The creativity of independent games
Student passing the time by playing Hollow knight (Dylan Cooper/The Puma Prensa)
By Dylan Cooper, Features Editor
The gaming industry is considered one of the largest businesses on the planet. Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and so many more gaming giants–often referred to as triple-A studios–are producing content faster than most of us can keep up with. However, despite how profitable these big studios are to the overall industry, a common sentiment among gamers is this: we’re bored.
The content that is being put out isn’t what it used to be. It’s as if the creativity that made games brilliant is now secondary to company profits. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find something that scratches that itch, that breaks away from this cycle of mediocre video games. However, not all hope is lost for the creativity this industry once bolstered, as indie game developers are stepping forward to produce games unlike anything that anyone has played before.
Some of the greatest game titles that have defined the last few decades have not come from some corporate office with hundreds of workers. Games like Five Nights at Freddy’s, Outer Wilds, and so many more were scraped together by a few impassioned people. All of these games come from indie (independent) studios: small companies that aren’t funded by large publishers and act entirely of their own volition. The developers who make games for these businesses tend to do so because they want to make something original, rather than just make money.
The passion that triple-A studios had in the past is gone, and they are now unwilling to take financial risks or experiment with new ideas. Anything and everything that makes their numbers go up is all that matters to them, choosing to repeat a bland formula to sell their games as much as possible.
On the other hand, indie developers can usually only focus on one endeavor at a time, and to make something that people will keep playing years from now, they need to step away from what big studios are doing and pursue riskier projects.
“The Triple-A games industry is very condensed, you see a lot of first person shooters or third person action games,” says graduate Finn Wright, a huge video game enthusiast. “Those third person action games are practically Sony’s every game, and so it starts to stagnate.”
People are tired of repetition. We want to experience new things, especially when we’re doing what we love and adore. A painter doesn’t want to paint the same picture over and over again; they want to branch out and do something different. For someone who spends a lot of time playing games on a screen, it can feel exhausting to jump into the same game they’ve played a million times before. For those suffering from “overplayed videogame syndrome,” these indie studios are offering the cure.
One indie game that really stands out as the shining symbol of its medium is Hollow Knight. It was spawned from the creative minds at Team Cherry, an independent studio with passionate creators, eager to make something the world would enjoy. They were successful, producing one of the most popular games of all time. Wright believes that “there is something for everyone in that game. Whether you are into lore, story, or amazing combat, it’s truly one of a kind.” It remains a testament to what these studios are able to achieve all on their own and how far an idea can go.
Indie games often diverge from the common themes of other big studio games, dealing with abstract or complicated concepts. Disco Elysium, another indie title, is a narrative masterpiece, offering a challenging mental experience that involves overcoming or giving into addiction, and questioning your understanding of many different political ideologies. On the other hand, a game like Omori, which is on a different side of the gaming spectrum, also happens to grapple with heavy topics, such as depression and suicide. Both games are in stark contrast to one another, yet they happen to leave a lasting impact, even after they are completed.
This isn’t to say that triple-A studios can’t make games like this; however, it is the positive track record of indie companies that earns more trust from people. “Indie games just have a different vibe to them. Their aesthetics are so much different from big company games because every indie company is doing their own thing and the creativity is so much more visible,” exclaims Junior Daviyon Demauretne, a big fan of Omori and other indie franchises. More and more people are finding these smaller companies to be extremely reliable in producing quality content, and less trustful in the current gaming giants.
The future of gaming is adapting to be more open to the place indie games have in the community. With Balatro achieving a Game of the Year nomination in 2024, to the popularity of the brand new Expedition 33, it is not hard to see that indie companies show no sign of slowing down. It doesn’t matter how many repetitive games these big studios will make, these smaller companies will always be there to challenge the industry standard. With every new dungeon crawler and innovative soundtrack, the gaming world takes another big step in the right direction.