Fashion Police Squad dev here! Thank you so much for your coverage, we really appreciate the mention. The first level is definitely more chill, but the action in the game picks up as we introduce more movement mechanics, weapons and enemies!
@@DaMorg3 Not OP but Gris is probably the second best ever game I've discovered through this channel. NieR Automata is the absolute best, although not an indie.
@@DaMorg3 I agree with shitbag, Gris is awesome and Nier: Automata, (while not an indie) is like a top 5 game for me. But I’d like to highlight my 10/10 indies: Outer Wilds (Shout out Skill Up), Hollow Knight (probably my all time favorite game lol), Subnautica, Into the Breach, Inscryption, What Remains of Edith Finch, Celeste, and Undertale. To name a few Plus any rougelike/lite indie darlings: Binding of Issac, Gungeon, Slay the Spire, Hades, etc. I’m sure you’ve heard of most of these, but each of these games constantly make me angry that AAA developers can’t nail half of the games they release anymore. If the team is smaller than 10 people and you’ve heard the title, chances are it’s a certified banger. Hope this helps you find a couple you might’ve missed!
Some of the best games I've experienced have been from indie Devs, I have so much praise for creating the space to allow these titles some time in the spotlight.
It's funny because Ican't the same for me. I mean, I've had tons of fun with Indies, Edith Finch, Abzu, Gang Beasts, Stanley Parable etc. But my AA or AAA experiences are always better for some reason. I'm thinking length is a big reason :(
You NEED to make this a series! Maybe not every month, since that would be tiring, but every Steam Next fest or so, I love finding out about awesome indies! I've actually been itching for something like this ever since you had the "keep this in your radar" for the news videos. Also, regarding 18:32 Fire Emblem, you might want to check out a game called Wargroove
@@Trebiane True, SkillUp did cover one previous Next Fest that happened a year or so ago, I didn't phrase my comment very well. What I was trying to say is that since there are several Next Fests (and other events) a year, I would love to have these kinds of videos happen more often. Also, try Shady Knight, it's awesome.
Can we give Ralph some credit here? Videos like this from content creators with this big an audience brings a massive opportunity for indie and AA devs who are baking a phenomenal, worthwhile experience! Not only that, but he also includes constructive feedback on some of them, as he elaborates on how he thinks certain elements of the game can improve and the overall experience can benefit from it as a result! This would also be great for those devs if they happen to watch the video! Additionally, I want to thank Ralph on a personal level; as two of my favorite video games of all time, Outer Wilds and GRIS are timeless masterpieces of art that I wouldn't have ever experienced had it not been for his coverage. I ended up wishlisting almost 10 titles off of this one video alone, and it goes to show how big of a positive impact a good influencer can leave across the medium as a whole! Thank you so much, for your great content and your love and passion for the good in the industry!
Outer Wilds was an absolutely amazing experience. It was such a unique gaming experience I wish I could erase my memory of it and played it again for the first time. Ive not played GRIS, but I imagine you would highly recommend it?
@@WeekndWarriorrr GRIS is fantastic. It is an emotional journey with nearly unheard of quality in craftsmanship. I absolutely loved everything about it and have since bought it two times on two different systems, just because! Oh and its soundtrack and sound design is insanely good. Seriously
Seems a lot better than that game 'Golf Club Wasteland', which was on indie-lists last year but kind of came off as a dud. At least, I played the demo and it was really dull and slow, plus there were plenty of people who felt it just didn't work. Sad, as the concept and presentation are good, and some people might still enjoy it, but then 'Cursed to Golf' seems like it just has more interesting stuff to it.
Just wishlisted like 6 games. So glad you do this for these teams and stories like Ghost Song gives me hope for the game I hope to someday make myself.
Some additions I'm looking forward to in 2022 as well: - Endling: Extinction is Forever - Hell Pie - Turbo Golf Racing - Lost in Play - Tinykin - Asterigos: Curse of the Stars - Goodbye Volcano High - Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince - Lonesome Village - Thymesia - Steelrising - Soulstice
Really appreciate this one Shillup, the volume of games on display that week was overwhelming. This vid has highlighted a couple I can't wait to check out.
TotalBiscuit use to do an excellent job on filtering out absolute indie gold. And to the credit of others, he wasn't the only one. I miss TB and I miss the WTF is... series, because I was absolutely guaranteed to get a good video game recommendation out of every video.
We of course can't be certain but there's a chance he single handedly saved Warframe in 2013. If the community manager said that there was a and I quote "before and after that video" in terms of public awareness of Warfame, it's quite telling. Meanwhile halfway into 2022 it still has 43k concurrent players
Hearing such glowing praise for Ghost Song has me so excited. I remember seeing it put on "Coming Soon" on Steam like... 5-6 years ago I think it was? It caught my eye then and it caught my eye now. The UTMOST respect to the one dude developing something that seems like it will be an instant classic.
Ever since I started watching this channel, I have always appreciated how Ralph always tries to highlight indie games, so watching this was a blast, as usual, I'm in awe of just how broad your taste is, Ralph. 😁 Thanks for doing this for both the gamers and the developers. 😃👍
really thankful for this video. I love indie titles and I'm a big fan of the steam next fest because of all the little demos. sadly Im currently trapped in a nightmarish graduation exam marathon with barely any free time on my hands so still being able to at least learn about a few new titles while I do housework made my day. thanks!
Games like this are why I'm really looking forward to my Steam Deck email. I can play Elden Ring on my TV, but indies are perfect for that handheld portable experience. Love it!
