What do you hate about indie games?

[The Wilsonest Wilson]

I've loved indie games for a long time thanks to their timeless stories, innovation, and memorable experiences that will stick with you for the rest of your life. Aspects of gaming that I haven't felt for a AAA game in a long time. But for every prize catch, there's a leech on the belly. A gross moldy grape among the vine. A quality of someone's passion project that just rubs you the wrong way.

What is it that you hate about indie games, the people that play them, or the people that make them?
Give an example if applicable.

I'll go first.
Now it is no secret that the indie scene tends to tackle mental instability or depression more often than it probably should, but that is actually not what I hate about indie games. What I do hate is the complete dismissal of certain games because they tackle depression or a mental illness of some kind. Just because you've seen it done before does not mean it is going to be any less good. Even if you do hate the psychological aspects of these games there probably is still something to enjoy like with Celeste or Omori. They do tackle mental illnesses, but if you don't like that sort of thing they still have satisfying gameplay, amazing soundtracks, and wonderfully expressive art in cutscenes.

And don't even get me started on the complete dismissal of games because their community is garbage.

[The Wilsonest Wilson]

Publicado originalmente por Masque:

Publicado originalmente por The Wilsonest Wilson:

They only do it because it's so easy to make that you don't have to put money or time into the visuals and can instead focus on everything else. The story, the gameplay, the soundtrack, etc.

Try Children of Morta and then revisit this comment with new eyes.

Aye, Fair enough.

[Dracoco OwO]

Publicado originalmente por The Wilsonest Wilson:

Publicado originalmente por Rupika:

The ones that try to become memes by being bad.

Can you give an example or 2?

I'm sure he would gladly give 20.

Publicado originalmente por 8bitbeard:

I try and appreciate games for what they are. Is the developer a fascist and the fanbase a bunch of furries?

Also these are surprisingly probably not mutually exclusive things.

[device]

A lot of times they'll just end up trying too hard to be something else. Whenever an indie game takes off, you'll see them all try to copy it. It's repetitive, it's boring! If I see another game where it's "Oh but you play as the villain!" or "You have X special ability in a platformer designed around special ability!!" I might flip a chair over and break a 2nd story window.

[Under there]

How susceptible they are to being run into the ground by the fanbase.

[Devsman]

Publicado originalmente por Manfred Von Karma:

A lot of times they'll just end up trying too hard to be something else. Whenever an indie game takes off, you'll see them all try to copy it. It's repetitive, it's boring! If I see another game where it's "Oh but you play as the villain!" or "You have X special ability in a platformer designed around special ability!!" I might flip a chair over and break a 2nd story window.

Can't say I've played a lot of platformers where you don't have a special ability. Jumping about two feet high would make the whole genre kind of unexciting.

[🍋 Lemonfed 🍋]

Permadeath games with super unfair and random situations that can instant kill you then you have to restart the repetitive and easy part of the game over and over again.

[The Wilsonest Wilson]

Publicado originalmente por Manfred Von Karma:

If I see another game where it's "You have X special ability in a platformer designed around special ability!!" I might flip a chair over and break a 2nd story window.

Yeah that's valid, it's hard to make a platformer exciting these days.

But I'm not complaining, those types of games are amazing to me. Celeste and Vibrant Venture are some of the most fun I've gotten out of the platforming genre. If it has unique movement mechanics and fast paced action I'll will play that $h!t for HOURS!

[sleeps]

i think most (sometimes solo) indie dev focus so much on depression (or any mental illnesses). or queer character (which is alright by itself but the character sometimes look and act like something i'm not fond of personally)

and not focusing on gameplay much. that is unless if you are into game like dusk and ultrakill. im sure those game are just made by one person only idk.

[Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at 🃏]

Publicado originalmente por Lilly:

The worst thing indie games can do is be too hipster. Usually it's just a way to mask a lack of creativity. But it's the worst when there's a really creative idea that's drowning in hipster themes.

Please define "hipster".

Publicado originalmente por Phirestar:

This isn’t necessarily an indie game exclusive behavior, but I really dislike it when developers add quotes from gaming critic outlets (Kotaku, Polygon, etc.) into their trailers. They’ll show a few brief shots at the beginning that don’t give much away, and in between you’ll see phrases such as, “One of the most amazing games this year.”, or stuff like that.

Something about that is just cringy, to me. I don’t know how to describe it.

I have a bit of an idea on how to describe it...

It feels like they're basically saying this when they do that :
"This game isn't good enough to speak for itself and you're not smart enough to think or feel for yourself, so here's some public figures who will tell you what you should think and feel."

ie. They treat the viewer as if they aren't smart or capable of determining things for their self by doing that - but they also give the impression that these statements are compensating for a lack of game content.

On top of that, you probably want to see either one or the other, the review or shots of the game, not constantly be getting cognitive-whiplash as they keep cutting one off to show the other.
It becomes like the trailer is dissociative and is fighting with itself, which might be amusing if that were the intended effect, but it almost never is.

[Medified]

What do you hate about indie music?

[Violeta]

One of my most hated things about indie games. Something that ticks me off on the regular.

"Steam is where my game has tons of sales. Steam might be my only updated version of the game even. Or the only place my game exists."

Hey dev!

Mod "Sorry the devs never come here."

But if the game fails on steam the indie studio might go bankrupt

Mod "They don't care. Go to reddit or a personal site"

I don't care about talking to them anymore then.

[Dracoco OwO]

Publicado originalmente por ⛧Coeur du diable⛧:

One of my most hated things about indie games. Something that ticks me off on the regular.

"Steam is where my game has tons of sales. Steam might be my only updated version of the game even. Or the only place my game exists."

Hey dev!

Mod "Sorry the devs never come here."

But if the game fails on steam the indie studio might go bankrupt

Mod "They don't care. Go to reddit or a personal site"

I don't care about talking to them anymore then.

If i were to actually make a game i would at least insure it can be purchased directly on my site or be available in multiple alternate ways, though that on itself could be a hassle i assume Independent devs just don't because Steam is conveniant.

[Violeta]

I don't want to make an account for every game
I don't want devs selling my email and data and getting more spam email
I don't want to be on a dev personal site where they have no accountability and can ban for anything they want with no appeal process.

Its just not worth it for me.

[B✪✪tsy]

Too many promises, too ambitious Devs. Indie devs should not compare themselfs to bigger studio's, but be original and use a fresh different approach if they want to stand out form the norm. Indie devs should go back to the roots and treat game developing as an artform again instead of just a way to make money.

[shadowgames616]

Id honestly say that aside from a lot of them feeling the same, the problem i have with indie games is that they arent fun. Fnaf was fine until it because difficult monotony, undertale had only two gameplay styles that mattered, pacifist and genocide, hollow knight i had no idea what i was supposed to do, and the most recent game I played the game “smile for me” and thought it was cool at first. The longer i played, the more i hated it. The inventory system was annoying, the whole game was just “bring x item to x person to get y item for y person so you can get z item for z person." And it got so vague with its tasks that i legit couldn’t figure out what i was supposed to do for half the people left.

Tldr, they start out cool with artstyle and music, but the gameplay becomes frustrating the longer i played them.