What are the best indie games on PS5? In this evolving list, it's up to the Push Square community to define the very best indie titles the platform has to offer.
The term "indie" has a nebulous, ever-shifting meaning, but generally speaking, we're talking about smaller scale games from smaller scale studios. Rising to prominence during the PS3 era, indie games have gone from strength to strength over the years. In this day and age, self-publishing is more than possible on platforms such as the PS Store, and that's led to thousands of indies populating digital shelves.
The result is boundless variety and creativity; indies generally take more risks, offering more unique, imaginative experiences than AAA titles. On PS5, there's already lots to choose from if you're looking for something different. Some are fairly well-known, like Kena: Bridge of Spirits or Bugsnax, but hopefully this list will include some indies that don't always get put in the spotlight.
We say "hopefully" because this list isn't decided by us — it's entirely down to you. By rating your favourite PS5 indie games, you'll have a direct impact on this page, with the order of titles shifting as the user scores move up and down. If you browse this list and decide something's amiss, you can do something about it by using the search bar below and rating indie games accordingly.
Note: A game will need at least 30 ratings before it can be included on this page. If you feel something's missing or in the wrong position, rate them via their respective pages by clicking the star icon and choosing a score.
With all that out the way, let's take a look at what you've come up with. Below, you'll find a list of the best indie games on PS5 — as voted for by you.
30. Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition (PS5)
Spirit of the North was a gorgeous adventure already, but this enhanced PS5 version really lets the visuals shine. Playing as a fox guided by the titular spirit, you embark on a picturesque adventure across the Nordic landscape. There are one or two hiccups with its controls, but this is a worthwhile excursion that tells a heartfelt story.
29. Art of Rally (PS5)
Surprisingly, we're rather spoiled for choice when it comes to rally games, but Art of Rally separates itself with style. This is a top-down take on the muddy motorsport, but no less thrilling or demanding than its more realistic peers. Getting from A to B as fast as possible is great fun thanks to a brilliantly slide-heavy handling model, and the low-poly visual gives the game a unique flair. It even expands beyond its tracks for some sandbox exploration, but it's the on-track action and climbing those leaderboards that'll keep you hooked.
28. Among Us (PS5)
Among Us probably doesn't need much of an introduction. Exploding in popularity on PC when popular streamers played it together on Twitch, the game eventually made its way to PS5, and there's clearly a reason it resonated. You either play as a crew mate, peacefully completing maintenance tasks aboard large spaceships, or an impostor, who must get away with killing off as many other players as possible. Regular meetings are called to try and determine who might be guilty of the murders, making this a simple but compelling game of deception and deduction. Best played with a group of friends, this is an ingenious, endlessly replayable party game.
27. Tchia (PS5)
While it takes inspiration from a multitude of other titles, there are no other games quite like Tchia. Set in a fictional version of New Caledonia, you play as a girl who must rescue her father from a mysterious group. Before you reach that point, though, you've a whole archipelago you can freely explore, and it's stuffed with things to see and do. By possessing various objects and animals, you can truly see the map from all angles, then chill out by playing Tchia's ukulele at any time. Full of unique charm, this is an ambitious sandbox that's just fun to toy with.
26. Bugsnax (PS5)
Bugsnax might have won people over with a catchy theme song, but it's far more than just that. It lures you in with its whimsical style and silly concept, and then quickly subverts expectations with surprisingly emotional story beats. Your main tasks in the game are to catch the titular creatures and find out what happened to the leader of an expedition to the island. Figuring out how to capture each Bugsnak is fun, collecting them is addictive, and learning more about the colourful cast will keep you engaged. It's a unique flavour combo, but it works.
25. Deep Rock Galactic (PS5)
Deep Rock Galactic is a real mish-mash of ideas, but everything works together in harmony to create a super fun co-op experience. A team of up to four dwarves are recruited to delve into a strange planet and mine its precious resources, but will come up against some resistance from the insect-like locals. Each player class has totally unique weapons and abilities that complement the others perfectly, making simple objectives a joy as you all puzzle it out — and blast aliens — together. Throw in procedurally generated stages, and you have the recipe for an endlessly replayable game you can really dig into.
24. Haven (PS5)
A touching sci-fi love story, Haven is about a young couple who flee to an alien planet together. Portrayed through a vibrant art style and elevated by a stunning electronic soundtrack, this is a memorable adventure, and a sharp reminder that we need more tales of surprisingly mature romance in video games. Between its generally relaxing, floaty exploration and rhythm-based battle system, Haven does have a few slightly rough edges — but don't let that turn you away from the power of love.
23. Rollerdrome (PS5)
Bullets and death meet Tony Hawk's Pro Skater in Rollerdrome, one of the best-feeling PS5 games to date. All you need do is take down bad guys in skate parks of the future, but Roll7's latest is all about doing it in style. Chain tricks and grinds in-between shotgun shells to rack up a high score and win the tournament; along the way, you'll feel on top of the world. Rollerdrome is an addictive shooter all about speed and flow, and you'll quickly find yourself replaying stages just for another dose of its ecstasy.
22. Lost in Random (PS5)
Like a game straight out of Tim Burton's noggin, Lost in Random brings a somewhat creepy fantasy world to life. You play as a girl named Even, out to save her sister in the mysterious, chance-based land of Random. Accompanied by a sentient dice companion, you'll meet all kinds of quirky characters, engage in unique card-based combat, and unravel a wonderfully written story. If you're looking for something a little out there, this comes highly recommended.
