Which “small” indie game/film/book hit you harder than most blockbusters?
Which “small” indie game/film/book hit you harder than most blockbusters?
82 comments
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I've been a pretty big fan of both Elex games from Piranha Bites.
In terms of world design, scale, etc.. It's rare that I come across a game that actually sucks me into exploring every part of the open world map like Elex and Elex 2 did.
They're also games that don't hold your hand. Enemies don't level with you. Meaning that if you wander into an area with strong enemies, that's on you. A lot of people complained about that aspect of it, saying that it leads to having to spend a lot of early game running and dodging fights. But to me, that's the entire point, finding creative ways to deal with the enemies that you're too weak to deal with.
- I've lured stronger enemies into towns for the NPCs to deal with; adding just enough hits of my own to get the experience points. (added bonus of looting the corposes of the townsfolk that were killed dealing with it)
- I've skipped entire minor fetch quests (like paying off a gate guard to get access to a town) by again luring an enemy to him and having it kill him because the games have very few non-killable characters.
- I've spent an hour skirting along the edge of a crater riding the line between freezing by going any higher and getting one hit killed by enemies if I go any lower just to get to a hut that I spotted in the distance.
Honestly, for AA games that certainly have their flaws, there are parts of both that blow the modern Bethesda games out of the water.
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A couple of games from recent years: Chants of Sennaar (linguistic puzzles and incredible vibes) and 1000xResist (this game had something many big game devs seemingly have completely forgotten about, specifically, writing).
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This post kinda implies that OP thinks the default is that blockbusters have more soul and hits people harder than indie and passion projects, which is the opposite of the truth. Art made by fewer people generally has more soul and a stronger personality which translates to feelings by the person experiencing the art. They aren't put through a grinder of corporate bullshit to not be offensive or say anything of actual value.
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Before Your Eyes. I was going through some major stuff at the time and I'll associate the game with that summer forever. It has a very unique mechanic and it ties into the game really well without feeling like a gimmick. Takes about 3 hours to complete, so not a huge investment either.
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uses webcam to see when you're blinking
Nice try, deep state.
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Applying the term "Indie" to a book feels interesting to me, because almost all books, even ones that are part of intensely popular franchises, are written by a single author - so in a sense, all books are Indy.
Of course team size is only one aspect. There's also budget and commercial involvement. But budget doesn't have to be a constraining factor for books the way it is for movies. And if you're the only person pushing the keyboard keys then you are the one with ultimate creative control.
If you are a penniless author and publish a hit and get rich, does your next book then stop being indie, even though it's still just you? Or maybe it's no longer indie because your circumstances have changed.
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Many books are managed by a publisher, however. To varying degrees of control. The publisher can have significant sway in the process of writing and editorial control, depending on the contract.
I think the indie part is mostly to do with size and influence of the publishing house. As well as if the art comes first or market appeal. I think A24 in film are a good example of that question.
On further thought, I think one possible criteria may be: Was this work completed independently and then subsequently published, or did this work have a publisher prior to completion?
To your question, if the author gets big off of an indie work, then writes another, independently, which gets published again, then it's still indie. But if that author agrees a contract to write said book with the publisher before it is written, then it is no longer indie.
Basically, has the creator taken it on their own risk to make this thing and then tried to publish it later? Or did a publisher take the risk by funding it and then therefore may have some degree of control?
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Harveys neue Augen, Edna bricht aus
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SIGNALIS (indie horror game). Very good, scary, I cried. Strongly recommend.
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Some of the radio puzzles are unforgettable
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John Langan's "The Fisherman". Its a cosmic/folk horror novel but also a powerful meditation on loss and grief.
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Most indie games will end up better than pretty much every AAA title. The best games I've played in the last decade were either indie or AA.
Roboquest, Pathfinder WotR, Dyson Sphere Program, Outer Wilds, Balatro, Helldivers 2, Deep Rock Galactic, Rogue Trader, Darktide, Abiotic Factor, Rimworld, Stellaris, DV Rings of Saturn, Hardspace Shipbreaker, Voices of the Void, Expedition 33, Blue Prince, Tiny Glade, Witchfire, Instruments of Destruction, Heart of the Machine, Tainted Grail Fall of Avalon, A Webbing Journey, Planet Crafter, Kenshi, X4, Ultrakill, Schedule 1, the list goes on.
All amazing games, none of them AAA.
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Man from Earth.
Coherence.
Unpacking (game)
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Disco Elysium
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Frisbee
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Relevant XKCD https://xkcd.com/657/ and the reason I watched Primer in the first place. After dozens of watches I think that perhaps it's possible the graph is relatively correct (maybe)
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This was just amazing. Also relevant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3zTfXvYZ9s
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TUNIC
It's a good game in general, but ::: spoiler spoiler If you, as a kid, had to decipher an older sibling's notes in game manual, it hits that nostalgia right on the nose. And then turns it on its head. ::: -
DELTARUNE. toby's been changing my brain chemistry for 10+ years now
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Primer. Like $12k budget, mostly cost of film.
