When developing video games, there’s often tension between two essential elements: freedom of expression and funding. The more money that flows in from developers, the bigger and better a game will look, and because game developers need food and shelter just like anyone else, the higher the chance the game actually gets finished in the end. However, this bargain comes at the price of publisher meddling that can all too often compromise that all-important artistic vision. To avoid this, many developers prefer to stay independent, or “indie.”
When most gamers hear the term, they might picture a small team of coders and artists grafting out of their garage or basement. However, when it comes to budgets or team sizes, there really is no limit. So long as a team company is responsible for its own finances and creative output, it can be considered indie through and through. Whilestudios of all sizes can get eaten up by bigger fish, some indie developers manage to secure budgets to rival the “AAA” scene (becoming what some call “triple I”) without ever relinquishing the reigns.
7Honorable Mention: Ninja Theory (Senua’s Sacrifice)
In video game history, many indie developers have opted to renounce their independent labels to jump on board with a publisher. Ninja Theory’sSenua’s Sacrificeis one of the earliest examples of a game that game critics considered to be an “AAA” indie hit, thanks to the power of digital distribution.
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However, if the condition for being an “indie” studio lies in publishing partnerships, then Ninja Theory can no longer be considered independent, as in 2018, the studio accepted an acquirement deal from Microsoft. However, their “indie spirit” was apparently still at the heart of this decision. The studio’s creative direction commented that they wanted to be “free from the AAA machine” to make games “focused on the experience.”
6Jonathon Blow / Thekia (The Witness)
Thanks to Braid, the legendary indie hit in 2008, Jonathon Blow won enough clout (and funding) to take his artistic visions where most independent developers can’t. Blow put $6 million of his own money intoThe Witness, a huge budget considering itshighly experimental and unusual design, one inspired by older puzzle classics likeMyst.
Blow is a well-known figure in the world of independent game development, even appearing inIndie Game: The Movieand co-founding the Indie Fund in 2010. However, he has on multiple occasions said that he feels uncomfortable being described as an indie developer. In any case, many gamers with a critical eye will agree the medium of video games is richer and more diverse thanks to developers like Blow and their off-beat approach.
5Hello Games (No Man’s Sky)
WhileNo Man’s Skysaw a poor launch, perhaps due to “overly effective marketing hype,” the game has slowly developed into a space-sim powerhouse and has redeemed the Hello Games name thanks to its continued development and free patch expansions. Although the game initially disappointed fans, it did also sink a big chunk of change to make before the game was released.
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Since then, Hello Games have been putting out feature after feature for free (without microtransactions, season passes, or expansion packs)while eating up the costs, which puts the budget well into the stratosphere. While the team may not have been playing with big money at launch, they have certainly given it an AAA diamond sheen polish since.
4Supergiant Games (Bastion, Hades)
Supergiant’s first spectacular game, Bastion, was paid for out of pocket by the developers. While this was a huge weight to bear and an enormous risk to take, the gamble paid off. Supergiant is now well-known for its super-seller roguelike,Hades, which is now consideredone of the best dungeon-crawler action gameson the market.
Having sold over a million copies in under two years, the studio is now in a position to push out games with a budget to rival the biggest of the AAA players. That being said, the quality of Supergiant’s games so far has put many other high-profile contemporaries (with significantly more funding) to shame. They’ve proved that fatter stacks of cash don’t always equal juicier game-flavors.
3CD Projekt Red (The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077)
While the thousands of talented people responsible forThe Witcher 3($87 million) andCyberpunk 2077($316 million) may not have all been cramped into someone’s home office while working on the games, CD Projekt Red is as indie as they come. Through all the ups and downs since 1994, their games have been self-funded and self-published under the CD:PR name.
The company began as something of an underground games distribution company before transitioning into games development, starting with the firstWitcher. WhileCD Projekt Red is fully focused on putting out its own titlesthese days, they still have a firm hand in game distribution through the much-beloved classic and contemporary games digital distributor GOG (Good Old Games).
2miHoYo (Genshin Impact)
miHoYo began in the dorm room of three computer science students in Shanghai. While most gamers might scoff at the idea of the company behind the Midas money-treeGenshin Impactbeing an indie studio, miHoYo has never been bought out and is run entirely on its own steam, making it an independent force free from the demands of external publishers.
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Today, with assets worth over $7 billion, miHoYo is in no way “small” (cue the “small indie company” memes) but a giant monster indie company. That being said, its sheer size, status, and internal corporate structure prompt fierce discussion on the definition of “indie,” specifically over the finer points of when a company can no longer be considered “indie"because it becomes so successfulthat it turns into an established industry monolith (such as Ubisoft or Nintendo).
1Cloud Imperium Games (Star Citizen)
With a total production cost skyrocketing over the $500 million mark,Star Citizenis, indie or not, the most expensive game ever developed. Its budget comes (mostly) from crowdfunding backers, meaning that without anyone to answer to, the studio steers its own ship as far out (or for as long) as it pleases. In some ways, the story behind Cloud Imperium Games and its funding forStar Citizenflips what many gamers consider to be “indie” on its head.
In the same way that Star Citizen sold its backers on the story of infinite freedom in space, indie fans are sold on the narrative of plucky underdogs infusing their passion projects with humanity and art as opposed to the products of AAA companies which tend to produce “safe” or derivative titles,often at unsustainable costs. Then again, mega-success stories likeStar Citizenwill no-doubt continue to inspire would-be developers to jump into game design for years to come.