Same, I've started making a list of games in my library I would love to play on gamedeck and sure enough most indie games suit the steam deck so perfectly. Now awaiting end of the year for mine D:
Really impressed with this channel. Your commitment to giving space and exposure to indie developers. Your goals to cultivate and grow an informed and diverse community. Your own growth and development as a content creator and your lack of hesitation in speaking up on all types of industry practices be they good, bad or outright weird and awful. Your growing relevance in the gaming media space and never ending positive networking. All combined, you have *almost* made up for your awful Marauder take and playing of Destiny. Keep it up champ, you may one day be worthy of forgiveness. 💪🏾
You know what dude, this video alone (I've been here since the start) showed me that you are 100% the gaming journalist that I need to stick by, I have followed your recommendations for years and I have never been disappointed every gaming experience that you said was an 8 + was accurate.
I've never really been a fan of the old-school RE type of games, but when I tried out Signalis I instantly fell in love. I can't wait for it to release this October.
Fantastic list, a handful I hadn't checked out but will be... a few more that I would add to it: Endling - Extinction is Forever (Fox survival simulator) Super Catboy (run and gun action, really smooth controls) Swordship (shoot em-... dodge em all) Roots of Pacha (Stardew Valley, but set in Prehistoric times w/ other interesting mechanics) Curse of the Sea Rats (action adventure, great stylistic art) Dave the Diver (pixelated adventure- scuba dive and fish in sea, run a sushi restaurant, etc) The Cub (Apocalyptic jungle-book platformer, done by those that made Golf Club Wasteland - very similar atmosphere) Railbound (train based puzzles)
I love that you do these videos. Much respect for checking indie out! So many people ignore them when it's full of gem! You rule Skill Up! This is another great reason to follow this channel!
Again...another great indy showcase. Excellent games, well put together video, great script married up to some on-point, well paced narration and perfect editing from the GOAT Austin. Easily my favourite channel on TH-cam, bar none. I never miss an episode of "TWIVG" and always look forward to your annual Steam fest coverage.
Fashion Police Squad and Trepang2 were my favorites from NextFest. “You can slow down time ala Max Payne” Not like FEAR or anything…. Also, I’m surprised you didn’t mention the fact that Deadlink is essentially a rogue light Doom Eternal.
Great list! Thank you for putting the sponsor at the end. You respect my attention span and my time, so I respect your business model, and stuck around for the ad. In fact, (it probably doesn't change anything but) I stuck around a second time as I was going over the games to wishlist them. Get better soon!
While Trepang2 is the best shooter in the festival, I still got more impressed with Selaco. Man, that level design ROCKS! And combat.... Wooohooo! Not Trepang2 level of... viciousness, I guess is the word, but certainly awesome, really polished. Buying those two, ofc. Just hope both of them not more than 20 buck per piece otherwise Imma toss some coins.
Thanks for this coverage as always. Just wanted to say that a lot of the best stuff for me in this bud came from the little clips from the intro section. So glad the titles were attached to them so I could look them up.
Mate we are unworthy of this kind of bounty of content. I'm frantically jotting down game titles I'd never heard of and likely wouldn't ever know about if it wasn't for your efforts. You and your editor are living legends.
Awesome video, love the fact that you put all the indie titles steam pages in the description! Wish to see more of these indie videos, always love to discover these new games.
Indie games have really gotten better each and every year. So many outstanding indie games in last decade. 2012: Journey, Thomas was alone, Fez 2013: Gone Home, Papers, Please, The Stanley Parable 2014: Shovel Knight, Never Alone, Five Nights At Freddy’s, This War of Mine, Transistor 2015: Ori and the Blind Forest, Rocket League, Undertale, Her Story 2016: Inside, Firewatch, ABZU, Stardew Valley 2017: Cuphead, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Hollow Knight, Night in the Woods, What remains of Edith Finch 2018: Celeste, Dead Cells, Into the Breach, Gris, Return of the Obra Dinn 2019: A plague tale innocence, Outer Wilds, Disco Elysium, Katana Zero, Untitled Goose Game 2020: Hades, Spiritfafer, Carrion, The Pathless 2021: Kena: Bridge of Spirts, Deaths Door, Inscryption, Unpacking, Loop Hero, The Artful Escape 2022: Nobody saves the world, Sifu
Ori and the Blind Forest, Disco Elysium, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, A Plague Tale Innocence, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and SiFu aren't indies they are middle market (AA). Maybe we can argue for Ori and the Blind Forest, and Disco Elysium but the rest aren't indies. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice had a development budget of somewhere in the ballpark of 30-40 mil, which is a lot compared to indies at the time having on the high end 5-8 mil, and AAA having like 80-100+ mil. These are my own estimates however, and I'm not infallible. Plus I should mention that budgets have gone up as well, so many things have changed over the years the emergence of the Indie, the AA, and in the last 3 or so years the big budget Indie. Though I agree that these games you listed are all amazing, and are all so different. Only proves the decline an zero creativity within the big budget games market. Cheers mate!
Great list and I'm pleased to say I played around 2 thirds of these. My very favourites are Hollow Knight (in my top 20 games of all time), Stardew Valley, Death's Door and Hades. I also adore Spelunky and Salt & Sanctuary which aren't listed
@@TheCoolCore Disco Elysium most definitely is an indie. It’s developed and published by ZA/UM which is an independent studio. It even won the game award for best indie game. Same with Hellblade and Kena. Kena was developed and published by Ember Lab which is a very small studio. And Hellblade was developed and published by ninja theory which was an indie studio until Xbox acquired them.
