Hidden gems: indie games students love that you might not have played yet

Some of the best games out there don’t come from the big studios, some jaw-dropping independent games have dropped in 2024. This list contains our faves from this year that you might not have heard of, but are all worth a few hours of your uni downtime. Which will you play first?

Hades (and Hades II)

Your goal is to escape hell. No, not your 4pm seminar, the beautifully crafted underworld that you, as Hades, need to slash, hack and punch your way free from. As you die and die again you earn currency to choose new abilities that carve out your unique gameplay.

Critics and students alike love Hades, it’s been described as one of the best games ever made, even outside of this indie game category—the first 2020 title won over 50 Game of the Year awards so you know it’s seriously good stuff. The graphics are gorgeous, the characters are captivating, the concept is unique and the game isn’t over when the credits roll. Unleash your inner God and kick back with this absolute game-changer.

Balatro

If we said Balatro was a poker game, what springs to mind? Boring? Something your dad might play? Crypto bros? Think again, because Balatro takes this classic card game and flips it on its head with a super fun, strategic playstyle (with very little knowledge of actual poker needed).

This is one of the freshest roguelite games in a while—start with a standard 52-card deck and play a winning hand like a flush, pair or straight to scale the number of chips you earn. There are multipliers, abilities to earn and levels to climb making this game addictive and a great way to wind down.

Stardew Valley

Ok, ok, you’ve probably heard of Stardew Valley, but it made our list for a reason. Stardew is THE cosy game of the moment with a whole world to explore, where you can get lost in simple pleasures like farming, fishing and building relationships with townsfolk. If your after-uni downtime looks like curling up under a blanket with music and snacks, the charming and heartwarming style of Stardew is a bit of you.

This game's low-res pixel art style is oddly comforting, it feels like stepping back into childhood, yet it belies the sheer amount of things to do, earn, accomplish and build. Want to switch off that big brain of yours completely? Start a new digital life in Pelican Town.

Palworld

While you’d be forgiven for drawing comparisons with another popular Japanese creature-collecting open-world game, Pokemo—I mean—Palworld is hilarious, unhinged and hard to put down in its own subversive way, even in early access.

Build your base and survive with help from your captured labourer ‘Pals’, then cook, farm and defend said base with surprising violence. Don’t get too attached to your Pals though, you might need to eat them, or thwack them with a baseball bat for wool or *cries* shoot them after they’ve gone mad from servitude… yeah. It’s cursed. But, surprisingly good stress relief. You have to play it to believe it, just don’t send us your therapy bill.

Cult of the Lamb

Ever wondered what it was like to become a cult leader? Well, now you don’t have to—and as a cute cartoon lamb, of all things. As well as an oddball art style not dissimilar to Rick & Morty or Final Space, it comes to life as a kinda cool combo between Stardew Valley and Hades—with sacrifices! Yay!

Your job, little lamb, is to grow your cult. Recruit new followers, meet their needs and fight off threats to their unwavering loyalty to The Demon. Plunder dungeons, play out satanic rituals and even marry your cult spouse in this addictive and oddly charming game.

Vampire Survivors

No-one gets out alive! For the price of your pre-lecture coffee, Vampire Survivor can ruin your life. Or, become your next game addiction—play to find out. The aim of the game is to see how far you can get, experimenting with weapon choice, tactics and buffs each time, making it a perfect on-the-go game.

Despite its chaotic premise, it's a fun time sink where you can act out your Buffy fantasies as a master slayer, share with friends and kill time while relaxing. The game doesn’t have a main story or levels, so it’s a never-ending bundle of fun and frustration. Careful, Vampire Survivors will suck you in (hur hur).

Sea of Stars

Sea of Stars is a classic turn-taking RPG that’s easy to learn but difficult to master, so you have lots of challenging yet funny and rewarding hours of gaming ahead.

Embark on an exciting fantasy quest to combine the powers of the sun and moon and defeat evil alchemist The Fleshmancer—with lots of wholesome, comedic moments along the way. Plus, a special shoutout to the soundtrack in SoS, there are some certified bops in this game!

So, which games have your thumbs twitching? Whichever you choose, there’s a game here to put some fun into winding down.