Indie games have become a major part of the video game world. Though they lack the budgets and production values of AAA titles, indie games have finally gained the momentum to go toe-to-toe with the big names of the gaming world today.
I am not one of those people who simply thinks “indie = creative, blockbuster = trash.” In fact, I have found many indie darlings to be flat-out boring (I’m looking your way, Limbo). But I feel that we are finally seeing some indie games that live up to the hype that precedes them. As far as 2015 goes, the best indie game was a no-brainer.
Winner: Undertale
Undertale is one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played. And more than likely the best indie game I’ve ever played. An RPG that draws inspiration from EarthBound, Super Mario RPG, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga could only ever be a wonderful thing. And Undertale does its inspirations proud.
Every monster brings something different to the table, every battle is interactive, and you don’t have to harm any enemy you come across.
Undertale succeeds in two key areas that so many other indie titles stumble: It tells a compelling story that actually feels artistic and not simply self-important. And it combines its narrative with deep and engaging gameplay.
If every indie title could be a fragment as fun as Undertale, I may just have to grow a neck-beard and declare myself a hipster. But Undertale is a shimmering diamond in the rough, so it looks like I’ve dodged the neck-beard bullet.
Runner-up: Rocket League
Wizard Dojo 
I haven’t played that many indie games (I want to say fewer than ten as of this writing), but Undertale is by far the best one I’ve played. It’s a trend that I think we’re going to see more of in the coming years – a single person (or a small team) being able to make a game that surpasses anything the AAA industry can dole out in terms of creativity and storytelling. It took the indie scene a while, but they really turned into a force to be reckoned with this decade.
And eh, I think hipster-ism is a state of mind. The trick is to get them to reject you. Just remember to like things because you personally enjoy them and not because it’s trendy, and you’ll never fit in with them.
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