@@poett8875 Mate, independent studio and Indie game aren't interchangeable like they used to be in the past. There are AAA independent studios that make big-budget games. Indies typically have a smaller budget like I said in my previous comment. It's not the team size that makes a game Indie, it's the budget. Fine, I agree Disco Elysium is an Indie game. But I don't agree with the rest, have you seen Kena it definitely had a bigger budget maybe around 50 mil, that's no Indie regardless of team size. You are aware that Ninja Theory has been in the industry for 22 years right? Ninja Theory has made 6 games thus far not counting mobile or Senua 2. I won't repeat what I already said about Hellblade, but I am sticking with that. This is exactly why AA exists as a moniker. So time isn't wasted discussing this stuff.
@@TheCoolCore just because Ninja Theory has been around for a long time doesn’t mean they’re not an indie studio. Supergiant Games has been around for 10+ years and they’re still very much an independent company. Hellblade actually had a budget of under 10 million and development team of only 20 people. If that’s not an independent game then I don’t know what is. If Kena isn’t an indie game, why did it also win the game award for best independent game? But anyway it doesn’t matter. They’re still all excellent games nonetheless.
At some point along the years our tastes diverged a lot Skillup, but I still watch because you are just so genuine about your love of games. Admittedly, I wishlisted 2 of the 25 on your list, so that's something!
Really looking forward to Lost Eidolons myself as a giant fan of Fire Emblem but not of Nintendo, if anything I'm actually liking its more grounded approach towards its setting as well.
Having played Lost eidolons, I can easily say its my favorite spin on the fire emblem games. Hard mode is actually hard and its class system is pretty neat too and the story is actually interesting enough that I can get absorbed into it. Looking forward to the full release
@@emptyskies144 there's definitely waifus, there's a princess, an assassin, and one who is just a straight up b****. You can increase your bond levels with them but the game seems massive, im sure there will be more waifus
Steam Demo Fests are my favorite events. Would be even with E3 existing. I can watch trailers and gameplay reveals anytime anywhere. Nothing beats being drowned in loads of demo versions on demand. In a recent edition I've played 105 demos, if the profile event badge is correct. Prolly ~10-12 were broken/garbage/really poor and I've uninstalled them within 5min, prolly 10-15 were demos I've played during the previous edition or in a form of some kind of closed playtest, but the rest was new stuff. And it's amazing. For every single tapeworm dumpster fire from EA/Ubi we get dozens of great indies on Steam. I'd say it's a fair deal. BTW good selection. Already have a bunch of those on my wishlist.
Months later and I've still gone back and used this to wishlist so many games. Really appreciate this sort of video, amazing coverage for what look like some great games.
Yay, thank you so much for giving Dome Keeper a go and all the nice words! I'm very happy you had a good time with it, and the praise was really flattering. Also a great feedback on something i wondered about, namely Dome Keeper not being as enticing on paper as it is through gameplay. Steam Next Fest was a ton of fun!
Thanks for doing these videos. As someone who usually only plays indies now & doesnt have so much time to research them all, these videos are everything! ty!
There's an overwhelming amount of awesome stuff here. The future is indie! I RARELY watch 40+ Min videos on youtube, but watched this list and your last years. I hope you keep it up these are FASCINATING. Your interest and passion and support for these developers is palpable. Thank you. BTW Cult of the Lamb is incredible I binged it throug the "end" of the campaign.
Ghost song’s demo was excellent! I’d highly recommend Rain World if u want a similar experience while you wait, plus it’s the only other game to give me Outer Wilds feelings :)
Some of the best experiences I’ve had in gaming have come from indie games. Sifu, Outer Wilds, Journey, Hollow Knight, Hades, Celeste. Most AAA games these days are kind of bland and bloated. I’m so happy you decided to make this video, great job man!
Portable Hades on my switch is probably the the best dollar per hour value I have ever gotten. Its so perfect for quick bite sized sessions especially when I'm somewhere I don't have access to a console.
This video has literally reignited my interest in playing new games. It feels like I haven't been this legitimately excited since I was a kid booting up my PS2 for the first time.
Skillup literally since I found his channel has been my favorite TH-cam channel. This guy knows what he’s doing and he makes extremely polished videos. I definitely recommend subscribing to his channel and you won’t find 1 video not worth watching on his channel.
This needs to be a series. Absolutely love this and I have wishlisted/bought so many games from the first one that I would've otherwise never checked out. Thanks for doing this SkillUp!
I admire your love for indie games, you are the biggest channel that I see talking frequently about indies. Being a gamer since the 90s (Doom, DM2 Skullkeep and The Dig are my start in gaming life), nowdays the majority of games I play are indies because of what this industry has become. Keep this up, Skill Up!
This video was awesome! This is exactly. The kind of games coverage we need today, the kind that connects me with what I want to play but can't find instead of just being the 1000th channel covering the same AAA game everybody already knows everything about.
Nine Sols and Cult of the Lamb have been pretty high on my wishlist for a while, but now I’m extremely excited to check out Domekeeper and Cursed to Golf. Thanks for the recommendations and quality coverage as always!
This is by far my favourite of the videos you make. Reminds me of why I love games so much. Every single one just looked so cool in its own way. I honestly wish you wouldn't even limit it to 25, now I'm just wondering what didn't make the cut when they all look so good. Only game I didn't wishlist was Gloomwood, I'm not a huge immersive sim guy.
