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The Isle is a first and third person open-world sandbox which will pit human teams and playable dinosaurs against one another on one of several intense islands in a struggle to survive.

Post feature Report RSS Players Choice Indie of the Year 2016

The time has come, announcing the best Indie games of 2016 as selected by you.

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Indie of the Year

Welcome all to the 2016 Indie of the Year. After 20 days of very close voting, the results are in.

Editors Note:

If there's a project you love, please come join in, leave a review so the developers know you care, follow, tag and stay up to date with their latest development news and showcases! Join in and submit your game to be eligible for next years awards!

Without further adieu, we are delighted to present your Top 10 Indies of 2016. Also announcing the top Mods, VR experiences and Mobile Games you're invited to check them out!

Honourable Mentions

As always you either had to place higher or do a significant update in 2016 to make this list. Here are the 2016 honourable mentions, that just missed out but are still worthy of your praise and attention.


10th | INSIDE

Playdead | Released Jul 7, 2016

Image 9


Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project.


9th | Enter the Gungeon

Dodge Roll Games | Devolver Digital | Released Apr 5, 2016

Screenshot


Enter the Gungeon is a gunfight dungeon crawler following a band of misfits seeking to shoot, loot, dodge roll and table-flip their way to personal absolution by reaching the legendary Gungeon’s ultimate treasure: the gun that can kill the past. Select a hero and battle your way to the bot­tom of the Gungeon by surviving a challenging and evolving series of floors filled with the dangerously adorable Gundead and fearsome Gungeon bosses armed to the teeth. Gather precious loot, discover hidden secrets, and chat with opportunistic merchants and shopkeepers to purchase powerful items to gain an edge.


8th | Slime Rancher

Monomi Park | Released Dec 1, 2016

Boom Slimes


Slime Rancher is the tale of Beatrix LeBeau, a plucky, young rancher who sets out for a life a thousand light years away from Earth on the 'Far, Far Range' where she tries her hand at making a living wrangling slimes. With a can-do attitude, plenty of grit, and her trusty vacpack, Beatrix attempts to stake a claim, amass a fortune, and avoid the continual peril that looms from the rolling, jiggling avalanche of slimes around every corner.


7th | Factorio

slpwnd | Released Feb 25, 2016

Mining drills and Furnaces


Ever felt like building a factory ? Factorio is a 2D creative game about mining resources, using robotic arms to move stuff, transporting things on transport belts, automating production with assembling machines, researching technologies, exploring your environment and defending from hostile creatures.


6th | Firewatch

Campo Santo | Panic Inc. | Released Feb 9, 2016

Image 7


Firewatch is a single-player first-person mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness. The year is 1989. You are a man named Henry who has retreated from his messy life to work as a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness. Perched high atop a mountain, it’s your job to look for smoke and keep the wilderness safe. An especially hot, dry summer has everyone on edge. Your supervisor Delilah is available to you at all times over a small, handheld radio—your only contact with the world you've left behind. But when something strange draws you out of your lookout tower and into the forest, you’ll explore a wild and unknown environment, facing questions and making choices that can build or destroy the only meaningful relationship you have. A Note: Firewatch is a video game about adults having adult conversations about adult things.


5th | The Isle

The Isle Development Team | Early Access Dec 1, 2015

giganotosaurus


The Isle is a first and third person open-world sandbox which will pit human teams and playable dinosaurs against one another on one of several intense islands in a struggle to survive.


4th | Empyrion - Galactic Survival

EleonGameStudios | Early Access Aug 5, 2015

Screenshot01


Empyrion is a 3D open world, space survival adventure in which you can fly across space and land on planets. Build, explore, fight and survive in a hostile galaxy full of hidden dangers. Empyrion features space & planetary exploration, building & construction, mining & resource gathering, survival, crafting, as well as space & land combats. Using the Unity 3D engine, Empyrion uniquely combines elements from space simulations, construction games, survival games and ego-shooters.


3rd Place | Stardew Valley

ConcernedApe | Released Feb 26, 2016



Stardew Valley is an upcoming RPG-style farming game that is full of things to do! It's up to you to choose your path... Will you devote your time to raising crops and caring for animals? Will you spend time in the local village, befriending the local townspeople? Do you get a kick out of slaying dreadful monsters in the mysterious mountain caverns? Or will you try to accomplish everything and claim the coveted title of "Stardew Hero"?


2nd Place | SUPERHOT

SUPERHOT Team | Released Feb 25, 2016



SUPERHOT is the first person shooter where time moves only when you move. With its mesmerising gameplay and unique, stylized graphics SUPERHOT aims to finally add something new and disruptive to the FPS genre. See the bullets crawling towards you as you carefully plan your steps and aim your gun. Enjoy the mayhem that is unleashed as you put that plan into motion. Dodge bullets. Take out your enemies. One step at a time.


1st Place | RimWorld

Tynan | Early Access 2013



A sci-fi colony sim driven by an intelligent AI storyteller. Inspired by Dwarf Fortress and Firefly. RimWorld follows three survivors from a crashed space liner as they build a colony on a frontier world at the rim of known space. Inspired by the space western vibe of Firefly, the deep simulation of Dwarf Fortress, and the epic scale of Dune and Warhammer 40,000.

Mechanoid fight


Manage colonists' moods, needs, individual wounds, and illnesses. Engage in small-team tactical gunplay. Fashion structures, weapons, and apparel from metal, wood, stone, cloth, or futuristic materials. Fight pirate raiders, hostile tribes, rampaging animals, giant tunnelling insects and ancient killing machines. Tame and train cute pets, productive farm animals, and deadly attack beasts. Watch colonists develop relationships with family members, lovers, and spouses. Discover a new generated world each time you play. Build colonies in the desert, jungle, tundra, and more. Manage quirky colonists with unique backstories, traits, and skills. Learn to play easily with the help of an intelligent and unobtrusive AI tutor.

Giant colony


That wraps up this years awards, Congratulations to everyone! Happy new year and all the best with your developments in 2017!

Post comment Comments
hakjakgames
hakjakgames

Congrats to all the winners! These are some amazing games :D Looks like I'll be buying Rimworld now....

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INtense! Staff
INtense!

Congrats to Guts and Glory also for its placing in Best Upcoming.

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Aphroditeishot Creator
Aphroditeishot

Thanks for hosting the competition, IndieDB! Congrats to everyone.

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plok
plok

If you have a big community, just tell them to vote for your game and you will easily be in the top10. Such votes don't say much about the quality of a game even if it's often related.
Some nice titles listed there nonetheless!

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Guest
Guest

The isle 5th? </3 dang but we will win the poll next year!

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viedt-el
viedt-el

Congrats to all the winners!

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freerangegames
freerangegames

Congratulations winners! All well deserved, great games.

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ixnari
ixnari

Wouldn't it be better, if games in development got a separate category? I mean, half of the games listed are still in development, including #1.

Regardless, congratulations to the winners!

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Sam1209
Sam1209

How in the world is squad not up here? They made a AAA game from the ground up in no time at all

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mastice
mastice

People had to vote. Obviously people didn't vote for it.

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mastice
mastice

I own 6 of 10 of those games. All good games! Great job to everyone!

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TheBlackshot
TheBlackshot

Superhot? Really

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