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Think it’s time for a rewatch thanks for the reminder
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Cube.
Made for $365,000 Canadian.
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I disliked the second one specifically because they gave it a decent budget. The original is genius for how it does so much with so little.
The third is an oddball. Made-for-TV budget and quality. It's interesting for fans of the series, but nothing special.
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Cube > Saw. First time I watched Saw the only thing I could think of is "This is Cube with a different aesthetic and a creepy puppet."
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Love the Cube series, knew it was low budget, but not ‘that’ low!
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I'm sure the others had a bigger budget, but yeah, the first one was hardly anything.
Of course they only needed to build one room, part of another, and then just change the lighting over and over.
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I remember feeling the feels when I first saw Garden State. I don’t know what it is about that film, but this quote:
Andrew: “You know that point in your life when you realize the house you grew up in isn't really your home anymore? All of a sudden even though you have some place where you put your shit, that idea of home is gone.
Sam: “I still feel at home in my house.”
Andrew: You'll see one day when you move out it just sort of happens one day and it's gone. You feel like you can never get it back. It's like you feel homesick for a place that doesn't even exist. Maybe it's like this rite of passage, you know. You won't ever have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it's like a cycle or something. I don't know, but I miss the idea of it, you know. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place.”
This hits hard.
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What Remains of Edith Finch. Is that a 'small' enough game? Affected me deeply, tho.
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This game singlehandedly destroyed my negative perspective on walking simulators. Legit must-play for everyone. Lewis' scene still makes me tear up.
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I absolutely agree.
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This was such a good interactive story. Took me less than a day to go through it, but there are some sections I will never forget. The bathtub and the fish plant created some crazy emotions, I was happy to piece together what was happening, but then I had to see it through without any way to avoid the inevitable.
(Trying to stay ambiguous for anyone who wants to check out it. You totally should!)
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Jeez the fish plant hit hard. As it would for many gamers.
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Maybe. I consider Greedfall as indie game as not really known. I love it. So, maybe, yes. the "small" is little bit too much.... 😅
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Hollow Knight! Got me into indie games.
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Hollow Knight was just so much well-curated content for the price. I got it on sale for $7.50, and after I played through it, I had to go buy it again at the full $15 because I felt like I'd ripped Team Cherry off.
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$5 here! indie games have such great value.
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Silksong is likely getting announced at Gamescon this week!
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Let's hope so!
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<2 days
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Games:
- To the Moon
- Gris
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- This War of Mine
- Inked: A Tale of Love
- Papers, Please
Movies (this list I had to think about for a while...):
- 50/50 (2011)
- Amour (2012)
- The Station Agent (2003)
- Columbus (2017)
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Books:
- The Bookshop
- The Lives of Others
Edit: spelling
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Diving bell+butterfly was so fucking good
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Some movies... There are just too many!!!
For great cinema, Brazil is an amazing parody of modern society by Terry Gillian. Stalker is simply a masterpiece but you need to be in that mood to watch it. The Lobster is just... weird and lovely. White Cat, Black Cat is pure chaotic fun.
For a good laugh Swiss Army Man was an unexpected little gem.
If you are into horrors Braindead is absolutely disgusting and hilarious, while The Devil's Rejects is a more disturbing one.
For sci-fi Cube is a nice and original one, and Dark City is a classic that inspired The Matrix.
About thriller, for sure The Machinist or Memento.
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We watched The lobster for a family movie night, they never let me pick the movie again 😅. I enjoyed it, watched it twice.
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Indeed. Let me add some more to the list:
Black Bear (2020) slow burn twisted story, Aubrey Plaza knocks it out of the park with her performance.
The Neon Demon (2016) even more twisted and not for the faint of heart. Visually stunning.
The Substance (2024) calling this one twisted would be an understatement. I feel like this is pushing the definition of an indie movie because it’s got blockbuster production values.
The Zero Theorem (2013) and Pi (1998) kind of hitting the same notes of crazy. The former especially worth watching because of Christoph Walz.
Titane (2021) it’s been a while that I watched it but it definitely left an impression. Also not an easy watch.
Swallow (2020) is about a girl developing a disturbingly unhealthy coping mechanism.
The Outrun (2024) hit way too close to home for me. Beautiful and sad movie. Shoutout to Saoirse Ronan.
Splice (2009) this one gets WEIRD oh boy lol
Adam’s Apples (2005) classic danish dark humor also Mads Mikkelsen!
Garden State (2004) awkward Zach Braff humor that feels very personal.
And if you feel like permanently traumatizing yourself then I can recommend Irréversible (2002) and any other Gaspar Noé movie.
