Content deleted Content added
mNo edit summary Tags: Visual edit Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit |
→Impact and popularity: terreria update |
||
| (8 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|Class of video game, generally independently published}}
{{About|a type of video game|the 2012 documentary film|Indie Game: The Movie|non-electronic indie games specifically about role-playing|Indie role-playing game}}
{{multiple image
|align=right
Line 20:
The modern take on the indie game scene resulted from a combination of numerous factors in the early 2000s, including technical, economic, and social concepts that made indie games less expensive to make and distribute but more visible to larger audiences and offered non-traditional gameplay from the current mainstream games. A number of indie games at that time became success stories that drove more interest in the area. New industry opportunities have arisen since then, including new digital storefronts, crowdfunding, and other indie funding mechanisms to help new teams get their games off the ground; low-cost and [[open-source software development|open-source development]] tools available for smaller teams across all gaming platforms; boutique indie game publishers that leave creative freedom to the developers; and industry recognition of indie games alongside mainstream ones at major game award events.
Around 2015, the increasing number of indie games being published led to fears of an "indiepocalypse", referring to an oversupply of games that would make the entire market unprofitable. Although the market did not collapse, discoverability remains an issue for most indie developers, with many games not being financially profitable. Examples of successful indie games include the ''[[Touhou Project]]'' series, ''[[Cave Story]]'', ''[[Braid (video game)|Braid]]'', ''[[Super Meat Boy]]'', ''[[Terraria]]'', ''[[Minecraft]]'', ''[[Fez (video game)|Fez]]'', ''[[Shovel Knight]]'', ''[[Undertale]]'', ''[[Hollow Knight]]'', and ''[[Cuphead]]''.<!-- do not add any more to this list without checking the talk page-->
== Definition ==
Line 102:
While there has not been any type of collapse of the indie game field since 2015, there are concerns that the market is far too large for many developers to get noticed. Very few selected indie titles get wide coverage in the media, and are typically referred to as "indie darlings". In some cases, indie darlings are identified through consumer reactions that praise the game, leading to further coverage; examples of such games include ''[[Celeste (video game)|Celeste]]'' and ''[[Untitled Goose Game]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/best-games-2018/2018/12/17/18126327/best-games-2018-celeste-games-of-the-year|title=GOTY 2018: #5 Celeste|last=Heller|first=Emily|date=2018-12-17|website=Polygon|language=en|access-date=2019-11-26|archive-date=2018-12-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225175208/https://www.polygon.com/best-games-2018/2018/12/17/18126327/best-games-2018-celeste-games-of-the-year|url-status=live}}</ref> However, there are also times where the video game media may see a future title as a success and position it as an indie darling before its release, only to have the game fail to make a strong impression on players, such as in the case of ''[[No Man's Sky]]'' and ''[[Where the Water Tastes Like Wine]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JoshBycer/20191014/352119/The_Problem_of_the_Indie_Game_Pedestal.php | title = The Problem of the Indie Game Pedestal | first = Josh | last = Bycer | date = October 15, 2019 | access-date = October 15, 2019 | work = [[Gamasutra]] | archive-date = October 14, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191014211441/https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JoshBycer/20191014/352119/The_Problem_of_the_Indie_Game_Pedestal.php | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.wired.com/story/no-mans-sky-one-year-later/ | title = One Year Later, No Man's Sky—And Its Evolution—Is Worth Exploring | first = Julie | last = Muncy | date = 15 August 2017 | access-date = 17 August 2017 | magazine = [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] | archive-date = 18 August 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170818011719/https://www.wired.com/story/no-mans-sky-one-year-later/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Discoverability has become an issue for indie developers as well. With the [[Steam (service)|Steam]] distribution service allows any developer to offer their game with minimal cost to them, there are thousands of games being added each year, and developers have come to rely heavily on Steam's discovery tools – methods to tailor catalog pages to customers based on past purchases – to help sell their titles.