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Welcome to the 4th Annual Indie of the Year Awards sponsored by Desura, a celebration of the years finest indie games chosen by you and us. For the next 4 weeks it is up to you to vote for your favorite indie games so that they may make the top 100 which will be announced on the 11th of December. There are over $15,000 in prizes. Winners up to $1000, top 10 and editors choice up to $500 each. Full terms & conditions.

Who will join Chivalry: Medieval Warfare last years winner, which now sits alongside Minecraft the inaugural 2010 victor. Up until Jan 1st 2014 join us and celebrate the joy indie games bring us on a daily basis by voting for your favorites! We are also running a Mod of the Year awards and App of the Year awards.

Report RSS Indie of The Year 2013

Merry Christmas, announcing the best indie games of 2013 as selected by you the players!

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Welcome another record breaking year with more than 97,500 votes and over 12,000,000 visitors spanning 22 days. The players have spoken, here are the indie games you picked in the 2013 awards. We are also announcing the winners of the Mod of the Year 2013 and App of the Year 2013.



Indie of the Year

Count Down 2013


10. Rogue Legacy

A 2D platforming genealogical roguelite where anyone can be a hero. You must traverse a procedurally-generated castle to uncover the secrets of your cursed heritage. You have only one chance though, as there is no redemption from death. Fortunately your lineage spawns like bunny rabbits, and there are plenty of successors willing to pick up the sword. Unfortunately genetics aren't a perfect science, resulting in children who suffer from a variety of different traits, such as blindness, dyslexia, and even irritable bowels syndrome. Do you have what it takes to uncover your family's history and redeem its honor?

9. Outlast

Was created by a series of professional developers from various triple A studio's, who where sick of playing triple A horror games that "play it safe", that hold the players hand and allow players to kill monsters by the bucketload like some kind action game.
Outlast features evasion based, horror gameplay. You can't fight off the horrors that lie within the Aslyum. You must run, hide... or die.

8. Tales of Maj'Eyal

A roguelike RPG, featuring tactical turn-based combat and advanced character building. Play as one of many unique races and classes in the lore-filled world of Eyal, exploring random dungeons, facing challenging battles, and developing characters with your own tailored mix of abilities and powers. With a modern graphical and customisable interface, intuitive mouse control, streamlined mechanics and deep, challenging combat, online stats and character sheets, Tales of Maj’Eyal offers engaging roguelike gameplay for the 21st century.

7. Path of Exile

Path of Exile is an online Action RPG set in the dark fantasy world of Wraeclast. It is designed around a strong barter-based online item economy, deep character customisation, competitive PvP and ladder races. Players can pick from six playable character classes, which each focus on either one or two core attributes. Randomly generated items and world areas guarantee that no journey is the same; and fast-paced PvP action lets you cooperate with, or conquer, players from all over the world. Path of Exile is completely free and never "Pay-to-Win".

6. Into the Dark

A playable B-Movie, a trash Experience composed out of 60% humour, 30% horror and 10% technical flaws. The game delivers exactly what it promises and the fans agree, you need some background knowledge, a decent education and intelligence to get the jokes, but if you do, it is hilarious!

5. The Stanley Parable

Is a simple game about storytelling. You will be told a story and then you will be asked to make a choice, except that the choice will not matter. No, sorry, my mistake, the choice matters a great deal. Or maybe...is it that the story doesn't matter? Wait, let me check my notes... Yes, it says right here. “The Stanley Parable: A simple game about story that makes perfect sense.” Surely that's what it is. I hope. Oh good god I hope that's what The Stanley Parable is. It's just that sometimes I'm so confused, I'm so lost...what is this game? I just want to understand. I don't want to feel alone. Please...can you help me understand what's going on?

4. Space Engineers

A sandbox game about engineering, construction and maintenance of space works. Players build space ships and space stations of various sizes and utilization (civil and military), pilot ships and perform asteroid mining. Space Engineers utilizes a realistic volumetric-based physics engine: all objects can be assembled, disassembled, damaged and destroyed.

Indie of the Year 2013

Final 3 Countdown


3rd Place Kerbal Space Program

A multi-genre game where the player can create his own space program. In KSP, you must build a space-worthy craft, capable of flying it's crew out into space, without killing them.At your disposal is a collection of parts, which must be assembled to create a functional ship. Each part has it's own function and will affect the way a ship flies (or doesn't).So strap yourself in, and get ready to try some Rocket Science!

