These Indie Games Have Outshone Their Classic Inspirations

While there are hardly any more wholly unique games being made, that doesn't stop indie developers from using popular formulas to make truly great games that offer better versions of titles we love. That doesn't mean the old titles have nothing to offer, only providing sustenance to gamers in dire need of more fuel after beating those games over and over.

Whether inspired by the tropes that made the genre iconic or directly inspired by the game itself, these titles tend to enhance every aspect that gave them life while updating the story, graphics, and gameplay for a modern audience. While some say you can never outshine the originals, there are some gems that glimmer in their light.

Stardew Valley

Better Than: Harvest Moon

Taking the 2D farming simulator to the highest possible level a solo developer can achieve, Stardew Valley follows in the footsteps of Harvest Moon , a Japanese farm sim made for the SNES. In both games, you inherit a farm from your grandfather and maintain animals and grow crops while interacting with NPCs in town.

This is where the similarities stop, as Stardew Valley is consistently updated with new content that makes every year in-game full of surprises, secrets, exploration, and in-depth interaction with its many residents. Even Harvest Moon's many sequels fail to capture the magic of Stardew, and hopefully, the next game by ConcernedApe , Haunted Chocolatier.

The Witness

Better Than: Myst

Myst was one of the first games available that focused on relaxing exploration and unique puzzle interactions that took patience and dedication to solve. The Witness also takes you to a mysterious island full of puzzles, but won't have you scratching your head even with the wiki open on your browser, but takes direct inspiration from the classic adventure game.

That's not to say The Witness isn't challenging, as its puzzles can be both unique and deceptive, requiring lateral thinking and trial and error. Myst, however, doesn't offer the same satisfying solutions to its puzzles, instead forcing you to flick switches, pull levers, and turn wheels until something unseen happens on the other side of the map.

Rimworld

Better Than: Dwarf Fortress

Dwarf Fortress revolutionized colony sims with excruciatingly in-depth mechanics and interactions that can result in your entire colony dying through various mishaps. The original game is entirely text-based, representing colonists and terrain with colored symbols, with later versions adding graphics and animation.

Rimworld is essentially Dwarf Fortress in space, crash-landing your colonists on an unforgiving planet. Like Dwarf Fortress, there isn't a structured goal to accomplish; rather, following along with a complex and evolving story based on your choices. Equally as complex as Dwarf Fortress in some areas and thankfully streamlined in others, Rimworld is one of the strongest colony sims available.

Goose Goose Duck

Better Than: Among Us

Exploding in popularity during the pandemic due to everyone staying indoors and becoming increasingly bored, Among Us is a social deduction game where the crew must sus out the impostor, killing the rest one by one. Although not the first social deduction game, Among Us popularized the format, forcibly separating players to perform tasks and giving the impostor ample opportunities.

Goose Goose Duck is a shameless copy of Among Us, where players must find and vote out the duck among the geese. While both games are strikingly similar, Goose Goose Duck offers far more variety, such as unique roles and more map variety. Better yet, it is also free, making the only barrier between you and Goose Goose Duck are friends to play with.

Undertale

Better Than: Earthbound

More likely to recognize Sans and Papyrus than Poo, Jeff, and Paula, Undertale emulates the style of Earthbound but offers intense and memorable skill-based encounters. Both games also have similar themes and tone, with a final boss of your nightmares, with Undertale even featuring homages to the classic SNES game.

Yet, it is no wonder that Undertale has a massive fanbase today, which has grown over the years, mostly due to its fully realized characters and lessons of empathy and care amidst a bleak yet iconic setting. However, Super Smash Bros. has Ness and Lucas but no Undertale characters, so who is the real winner?

Omori is another game inspired by Earthbound, adding a hand-drawn style to its cast of quirky characters in a dark world.

Little Nightmares

Better Than: Limbo

Although not the first side-scrolling puzzle game with horror elements, Limbo is one of the most iconic for its memorable and unique art style, along with its dark and unforgiving tone. Little Nightmares emulates Limbo in many ways, maneuvering objects to avoid monsters and playing as a small and helpless character.

However, Little Nightmares has a much more detailed and rich world, made even grander in Little Nightmares 2, which acts as a prequel to the first game. While Limbo is a more accessible title, Little Nightmares is every bit as atmospheric, rewarding, and challenging while giving you more to explore and discover.

Celeste

Better Than: Super Meat Boy

Precision platforming parkour games are not for everyone, requiring patience and dedication if you want to make it past the hardest levels they have to offer. Super Meat Boy is one such game, balancing extreme difficulty and rewarding pacing if otherwise unnotable outside the recognizable bloody cube.

Celeste also has a recognizable character, intense parkour sections, and rewarding platforming, in addition to an emotional story that makes it stand out among other games in the genre. Although Celeste takes many of the mechanics of Super Meat Boy, it also expands upon them and offers more accessible options for more to enjoy and strawberries to collect .

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

Better Than: Jet Set Radio

Featuring a quirky cast of teens using skates to battle rival crews while listening to head-pumping tunes, both Jet Set Radio and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk feel like they can be set in the same universe. However, Jet Set Radio focuses on the graffiti tagging aspect, incorporating it into most of its gameplay and story elements while grinding on rails.

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk expands vastly on the concept, giving you more traversal options and incorporating combat mechanics involving unique boss battles and a story that is subjectively more engaging. Although entirely up to taste, both games have an amazing soundtrack worthy of your playlist, making it hard to define which game has the best songs despite the difference in gameplay.

The Messenger

Better Than: Ninja Gaiden

More resembling the classic Ninja Gaiden games of the eighties and nineties than its modern iterations, The Messenger also has you side-scrolling an action-packed pixelated adventure as a blue ninja. The style seems to directly emulate the world of Ninja Gaiden, albeit with modern graphics and cleaner animation than what was available three decades ago.

While a beloved classic, the NES versions of Ninja Gaiden definitely feel their age, with excessively arcade-like gameplay that forces constant restarts. The Messenger modernizes the classic well, giving you access to a plethora of unique skills that allow you to adapt to new enemies and platforming challenges, making it more than just a spiritual successor.

The same devs behind Blasphemous are making Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound , which also emulates the classic SNES games and very much resembles The Messenger.

Axiom Verge

Better Than: Super Metroid

A controversial take as the classic Metroid games are hailed as the only true Metroidvania games where many modern titles take root and inspiration from, but that doesn't stop indie developers from improving on the formula. Although emulating the style and animation of those retro titles, Axiom Verge improves the gameplay in almost every way.

The main noticeable difference is the sheer amount of weapon variety, offering enough diversity to adapt your playstyle as much as you want while experimenting with game-changing upgrades. Although the main character is not nearly as iconic as Samus, it more than just scratches the itch for any Metroid fans wanting more while being able to dive into a deep story.