Before we’ve even had a chance to play all the great indie games released in 2023, it’s already time to start looking ahead to what we can’t wait for in 2024. Ranging from titles from our favorite developers to out-of-the-blue releases from new studios, 2024 looks to be another incredible year for games that fall a little off the beaten path. Whether you’re looking for cooking sims, strategy RPGs, or action platformers, our most anticipated indie games of the next year run the gamut of genres.
This look at the year ahead only includes games that have a confirmed 2024 release date, no to-be-determined games here. That means we had to leave out some games we’re equally excited about that may well launch in the next year, so in no particular order, consider these our honorable mentions:
Mina the Hollower, My Work Is Not Yet Done, Summerhill, Neva, Eco Breaker, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Animal Well, The Machine That Breathes, Sheep Lad, and Utter Inverse.
10. Sucker for Love
Sucker for Love first caught my eye during Steam Next Fest this year. I mean, how could it not? Even if goat-headed demons aren’t your thing, the art style, inspired by ’90s anime, makes it one of the prettiest visual novels in recent memory. Part dating sim, part cosmic horror, Sucker for Love tasks you with studying a forbidden grimoire to cast spells for the demon Rhok’zan. To make things even more complicated, Rhok’zan is a goddess of fertility and your character is asexual, upending dating sim norms by making your goal decidedly not to hook up. — Robin Bea
9. Afterlove EP
2023 was a banner year for musically minded games, and I don’t just mean rhythm games. Hi-Fi Rush, Stray Gods, and Goodbye Volcano High all put music front and center, and even Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 got in on the fun. Afterlove EP looks to keep this trend going in 2024. Developer Pikselnesia is made up of folks who have worked on A Space for the Unbound and was founded by the late Mohammad Fahmi, creator of Coffee Talk. Afterlove EP is a visual novel and rhythm game about musician Rama coming to terms with the passing of their girlfriend and preparing for the gig of a lifetime in a month. Afterlove EP is sure to be another emotional gut-punch, only this time, it will be accompanied by some sick beats. — Willa Rowe
8. Angeline Era
I’m not sure I totally get Angeline Era, an action RPG that combines 2D and 3D combat with automatic attacks, but I can’t wait to play it. Developer Analgesic Productions has a history of emotionally devastating games with difficult-to-explain but deeply inventive gameplay, and its next title continues the tradition. After a decade of surreal, deeply personal indie masterpieces, from 2013’s Anodyne to 2022’s Sephonie, Analgesic Productions has made not quite knowing what you’re getting into with its games a big part of the appeal. — Robin Bea
7. Loco Motive
The world could always use two things: more Lucasarts-inspired adventure games and more murder mystery stories. Loco Motive is a melding of both. A gorgeous pixel adventure game that mixes the humor and mechanics of classic Lucasarts adventure games with a story straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. A murder on a train filled with suspicious characters acts as the perfect playground for the humorous writing and absurd puzzle-solving of the point-and-click genre. I can’t wait to solve Loco Motive’s murder. — Willa Rowe
6. Between Horizons
As the only person I know who is a fan of the short-lived sci-fi murder mystery show Ascension, Between Horizons feels like a game made specifically for me. Aboard a generation ship, whose current inhabitants never saw their home and will never see their destination, detective Stella must unravel a conspiracy that threatens to destroy the ship’s mission and the fragile social order of the ship’s inhabitants. Between Horizon’s detective gameplay feels open-ended enough that it requires the player to use deductive reasoning to solve mysteries and find new clues. It’s a rewarding mechanic that only makes me more invested in the game’s fascinating world. — Willa Rowe
5. Crow Country
I’m not a fan of horror games, which is to say, I’m too much of a chicken to play horror games. But after working up the courage to play 2022’s Signalis and being rewarded with one of my favorite games ever, I’m ready to take the plunge again. Crow Country from SFB Games is an ode to PS1-era horror with a low-poly aesthetic, Resident Evil-style inventory management, and plenty of puzzles. Set in the world’s creepiest abandoned amusement park, its aesthetic alone makes it one to look forward to. Plus, it features the ability to remove combat if the tension is too much for you. — Robin Bea
4. Magical Delicacy
Cooking is an incredibly popular minigame convention, but few titles go far enough in exploring what makes creating a great meal so magical. The upcoming Magical Delicacy might just solve that problem, putting cooking at the very heart of its platforming adventure. Playing as the witch Flora, you’ll explore your new home and make friends with the locals, all while creating dishes with a deep cooking system that makes room for experimentation and improvisation — two things that make real-life cooking fun. As you explore Magical Delicacy’s gorgeous pixel-art world (which has a distinct Kiki’s Delivery Service vibe), you’ll learn your new neighbors’ preferences to help craft the perfect dish. — Robin Bea
3. Earthblade
How could you not be excited about the follow-up to Celeste? Though Earthblade seems to combine Towerfall’s satisfying combat and Celeste’s immaculate precision platforming, the next release from Extremely OK Games is pointedly not a rehash of the studio’s previous work. Even from the little that’s been revealed so far, Earthblade puts more focus on story and characters, and its Metroidvania structure is new for the studio. Whatever shape Earthblade takes, it looks to be a gorgeous adventure from one of the most exciting indie developers around. — Robin Bea
2. Times & Galaxy
Times & Galaxy is a game about a robot making its way into journalism and piecing together information to make articles that get the most traffic for its failing newspaper in hopes of keeping the lights on and helping everybody at the paper keep their jobs. I love the escapism of video games! Times & Galaxy is part detective game and part job simulator. Each assignment requires you to investigate leads and interview eyewitnesses to write the most informed article. Once you have all the information you think you need, you can write the story by choosing what headline, key quote, kicker, etc. to use. These choices determine how many people read the paper and your reputation amongst your readers. It’s a delightful and hilarious gameplay loop I can’t wait to dive into. — Willa Rowe
1. Demonschool
Demonschool was my most anticipated game of 2023 — until it was delayed into 2024. So now it's my most anticipated game of 2024. From developer Necrosoft Games, Demonschool is a Persona/Shin Megami Tensei-inspired tactical RPG with a B-Horror movie twist. Demos of the game gave players a taste of the creative combat that values motion and strategy and the story which gives longtime fans of Atlus RPGs something they’ve desperately been craving — a story set somewhere other than a high school. Even in a year with Persona 3 Reload and Metaphor: ReFantazio, Demonschool is still the most interesting SMT-inspired RPG of 2024. — Willa Rowe
