Indie Power Rankings – 2024

The 2024 Indie Power Rankings feature the eligible indie games reviewed by The Single Player Experience that year. Games are ranked by their SPE Review Score out of 10, with the Passion Score out of 100 serving as the tiebreaker when multiple games share the same Review Score. Only fully released games reviewed by SPE are eligible.
Click here for more information on the review and passion score system.

The Big Three

V Rising

V Rising Review Thumbnail
SPE 9.0 Review Score
A-Tier
Action RPG Base Building Open-World Survival
PC Ps5 Xbox (Series, One)
Stunlock Studios
88 / 100

Why It Ranks

V Rising is one of those games that completely caught me off guard. Its lack of a meaningful narrative and some frustrating traversal decisions keep it from being perfect, but the combination of action RPG combat, satisfying boss encounters, gear progression, and addictive castle building is something special. I went in expecting a game I'd probably enjoy and walked away with 150 hours logged. That's about as strong an endorsement as I can give it.

Super Space Club

Super Space Club Review Thumbnail
SPE 8.0 Review Score
B-Tier
Cozy Top-Down Shooter
PC Xbox (Series, One)
GrahamOfLegend
80 / 100

Why It Ranks

Super Space Club Review When I interviewed Super Space Club’s developer, Graham Reid he described his game as “a vibrant lo-fi arcade space shooter that is a fun experience that you can chill to.” As someone who always loves winding down the end of the...

The Thaumaturge

The Thaumaturge Review Thumbnail
SPE 8.0 Review Score
B-Tier
Adventure RPG
PC Ps5 Xbox (Series, One)
Fool's Theory
76 / 100

Why It Ranks

The Thaumaturge Review One thing that I’ve learned about myself is that most of the time I’m playing a game to kick back and relax. Most of my gaming time goes to games like Civilization 6, NBA 2k, or Roguelike and Roguelites because I can...

Rest of the Top 10

Selaco

Selaco Review Youtube Thumbnail
SPE 8.0 Review Score
B-Tier
Action Adventure Shooter
PC
Altered Orbit Studios
74 / 100

Why It Ranks

Selaco Review It seems like an FPS campaign is a rare treat nowadays, especially outside of DOOM and Call of Duty. That is why when a new one hits my radar I get tentatively excited. I can’t help, but wonder ‘Perhaps this will remind of...

Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist

Ender Magnolia Bloom in the Mist Review Thumbnail
SPE 8.0 Review Score
B-Tier
Action-Adventure Metroidvania
PC Ps5 Xbox (Series, One)
Binary Haze Interactive
60 / 100

Why It Ranks

Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Review – A Stunning Metroidvania Sequel Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is a sequel to Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, but I must admit that I didn’t play the first game. I knew that it was a...

Dungeons of Hinterberg

Dungeons of Hinterberg Review Thumbnail
SPE 7.0 Review Score
C-Tier
Action Adventure
PC Ps5 Xbox (Series, One)
Microbird Games, Microbird GmbH
68 / 100

Why It Ranks

Dungeons of Hinterburg Review: Indie Zelda-like with a Dash of Persona I was one of those weird people that did not like Zelda Tears to the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild. I didn’t vibe with the story, the gameplay always felt rudimentary compared to...

Thank Goodness You're Here Review

Thank Goodness You're Here Review Thumbnail
SPE 7.0 Review Score
C-Tier
Comedy
PC Ps5 Switch/Switch 2 Xbox (Series, One)
Coal Supper
59 / 100

Why It Ranks

Thank Goodness You’re Here Review: Weirdest Adventure of the Year? I had never played a game where a man offered me some sausage through a hole in a fence, at least that was until I played Thank Goodness You’re Here. After that particular incident, I...

Animal Well

Animal Well Review Thumbnail
SPE 7.0 Review Score
C-Tier
Metroidvania Platformer
PC Switch/Switch 2 Xbox (Series, One)
Billy Basso
41 / 100

Why It Ranks

Animal Well Review Ah Animal Well. This is a game that I went hands on with at Pax back in 2023. On the Pax show floor, I didn’t get a lot of time with it, but I do remember thinking that this isn’t a game...

SCHiM

SCHiM Review Thumbnail
SPE 7.0 Review Score
C-Tier
Platformer Puzzle
PC Ps5 Switch/Switch 2 Xbox (Series, One)
Ewoud van der Werf, Nils Slijkerman
40 / 100

Why It Ranks

SCHiM Review I don’t remember when I first came across SCHiM. I remember seeing a trailer for it, and feeling mixed about it yet hopeful. A combination of the game’s artstyle and its hopping from shadow to shadow premise had me intrigued. Yet I wondered...

