In which I count down my top 20 favorite locations in indie gaming.

[Liminal Cat]

I've been wanting to do this list for quite a while. I've seen and explored so many good locations in indie gaming over the past several years, and I thought it would be fun to count down my twenty favorites. Some of your favorite indie games might not make this list. I haven't played every indie game in existence. There are a few popular atmospheric indie games that didn't make it because I haven't played them (yet), and some of the games that did make this list are pretty obscure.

I love inhabiting a great location in a video game. Many of these locations are still with me. They won't quite let me go.


-20-

NORCO
A beautiful batture

NORCO is based on a real town located in southern Louisiana that has more than half of its land area taken up by a hideous Shell petroleum refinery.
Even when it was not in view, that grotesque steel jungle - renamed "Shield" in the game- lingered in my mind as I traveled the streets of Norco, so happening upon this beautiful and calming batture near the beginning of the game felt like a nice little sanctuary for me to get away from it all, even if only for a brief moment. I love the cargo ship that slowly comes into view, the gentle rustling of leaves, the gorgeous Louisiana skies, and the "stupid horse" drinking from the likely polluted Mississippi River.

Click to read more...

 

[Liminal Cat]

-19-

The Swapper
Greenhouse

Now, I'm not usually one to criticize a game that makes it onto one of my lists, but I wish that The Swapper's environments were a little more
diverse. One of the reasons why the greenhouse stands out so much is because it's so different from all of the other areas of the game.
The rest of the game still looks quite nice thanks to the game's eye-catching claymation style and evocative use of lighting throughout, but
many of The Swapper's environments are silly puzzle rooms, not actual places. The greenhouse, at least the main area that you see in the screenshot above,
is one of the few areas in the game that looks like an actual place. I like the red and yellow flowers that stand out against the tangled greenery and the little bit of light shining down on one of them to give the player a better look.

 

[Liminal Cat]

-18-

Islands: Non-Places
A mysterious fountain

The gorgeous monochrome art style of Islands: Non-Places immediately sold me on the game. It's a simple art style, but it was absolutely the right choice
to give these little islands an ethereal, dreamlike quality instead of a realistic one. My favorite islands are the ones that reveal something hidden beneath
them. In one of the early segments, a broken fountain is lifted out of the ground to reveal an entire ecosystem with plants, huge roots, and a pipe leading all
the way down to an underground water source. You "fix" the pipe and then the entire ecosystem goes back into the ground, returning the now-running fountain to its original position. There's something spooky about a hidden world that exists right beneath one's feet. An entire world that we don't know about. While playing Islands: Non-Places, it's as if someone out there, somewhere, has deemed you worthy enough to see this magical world play out right before your eyes.

 

[Liminal Cat]

-17-

Fugue in Void
Desert megastructure

There may be some deeper meaning behind Fugue in Void that I completely missed, but ultimately it is a game about exploring a strange world filled with cool brutalist architecture. As much as I enjoyed the earlier uncomfortable and claustrophobic areas that make up the majority of the game, its the wide open desert near the end that I most often think about. I love big contrasts like this, going from one distinct area to something completely different in a matter of seconds. It's unclear just how huge this megastructure is since much of it is shrouded in fog and stretches farther than the eye can see. It would be nice to go exploring up there. Longing for places that I can never reach seems to be a common feeling that I get from video games.

 

[Andrei79]

Really cool thread idea.

 

[Liminal Cat]

-16-

Abzu
Sunlit sea cave

Simple as it gets: Abzu is on here because it's an extremely pretty game. It's also fairly low on this list because it's not much more than that. Both Abzu and Journey are games that demand that their beauty be admired. I can feel the development team nudging me and going, "Isn't this magical?" There's a limit to how much I can admire a location that's merely gorgeous and not much else. So, I couldn't put Abzu all that high on my list. That said, the sunlit sea cave is a stunning celebration of color, lighting, and delightful sea creatures all gathered together in one place. There's just so much to take in, and I love the openness of this area and the sheer number of good vantage points there are. Unlike the very guided experience that is the (still gorgeous!) sand slide in Journey, Abzu's best location lets the player view it at their own leisure.

