Game design students recommend indie gems

As the tools to create great games are becoming more and more accessible, smaller teams are becoming able to create top-notch indie videogames without the backing of major studios.

One drawback of this market’s growth is that many incredible titles fly under the radar. What if you never played a game absolutely perfect for you — your soulmate, in game form — just because you had no clue it existed, buried under heaps of other titles? 

Worry no more; USC’s game design students are passionate about lesser-known games, and they’d be happy to introduce you.

Identity V

“‘Identity V’ is underrated, specifically because there is a very small player base in America compared to the Asian countries,” said Aya Kimura, a freshman majoring in game development and interactive design. “The gameplay is very unique. It’s a 4v1 competitive game, and there’s a ‘hunter’ and a ‘survivor.’”

Multiplayer survival horror fans may compare “Identity V” to “Dead by Daylight” or “Left 4 Dead,” but there are a few key differences. For one, the art in “Identity V” uses a less realistic style that lacks gore — think “Coraline” (2009), cute but creepy. “Survivors” (the four vulnerable players who have to escape the “hunter”) also have individual abilities. 

“There are about 39 [‘survivors’]. They’re each very unique and have their own mechanics,” Kimura said. 

This variability means you can experiment with playstyles, preventing the game from getting stale. Also important, “Identity V” is free to play for iOS and Android, removing some huge barriers to entry. If you want a fun, spooky experience with friends, no matter where they are or what consoles they have, “Identity V” might be the game for you.

Cloud Gardens

“Cloud Gardens” occupies an interesting space between landscape builder and puzzle game. 

“It’s basically like ‘The Last of Us,’ but a toy used to grow plants,” said Boston Moreland, a sophomore majoring in game development and interactive design. 

Have you ever seen that aesthetic of brutalist, broken-down buildings becoming overgrown? It’s like that, but a game. “Cloud Gardens” has a “sandbox” mode and a “campaign” mode, so you can choose whether to chill out and create your own unique garden or do some engaging puzzles. 

“You just plant plants, water them and they just overtake structures. And once you plant enough plants, you win the level,” Moreland said. “I’ve never heard anyone else talk about it, and it is incredibly relaxing and satisfying.”

If you like creative games with cool graphics or just really love watching the earth take back the land, “Cloud Gardens” might be for you. 

A Hand With Many Fingers

Have you ever wanted to be a journalist or detective on the precipice of discovering something huge? “A Hand With Many Fingers” might just scratch that itch.

“It’s the fantasy of those Watergate or conspiracy movies, except you get to actually be the person controlling it,” said Page Murray, a freshman majoring in game development and interactive design. “In the game, you’re putting together a conspiracy on a corkboard, where you’re drawing threads between different pieces of evidence.” 

“A Hand With Many Fingers” is based on a true story from the Cold War. The story’s reality, combined with unconventional archive-searching gameplay, creates an eerie sense of immersion. If you’re interested in the Cold War or want to feel like you’re in your very own Pepe Silvia meme, check out “A Hand With Many Fingers” and start getting paranoid.

No Straight Roads

“No Straight Roads” is a rhythm action-RPG where you play as two indie rockers trying to defeat an EDM empire. 

“You’re trying to save rock music from pop … But it’s a lot more than that, with all these other game influences,” said Maxwell Hunter, a freshman majoring in game development and interactive design.

At a glance, rhythm game enthusiasts may compare “No Straight Roads”’ action-heavy beat-based gameplay to Tango Gameworks and Bethesda’s critically acclaimed “Hi-Fi Rush.”

“‘No Straight Roads’ actually came out first,” Hunter said. “And I honestly prefer ‘No Straight Roads’ to ‘Hi-Fi Rush’ … It feels a lot more lived-in and more stylized, especially [since] each boss you fight in ‘No Straight Roads’ actually has a different music style.” 

If you like “Hi-Fi Rush” or rhythm games in general, give “No Straight Roads” a try.

“I think since ‘No Straight Roads’ is made by a smaller indie Malaysian company that [it] didn’t get the recognition it deserved,” Hunter said. 

Spiritfarer

In “Spiritfarer,” the player builds a boat to transport and care for spirits as they make their way to the afterlife. For a game about death, though, “Spiritfarer” is a lovely experience.

“The art direction is very beautiful, very surreal … The music is really good,” Hunter said. “I felt myself getting really attached to the characters … You really get to see them grow … so they’re actually ready to leave and move on.” 

If you want to enjoy a serene game and fall in love with well-written characters, “Spiritfarer” might be for you.

“It fills that niche of management cozy games … But then you don’t really hear people bring ‘Spiritfarer’ into the conversation. They usually just say ‘Stardew Valley,’ ‘Animal Crossing,’ things like that,” Hunter said. 

The tastes of game design students are a pretty wild mix, but that just goes to show the huge variety in the current video game market. Hopefully, those recommendations will help with your video game FOMO. In the long term, make friends with some game designers like these USC students; they’ll always have suggestions for new games to try.

Correction: A previous version of the article stated that Cloud Gardens was developed by Trojans. The game has no affiliation to USC. The Daily Trojan regrets this error.