We’re already a month into 2024 and leading studios have been releasing blockbuster titles, from Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, to Tekken 8. There’s been plenty of press about upcoming AAA releases, like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Princess Peach: Showtime, but everyone knows about those. For this list, we’re shining some light on the little guys, the underdogs, the indies and the like.
Here’s Spawning Point’s love letter to indie studios – 24 unmissable new indie games coming in 2024.
A little PSA – all these games are scheduled to release in 2024 and some even have firm release dates, but of course these are always subject to change. So with that said, here are our top upcoming indie games for 2024.
24 unmissable new indie games for 2024
1. Skate Story from Devolver Digital
We’re starting with a title from indie publishing giant Devolver Digital. Skate Story is not your typical skateboarding game attempting to ape the success of Tony Hawk and Shawn White Skateboarding games (if you are wondering about that 2nd one, seriously go check it out it is odd to say the least). No, Skate Story sees you playing a demon made of glass and pain, who has been tasked with skating through the underworld to the moon and swallowing it to be granted freedom.
Skate Story has made itself stand out with its art style and music as well as its fast-paced gameplay, in the trailer we can see multiple environments the demon will have to skate through on their journey and the action-style camera gives off vibes of old skating videos from the 90s.
Skate Story is coming to Steam sometime in 2024.
2. Ghost Bike from Annapurna Interactive
Sticking with the supernatural and wheeled vehicles theme, we have Ghost Bike from Annapurna Interactive, the group that has brought us great games like The Artful Escape, Stray and last year’s Thirsty Suitors. Ghost Bike sees you playing as a child living in Freehub City, who must ride the last Ghost Bike to the afterlife. To do this, you need to race the bike in contests of speed and skill. This isn’t just a cartoon racer though, with its semi-open world styling, you will find challenges to enjoy and unique bike parts to customise your build with, as well as other activities to take part in.
Ghost Bike is coming to Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 & 5, sometime in 2024.
3. Parcel Corps from Billy Goat Entertainment
Parcel Corps is an action-packed, New Island-based bicycle messenger game, brought to you by Billy Goat Entertainment, the team behind Her Majesty’s Spiffing. In Parcel Corps, you must choose to join 1 of 3 factions and hit the streets jumping, wall riding and sliding under large vehicles to deliver your packages as fast as possible, looking good while doing it.
From what we’ve seen so far, Parcel Corps is giving off some serious Jet Set Radio vibes with its art style and traversal. It will be up to you to fight for control of the different regions of New Island and take on the big corporations and side characters that Billy Goat Entertainment describe as ‘legally distinct from recognisable IP just in case our legal email address goes to a defunct inbox,’ so you can expect some laughs with this one.
Parcel Corps is set to release in 2024 on Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
4. Agent 64: Spies Never Die from Replicant D6
The title may not be the most subtle but that doesn’t mean you should roll your eyes at Agent 64 from developers Replicant D6. Yes, this upcoming indie title is unashamedly calling back to the N64 classic Goldeneye 007 from legendary studio Rare, but if the 2021 demo is anything to go by then this is one retro title that espionage fans won’t want to miss! The game will feature a full campaign putting you in the shoes of John Walker, former codename 64, who is thrust back into the world of espionage after retiring.
There’s plenty for retro gamers to get excited about, with a classic level-based campaign, split screen PvP and co-op modes, so you and your friends can get together and game like it is 1997 – no screen peeking!
Agent 64: Spies Never Die is set to release on Steam sometime in 2024 .
5. Open Roads from Annapurna Interactive
Another upcoming indie game from Annapurna Interactive, Open Roads is the narrative-driven story of 16-year-old mystery hunter Tess Devine. Tess goes on a road trip with her mother Opal, after they discover a cache of old letters in their attic hinting at family secrets and other mysteries. As Tess, you’ll explore old abandoned homes and uncover buried memories that Opal has tried to forget and can no longer stay hidden.
Open Roads features beautiful 3D rendered environments and hand drawn characters. Get lost in road trips as you listen to the car radio. Chat with Opal using a unique interactive dialogue system while you travel from place to place moving the narrative along as you go on your journey. Featuring the voices of Keri Russell (The Americans) and Kaitlyn Dever (Uncharted 4).
Open Roads is set to release on Feb 22nd 2024 on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, Switch & PlayStation 4/5.
