Sure, companies like Gameloft, Activision, and Warner Brothers are launching amazing-looking hugely popular games in iOS and they are impressive, to say the least. But the big-timers have a lot more manpower and a lot more money to invest in perfecting their wares before they make it into the hands of gamers.
Indie game developers put in a lot of work to make their dreams a reality. Oftentimes, an independent game company consists of one or two people who hold down a full-time day job while spending their evening hours working in the back room as their kids are growing up around them.
We’ve got a list of indie games that we think are just as worthy of your attention as the ones that big time game companies have launched…
Year Walk
This interesting visual game is based in Swedish folklore and sends you blindly into a world of mystery and supernatural. Follow clues left behind by others as you explore the snow-covered woods on a vision quest. Download the free Year Walk Companion app to get the most of your gaming experience. This game is available for $3.99.
EPOCH.
This robot-themed cover shooter lets you dodge, duck, and avoid attack as you make your way through a post-apocalyptic world where only machines are left. Pick up the pieces and uncover the mystery of what happened to the world and the person you were originally assigned to protect. This game is available for $2.99.
The Room
This visually astounding iPad game scratches the puzzle-solving itch for the most skilled gamers. Each mystery that you solve unlocks a new and more complex one. Once you’ve opened the box, you’ll be sent to yet another complex and beautiful room with a whole new set of puzzles. This game is available for $0.99. The iPhone version, The Room Pocket, is available for free.
2013: Infected Wars
This first-person shooter is a horror-themed action packed adventure that pits you against the undead. Don’t worry. Your friend will have your back since this is a multiplayer co-op game. Destroy the infection by killing hundreds of monsters, including massive bosses, as a highly trained mercenary. This game is available for $2.99.
Kid Tripp
This side-scrolling platform adventure was definitely inspired by the Super Mario Bros. classic. However, this game is about 10 times more challenging than anything Mario and Luigi ever did. Run across 20 levels with no room for error. If you die, you’ll be sent back to the beginning. This game is available for $0.99.
Clash of Clans
This unassuming combat strategy game has won the hearts of thousands of gamers across the iOS ecosystem. Build your village, train your troops, and battle with other players online in this game that combines fast-paced combat with empire building. This game is available for free.
Lums
Angry Birds has nothing on this illuminating physics puzzler game. Destroy vampire hideouts and expose the sleeping bloodsuckers to the light to turn them to dust. With five different Lums, send beams of light into the dark shadows where evil resides and topple their precarious structures with your well-aimed attack. This game is available for $1.99.
Sorcery!
If you were a fan of choose-your-own-adventure gamebooks as a child, you’ll be happy to know that the Fighting Fantasy title, Sorcery, has been re-imagined for iOS. Not only can you relive your childhood adventures as you decide your fate with each question asked, but you can also watch as your character battle it out against the enemy in a 3-D stats-based fight. This game is available for $4.99.
Nihilumbra
Another visually stunning game that won top honors in the App Store, this platform puzzler puts you through the ringer as a small ink-like creature that has special powers to create platforms out of thin air, turn dirt into ice, and transport across deep divides with a teleportation hole. This game is available for $2.99.
Worms 3
This charming puzzle games lets you battle against the enemy with the kind of ammunitions that can’t be found in a gun shop. Toss an explosive granny at your foe to destroy their troops and create holes for them to fall into. Choose from 30 single-player missions, or fight against friends in asynchronous multiplayer mode. This game is available for $4.99.