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-07-19-steam-indies-and-betting-on-discoverability | title = Indies on Steam are betting on discoverability | first = Rebekah | last = Valentine | date = July 19, 2019 | access-date = October 15, 2019 | work = [[GamesIndustry.biz]] | archive-date = October 4, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191004155944/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-07-19-steam-indies-and-betting-on-discoverability | url-status = live }}</ref> Mobile app stores have had similar problems with large volumes of offers but poor means for discovery by consumers in the late 2010s.<ref name="poly too many games"/> Several indie developers have found it critical to have a good [[public relations]] campaign across social media and to interact with the press to make sure a game is noticed early on in its development cycle to get interest and maintain that interest through release, which adds to costs of development.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DanielWest/20150908/253040/Good_isnt_good_enough__releasing_an_indie_game_in_2015.php | title = 'Good' isn't good enough - releasing an indie game in 2015 | first = Daniel | last = West | date = September 8, 2015 | access-date = October 15, 2019 | work = [[Gamasutra]] | archive-date = October 15, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191015190657/https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DanielWest/20150908/253040/Good_isnt_good_enough__releasing_an_indie_game_in_2015.php | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2019/3/12/18256052/indie-game-release-steam | title = How it feels to release an indie game in 2019 | first = Xalavier Jr. | last = Nelson | date = March 12, 2019 | access-date = October 15, 2019 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-date = February 27, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200227050031/https://www.polygon.com/2019/3/12/18256052/indie-game-release-steam | url-status = live }}</ref>
In addition to titles like ''[[Celeste (video game)|Celeste]]'' and ''[[Untitled Goose Game]]'', other highly successful indie games released during this period included ''[[Hollow Knight]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Alex |date=2018-07-05 |title=Hollow Knight Has Sold More Than 1 Million Copies On PC |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/07/hollow-knight-has-sold-more-than-1-million-copies-on-pc/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Kotaku Australia |language=en-AU}}</ref> ''[[Undertale]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/07/steam-data-leak-reveals-precise-player-count-for-thousands-of-games/ |title=Valve leaks Steam game player counts; we have the numbers |author=Orland, Kyle |date=July 6, 2018 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |access-date=July 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710173043/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/07/steam-data-leak-reveals-precise-player-count-for-thousands-of-games/ |archive-date=July 10, 2018 |url-status=live}} [https://arstechnica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/games_achievements_players_2018-07-01.csv Complete list]. {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711204821/https://arstechnica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/games_achievements_players_2018-07-01.csv |date=July 11, 2018}}</ref> ''[[Stardew Valley]]'',<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.vg247.com/2020/01/23/stardew-valley-sold-10-million-copies-worldwide/ | title = Stardew Valley has sold over 10 million copies worldwide | first = Stephany | last = Nunneley | date = January 23, 2020 | access-date = January 23, 2020 | work = [[VG247]] | archive-date = January 23, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200123224104/https://www.vg247.com/2020/01/23/stardew-valley-sold-10-million-copies-worldwide/ | url-status = live }}</ref> and ''[[Cuphead]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://venturebeat.com/2019/09/30/cuphead-surpasses-5-million-copies-sold/ | title = Cuphead surpasses 5 million copies sold | first = Jeff | last = Grubb | date = September 30, 2019 | access-date = January 28, 2020 | work = [[Venture Beat]] | archive-date = January 16, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200116144643/https://venturebeat.com/2019/09/30/cuphead-surpasses-5-million-copies-sold/ | url-status = live }}</ref>
===Other regions===
Line 133:
===Development tools===