  • The Vehicle Assembly Building. allows players to build spacecraft out of any imaginable combination of parts.
  • Fully-fledged, Physics-based Flight Simulation ensures everything will fly (and crash) as it should.
  • Mod-enabled, allows players to create new content and modify the game.
  • Ship systems. Keep an eye out for engine temperatures and fuel levels, and try not to explode.
  • Build ships with multiple stages, and jettison parts away as they burn out.

2nd Place Contagion

A cooperative survival horror FPS built on the latest Source Engine where players are forced to watch their ammo and aim carefully otherwise be overrun by the zombie hordes. Players will face traditional zombies as well as former teammates who have been turned themselves and now see not friend but fuel to keep the carnage going.

  • Play alone, with a friend, friends, or with a group either offline or online.
  • You begin your story as a survivor but how long until your taste buds hunger for flesh?
  • Randomly generated weapon, ammo, and item placement.
  • Unpredictable and intelligent zombie spawning system that adjusts to the players actions.
  • A pathing and objective system that has you returning to the same map repeatedly with a fresh feel to it.

1st Place Starbound

We know this is going to be a controversial winner as a recently released alpha game, but it's popularity is undeniable. Starbound is a 2D space exploration sandbox game developed by Chucklefish Games. Star systems, planets, weapons, and enemies are randomly generated, but unlike other games in the genre there is also plot the player can follow if he chooses. We agree this is a great game, but this is what you have been saying!

vytong wrote: This game was in development for a seemingly long time in order to perfect the mechanics, content, and maximize player satisfaction. The team has worked long and hard to finally release a beta test that was just launched on 12/4/2013. The game has its flaws, but it is very minute, the random generated aliens and procedurally generated guns are great and the crafting item descriptions are very humorous.


iprospero wrote: Next step from Terraria to nice-looking immersive exploration with digging, crafting and arcade monster fights


Dudok2 wrote: Must buy. An awesome game. Playing it almost every day.


Sybarite984 wrote: It looks that this will be bigger and better than any similar game developed to this day.

Post comment Comments  (0 - 50 of 53)
Darkamo
Darkamo

yay ! congratulation guys !

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Germanunkol
Germanunkol

Clicking the images for "Outlast" and "Tales of Maj'Eyal" gets me to different games. Intended?
Clicking the links below the images works, though. Looks like "broken", or missleading links...

Congrats to all the winners!

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INtense! Staff
INtense!

Fixed - thanks for pointing that out

Reply Good karma+2 votes
Thaiauxn

Starbound is cool. Starbound is again, a very good game. But it is an entertaining game. Kerbal Space Program and Space Engineers are games that are entertaining and make a meaningful impact on their audience, broadening both science literacy and bettering the public's view of indie gaming being a worthwhile mainstream investment. That is an accomplishment deserving of a top ranking.

But it's your list, not mine. ;) Cheers

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Tabajara77
Tabajara77

Stanley should be 1st. Just sayin'..
But gratz to the Contagion and Stanley Parable games for the positions! :)

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TheUnbeholden
TheUnbeholden

what surprises me is that a FPSC game actually maded into the top 10. I thought people instinctively give out low scores on those kinds of games without even playing them :/

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Polygonien
Polygonien

even more surprising is the fact that it's also the worst game I have ever played. Who the hell voted for this horrible piece of crap?

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WallMart
WallMart

probably people with brains.

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systemguy9
systemguy9

Dumb hipsters that enjoy boring games, who else?

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systemguy9
systemguy9

The Stanley Parable? Indie OF THE YEAR?
Um.
No.
I don't think so.

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SPY-maps
SPY-maps

I want to congratulate every nomenie and winner.
And many thanks to Moddb/IndieDB for this contest,
always looking forward to it.

Leon

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Tatsur0
Tatsur0

Thank you! To be among such titans is a pleasant surprise for us and we're grateful for all the love and support! I own all these fantastic games and want to congratulate you all for your hard work and Starbound for their spot (I personally agree 1st place is where they belong imo) and the community for helping us reach so far.

2014 is going to be an incredible year :) (Sorry, just elated and grateful).

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Scav3nger
Scav3nger

I do want to congratulate everyone who made the top 100, and to all in the top 10 on the list for 2013, it takes a lot of time and effort to get to where you all are and you deserve all the rewards for your efforts.

However, I do not agree with pre-release games being ranked alongside completed games, and would like to request that next year we have two votes to separate the pre-release games from the finished products. To compare a completed game that a person or team has put (most likely) years into and released, with a game that's still in its pre-release phase is absurd. Any developer who has released their completed game within the last 12 months and lost out to a game in Alpha deserves to be disappointed in my opinion.