I played the Ghost Song demo. At first I didn't think it was for me, but then I couldn't put it down and started to get invested in learning more about the world I was in. Definitely going to pick it up.
Wishlisted around 10 of the games you showed off; Powerchord, Metal: Hellsinger and Deadlink *REALLY* scratch some itches for me. You're doing god's work, spreading the Indie scene around; feel better soon!
Your channel and videos like this, showcasing good indie titltes, without focus on taking as much money from us as the AAA devs, is what keeps my interest in gaming renewed. This video was absolutely amazing and I will certainly buy some of those titles youlisted
Wow, thank you for the reviews!!! So many games! Have listed a few, but visually, my money is on "Beneath Oresea", and over all, I'm most interested in "Spirittea" and "Terra Nil"... but man, many of the games presented here will find their way to my collection. Regards from Tabasco, México [Land of The Olmecs]!
amazing! huge fan of your channel just never commited becuase i alway seem to miss the upload (yes i put the bell icon but it doesn't seem to work) . i love that indie title are greating more and more recoginzation, its' always good to see fresh takes of genres as game development becomes more accesible and it actually gave me insprition for a game! keep it going
Not sure why my previous comment got deleted but just wanna say thank you Skillup for almost singlehandedly reviving my love of gaming. Your passionate coverage and insights into a variety of games has reignited a child-like joy of gaming with me and really appreciate your content, thank you I've wishlisted and downloaded demos for half a dozen games
Thanks for the great recommendations, I wish-listed five: Ghost Song / Signalis (anyone remembering Bioforge) / Power Chord / Nine Souls and Trepang 2 (if you would have smuggled some actual footage of FEAR in there I would not have noticed). Selaco gets a bonus slot. I'm very unsure on that System Shock remake, I did play System Shock 2 and that might not hold up too well nowadays.
I played the demo for Selaco after watching this video. I had a ton of fun. Played like 4 hours. Awesome boss fight at the end of demo. Took like 15-20 tries to beat him but it was super satisfying once I did. Highly recommend
This is the type of shilling that keeps me coming back Shill Up. I joke but really man this is awesome of you, and I'm more than happy to do my part with a humble like and comment for that algorithm foreplay
![ลองสั่งของจากแอพ temu ถูกจริงหรอ?? ( part : 1/2 ) [โกงไหมครับ ep.89 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RTcZSQTiDZw/mqdefault.jpg)
I really appreciate the kind words on Spirittea! You're a gentlemen and a scholar for shouting out all of these amazing indies! Thank you!
Game looks awesome! 👍
I can't wait to play this one.
:)
Spiritea is my chance to live up Spirited away in real life!!!
A gentleman, several gentlemen.
Fashion Police Squad dev here! Thank you so much for your coverage, we really appreciate the mention.
The first level is definitely more chill, but the action in the game picks up as we introduce more movement mechanics, weapons and enemies!
I really love that you're making a shooter that's upbeat and completely different in theme from everything else out there. Best of luck to you!
@@cloogshicer Thanks a lot!
Did you take inspiration from 'First Person Lover'?...
AH! I cannot wait for this game! I played the demo recently and loved it so much!
@@michaelmonstar4276 for sure!
I wouldn’t know about some of the best games I’ve ever played if it was for your various indie coverage. Great content as always!
What are they? Recs welcome
@@DaMorg3 Not OP but Gris is probably the second best ever game I've discovered through this channel. NieR Automata is the absolute best, although not an indie.
@@DaMorg3 I agree with shitbag, Gris is awesome and Nier: Automata, (while not an indie) is like a top 5 game for me.
But I’d like to highlight my 10/10 indies: Outer Wilds (Shout out Skill Up), Hollow Knight (probably my all time favorite game lol), Subnautica, Into the Breach, Inscryption, What Remains of Edith Finch, Celeste, and Undertale. To name a few
Plus any rougelike/lite indie darlings: Binding of Issac, Gungeon, Slay the Spire, Hades, etc.
I’m sure you’ve heard of most of these, but each of these games constantly make me angry that AAA developers can’t nail half of the games they release anymore. If the team is smaller than 10 people and you’ve heard the title, chances are it’s a certified banger.
Hope this helps you find a couple you might’ve missed!
Also, side note, what a pleasant surprise to get some love from the man himself. I knew ringing that bell would pay off lolol
@@DaMorg3 Hollow Knight, Spiritfarer, Disco Elysium, Transistor and Subnautica come to mind
Some of the best games I've experienced have been from indie Devs, I have so much praise for creating the space to allow these titles some time in the spotlight.
It's funny because Ican't the same for me. I mean, I've had tons of fun with Indies, Edith Finch, Abzu, Gang Beasts, Stanley Parable etc. But my AA or AAA experiences are always better for some reason. I'm thinking length is a big reason :(
You NEED to make this a series! Maybe not every month, since that would be tiring, but every Steam Next fest or so, I love finding out about awesome indies!
I've actually been itching for something like this ever since you had the "keep this in your radar" for the news videos.
Also, regarding 18:32 Fire Emblem, you might want to check out a game called Wargroove
You didn't pay attention, did you...
@@michaelmonstar4276 What do you mean?
@@errantoverflow4828 He’s done this series in the past too lol.
@@Trebiane True, SkillUp did cover one previous Next Fest that happened a year or so ago, I didn't phrase my comment very well.
