Despite everything 2020 threw at us, it has brought some fantastic releases, but there’s always something to look forward to on the horizon with games. We might all be hoping that 2021 is better than this year in every aspect including games, but to be honest, if the upcoming indie games can be as good as what we had this year, we won’t be sorry. Below is a list of our most anticipated indie games pegged for released next year, in no particular order.
Also on Wccftech’s Most Anticipated Games of 2021: Action, Strategy & Simulation, Sports & Racing, Horror
12 Minutes
Initially teased at E3 2019, before the world became truly terrible, this dark imagining of a timeloop game is been pushed back to 2021. Although details are a little thin at the minute, the presentation and possibilities of 12 Minutes makes it an intriguing title worth keeping in mind. The game takes place in a small apartment where players are forced to relive a violent encounter with an intruder that resets every 12 Minutes. Like other timeloop games such as Outer Wilds and The Sexy Brutale, this game looks to involve an evolving puzzle where you have to devise ingenious solutions to the repeating threat, all while inking out the mysterious plot.
Dustborn
According to the official website, Dustborn is a game about “hope, friendship, robots… and the power of words”. Although it might not immediately sound worthy of elevation from the thousands of other indie games with similar themes, there is something about Dustborn that seems to speak to the inner nomad and rebel in us. The trailer looked, and possibly more importantly, sounded amazing as does the hints of the gameplay you can expect to find when the game launches sometime this year.
Solar Ash
From, Alx Preston and his studio Heart Machine, the creators of Hyper Light Drifter, Solar Ash looks like another incredibly beautiful, incredibly interesting artistic game that will capture a rapturous audience sometime this year. Hyper Light Drifter was an occasionally surrealist analogy for Preston’s heart condition, and Solar Ash looks to carry forward the same tragic, strange vibes that made the first game so memorable.
Stray
While not everything cyberpunk might have been what we were hoping, or expecting, in 2020, Stray still gives us hope that we can explore a great cyberpunk city next year. Playing as a cat, you are tasked with exploring a city filled with robots. There isn’t much information on Stray just yet, but from that description alone you should be very excited to play this game sometime this year.
Sable
This game has on the Most Anticipated Indie Game on Wccftech more than once at this point. But regardless, it’s still highly anticipated and the game is set to release this year. If it doesn’t, I promise it won’t be on the next list.
Sable is a game about exploring a strange alien planet and growing up. Players find a variety of different masks as they go through the dunes and will have to decide which one to wear permanently at the end of their coming-of-age ritual journey. It looks strange, beautiful, and interesting.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Perhaps the most graphically stunning title on this indie games list, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is the debut game from Ember Lab, inspired by the likes of The Legend of Zelda. It’ll feature Kena, a young spirit guide who uses her newfound magic to help deceased people find their way into the afterlife, as its protagonist. The action/adventure game will be available on PC (as an Epic Games store exclusive), PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 (where it’ll support the unique features of the DualSense controller) at some point in this first quarter of 2021.
Honourable Mentions
As with any year, we’ll undoubtedly be positively surprised by some completely unknown indie games. However, from where we stand now, the following ones also look worth mentioning.
- Season
- Goodbye Volcano High
- Mundaun
- Chinatown Detective Agency