Don't get me wrong, KSP is a great game (I can't speak for the others as I haven't played them). But as far as I'm concerned Stanley Parable wins this year as the highest ranked full release.

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wazanator
wazanator

" Any developer who has released their completed game within the last 12 months and lost out to a game in Alpha deserves to be disappointed in my opinion."

How so? I think that disappointment is justified if a finished game can't stand up to a beta/alpha.

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Scav3nger
Scav3nger

It's the fact that their game is being compared directly to a beta or alpha that I don't agree with, an alpha by definition is not feature complete therefore those features in the game should not be taken as final. How can that be compared to a game that is at version 1?

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wazanator
wazanator

I don't see the problem here. If a non-finished game is beating a finished game in both popularity and customer satisfaction then that's the developers of the finished games problem not the competitions.

If what you call a finished product isn't even placing against betas and alphas maybe it's time to go back to the drawing board and rethink your next step.

What exactly is the difference here between releasing a game and then providing a ton of patches like Valve did with TF2(fixed bugs and added content) and releasing early and providing a ton of patches(that fix bugs and add content)?

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Rus[T]
Rus[T]

W00t W00t, nice picks here also! Cngrtz!

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Sph!nx
Sph!nx

Congrats to all winners! Well deserved.

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Dune_Jumper
Dune_Jumper

Contagion deserves that spot.

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Chickenshot
Chickenshot

Congratulations to the Winners! May there be more better and greater games in the future. Although i kinda like contagion but I guess it will do. :)

Happy New Year!

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Mkilbride
Mkilbride

Path of Exile and Outlast?

****.

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Nuvendil
Nuvendil

You know, these awards wouldn't be complete without your bitching.

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FreezingMoon
FreezingMoon

Congratulations to the team who made Contagion! :D

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Guest
Guest

Papers, Please isn't even in the top 10? O_o

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Guest
Guest

Contagion!=))

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Tuskin38
Tuskin38

The Starbound image link goes to Just Cause 2 MP.

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Guest
Guest

cong~

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HenryT77
HenryT77

Vox populi, vox Dei. And that is reason I am atheist ;)

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TKAzA Author
TKAzA

Well done to the winners.

Reply Good karma+2 votes
Guest
Guest

CONTAGION,
CONTAGION,
CONTAGION,
CONTAGION,
CONTAGION,
CONTAGION,
CONTAGION,
CONTAGION,
........................ FTW..............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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F-Pina
F-Pina

Congrats to all the winners. Awesome voting :)

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exLightning
exLightning

Whats so special about Contagion? It looks boring to me. Same with Into The Darkness and Tales of Maj'Eyal, All the others I agree with :P

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Guest
Guest

Please have someone proofread the article before publishing. There are numerous errors like "it's" instead of "its", unnecessary commas or no spaces after periods.

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Guest
Guest

Contagon is rubbish, starbound isn't much better, space engineers is the next minecraft, only in space with wikid graphics, and engine, how those other games got a better review just shows that more kids voted than adults !

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Tatsur0
Tatsur0

That comment right there only proves you either haven't played these games or are trolling :)

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Guest
Guest

ITS. IT'S. Very different.

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Guest
Guest

Well done Chucklefish, Starbound is a gem!

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Guest
Guest

Congratz Guys and Girls. Well deserved.xx

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ptbotwo
ptbotwo

Congratz Chucklefish team. Well deserved. xx

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Guest
Guest

How about picking a game that came out in 2013 to be number 1. Starbound is going to be great but it's still in early beta! I doubt it will even be the top indie game of 2014.

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plok
plok

This is an absurd voting. You just need a big community and you win...
This has not much to do with quality in your voting, unfortunately. Not saying that they don't deserve it but a voting based on strong communities doesnt really make sense.

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Tatsur0
Tatsur0

It's the "Popular" vote. Sorta makes perfect sense heh :)

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plok
plok

editor's choice would be much more interesting to me unless it's a company who paid you to get there... ;)

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Guest
Guest

Your Papers Please is far better than many of these titles unfinished or not...

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OggMan
OggMan

I'm so glad the award went exactly where is deserves!!!

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LordNelson7
LordNelson7

WHAT? No Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord? I know it had to be in the top 25 I bet it was like number 11 or something. I thought it was going to be number 1??? But these are some very nice games though! Congratulations to everyone!

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