What I was trying to say is that since there are several Next Fests (and other events) a year, I would love to have these kinds of videos happen more often.
Also, try Shady Knight, it's awesome.
advance wars says hi
I love it so much whenever you talk about Indies and put them in the spotlight they deserve.
Much love, Ralph ❤️
This is probably the best video you have ever made! Thank you! Keep it up! I am wish listing what I can on my PS5! … I Got a couple of them!
I think when people make videos like this. Sony… might one day end up offering these games in that store well.. and we’ll before they release.
Yeah same.
Can we give Ralph some credit here? Videos like this from content creators with this big an audience brings a massive opportunity for indie and AA devs who are baking a phenomenal, worthwhile experience!
Not only that, but he also includes constructive feedback on some of them, as he elaborates on how he thinks certain elements of the game can improve and the overall experience can benefit from it as a result! This would also be great for those devs if they happen to watch the video!
Additionally, I want to thank Ralph on a personal level; as two of my favorite video games of all time, Outer Wilds and GRIS are timeless masterpieces of art that I wouldn't have ever experienced had it not been for his coverage. I ended up wishlisting almost 10 titles off of this one video alone, and it goes to show how big of a positive impact a good influencer can leave across the medium as a whole!
Thank you so much, for your great content and your love and passion for the good in the industry!
Cheers mate
Outer Wilds was an absolutely amazing experience. It was such a unique gaming experience I wish I could erase my memory of it and played it again for the first time. Ive not played GRIS, but I imagine you would highly recommend it?
@@WeekndWarriorrr GRIS is fantastic. It is an emotional journey with nearly unheard of quality in craftsmanship. I absolutely loved everything about it and have since bought it two times on two different systems, just because!
Oh and its soundtrack and sound design is insanely good. Seriously
SkillUp doing an amazing job by putting spotlight on indies. Keep up the good work, man.
Cursed to Golf is AWESOME!
Yo jirard
Seems a lot better than that game 'Golf Club Wasteland', which was on indie-lists last year but kind of came off as a dud.
At least, I played the demo and it was really dull and slow, plus there were plenty of people who felt it just didn't work.
Sad, as the concept and presentation are good, and some people might still enjoy it, but then 'Cursed to Golf' seems like it just has more interesting stuff to it.
You are genuinely one of my favourite creators on this platform. The fact that each video release from you makes my day proves that point.
Just wishlisted like 6 games.
So glad you do this for these teams and stories like Ghost Song gives me hope for the game I hope to someday make myself.
Same here. Lots of dev experience no game dev and I am such a shitty artist :p
@@DanKaschel there are other approaches than just drawing im sure.
I'm pretty decent at cartooning but have no doubt it will be a lot of work.
I wishlisted 15 lmao. I just hope they end up being as good as they look
Some additions I'm looking forward to in 2022 as well:
- Endling: Extinction is Forever
- Hell Pie
- Turbo Golf Racing
- Lost in Play
- Tinykin
- Asterigos: Curse of the Stars
- Goodbye Volcano High
- Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince
- Lonesome Village
- Thymesia
- Steelrising
- Soulstice
Steelrising looks really interesting XD
Ralph honestly these "indie-showcases" you do are amazing and inspiring ! keep up the great work !
Really appreciate this one Shillup, the volume of games on display that week was overwhelming. This vid has highlighted a couple I can't wait to check out.
TotalBiscuit use to do an excellent job on filtering out absolute indie gold. And to the credit of others, he wasn't the only one. I miss TB and I miss the WTF is... series, because I was absolutely guaranteed to get a good video game recommendation out of every video.
I Still Miss him way to much :-(
TB is so sorely missed, for real!
Gone but never forgotten. Rest in peace.
100% Agreed
We of course can't be certain but there's a chance he single handedly saved Warframe in 2013.
If the community manager said that there was a and I quote "before and after that video" in terms of public awareness of Warfame, it's quite telling. Meanwhile halfway into 2022 it still has 43k concurrent players
Big up for constantly highlighting upcoming indie titles! Liked before watching as always... for the algorithm
Hearing such glowing praise for Ghost Song has me so excited. I remember seeing it put on "Coming Soon" on Steam like... 5-6 years ago I think it was? It caught my eye then and it caught my eye now. The UTMOST respect to the one dude developing something that seems like it will be an instant classic.
Ever since I started watching this channel, I have always appreciated how Ralph always tries to highlight indie games, so watching this was a blast, as usual, I'm in awe of just how broad your taste is, Ralph. 😁 Thanks for doing this for both the gamers and the developers. 😃👍
really thankful for this video. I love indie titles and I'm a big fan of the steam next fest because of all the little demos. sadly Im currently trapped in a nightmarish graduation exam marathon with barely any free time on my hands so still being able to at least learn about a few new titles while I do housework made my day. thanks!
Games like this are why I'm really looking forward to my Steam Deck email. I can play Elden Ring on my TV, but indies are perfect for that handheld portable experience. Love it!
Same, I've started making a list of games in my library I would love to play on gamedeck and sure enough most indie games suit the steam deck so perfectly. Now awaiting end of the year for mine D:
Really impressed with this channel.
Your commitment to giving space and exposure to indie developers.
Your goals to cultivate and grow an informed and diverse community.
Your own growth and development as a content creator and your lack of hesitation in speaking up on all types of industry practices be they good, bad or outright weird and awful.
Your growing relevance in the gaming media space and never ending positive networking.
