UPDATE: Kena: Bridge of Spirits won Best Independent Game at The Game Awards 2021!
Though there were a grand number of exceptional indie releases throughout 2021, five games make up this year's nominations for Best Indie at The Game Awards 2021: 12 Minutes, Death's Door, Inscryption, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and Loop Hero. Interestingly, three of those releases come from Devolver Digital, a major publisher of indie games, while possibly its biggest competitor, Annapurna Interactive, has one game up for the Best Indie award. Regardless of their publishers, each game listed is unique and showcases just how broad the indie games spectrum is.
Most indie games on this Game Awards nominations list created a strong level of hype in online gaming communities and all have at least solid review scores. But as for which game could take home the gold, there are two games that will likely battle it out in the end.
12 Minutes
12 Minutes is a top-down interactive thriller featuring a celebrity cast that saw some controversy following its release. Starring James McAvoy, Daisey Ridley, and Willem Dafoe, the game features a husband who is experiencing a time loop of a police officer accusing his wife of murdering her father. With each loop that lasts 12 minutes, the husband must find clues for talking points with his wife to reveal more information, eventually ending the loop. While there are multiple ways of closing the cycle, 12 Minutes received criticism for its dark, twisted endings and was considered an example of games that should include content warnings. Still, many loved 12 Minutes, including Hideo Kojima.
Death's Door
Death's Door may not have seen as much hype as other games on this list, but that didn't stop it from receiving a strong score of 88 on Metacritic and Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam. In a 3D isometric action-adventure setting, players take on the role of a crow who reaps and collects the souls of the dead for the Reaping Commission Headquarters. While not being overly difficult, Death's Door's exceptional mechanics were actively compared to those of Legend of Zelda while excellently blending combat with puzzles. Having won Best Game Feel at the INDIE Live Expo Winter 2021 Awards, it's possible that Death's Door could take home another prize.
Inscryption
Crossing a bit of found footage horror with a card game, the protagonist of Inscryption, Luke Carder, finds a floppy disc containing the game of the same name but is forced to continue the save file as the "New Game" button doesn't work. Between rounds of the deck-building game, the sinister dealer intertwines playing with the narration of a story in which Carder's player travels through a forest, discovering that the dealer has taken control of the game. While the initial idea of the gameplay was enticing to reviewers, many felt that the mystery of Inscryption and mechanics grew somewhat stale in its later hours. While some critics gave it a strong 9 out of 10, others went a bit more middle of the road with their scores, resulting in an 85 Metacritic score.
Loop Hero
Loop Hero was the first to release of these Game Awards nominees, so it might feel the least familiar, but folks were certainly raving about it online when it launched. A clever take on the roguelike loop, the player is awarded landscape cards after defeating enemies, creating terrain features around themselves. Traversing these randomly generated paths, the hero will eventually arrive at the Lich, the boss of this world who keeps them trapped inside the loop. Loop Hero was praised for its creative freedom, 80s aesthetics, and the complexity of its deck-building mechanics, though some noted that the grind got in the way of its overall flow.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits may look too stunning to be an indie game, but it was developed and published by a small team known as Ember Lab. Here, players assume the role of a young spirit guide named Kena, brandishing a staff that can be used for magical and ranged attacks, for solving puzzles, and even as a grappling hook. With some Pikmin-like elements, players can also collect small companions known as the Rot to help with certain tasks. Kena scored well, currently holding an 80 on Metacritic for its intuitive combat, fun puzzles, and successful story. If anything, folks were a bit displeased that it felt too "safe," perhaps not taking any risks and therefore not being as bold or unique as other titles on this list.
Final Prediction
Looking solely at review scores, Death's Door looks to have the overall highest average. However, the committee might find that Kena: Bridge of Spirits has the best overall experience to offer. Inspired by Pixar and Studio Ghibli, Kena's art direction is certainly impressive, and its atmosphere, character arcs, animation, and sound design did well to support Kena's journey the entire way through. And though it was said to have a lack of imagination by some critics, it's possible the strength of its combined parts will pull it through to the end. However, the same could be said about Death's Door, which is a similarly memorable adventure that did exactly what it set out to do. But it's also possible that another game—perhaps 12 Minutes could swoop in and steal the vote for its unapologetically shocking twist and fresh take on the point-and-click genre—could win The Game Awards' Best Indie of 2021.