6. Gori Cuddly Carnage from Angry Demon
Gori Cuddly Carnage is set to be one of the wildest upcoming games of 2024. You play as a hoodie-wearing cat riding a blade-wielding, foul-mouthed hoverboard, in a future where humans have been killed by the latest line of Ultra Pets, toys that were designed as the ultimate pet that doesn’t need feeding or bathroom breaks and will never die. The toys’ creator, Professor Y, has been kidnapped. It is up to the titular Gori, a discarded cat Ultra Pet, and his hoverboard F.R.A.N.K. to slice their way through hoards of mutated unicorns and other Ultra Pets in their search for the Professor and stop the evil toy army.
Gori Cuddly Carnage has you riding around a futuristic Earth using your hoverboard to jump and grind around the environment in between battles with mutated unicorns that have large blades coming out of their limbs. Will Gori and his unusual pals be able to find Professor Y and save the day?
Gori Cuddly Carnage is set to release in 2024 on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch & PlayStation 4/5.
7. Cat Quest 3: Pirates of The Purribean from The Gentlebros
Cat Quest 3: Pirates of The Purribean is the latest upcoming title in the Cat Quest series. It’s set to be a 2.5D open-world action RPG set in an environment swarming with pi-rats searching for a mythical lost treasure. Set sail and explore the Purribean solo or in co-op as you search for weapons, spells, costumes and more, just be careful not to fall foul to a meow-tiny.
Explore vivid islands, battle on land & sea and creep through tiny dungeons in the latest game in this popular series. Meet a cast of quirky characters and complete their quests while searching for clues to help you reach the Northern Star.
Cat Quest 3 is set for release in 202furrr (last one sorry) for Steam, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch and PlayStation 4/5.
8. LOW-FI (VR) from IRIS VR
2024 is looking to be another great year for VR players. Plenty of big titles will get their time in the limelight, but we wanted to highlight one or two of the smaller and interesting upcoming VR titles.
LOW-FI is a fun, non-linear VR experience set in a future where much of the population lives in a virtual reality simulation, those who are too poor to merge with the simulation are known as Low-Fis. As a Low-Fi cop, you are assigned to patrol the crime-riddled area known as City-Block 303.
Developer IRIS VR Inc confirms that LOW-FI is designed to be a non-linear open world VR experience where you are given freedom to do and go wherever you please. Police the streets and skies, interact with other Low-Fis and artificial life forms, or play in arcades and casinos while traversing the Blade Runner-like cyberpunk city.
LOW-FI is coming to PCVR and PSVR2 in 2024.
9. Paper Trail from Newfangled Games
Paper Trail is a top-down puzzler with a unique paper-like environment that you interact with to help the main character progress. Play as Paige, an explorer who is leaving her home for the first time, and meet characters to discover interesting stories and open new paths as you explore the world around you.
For some players, I would only need to describe this game as Monument Valley meets Tearaway and they would be ready to jump on board, but there is more to Paper Trail than this. As you progress through the world, you learn how to fold and tear the environment to help Paige progress. There’s a lot of charm and unique appeal to the setting and styling.
Paper Trail is coming to Steam, Switch, IOS, Android, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, & PlayStation 4 and 5 in 2024.
10. Loco Motive from Robust Games
Welcome aboard the luxury Reuss Express for the journey of a lifetime! Loco Motive is a unique murder mystery point and click adventure filled with fine wine, fine dining, and finger pointing! You’re cast as three different passengers who are all suspects in the murder of Lady Unterwald, a wealthy heiress. It is up to you to point and click your way through the carriages of the locomotive, talking to fellow passengers and solving item-based puzzles to figure out who the real killer is.
Loco Motive calls back to the classic point and click adventures of old with its slapstick humour and pixel art style. There’s even an in-game telephone you can use to call a hint line for assistance.
If point and click isn’t your favourite but you still wish to try to solve this mystery, Loco Motive gives the option to take direct control of your character, much like many remasters of classic point and click adventures.
Loco Motive is coming in Q1 2024 to Steam & Nintendo Switch.
11. Tales of Kenzera: Zau from Surgent Studios
EA Originals is back with Tales Of Kenzera: Zau. This 2.5D adventure game casts you as Zau, the warrior shaman of Kenzera, who bargains with the God of death to bring back his father whose life was cut short.