All combined, you have *almost* made up for your awful Marauder take and playing of Destiny.
Keep it up champ, you may one day be worthy of forgiveness. 💪🏾
You know what dude, this video alone (I've been here since the start) showed me that you are 100% the gaming journalist that I need to stick by, I have followed your recommendations for years and I have never been disappointed every gaming experience that you said was an 8 + was accurate.
Anger Foot, it’s going to be Quentin Tarantino‘s favorite Game…
I've never really been a fan of the old-school RE type of games, but when I tried out Signalis I instantly fell in love. I can't wait for it to release this October.
Fantastic list, a handful I hadn't checked out but will be... a few more that I would add to it:
Endling - Extinction is Forever (Fox survival simulator)
Super Catboy (run and gun action, really smooth controls)
Swordship (shoot em-... dodge em all)
Roots of Pacha (Stardew Valley, but set in Prehistoric times w/ other interesting mechanics)
Curse of the Sea Rats (action adventure, great stylistic art)
Dave the Diver (pixelated adventure- scuba dive and fish in sea, run a sushi restaurant, etc)
The Cub (Apocalyptic jungle-book platformer, done by those that made Golf Club Wasteland - very similar atmosphere)
Railbound (train based puzzles)
Really good-looking recs!!
Been really looking forward to this video ever since you mentioned how excited you were about it!
Woah... I was just wondering when this video was coming and decided to check your channel. Perfect timing
Love that you are doing this for the indie side of gaming. Everyone benefits for the spotlight you put on them. Thanks for doing this!
I love that you do these videos. Much respect for checking indie out! So many people ignore them when it's full of gem! You rule Skill Up! This is another great reason to follow this channel!
Again...another great indy showcase. Excellent games, well put together video, great script married up to some on-point, well paced narration and perfect editing from the GOAT Austin. Easily my favourite channel on TH-cam, bar none. I never miss an episode of "TWIVG" and always look forward to your annual Steam fest coverage.
Woohooo, what a start into my weekend (it‘s already afternoon here).
Thanks ShillUp
I love your weekly news videos... but these indie showcase videos are the absolute treasures to your channel.
Fashion Police Squad and Trepang2 were my favorites from NextFest.
“You can slow down time ala Max Payne”
Not like FEAR or anything….
Also, I’m surprised you didn’t mention the fact that Deadlink is essentially a rogue light Doom Eternal.
Great list! Thank you for putting the sponsor at the end. You respect my attention span and my time, so I respect your business model, and stuck around for the ad. In fact, (it probably doesn't change anything but) I stuck around a second time as I was going over the games to wishlist them. Get better soon!
While Trepang2 is the best shooter in the festival, I still got more impressed with Selaco. Man, that level design ROCKS! And combat.... Wooohooo! Not Trepang2 level of... viciousness, I guess is the word, but certainly awesome, really polished. Buying those two, ofc. Just hope both of them not more than 20 buck per piece otherwise Imma toss some coins.
Thanks for this coverage as always. Just wanted to say that a lot of the best stuff for me in this bud came from the little clips from the intro section. So glad the titles were attached to them so I could look them up.
Mate we are unworthy of this kind of bounty of content. I'm frantically jotting down game titles I'd never heard of and likely wouldn't ever know about if it wasn't for your efforts. You and your editor are living legends.
Awesome video, love the fact that you put all the indie titles steam pages in the description! Wish to see more of these indie videos, always love to discover these new games.
Indie games have really gotten better each and every year. So many outstanding indie games in last decade.
2012: Journey, Thomas was alone, Fez
2013: Gone Home, Papers, Please, The Stanley Parable
2014: Shovel Knight, Never Alone, Five Nights At Freddy’s, This War of Mine, Transistor
2015: Ori and the Blind Forest, Rocket League, Undertale, Her Story
2016: Inside, Firewatch, ABZU, Stardew Valley
2017: Cuphead, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Hollow Knight, Night in the Woods, What remains of Edith Finch
2018: Celeste, Dead Cells, Into the Breach, Gris, Return of the Obra Dinn
2019: A plague tale innocence, Outer Wilds, Disco Elysium, Katana Zero, Untitled Goose Game
2020: Hades, Spiritfafer, Carrion, The Pathless
2021: Kena: Bridge of Spirts, Deaths Door, Inscryption, Unpacking, Loop Hero, The Artful Escape
2022: Nobody saves the world, Sifu
Ori and the Blind Forest, Disco Elysium, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, A Plague Tale Innocence, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and SiFu aren't indies they are middle market (AA). Maybe we can argue for Ori and the Blind Forest, and Disco Elysium but the rest aren't indies. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice had a development budget of somewhere in the ballpark of 30-40 mil, which is a lot compared to indies at the time having on the high end 5-8 mil, and AAA having like 80-100+ mil. These are my own estimates however, and I'm not infallible. Plus I should mention that budgets have gone up as well, so many things have changed over the years the emergence of the Indie, the AA, and in the last 3 or so years the big budget Indie. Though I agree that these games you listed are all amazing, and are all so different. Only proves the decline an zero creativity within the big budget games market. Cheers mate!
Great list and I'm pleased to say I played around 2 thirds of these. My very favourites are Hollow Knight (in my top 20 games of all time), Stardew Valley, Death's Door and Hades. I also adore Spelunky and Salt & Sanctuary which aren't listed
@@TheCoolCore Disco Elysium most definitely is an indie. It’s developed and published by ZA/UM which is an independent studio. It even won the game award for best indie game. Same with Hellblade and Kena. Kena was developed and published by Ember Lab which is a very small studio. And Hellblade was developed and published by ninja theory which was an indie studio until Xbox acquired them.
