Creative choices lay the groundwork for how any game will look. It’s one of the first things indie developers take into account, with concepts and character designs being a part of the earliest stages of the process. 

While the AAA developers spend their resources on creating the most life-like, photorealistic models and environments for their massive games, the indie developers don’t have that luxury. They make do with what they have to try and create something unique. 

I’m a firm believer in the idea that restrictions and a lack of available options inspires creativity. The more limited the resources, the more untethered the imagination becomes. This effect can turn a small game into something incredibly special. 

The best way to demonstrate this, is through a few examples of beautiful indie games that have been praised for their groundbreaking art direction. Some of these would never have been as widely successful without their striking visuals and sound design, and many incorporate these aspects into their gameplay mechanics in creative ways. 

Limbo – by Playdead 

As one of the most celebrated indie games ever, Limbo won a number of awards leading up to and upon its release in 2010. Most of these were attributed to the game’s unique art style, but also its incredible sound design. 

The game is a 2D platformer steeped in mystery that makes use of horror elements to create an eerie atmosphere. You play as a lost boy and try to work out where you are, while avoiding the monsters that threaten you. 

What makes Limbo artistically special is its monochrome visuals. The entire thing is black and white, and uses film grain and silhouette lighting to make it as creepy as possible. 

Although it’s a short game, the developer Playdead’s creative choices make it an unforgettable experience, and one that garnered a lot of attention on its launch almost 15 years ago. 

A sequel called INSIDE followed in 2016 from the same studio, which was considered even better than the previous entry. It earned a number of accolades, including Best Independent Game (Games Critics Awards & Game Awards 2016), Best Art Direction (Game Awards 2016), and was nominated in five different categories at The Game Awards 2016, including Game Of The Year.

Hotline Miami – by Dennaton Games

Hotline Miami is considered by many to be one of the greats when it comes to indie games. It was certainly considered something new and special when it was published by Devolver Digital in 2012.

In our interview at WASD Festival, JT of Devolver told us that Hotline Miami was their first major success. 

A lot of the plaudits that the game received were for its innovative creative design, making use of its 80s themes to really reflect that era through music, bright neon colours and the pixelated style. 

Hotline Miami is a top-down shooter in which the protagonist brutally assassinates the Russian Mafia in a fast-paced, violent, arcade gorefest. Fans of the game find its adrenaline inducing gameplay fun and freeing.

It was nominated for a number of awards in 2012.

Journey – by Thatgamecompany

Journey is another 2012 entry, that was also massively successful because of its innovation and striking creative direction. 

In Journey, the player controls a character who wanders a desert, trying to solve puzzles and make their way to the mountain. The key gameplay feature however is engaging with other players who are also making their journey, but you are unable to communicate with each other outside of helping to solve the puzzles. 

Art-wise the game was designed with the idea in mind to make the player feel small in massive environments. Although minimalistic, the 3D visuals are beautiful and vibrant, and succeed in making the protagonist feel miniscule and alone, until joined by another player.

The game was apparently rushed due to a lack of time and resources, which led to arguments within the studio, but eventually the game was released to great acclaim. 

It won a number of awards, many for its soundtrack but also for its art design and innovative gameplay features. 

Style = Success

Many of the most popular indie games of all time ironically had one thing in common… they were massively different. The necessity for an indie game to stand out against the crowd creates an opportunity to make something beautifully unique, and these games above did just that. Making use of the time and freedom they had to build something never seen before. 

I’d much rather play a game that struck me as something new, as I’m sure many of us would.