author: Paul Wozniak
The Best Indie Games of 2020
Making a hit when the budget is counted in tens of millions of dollars isn't a great feat. Today, we talk about great games that have been successful despite scarce resources, and tiny development teams.
Table of Contents
- The Best Indie Games of 2020
- Among Us
- Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
- Satisfactory
- Risk of Rain 2
- ULTRAKILL
- Pummel Party
- CARRION
- BPM: BULLETS PER MINUTE
- UnderMine
- Monster Train
- Spiritfarer
Among Us
- Developer: Innersloth
- Genre: multiplayer action game
- Release date: June 15, 2018 (Android), June 17, 2018 (iOS), November 16, 2018 (PC)
- Platforms: PC Windows, Android, iOS
- Steam opinions: 94% positive
What kind of game is this?
Among Us is an inconspicuous game by three-people-strong Innersloth, based on the party game called Mafia, took almost everyone by surprise. It came out of the blue, even though it had its official release two years ago, took both Twitch and Steam by storm. We will talk about how this happened in a moment, but first, we need to discuss what Among Us actually is. It is an online social game, in which we travel to locations and have to complete designated tasks, bringing us closer to leaving the area. However, it isn't easy, as there are always saboteurs in the team who want to disturb the mission and eliminate other players. The others must by way of deduction figure out who's the snitch, and get rid of them as soon as possible.
What made the players like this game so much?
Among Us is a strange case. The game was released in 2018, so why has it become so hugely successful only now? The studio made no significant efforts to revamp or promote their game in the meantime, so the sudden surge of popularity might be surprising. In fact, the game became viral after a streamer, Sodapoppin, played the game for a while – and then, the magic happened.
Gamers and other popular streamers quickly took notice of the potential, and its low price (actually free on mobile devices) and people just went and bought it. Such a wave of popularity couldn't be stopped. Even people who didn't play Among Us heard about the game. The rules that make each match unique, the affordable price, and a stroke of luck were enough to make Among Us a real hit of 2020.