@@poett8875 Mate, independent studio and Indie game aren't interchangeable like they used to be in the past. There are AAA independent studios that make big-budget games. Indies typically have a smaller budget like I said in my previous comment. It's not the team size that makes a game Indie, it's the budget. Fine, I agree Disco Elysium is an Indie game. But I don't agree with the rest, have you seen Kena it definitely had a bigger budget maybe around 50 mil, that's no Indie regardless of team size. You are aware that Ninja Theory has been in the industry for 22 years right? Ninja Theory has made 6 games thus far not counting mobile or Senua 2. I won't repeat what I already said about Hellblade, but I am sticking with that. This is exactly why AA exists as a moniker. So time isn't wasted discussing this stuff.
@@TheCoolCore just because Ninja Theory has been around for a long time doesn’t mean they’re not an indie studio. Supergiant Games has been around for 10+ years and they’re still very much an independent company. Hellblade actually had a budget of under 10 million and development team of only 20 people. If that’s not an independent game then I don’t know what is. If Kena isn’t an indie game, why did it also win the game award for best independent game? But anyway it doesn’t matter. They’re still all excellent games nonetheless.
i’ve been following midnight fight express for over a year and i’m so so hype for it
At some point along the years our tastes diverged a lot Skillup, but I still watch because you are just so genuine about your love of games. Admittedly, I wishlisted 2 of the 25 on your list, so that's something!
Thank you for the aptly named chapters, makes this a whole lot easier to go through.
Really looking forward to Lost Eidolons myself as a giant fan of Fire Emblem but not of Nintendo, if anything I'm actually liking its more grounded approach towards its setting as well.
Love that a lot of these demos work without a problem on the steam deck, cheers for the recommendations.
Having played Lost eidolons, I can easily say its my favorite spin on the fire emblem games. Hard mode is actually hard and its class system is pretty neat too and the story is actually interesting enough that I can get absorbed into it. Looking forward to the full release
What about the waifus? Are there waifus? Can I plant my seed in them? I must know!
@@emptyskies144 there's definitely waifus, there's a princess, an assassin, and one who is just a straight up b****. You can increase your bond levels with them but the game seems massive, im sure there will be more waifus
LOVED Ghost Song. Can't wait to play the full thing.
Steam Demo Fests are my favorite events. Would be even with E3 existing. I can watch trailers and gameplay reveals anytime anywhere. Nothing beats being drowned in loads of demo versions on demand. In a recent edition I've played 105 demos, if the profile event badge is correct. Prolly ~10-12 were broken/garbage/really poor and I've uninstalled them within 5min, prolly 10-15 were demos I've played during the previous edition or in a form of some kind of closed playtest, but the rest was new stuff. And it's amazing.
For every single tapeworm dumpster fire from EA/Ubi we get dozens of great indies on Steam. I'd say it's a fair deal.
BTW good selection. Already have a bunch of those on my wishlist.
Months later and I've still gone back and used this to wishlist so many games. Really appreciate this sort of video, amazing coverage for what look like some great games.
Yay, thank you so much for giving Dome Keeper a go and all the nice words! I'm very happy you had a good time with it, and the praise was really flattering. Also a great feedback on something i wondered about, namely Dome Keeper not being as enticing on paper as it is through gameplay.
Steam Next Fest was a ton of fun!
Brilliant stuff as always, Ralph. Feel better soon ... I just got over the 'rona myself and it 100% sucks.
Thanks for doing these videos. As someone who usually only plays indies now & doesnt have so much time to research them all, these videos are everything! ty!
I tried out Signalis and Midnight Fight Express and I’m very much sold on both of them!
There's an overwhelming amount of awesome stuff here. The future is indie!
I RARELY watch 40+ Min videos on youtube, but watched this list and your last years. I hope you keep it up these are FASCINATING.
Your interest and passion and support for these developers is palpable. Thank you.
BTW Cult of the Lamb is incredible I binged it throug the "end" of the campaign.
Ghost song’s demo was excellent! I’d highly recommend Rain World if u want a similar experience while you wait, plus it’s the only other game to give me Outer Wilds feelings :)
I've been following Ghost Song for a long time and I'm so glad it's finally making its way to release
Some of the best experiences I’ve had in gaming have come from indie games. Sifu, Outer Wilds, Journey, Hollow Knight, Hades, Celeste. Most AAA games these days are kind of bland and bloated. I’m so happy you decided to make this video, great job man!
Portable Hades on my switch is probably the the best dollar per hour value I have ever gotten. Its so perfect for quick bite sized sessions especially when I'm somewhere I don't have access to a console.
As an indie game dev, and indie game enjoyer: I appriciate you Ralph
I backed Spirittea on KS and wow! A shout out on here is amazing. Congrats, Dan!
This video has literally reignited my interest in playing new games. It feels like I haven't been this legitimately excited since I was a kid booting up my PS2 for the first time.
Skillup literally since I found his channel has been my favorite TH-cam channel. This guy knows what he’s doing and he makes extremely polished videos. I definitely recommend subscribing to his channel and you won’t find 1 video not worth watching on his channel.
This needs to be a series. Absolutely love this and I have wishlisted/bought so many games from the first one that I would've otherwise never checked out. Thanks for doing this SkillUp!