Ultros

Ultros Review Thumbnail
SPE 7.0 Review Score
C-Tier
Action-Adventure Metroidvania Sci-Fi
PC Ps5 Switch/Switch 2 Xbox (Series, One)
Hadoque
37 / 100

Why It Ranks

Ultros Review I remember seeing the trailer for Ultros a while back. It may or may not have been shown at an Xbox showcase. I don’t remember where I saw it, but I recall the game making an impression on me with its psychedelic and...

Rest of the Top 25

Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Tales of Kenzera Zau Review Thumbnail
SPE 7.0 Review Score
C-Tier
Action-Adventure Metroidvania
PC Ps5 Switch/Switch 2 Xbox (Series, One)
Surgent Studios
37 / 100

Why It Ranks

Tales of Kenzera: Zau Review  This is how the game is described on their webpage: “Wield the dance of the shaman. Reclaim your father’s spirit. Brave the beautiful and treacherous land of Kenzera with the God of Death in Tales of Kenzera™: ZAU, a metroidvania-style...

Another Crab’s Treasure Review

Another Crab's Treasure Review Thumbnail
SPE 7.0 Review Score
C-Tier
Action-Adventure Souls-like
PC Ps5 Switch/Switch 2 Xbox (Series, One)
Another Crab’s Treasure
33 / 100

Why It Ranks

Another Crab’s Treasure Review There has been something about the Souls and Soulslike genre that hasn’t clicked with me. I don’t get into Elden Ring like the masses, I can’t get passed Father Gascoigne, who is considered the make-or-break boss in Bloodborne, and the Team...

Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers

Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers Review Youtube Thumbnail
SPE 6.0 Review Score
Mid-Tier
Deckbuilder Roguelike
PC Ps5 Switch/Switch 2 Xbox (Series, One)
Yogscast Games
73 / 100

Why It Ranks

Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers Review – A Blackjack Roguelike That Deals a Strong Hand (But Doesn’t Beat the House) Introduction As a self-proclaimed roguelike sicko, resisting a new entry in the genre is basically impossible for me. It doesn’t matter if it’s a top-down shooter,...

Guayota

Guayota Review Thumbnail
SPE 6.0 Review Score
Mid-Tier
Platformer Puzzle
PC
Team Delusion
68 / 100

Why It Ranks

Guayota Review: Is this a Must-Play Puzzle Platfomer? Guayota is a video game that I didn’t know much about before I started to review it. The trailer and the game’s Steam page indicated that it was a top-down puzzle game, and it intrigued me enough...

Caravan SandWitch

Caravan Sandwitch Review Thumbnail
SPE 6.0 Review Score
Mid-Tier
Adventure Cozy Platformer
PC Ps5 Switch/Switch 2 Xbox (Series, One)
Studio Plane Toast
63 / 100

Why It Ranks

Caravan SandWitch Review I didn’t know much about Caravan SandWitch before I was approached to do a Caravan SandWitch review. It was the artstyle and the trailer that won me over enough that I wanted o check it out. By the way, Here is the...

Blud

Blud Review Thumbnail
SPE 6.0 Review Score
Mid-Tier
Adventure RPG
PC Ps5 Switch/Switch 2 Xbox (Series, One)
Exit 73 Studios
58 / 100

Why It Ranks

Blud Review I saw Blud in a showcase a while back and I put it on my radar to play. Now after a bit of a wait, I got a chance to play the game and oh Lawd I have some thoughts. This might be...

CorspeKeeper

Corpse Keeper Review Thumbnail
SPE 6.0 Review Score
Mid-Tier
Fighting Roguelite
PC Ps5 Xbox (Series, One)
Melancholia Studio
49 / 100

Why It Ranks

CorspeKeeper Review: Is Fighting Roguelite Worth your Time? I always enjoy finding a game that combines elements and genres in a unique way that I’ve never seen before. The latest one is Corspekeeper. Imagine if I told you there was a fighting game roguelite that...

Capes

Capes Review Thumbnail
SPE 6.0 Review Score
Mid-Tier
Strategy
PC Xbox (Series, One)
Spitfire Interactive
42 / 100

Why It Ranks

Capes Review Capes was a game that I remember seeing at Pax and I remember thinking that it didn’t demo well. Yet despite that, I loved the premise so much that I hoped that when I played it that I would dig the game.I never...

Dice Assassin

Dice Assassins Review Thumbnail
SPE 6.0 Review Score
Mid-Tier
Auto Battler Card Game Roguelike Strategy
PC
Afil Games
28 / 100

Why It Ranks

Dice Assassin Review I grew up loving chess. As a kid I would play in Chess tournaments and in my small bumpkin town, I did well. To this day even though I don’t play as much I still enjoy the occasional match. A new love...