Inspired by the real-life experiences of actor Abubakar Salim (Assassin’s Creed Origins, Raised By Wolves) Zau must use cosmic powers from the sun and the moon to combat the restless spirits that now plague the mystical lands of Kenzera. The game is inspired by Bantu tales and promises an engaging and challenging Metroidvania.
Tales Of Kenzera: Zau is coming on 23/04/2024 to Steam, Xbox Series X/S, Switch & PlayStation 5.
12. The Precinct from Fallen Tree Games
Those who played Grand Theft Auto and have always wanted to try playing on the other side of the law within an open-world game will want to check out what Fallen Tree Games is bringing to gamers in 2024. The Precinct thrusts you into the seedy streets of 1983 Averno City, playing as rookie cop Nick Cordell Jr.
It will be your job to clean up the streets as you engage in car chases and gun fights galore, while attempting to solve the mystery of your father’s murder in the line of duty.
The initial gameplay trailer shows players patrolling the streets doing everything from issuing parking tickets and towing vehicles to chasing down criminals on foot and foiling bank robberies.
Take the law into your own hands when The Precinct launches for Steam, Xbox Series X/S & PlayStation 5 in 2024.
13. Rift Of The Necrodancer from Brace Yourself Games
Cadence is back with a brand new rhythm game spin-off of the popular Necrodancer series. This game forgoes the grid-based traversal system of previous titles, and instead sees Cadence facing off against enemies one-on-one in Guitar Hero style rhythm battles.
Cadence will need to battle hordes of monsters as they descend from the titular rifts, with each rift having its own unique gameplay mechanic – no two battles will be the same. Rift Of The Necrodancer also introduces new rhythmic minigames and epic boss battles.
Rift Of The Necrodancer will be coming to Steam & Nintendo Switch in 2024.
14. Promenade from Holy Cap
Coming in hot from Holy Cap (not a typo) and looking to cross genres, this 2D collectathon is looking like an excellent title for fans of classic 2D & 3D platformers. Promenade is set to be a non-linear exploration title that rewards curiosity. Players will platform and puzzle their way through the game.
It is up to you to find all the cogs from The Great Elevator that have scattered across the land. You will need to team up with a poulp, using it to traverse and explore the world, whether it is jumping across gaps, climbing large plants, or exploring dungeons in the land. Holy Cap promises a game set in a beautiful world with puzzles and dungeons and plenty to find and do.
Promenade is set to release on 23/02/2024 on Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PlayStation 4/5.
15. The Plucky Squire from All Possible Futures
The Plucky Squire is a 2D and 3D adventure game filled with puzzles and monsters aplenty. Coming from the studio All Possible Futures and published under Devolver Digital, The Plucky Squire is a familiar-feeling game set within a typical storybook environment, but there’s a twist to this tale!
When the evil Humpgrump discovers he is the villain of the book and destined to always lose, he kicks the main character, Jot, out of the book in an attempt to change the ending. It’s up to Jot to explore the strange three-dimensional room in which his book lays. Explore both the 2D and 3D worlds to solve puzzles and save Jot’s friends, as well as the story itself.
The Plucky Squire is due to be released in 2024 on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, Switch & PlayStation 5.
16. The Heirloom from Babubi Games
Orphaned at age 16, Marla and her younger brother Jack must leave their home and venture to a small island off the coast of Scotland. Here they will meet their only living relative – a grumpy old recluse who barely leaves his home. It’s almost as if he is trying to hide something in the house, but surely that can’t be right?
Explore the small town, talking to the locals and finding objects to help demystify the goings on around town and in your grandfather’s lighthouse. Make choices to progress the story, but be careful – every word will have consequences.
The Heirloom is a Kickstarter success, achieving over 200% of its fundraising target. It’s coming to Steam, Epic, Xbox Series X/S, Switch & PlayStation 5 in 2024.
17. Pacific Drive from Ironwood Studios
Sometimes there’s nothing like a leisurely drive down a woodland road to bring peace to one’s soul. Unfortunately, you won’t find this in Pacific Drive. Explore the Olympic Exclusion Zone, a surreal reimagining of the Pacific NorthWest that has some serious X-Files vibes.
Your only companion in this first-person survival game is your car, which you will use to travel around and avoid the deadly Zone Storm. You’ll also have to look after and upgrade your car to keep going. Explore the zone as you search for the experimental leftovers of the ARDA organisation. What will you find in the Olympic Exclusion Zone and, most importantly, will you find your way out?
