebrowsas it saw extremely mixed reactions due to its strange ending.
Eastwardis an excellent example, as isChicory: A Colorful Tale. Both games take inspiration fromZelda, but in largely different ways. Looking at the former, it’s clear where the design element of oldZeldagames comes in as well as within its puzzles, butEastwardis most widely renowned for its beautiful story.Chicory, on the other hand, saw even more overwhelming reactions for its rich puzzles and surprisingly heartfelt story.
Sableis another formidable game that was inspired byZelda—Breath of the Wild’s exploration factor—but with a concept that derives from the first film of theStar Warssequel trilogy,The Force Awakens. With an intriguing art style, a stunning soundtrack composed by rock musician Japanese Breakfast, and a relaxing setting, it covers many of the bases that are hot in indie games currently. Still, it unfortunately didn’t make The Game Awards' nominations list. Others, such asValheim,an online survival and crafting game currently in Early Access,Little Nightmares 2, a nontraditional horror title, and maybe evenMaquette, a gorgeous puzzle game about a failing relationship, also didn’t make the list but are wonderful titles that players should give a go.