21. Job Simulator (PS5)
One of virtual reality's first breakout hits, Job Simulator remains a real treat on PSVR2. It's a lighthearted, comical game about robots attempting to simulate human behaviour in the work place, putting you in the shoes of an office worker, sales clerk, mechanic, and more. Featuring support for the new PSVR2 Sense Controllers, the game's excellent amount of interactive options will feel better than ever.
Comments (37)
Well this confirms it, I hate indie games...😆
At first glance I thought this list had some pretty big omissions, but it’s hard to make an encompassing indie list when so many indies are just PS4 games playable on the PS5.
No love for Narita Boy? Shocking. I know it's a PS4 game but to be fair that entire list is too.
@Shigurui Yeah, the difference is that Narita Boy doesn't have a native PS5 version
Lost in Random I keep meaning to buy but I keep getting distracted by other games coming out. The Pathless and FIST I absolutely loved. Off topic, sort of but I really hope we get some news on Silksong soon because we haven't heard anything about that game for quite some time now.
Mostly top down and 2d side scroller games.
Will start Hades this year.
I don't like Death Door artstyle too much.
Really hope the new Hyper Light Drifter game comes to consoles, cuz that seems fire. I love the indie games that try to achieve as much as possible.
I love Overcooked, me and my wife had a lot of "fights" because of this game while trying to 3 stars every stage, great fun! haha
At first I missed Deaths Door from the list and was somewhat confused but on second look I see that it did indeed make the top 3, where it belongs. An Absolutely delightful game, and far more challenging than its cutesy art direction may have you believe. A definite indie highlight for me this year. Hades is also incredible but Deaths Door got me bad. Now all we need is the Hollow Knight sequel!
Love Chicory and Kena, such great games.
2nd place is pretty damn good for me. Haven't played Hades yet, technically still really need to finish their other games... Disco Elysium was more my speed, fantastic art style, funny, depressing and so different. No idea how it will translate into a TV show.
Is spiritfarer allowed on the list? The game has a good sense of humour and it's about dying.
I've only played three out of this list :Chicory,Kena and the best Bugsnax.There are a few on the list I'm very interested in but what with the new Ps Plus Tier system soon to start im hoping a lot of them are included in the 'free' games..
@PVTHudson Disco Elysium is being made in to a tv show?!?
I'm playing Carrion right now. Pretty damn good game I might add.
The Binding of Isaac: Repentance not in the top 20?
A travesty I say!
Theseus is easily one of the biggest cons in all of gaming. Take that however you want to
Not sure if it counts but I love cuphead! It’s hard as hell but still fun
@Ward_ting yeah, both that and Life Is Strange got picked up by a TV studio for adaptations. I have mixed feelings when they adapt games, let alone ones that are exclusively based around player choice.
@PVTHudson yea, I am with you on that. I honestly couldn’t tell you an adaptation that I have ever liked. Arcane is probably the exception! If Disco Elysium remained animated in a similar style to Arcane then I could definitely see that working! It’s an awesome world so am very intrigued!
I started The Pedestrian yesterday as I've been wanting to get around to checking it out for ages. It's a well thought out game and I can see it should get quite challenging.
Hades I loved, that's a great game and really deserved the praise it got. There's so many other games off this list that I really want to get around to playing. Perhaps I just need to devote some time to playing through Indies.
@RubyCarbuncle its just arrived on game pass if you play cross platform. I've wanted to try Lost in Random since release, so having a GP release really helps!
Never going to agree with lists like these completely but top games for me would be Solar Ash, Paradise Killer and No Man’s Sky. Art of Rally I really wanted to like but really didn’t.
Lost In Random is wonderful and should be getting far, far more attention than it has.
This is my recommendation, from my country Indonesia 🇮🇩
Surprised Cuphead wasn't on this list. Expected it to be on Top5 but that wasn't the case. Cuphead is one of the best Indie games I've played so far.
Played many of these and can particularly recommend. Death's Door, The Pathless, Kena, Stray, Cyber Shadow, Artful Escape and to a lesser extent Haven.
I've always enjoyed What Remains of Edith Finch but also never quite understood why it is quite SO beloved. It's a brilliant little game, that tells a simple story very well, but best indie? No, not even top 5 for me.
Have to prioritise Hades, Disco Elysium, FIST, Sifu & Chicory!
Without a shadow of a doubt, Unpacking should be on this list.
@SoulChimera
I agree Unpacking should be on this list.
But my favorite Indie of all time only released a couple of weeks ago.
My pick is "Rimworld" Console edition. Best city builder-story telling game of all time.
I loved it on the PC and love it more now that it is on Playstation.
The interface is much better on the PS5 controller than on mouse and keyboard.
@Shigurui Naruta Boy's lack of d-pad support made it unplayable for me. It was a real shame. I wish I could adjust the controls
Rollerdrome is woefully underrated. What an excellent title!
Also, PS5 seriously needs more indie titles…
Cult Of The Lamb should be on this list also.
TMNT Shredder’s Revenge, Donut County, Superhot, Degrees of Separation, Alba, ..
Inscryption...?
This list is a bit overcrowded and takes away from some actual great games, but its solid nonetheless. Sifu would be my number 1.
At some point you guys should update Haven to reflect that it is available on PS+ Extra.
And Olli Olli World was a PS+ Essential game last month.
Surprised to see it didn't make the list among the community but tunic is an amazing game!! Challenging combat, amazing exploration, haunting soundtrack that I still listen to and an interesting story.
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