Really appreciate you highlighting Indie developers, definitely interesting and deserving coverage.
I fucking love you ShillUp, the passion you have for the video game scene is just unmatched, thank you for everything you do bro
I admire your love for indie games, you are the biggest channel that I see talking frequently about indies. Being a gamer since the 90s (Doom, DM2 Skullkeep and The Dig are my start in gaming life), nowdays the majority of games I play are indies because of what this industry has become. Keep this up, Skill Up!
This video was awesome! This is exactly. The kind of games coverage we need today, the kind that connects me with what I want to play but can't find instead of just being the 1000th channel covering the same AAA game everybody already knows everything about.
Thank you for putting this video together, it put a lot of games on my radar!
Love how much effort Ralph puts into the indie scene… for someone that still hasn’t played braid, he definitely knows his stuff
Nine Sols and Cult of the Lamb have been pretty high on my wishlist for a while, but now I’m extremely excited to check out Domekeeper and Cursed to Golf. Thanks for the recommendations and quality coverage as always!
Such a pure love for video games, I love it Ralph. You are one of the best, so glad to be part of your channel! Keep it up man, cheers.
Ooooo I've been waiting for this one. Thanks again Ralph and Austin!
I'd already wishlisted several of these games but I appreciate your hard work making the video for people who don't pay attention to the indie circut!
It's crazy to come back after a year and see how many of these games blew up! Awesome job skill up, waiting for the next indie games vid
Really appreciate you taking the time to put this together for us! I've come across many of my now-favorite games for the first time on your channel.
This is by far my favourite of the videos you make. Reminds me of why I love games so much. Every single one just looked so cool in its own way. I honestly wish you wouldn't even limit it to 25, now I'm just wondering what didn't make the cut when they all look so good. Only game I didn't wishlist was Gloomwood, I'm not a huge immersive sim guy.
I played the Ghost Song demo. At first I didn't think it was for me, but then I couldn't put it down and started to get invested in learning more about the world I was in. Definitely going to pick it up.
Very cool to spotlight all these indie games. I wish listed a lot of them, and would have never known they existed without your help.
Wishlisted around 10 of the games you showed off; Powerchord, Metal: Hellsinger and Deadlink *REALLY* scratch some itches for me. You're doing god's work, spreading the Indie scene around; feel better soon!
I have so much respect on this video that I finished the Surfshark ad.
I love how most of the games you got here are also the ones I played and wishlisted. We definitely got the same good taste!
Great video. Haven't been watching game channels a lot because it is so mainstream focused. This is exactly what I needed. I just downloaded 10 demos.
Skill Up is my go-to for finding games that I'd otherwise never heard of.
The time it took to make this video and the links added for our benefit made me a subscriber! Thank you!
i've been waiting for ghost song for so long i actually forgot about it for a few years. long time coming! gonna try the demo right now
I'd love for this to become a more regular feature. Like 'indie games to put on your radar' every month or so. I love these videos!
Your channel and videos like this, showcasing good indie titltes, without focus on taking as much money from us as the AAA devs, is what keeps my interest in gaming renewed. This video was absolutely amazing and I will certainly buy some of those titles youlisted
Thank you for putting this together. I would have missed out on most of these.
The Tarnishing of Juxtia demo was incredible. Wasn't on this list, but was my personal favorite of Next Fest.
Ralph should be way past a million subscribers by now folks… start sharing his stuff with your friends. He is a leader in gaming journalism.
Wishlisted 18 of your 25 titles! Great work here!
Thanks for putting in time stamps!
Wow, thank you for the reviews!!! So many games!
Have listed a few, but visually, my money is on "Beneath Oresea", and over all, I'm most interested in "Spirittea" and "Terra Nil"... but man, many of the games presented here will find their way to my collection.
Regards from Tabasco, México [Land of The Olmecs]!
amazing! huge fan of your channel just never commited becuase i alway seem to miss the upload (yes i put the bell icon but it doesn't seem to work) . i love that indie title are greating more and more recoginzation, its' always good to see fresh takes of genres as game development becomes more accesible and it actually gave me insprition for a game! keep it going
Metal Hellsinger is definitely my most anticipated game in recent memory. I played the demo and was head banging all the way!
so much value in all your content Ralph. great stuff!!
Not sure why my previous comment got deleted but just wanna say thank you Skillup for almost singlehandedly reviving my love of gaming. Your passionate coverage and insights into a variety of games has reignited a child-like joy of gaming with me and really appreciate your content, thank you
I've wishlisted and downloaded demos for half a dozen games
Thanks for enriching my catalog of turn based tactical games. Always appreciated.
Thanks for the great recommendations, I wish-listed five: Ghost Song / Signalis (anyone remembering Bioforge) / Power Chord / Nine Souls and Trepang 2 (if you would have smuggled some actual footage of FEAR in there I would not have noticed). Selaco gets a bonus slot. I'm very unsure on that System Shock remake, I did play System Shock 2 and that might not hold up too well nowadays.
I played the demo for Selaco after watching this video. I had a ton of fun. Played like 4 hours. Awesome boss fight at the end of demo. Took like 15-20 tries to beat him but it was super satisfying once I did. Highly recommend
This is the type of shilling that keeps me coming back Shill Up. I joke but really man this is awesome of you, and I'm more than happy to do my part with a humble like and comment for that algorithm foreplay
You were not kidding man, every single one of these games looks phenomenal. Wishlisted them all!
You are doing good work covering indie games. Thank you!