 

[Liminal Cat]

-15-

Paradise Killer
The Dead Zone

I had grown to love the bright and colorful vaporwave aesthetic of Paradise Killer's Island 24, so I was a bit unnerved when I entered the Dead Zone and happened upon an entire apartment building sealed within a vast hanger. There's something creepy about seeing a large structure contained entirely within a relatively small space. Despite loving this area, I didn't want to spend too much time in it. It's it a bit suffocating in there. The Dead Zone is the perfect representation of the Syndicate's cruelty and how they cover up problems and run from them rather than attempt to fix them. My favorite little touch is that the television in the Division's living room is still working and playing a Crimson Acid ad. Even after all the demonic corruption and death that happened in this building, the Syndicate's propaganda still haunts it.

-14-

Botanicula
Turtle Fields

When I first entered the rather claustrophobic and dimly lit root system of Botanicula, I was certainly not expecting to stumble upon an area this vast, bright, and home to giant tortoises of all things. To our miniscule heroes, the tortoises are Shadow of the Colossus sized beasts with heavy footsteps and shells that resemble great mountaintops. I assume that the creatures flying above are insects, but they look more like birds from this far away. I like how this area plays with perspective, as it's unclear exactly how large these creatures are compared to our protagonists or how vast this mysterious place really is.

-13-

Out for Delivery
A Small Corner of Beijing, China

There can be a lot of beauty found even in small, seemingly unremarkable corners of our world. That's one thing that Out for Delivery, an playable documentary about food couriers in Beijing, communicates to me. Yes, the busier places such as the huge shopping mall you go through near the beginning of the game are memorable and wonderful. But it's those quieter moments in the game that have lingered in my mind since playing it this last spring. At one point in the documentary, the courier leaves the camera behind on his bike as he makes a delivery. All you can do is move the camera around a bit as you wait for the courier to get back. After a while, a family with a child strolls on by, and you can listen to the kid act adorable as they walk away from view. It feels nice to
just inhabit this little insignificant corner (of a country that I'll likely never get to visit) and see everyday life happening before my eyes.

 

[Liminal Cat]

-12-

The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED]
Outside the Tech Lab

Although the two games could hardly be any more different, not since Yoshi's Island have I witnessed a 2D game with as much nervous energy as The Eternal Castle. But whereas Yoshi's Island channels that nervous energy into creating a joyful, bright, and colorful world, The Eternal Castle's frightening post apocalyptic world always seems to be threatening to fall apart even more than it already has. There are so many cool locations in The Eternal Castle that it's difficult to single in on my absolute favorite, so I ended up choosing the outside entrance to the Tech Lab because its ambience is so different from the rest of the game. It's hard not to think of the beginning of a Castlevania game, but the art design here goes above and beyond anything in that (obviously great, mind you) series. The rain pouring down, the darkness concealing all but the essential details, and the fierce lightning strikes create an intensely foreboding atmosphere.

-11-

Night in the Woods
The Fort Lucenne Mall

With its hot pastel colors and interior décor that looks like the kind of art you might find on a Trapper Keeper, the Fort Lucenne Mall is an antiquated masterpiece. Our heroes Bea and Mae don't visit the mall for any particular reason and are certainly not here to buy anything (besides greasy "garbage food"). No, what they're really here to do is reminisce. My favorite moment is when Bea shares a childhood story of looking up at the mall's atrium and believing that this must be where God lives. That's just too perfect and adorable. I think we all have stories like that from our childhood, that time in our life when everything resonated with mystery and wonder. Our child self may be gone, but their imaginative view of the world will stay with us forever.

-10-

A Short Hike
Hawk Peak

Hawk Peak Provincial Park is a gorgeous and cozy little diorama-like island with sandy beaches, warm colors, and beautiful blue waters. I call it diorama-like because everything on the island is, adorably, a bit smaller than you'd expect. Your character is a tiny bird, but she's also almost as tall as many of the trees dotting the island. The whole game plays out like you're wandering around a giant world map from a classic platformer. Without a doubt, my favorite moment in the game is the final climb up Hawk Peak itself. The mountain is fairly small by video game standards and only takes a few minutes to get to the top, but it still nevertheless manages to feel like an epic journey. The moment when you get to the top and the music cuts off, and you're all alone, and all you can hear is the wind and a few birds chirping, is one of the all time greatest peaceful moments in a video game.

-9-

Inside
Shockwave room

What is out there... in the distance? That's the question that haunts me as I make my way through this room. The source of the shockwave is never actually seen. What is its purpose? Is the shockwave part of an experiment gone wrong, and we just don't talk about it anymore? How vast is this subterrean cavern, how far out into the distance is the shockwave's source? The inscrutable nature of this area still haunts me. This is definitely one of the most unique bits of horror that I've ever encountered in a video game.