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Somehow you made me think about a few more titles:
Weird stuff: Tetsuo: The Iron Man, a japanese sci-fi/horror movie that is difficult to place anywhere. Delicatessen is still weird, but more conventional. Cemetery Man is technically an horror, but with a unique twist and style. Plan 9 from Outer Space is considered one of worst films ever and it's so bad that Tim Burton made a film about its author (which is instead great cinema).
Animation: A Scanner Darkly from the terrific Dick's novel. For the fans of Van Gogh: Loving Vincent. Fritz the Cat, a cartoon for adults from way before it was a thing.
Comedies: Clerks made me laugh quite a lot and it's not even just a silly shallow movie, Juno which is more for teenagers maybe, This is the End if you are into Seth Roger's type of hirony,
With a mood: The Great Beauty is indeed beautiful, All About My Mother or anything by Almodóvar if you want to cry a bit, Lost in Translation recreates well the feeling of being out of place, A Love Song for Bobby Long an underestimated gem, or Broken Flowers.
Musical: Pink Floyd: The Wall is simply amazing. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was (still is?) a cultural phenomenon for decades.
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Journey!
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The game that somehow managed to make random online co-op not toxic
Also you just got me to realise that Sword of the Sea is actually out literally today
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My partner played Journey after I played it all the way through with my first matched partner and cried a lot.
My partner was matched with two deserters and a speedrunner. Then their last person quit near the end. They left the game frustrated and hated it.
I was very sad.
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I just played about an hour and it's so beautiful!
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Thomas was alone. Never have I had such strong feelings for a bunch squares and rectangles
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Totally agree. Such awesome writing!
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Games: INSIDE, We Happy Few
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A game released in 2008 called Iji. At first glance, it seems like a simple platformer, but think again. It's an amazing blend of platforming and RPG mechanics. The game reacts to the decisions you make resulting in multiple endings.
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Dear Esther
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Oh man. I played the original HL2 mod of that back in the day and the build I played was a bit glitchy. At various points of it, a silhouette of Esther appears in the distance to the point you're not sure if you've seen her, but on one play through, the silhouetted female NPC model didn't disappear for me and I was able to get up close to it. That was almost as eerie and profound as how the mod was supposed to be.
The original Stanley Parable was a HL2 mod around the same time as well. I liked that enough to buy the official release later. Not so for Esther.
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Honestly, all of them.
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Small indie film? Dear Zachary is a documentary produced on a shoestring budget, and it is an absolutely devastating piece of art. Just thinking about the film puts a lump in my throat.
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It's a roller coaster of uncontrollable tears and searing anger in equal parts. Devastating is the perfect word.
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I think I went through an entire box of tissues with this one.
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I thought a game like To The Moon would have been high up, but everyone has their own tastes.
Though, I will say, the sequel, Finding Paradise, is definitely worth it and is my choice. Even with the little bits of comedy and things that take away from the seriousness of the story, it's still an amazing story. Just as good as To The Moon, if you ask me.
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Chappie might be borderline, but it goes so hard emotionally for a movie that basically had no critical reception.
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I couldn't get past the crappy acting. It was like watching high schoolers try to make Tarantino dialogue work
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17776, especially the start and end (you do not need to care about American football at all to enjoy this story)
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Adastra.
I'm still infatuated with that dumb wolf. 😩
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Game: Who's Lila?
Film: Lake Mungo
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Beat me to it. First thing to mind was Lake Mungo.
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That scene with the dead Alice walking up to the camera really gets me every time I watch the movie. I guess because it subverts horror movie tropes. It's like an anti-jumpscare. And the photos in the end are a "good" downer.
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Game no one's mentioned yet: Look Outside
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So good and so strange
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Mine is music and the answer is essentially literally any Indy band that I like, I like WAY more than any mainstream artist.
but like I have several Indy bands that do different styles, so I don't know what my actual taste is.
here's my recent plays if anyone wants to tell me :) -
The game I wanted to say was already said, so I'll go with a movie! The 2018 Korean film "Burning".
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Ooooo rare movie! Excellent pick that nobody I know has ever seen hahaha
On a similar theme (fire), the Canadian movie “Ash” is incredible and shot at the unfortunately “perfect” time (wildfires happened just as they were filming so they didn’t have to CG them) and the movie is stellar.
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What does hit hard mean? Does it have to be emotionally impactful? Is positively surprised enough?
- Sheepy has great atmosphere (free)
- Halloween Hidden Capybaras with Orange and Pumpkins has great atmosphere, looks great (free)
I remember a game I played a long time ago touched me, but I can't find my review of it.
I found the VR title Surge was great, but it doesn't seem to be available in the Steam store anymore. I sat down and watched and looked around, and the music and visuals had great impact.
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I just finished ViewFinder. It's peaceful, surreal, beautiful, and poignant. Highly recommended if you like puzzle games. The end hits you in the feels.