For development of personal computer games, indie games typically rely on existing [[game engine]]s, [[middleware]] and [[game development kit]]s to build their titles, lacking the resources to build custom engines.<ref name="every game indie">{{cite journal | title = Is Every Indie Game Independent? Towards the Concept of Independent Game| first1 = Maria B. | last1 = Garda | first2 = Paweł | last2 = Grabarczyk | journal = Game Studies | volume = 16 | issue = 1 | date = October 2016 | issn = 1604-7982 }}</ref> Common game engines include [[Unreal Engine]] and [[Unity (game engine)|Unity]], but there are numerous others as well. Small studios that do not anticipate large sales are generally afforded reduced prices for mainstream game engines and middleware. These products may be offered free, or be offered at a substantial royalty discount that only increases if their sales exceed certain numbers.<ref name="lipkin">{{cite journal | title = Examining Indie's Independence: The Meaning of "Indie" Games, the Politics of Production, and Mainstream Co-optation | first = Nadav | last = Lipkin | journal = The Journal of the Canadian Game Studies Association | volume = 7 | issue = 11 | pages = 8–24| date = December 31, 2012 | url=https://journals.sfu.ca/loading/index.php/loading/article/view/122/149 }}</ref>
Prior to 2010, development of indie games on consoles was highly restrictive due to costly access to [[software development kit]]s (SDKs), typically a version of the console with added debugging features that would cost several thousands of dollars and come with numerous restrictions on its use to prevent trade secrets related to the console from being leaked. Console manufactures may have also restricted sales of SDKs to only certain developers that met specific criteria, leaving potential indie developers unable to acquire them.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/07/how-certification-requirements-are-holding-back-console-gaming/ |title=How certification requirements are holding back console gaming |first=Kyle |last=Orland |date=23 July 2012 |work=[[Ars Technica]] |access-date=24 August 2020 |archive-date=13 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013002650/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/07/how-certification-requirements-are-holding-back-console-gaming/ |url-status=live }}</ref> When indie games became more popular by 2010, the console manufacturers as well as mobile device operating system providers released special software-based SDKs to build and test games first on personal computers and then on these consoles or mobile devices. These SDKs were still offered at commercial rates to larger developers, but reduced pricing was provided to those who would generally self-publish via digital distribution on the console or mobile device's storefront, such as with the [[ID@Xbox]] program or the [[iOS SDK]].
Line 204:
|-
| ''[[Terraria]]''
|
| 2011
| [[Re-Logic]]
| Re-Logic, [[505 Games]]
| As of
|-
| ''[[Human: Fall Flat]]''
Line 243:
| FuturLab
| [[Square Enix Collective]]
| As of April 2024<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.eurogamer.net/12m-players-have-got-in-a-lather-with-powerwash-simulator | title=12m players have got in a lather with PowerWash Simulator | newspaper=Eurogamer.net | date=22 April 2024 }}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Fall Guys]]''
Line 349:
| Wube Software
| As of December 2022, includes sales during early access since February 2016.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/factorio-has-sold-35-million-copies/ | title = Factorio has sold 3.5 million copies | first = Jonathan | last = Bolding | date = December 31, 2022 | accessdate = December 31, 2022 | work = [[PC Gamer]] | archive-date = December 31, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221231223553/https://www.pcgamer.com/factorio-has-sold-35-million-copies/ | url-status = live }}</ref>
|-▼
| ''[[Cult of the Lamb]]''▼
| 3.5
| 2022▼
| Massive Monster▼
| [[Devolver Digital]]▼
| As of
|-
| ''[[Among Us]]''
Line 509 ⟶ 516:
| Mike Klubnika
| Critical Reflex
| As of April 2024<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/horror/team-behind-steams-latest-mega-hit-was-just-joking-when-it-said-it-would-double-our-sales-but-then-its-horror-gambling-game-actually-sold-1-million-copies/ | title=Team behind Steam's latest mega-hit was just joking when it said it would "double our sales," but then its horror gambling game actually sold 1 million copies | date=23 April 2024 }}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Celeste (video game)|Celeste]]''
Line 531 ⟶ 538:
| Fireshine Games
| As of July 2022<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamesinsider.biz/news/73138/core-keeper-has-sold-one-million-copies/ | title = Core Keeper has sold one million copies | first = Alex | last = Calvin | date = July 1, 2022 | accessdate = July 8, 2022 | work = [[PC Games Insider]] | archive-date = July 1, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220701092501/https://www.pcgamesinsider.biz/news/73138/core-keeper-has-sold-one-million-copies/ | url-status = live }}</ref>
▲|-
▲| ''[[Cult of the Lamb]]''
▲| 2022
▲| Massive Monster
▲| [[Devolver Digital]]
▲| As of August 2022<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.destructoid.com/cult-of-the-lamb-hits-over-a-million-players-in-only-a-week/ | title = Cult of the Lamb hits over a million players in only a week | first = Noelle | last = Warner | date = August 18, 2022 | accessdate = August 18, 2022 | work = [[Destructoid]] }}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Dave the Diver]]''
| |||