Pacific Drive is releasing on 22/02/2024 for Steam, Epic & PlayStation 5.
18. Sword of the Sea from Giant Squid games
You surf on a hovering sword, need I say more? Ok, I can say more. Sword of the Sea is being brought to you by the artist and composer behind Abzu, The Pathless & Journey. You play as the Wraith, a being who has been resurrected for one simple purpose – to restore life. Using your Hoversword, you must build momentum to traverse walls and halfpipes, carving your way across the landscape.Will you manage to complete this quest to bring creatures back to life and unveil the sea?
Sword of the Sea is coming in 2024 to Steam & PlayStation 5.
19. Behemoth (VR) from Skydance Interactive
Back to VR now, with the newest game from Skydance Interactive – the studio behind The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, which was one of the highest rated games on PSVR. We’ve only had a cinematic trailer for the game so far, but if this is anything to go by then Skydance is looking to release a truly spectacular VR title.
Behemoth casts you as a diseased wanderer who is lost in the frozen lands. You’ll have to fight for survival against other human-like enemies, scale sheer cliff faces, and take on mountain-sized creatures in what looks to be the spiritual successor to Shadow Of The Colossus, but in VR.
Behemoth is set to release late 2024 for PSVR2, Meta Quest 2/3 & PCVR.
20. Anger Foot from Free Lives
If you’re ever played a 1st person shooter and thought, “I wish I could deliver some Sweet Chin Music to these goons”, then Anger Foot is definitely your jam. Stomp through the mean streets of Sh*t City as you take down gangs of anthropomorphic enemies with an arsenal of guns and your ass-kicking foot.
With its thumping beat and seedy environments, the game gives off a 3D Hotline Miami vibe. Grab upgrades like new sneakers and weapons as well as powers to take out your enemies.
If you want an early tast of Anger Foot then check out the demo available on Steam now. The full game is releasing some time in 2024.
21. Mini Royale from IndigoBlue
If you remember the days of the Army Men games back on PS1, then Mini Royale be right up your street – in fact, you’ll probably love it even if you never played the Army Men games and just played with the toys themselves!
This action adventure game gives off some serious nostalgia vibes with its new take on the battle royale formula. Up to 50 players land in the giant toy room to battle it out among toy castles and card towers in an attempt to be crowned victorious. Take off across the room using a grapple gun or ride on the toy train to get around – will you fight solo or team up with other green men to win the day?
Mini Royale is coming in Q2 2024 to Steam.
22. Earthblade from Extremely OK Games
Welcome back to Earth, except it’s not how you may remember it. Everything is ruined pixel art now, how did this happen? Play as Névoa, a child of fate who is destined to explore this world, fight countless monsters, and discover its mysteries.
Earthblade is being developed by Extremely OK Games, the studio who brought you both Towerfall Ascension and Celeste, so expect tight platforming and a gorgeous world.
Earthblade is coming in 2024 to Steam.
23. Abiotic Factor from Deep Field Games
Abiotic Factor is set to be a fun multiplayer survival game that fans of action adventure are sure to love. Explore the mysterious underground research facility at GATE – after a containment breach, your place of work is now a cosmic battle zone. It is up to you (and up to 5 other players) to band together to survive and find a way out, while dealing with enemies from another dimension and a military group looking to clean up this mess at any cost. Do the smartest minds on earth have what it takes to survive?
Abiotic Factor has a free demo on Steam you can try right now. The full game is set to release on 02/05/2024.
24. Afterlove EP from Pikselnesia
Finally, we’re rounding out our list with Afterlove EP, a visual novel set in the city of Jakarta, capital of Indonesia. You play as Rama, a young musician trying to move on after the death of his girlfriend Cinta.
Afterlove EP is from Pikselnesia, the studio founded by Mohammad Fahmi – creator of Coffee Talk. This is the last game to come from Fahmi as he tragically passed away in 2022 and the studio he founded has been working to bring his final game to fruition.
It is sure to be an emotional time for many when Afterlove EP launches in Q3 for Steam, Xbox Series X/S, Switch & PlayStation 4/5.
Hopefully you’re feeling as excited as we are for 2024’s upcoming indie developer releases after reading this article! Which games will you be picking up, or adding to your wish list? Drop a comment below and let us know.