 

[Liminal Cat]

-8-

Soma
The spider cave (and the rest of the abyss section of the game, if I'm being honest)

I do not feel welcome in the spider cave. I am trespassing upon a home that I do not belong in. It actually looks kind of beautiful bathed in the white light of my diving suit, but I don't know if I should linger here for a little while or get out as quickly as possible. I'm torn between fascination and unease. The spiders, while intensely creepy, are actually completely harmless to the player. I'd like to see more of this: areas in horror games that fill me with dread without the threat of death.

-7-

Sable
The Sodic Wastes

This vast, abandoned scrap yard sent a chill up my spine the first time I stumbled upon it. Much of Sable is lonely and desolate, but trespassing upon the Sodic Waste area felt like entering a completely different world. All that's here to keep you company, or what passes for company, are flocks of birds soaring high above. All that is heard is the wind howling and brushing up against giant metal structures abandoned in the desert. I felt a certain lightness as I slowly made my way up to the Cartographer, the sheer size of this place become more and more apparent. I've never felt anything quite like this while playing a video game before. I really like locations in games that are like this: solemn and lonely but also beautiful and contemplative.

-6-

Off-Peak
Train Station

Something I love about Cosmo D's games is that no matter what setting he chooses as a backdrop - be it a train station, a hotel, or a city block - they always look like giant surreal art installations. The train station in Off-Peak is a rich tapestry of artwork of all shapes, sizes, and colors. When you first walk in, it's hard to decide what to check out first. My favorite piece of art is the mushroom forest with its multicolored fungi and large twin dragon statue or perhaps the giant whale that hangs from the ceiling. Another cool thing about Off-Peak is that it's a walking simulator with honest to god characters in it. There's no sifting through notes or listening to tape recordings in order to learn about the train station's inhabitants. You just mosey on up to them and listen to them speak about what they're passionate about. The best character has to be the musician-turned-chef who describes his ramen in the most pretentious way imaginable, but it's hard to deny that the man's passion for his art is infectious.

-5-

Rain World
The Shoreline

I love a good hostile ecosystem. Rain World's environments are threatening to a degree rarely seen in video games. Even when there are zero predators on-screen, there's always a sense in this game that you are never safe. I felt this greatly the first time I swam on the surface of the deep, dark waters of the Shoreline area. Nothing terrible happened to my little slugcat as he slowly paddled across the waves, but I was still on edge, wondering if one of those awful vultures would swoop out of the sky and have me for lunch. My first glimpse of the Leviathan - the largest and deadliest predator in the game - was, thankfully, right as I reached a patch of land. I only just barely saw its writhing arms on the edge of the screen as I went down a tunnel. The Leviathan is just an amazing looking creature, one of my favorite designs of any creature in any video game. I don't often think that 2D games can match 3D games at their best when it comes to portraying the terrors of the deep, but the Shoreline is a big exception to this rule.

-4-

Drool of the Killer
Tammy Waterpark

I've always been fascinated by water in video games and all the different ways that it can be both tranquil and threatening. It's this exact combination of panic and pleasure that makes Drool of the Killer such a memorable experience. The game's waterpark setting operates on this sort of weird dream logic that I can't get enough of. It's located in a dark, nightmarish wasteland in the middle of nowhere. The main swimming area is an abstract and unfriendly piece of architecture, despite our girl BB acting like this is completely normal. We see remnants of what used to be an office building that has been slowly taken over by the waterpark, and I'm reminded of dreams that take two distinct locations and converge them into one (I used to have dreams that took place in what was clearly a shopping mall, but my brain was telling me that I was at school and the stores were classrooms). My favorite location is the darkened area that contains a giant swimming pool, its exact dimensions unclear at first. There's something spooky about locations in video games that have an initially unknown depth. The cartoony visuals and BB's humorous comments keep things light, though. I think that most things in life that are described as being "dream-like" don't actually capture the fundamental absurdity of dreams, but Drool of the Killer nails this feeling.

-3-

Machinarium
Greenhouse

Now here's a location that resonates with mystery. Why is the greenhouse in such a state of disrepair? Who is the caretaker of this place, if one still exists at all? Are robots interested in plants for their aesthetic qualities, or do they only want to experiment on them in the name of science? Perhaps most importantly: how did Amanita Design create such a beautiful place using only greys, greens, and browns? I love the arresting stillness of this area, with only a tiny butterfly fluttering about to keep you company.

