Best INDIE Action

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is a 2017 compilation developed and published by Yacht Club Games. It bundles several retro-style, 2D side-scrolling platforming campaigns featuring the titular Shovel Knight, including Shovel of Hope, Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, and King of Cards. The compil...

Ultrakill is a modern indie masterpiece that captures the high-speed essence of Doom and Quake. It features a 'blood-is-fuel' mechanic, incredibly fast movement, and complex weapon interactions. While it uses a retro aesthetic, its mechanics are cutting-edge, offering a level of speed and skill expr...

"Battle Chef Brigade" is an indie action-puzzle game developed by Trinket Studios and released in 2017. The gameplay uniquely blends side-scrolling monster-hunting combat with match-three puzzle mechanics to simulate cooking in a fantasy tournament setting. Players control Mina Han, an aspiring chef...

Death’s Door is an independent adventure action video game where players control a crow tasked with collecting souls for the deceased. The game's notable combat system and atmospheric world inspired by Norse mythology make it engaging. It appeals to fans of challenging gameplay and those interested...

"Neon White" is a first-person action game developed by Angel Matrix and published by Annapurna Interactive in 2022. The game combines fast-paced movement with card-based combat, where cards serve as both weapons and movement abilities. Players take on the role of assassins competing in a heavenly s...

CrossCode is an action role-playing game developed by Melvor Games. It’s notable for its unique blend of 2D and 3D environments, offering a complex puzzle-driven experience within a vast space station setting. Players control Steve, navigating intricate levels filled with combat and exploration. The...

Pineapple Express (2008) delivers a unique blend of stoner comedy and action, anchored by the hilarious dynamic between Dale Denton (James Franco) and Saul Silver (Seth Rogen). After witnessing a murder, the two unlikely friends are forced to go on the run, leading to a series of increasingly absurd...

Freedom Planet 2 is a 2D action-platformer developed and published by GalaxyTrail, an independent studio led by designer Sabrina DiDuro. Released in 2022, it is the sequel to Freedom Planet (2014), a game inspired by classic Sega Genesis platformers. The sequel features four playable characters—Lila...

Gravity Circuit is a 2D action-platformer video game developed by Domesticated Ant Games and released in 2023. It is influenced by the Mega Man X and Mega Man Zero series, presenting a single-player campaign where players control a robotic character who battles through levels and acquires abilities...

Nobody Saves the World is an action role-playing game developed by Annapurna Interactive. The title offers a unique blend of turn-based combat and real-time exploration as players restore light to a darkened world. Its notable use of elemental abilities and charming pixel art style appeal to fans of...

Pepper Grinder is a 2024 indie platformer by Ahr Ech inspired by Drill Dozer, in which the player character bores through terrain using a handheld drill to build momentum across short, arcade-style levels.

Cyber Shadow is a 2021 side scrolling action platform game created by Finnish developer Aarne Hunziker under the Mechanical Head Studios name and published by Yacht Club Games. Players control a cybernetic ninja named Shadow through the ruined city of Mekacity, using precise movement, melee attacks,...

Odallus: The Dark Call is a 2015 action-platform game developed by the Brazilian studio JoyMasher. It follows Haggis, a veteran warrior searching for his abducted son in a land overrun by supernatural forces, using an interconnected structure with hidden routes, equipment upgrades, and revisited are...

Copra is an independent comic book series created, written, drawn, and lettered by Michel Fiffe. Originating as a self-published title in 2012, the series follows a team of mercenaries and superpowered vigilantes in violent, action-driven narratives. The comic is heavily influenced by 1980s superher...

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is a 2D action-platformer developed by Inti Creates and released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2016. As a direct sequel, the game introduces Copen as a fully playable second protagonist alongside the returning Gunvolt, offering players two distinct campaigns with unique movement an...

Alien Hominid is a run-and-gun game created by The Behemoth, initially released as a Flash title in 2002. Expanded versions were later developed for PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox 360, and handheld platforms including the Game Boy Advance. Subsequent releases include HD remasters and ports across mul...

Penny's Big Breakaway is a 3D platforming video game developed by Evening Star and released in 2024. The game was created by a team including developers who previously worked on Sonic Mania, with Christian Whitehead serving as creative director. Players control Penny, a young street performer who us...

Freedom Planet is a two-dimensional action platformer developed and published by indie studio GalaxyTrail, initially released in 2014. The game was heavily influenced by the Sega Genesis era of platformers, particularly the Sonic the Hedgehog series, featuring high-speed traversal and anthropomorphi...

Super House of Dead Ninjas is a fast-paced action platformer developed by Megadev and released in 2013. The game tasks players with descending a towering, enemy-filled fortress, combining retro-style pixel art with roguelike progression systems. Players utilize a variety of weapons and ninja abiliti...

The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia is a 2019 indie video game developed by MorbidWare that combines the bullet hell and typing game genres. Players control a private exorcist who must simultaneously dodge incoming projectiles and type out complex exorcism phrases to defeat enemies. The game req...

Hardcore Mecha is a 2D action game developed by the Chinese studio RocketPunch Games and released in 2019. It combines side-scrolling platforming and shooting with close-range mecha combat, animated character sequences, and a story campaign centered on military conflict on Mars. The game also includ...

'Black Science' delivers a relentless and mind-bending adventure through the multiverse. Rick Remenders writing, combined with Matteo Scaleras dynamic art, creates a chaotic and visually striking experience as a team of scientists navigate bizarre and dangerous realities. Its a high-octane thrill r...

Azure Striker Gunvolt is a 2014 action platformer by Inti Creates for the Nintendo 3DS, featuring protagonist Gunvolt who uses electric tagging abilities in a style reminiscent of the Mega Man Zero series.

Ember Lab's debut is a visually stunning, classic-style action-adventure reminiscent of early PlayStation era titles. It follows Kena, a young spirit guide, as she uses her magical abilities and adorable Rot companions to solve environmental puzzles and combat corruption. The combat is challenging a...

"Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils" is a metroidvania game developed by Monkey Nest Games and released in 2023. The game features retro-inspired pixel art graphics with gameplay centered on precise platforming and combat, where players control a character who throws a magical companion to nav...

Mechstermination Force is an action run-and-gun video game developed by Swedish indie studio Hörberg Productions and released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019. The game is structured as a series of boss battles where players must scale and destroy massive enemy mechs. It features a two-player coopera...

Time Recoil is a 2017 twin-stick shooter by Finnish studio 10tons Ltd where chaining kills in slow motion unlocks escalating special moves and weapon abilities.

Liar's Bar is a multiplayer video game released in early access in 2024 by Curve Animation. Set in a bar populated by anthropomorphic characters, it combines bluffing and social deduction with lethal versions of dice and card games, including Liar's Dice and Liar's Deck. Players must judge whether o...

Robert Rodriguez is an American filmmaker whose work spans action, crime, horror, family entertainment, and comic-book adaptation. He attracted attention with the low-budget Spanish-language action film El Mariachi in 1992, then expanded its story through Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Hi...