 

[Liminal Cat]

-2-

Walking Simulator a Month Club vol. 1 - Simulation Failure
The dying world

With the sky on fire and meteors raining down from above, the world of Simulation Failure is nearing its final days. Connor Sherlock's walking simulators are often designed to overwhelm you, to make you feel like an insignificant being in a vast universe. What can you do other than wander the countryside and see how far you can go? This is a mysterious world that you're trespassing upon, and there's no way to see it all. The horizon seems to stretch on forever. The music here is otherworldly, intense, and a perfect fit for the end times.


-1-

Bernband
A strange alien city

Somehow Bernband, a game where you wander about a very small section of a strange alien metropolis, does a better job of capturing what it actually feels like to explore an unfamiliar city in comparison to other, much more detailed and huge video game cities. At the beginning of our journey, our little alien tourist is peering out of a small window at a vast, colorful cityscape. There's an entire unknown world out there that you will never be able to visit. Once again, longing to visit places that are just out of reach seems to be a common feeling I get from video games. But thankfully, everything that we can explore in Bernband is just so weird, charming, and full of joy. Here's a small back alley bar illuminated by bright green lights where patrons are drinking the night away and rocking out to barely audible music. Here's a lonely art gallery with paintings that all inexplicably depict a fascination with Troll Dolls. Here's an interstellar highway with ships flying off to parts unknown. What's with the incongruous "plant room" with birds that you can hear but cannot see? More than anything, Bernband feels like a game that is in love with exploring for exploring's sake, and I adore it for that.

 

[HanSolo]

Cool thread cool read.

 

[John Price]

THe courier one seems interesting

 

[blue425]

-8-

Soma
The spider cave (and the rest of the abyss section of the game, if I'm being honest)

I do not feel welcome in the spider cave. I am trespassing upon a home that I do not belong in. It actually looks kind of beautiful bathed in the white light of my diving suit, but I don't know if I should linger here for a little while or get out as quickly as possible. I'm torn between fascination and unease. The spiders, while intensely creepy, are actually completely harmless to the player. I'd like to see more of this: areas in horror games that fill me with dread without the threat of death.

-7-

Sable
The Sodic Wastes

This vast, abandoned scrap yard sent a chill up my spine the first time I stumbled upon it. Much of Sable is lonely and desolate, but trespassing upon the Sodic Waste area felt like entering a completely different world. All that's here to keep you company, or what passes for company, are flocks of birds soaring high above. All that is heard is the wind howling and brushing up against giant metal structures abandoned in the desert. I felt a certain lightness as I slowly made my way up to the Cartographer, the sheer size of this place become more and more apparent. I've never felt anything quite like this while playing a video game before. I really like locations in games that are like this: solemn and lonely but also beautiful and contemplative.

-6-

Off-Peak
Train Station

Something I love about Cosmo D's games is that no matter what setting he chooses as a backdrop - be it a train station, a hotel, or a city block - they always look like giant surreal art installations. The train station in Off-Peak is a rich tapestry of artwork of all shapes, sizes, and colors. When you first walk in, it's hard to decide what to check out first. My favorite piece of art is the mushroom forest with its multicolored fungi and large twin dragon statue or perhaps the giant whale that hangs from the ceiling. Another cool thing about Off-Peak is that it's a walking simulator with honest to god characters in it. There's no sifting through notes or listening to tape recordings in order to learn about the train station's inhabitants. You just mosey on up to them and listen to them speak about what they're passionate about. The best character has to be the musician-turned-chef who describes his ramen in the most pretentious way imaginable, but it's hard to deny that the man's passion for his art is infectious.

-5-

Rain World
The Shoreline

I love a good hostile ecosystem. Rain World's environments are threatening to a degree rarely seen in video games. Even when there are zero predators on-screen, there's always a sense in this game that you are never safe. I felt this greatly the first time I swam on the surface of the deep, dark waters of the Shoreline area. Nothing terrible happened to my little slugcat as he slowly paddled across the waves, but I was still on edge, wondering if one of those awful vultures would swoop out of the sky and have me for lunch. My first glimpse of the Leviathan - the largest and deadliest predator in the game - was, thankfully, right as I reached a patch of land. I only just barely saw its writhing arms on the edge of the screen as I went down a tunnel. The Leviathan is just an amazing looking creature, one of my favorite designs of any creature in any video game. I don't often think that 2D games can match 3D games at their best when it comes to portraying the terrors of the deep, but the Shoreline is a big exception to this rule.

Downpour just came out!