10 best indie games released in September 2024 – smaller treats you certainly shouldn’t miss

We run through the biggest small-scale video game surprises we were able to check out during the month of September.

This September played host to several quirky and charming indie games that may have slipped under your radar. Here's the best of the best of what we played.

If you thought that this year was already jam-packed for huge AAA releases, the month of September just rolled in to prove that the same is very much true for indie gems. This isn’t even taking into account the UFO 50-shaped elephant in the room, which justifiably impressed as a generous collection of retro style games. Disclaimer: I haven't had around to checking out UFO 50 myself yet, hence why it won’t be appearing on this list. However, if you’re looking for an eclectic selection of smaller-scale titles to enjoy between the heavy-hitters, I’ve got you covered with the cream of the indie game crop (at least from what I played).

September 2024 really did have something for everyone, whether you’re into 16-bit beat-em-up tributes or throwback survival horror. Interestingly there were less blockbuster sequels compared to the best indie games of August roundup, meaning that there was a lot of truly new indie game experiences to check out. Let’s get into it…

The Plucky Squire

Kicking us off is the undeniably charming and whimsical The Plucky Squire, which was a day one release on PS Plus in the Extra and Premium September lineup. A seemingly ordinary top-down action-adventure in the style of classic The Legend of Zelda entries, expectations are suddenly flipped (literally) as soon as hero Jot is given the power to jump off the page of his storybook home. What follows is a creative take on the format that sees you switching words to change the world around you, frequently hop from a 2D to 3D plane, and indulge in various kinds of gameplay styles, all in the effort of taking down the evil wizard behind it all. The Plucky Squire’s reality-switching premise might lack a little lustre in the later hours, but it still serves as a near-perfect papercraft journey full of colour and heart.

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines

The first Grapple Dog swiftly became one of my favourite indie pixelated platformers ever when it released back in 2022. That’s why I was pleased to see this sequel do brilliant justice to that already swing-tastic original, featuring even more levels and puzzles to navigate through, more beautiful GBA pixel art to bask in, and an all-new Grapple Dog buddy in Luna to play as. Luna’s ability to shoot from afar makes for a noticeably distinct adventure compared to Pablo’s initial solo outing, and Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines electing to split its levels between these two playstyles ensures that exploring the cosmos is never boring. The core grapple-swing mechanic fortunately also returns in full force in what is easily a follow-up that proves two dogs can be better than one.

GI Joe: Wrath of Cobra

Somehow we’ve ended up in a golden age for pixelated beat-em-up translations of kids shows from the 80s and 90s. The trend properly kicked off when TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge arrived on the scene, which will soon be followed later this year with the equally-as-hyped Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind. If you can’t wait until then, though, GI Joe: Wrath of Cobra launched this month to fill this nostalgia-shaped hole, letting you play as the likes of Duke, Roadblock, and yes, Snake Eyes as part of a classic beat-em-up adventure. The pixel art is surprisingly gorgeous, and the super moves for all four characters each have a distinct flavour to make every playthrough feel slightly unique. This being a GI Joe game you better believe there’s guns to pick up and use too, all of which come in handy in this surprisingly excellent 16-bit translation of the gung-ho toy brand.

Yars Rising

You needn’t look far these days to find a half-decent Metroidvania on the indie games market. Developer WayForward has spent decades perfecting the art of making them, however, hence why its reinvention of the Atari’s classic Yars series probably looks and plays as well as it does. Set in a noticeably cyberpunk future, you play as the titular hacker aiming to take down a corporate entity from within. There’s the usual suite of powers to hunt down and acquire, of course, but setting Yars Rising apart is the way it reimagines the classic sprite-shooting gameplay of Yars' Revenge as hacking mini-games. Is Yars Rising as faithful a Metroidvania as they come? Yes, but it gained extra points as soon as I fought a boss called Missile Commander. Need I say more?

Chains of Fury Vol. 1

Heavily inspired by the art of Hellboy’s Mike Mignola and fast-paced firing of 90s boomer shooters, Chains of Fury Vol. 1 shoves both these aspects into a blender to result in one of the most distinct-looking indie FPS titles of the year. Such eye-grabbing graphics are backed up by fun and ferocious gameplay, where you’re encouraged to blast through each destructible cell-shaded level by maintaining the highest kill combo. Using the environment ups the chances of improving your killing flow, as does engaging what’s called Rage Mode to keep the momentum going. Though controller support on PC would be nice, and melee combat is rough around the edges, Chains of Fury’s comic book aesthetic makes it worth a look for those who aren’t yet sick of ripping and tearing in the style of classic Doom.

Beyond Galaxyland

Star Wars meets The Last Starfighter (and a whole host of other coming-of-age 80s movies) in Beyond Galaxyland, an unabashed throwback to classic turn-based RPGs that comes touting a pretty unique art style. It’s pixel-based, of course, but your perspective of this sci-fi meets fantasy world being projected at a slant gives each varied location you visit an otherworldly, almost diorama-like feel. You play as Doug, a human pulled into absurdity who must partner up with his pet guinea pig and blast across the stars in the hopes of saving his family back home on Earth. Mix in a pokemon-like creature-collecting mechanic, multiple planets to explore, and an eclectic selection of quirky side characters to fall in love with, and Beyond Galaxyland truly is the real deal for any player seeking a sci-fi RPG with heart.

Deathsprint 66

Deathsprint 66 is one of those fast-paced games that will truly only make sense once you feel it in your hands. As odd as it might seem, the best way to describe it is probably ‘Tron meets Mario Kart’, where the neon-drenched visuals are matched by brilliant sprint-boosting gameplay that feels just as addicting as when you achieve the perfect drift in the Nintendo Wii’s version of Rainbow Road. For this reason, death initially comes easy in Deathsprint 66. Go figure! However, when you do fall into that flow state of endlessly surging, drifting, wall running, leaning, and grinding on top of maintaining a solid momentum, it makes breezing past the finish line worth it. There are a series of challenge modes that can be played single-player, but Deathsprint 66’s brand of on-foot racing chaos is best enjoyed online with others.

Hollowbody

If you can’t wait for Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake to launch on PC and PS5 next month, then you’ll be sure to scratch that PS2-style survival horror itch in Hollowbody. Besides, it’s made even scarier by the fact that it takes place entirely within a wet and dreary interpretation of the UK (imagine that) albeit one set in the far future where the country has been ravaged by a virus. Unfortunately for Mica, it’s her mission to venture inside the exclusion zone to try and track down a friend, solving puzzles, managing regularly depleted resources, and surviving all kinds of nightmares in order to get the job done. Hollowbody does an excellent job establishing the vibe of early 2000s horror games, setting in an oppressive mood that never once failed to keep me gripped and on edge.

The Holy Gosh Darn

I didn’t know I needed such an irreverent and funny interpretation of the afterlife until I sat down to play The Holy Gosh Darn towards the end of the month. Playing as an angel Cassiel, you must try to prevent the invasion of an army of hellish phantoms, with your time-travelling mission to save heaven playing out much like your typical interactive adventure game; only it’s packed with songs, quirky characters, and countless ways to influence events using your trusty time-rewinding device. The voice work is stellar, script on point, and I genuinely haven’t laughed at a satirical game this much since, well, Thank Goodness You’re Here last month. Honestly, interactive adventure games are rarely as witty or as slick as the Holy Gosh Darn, so genre fans should absolutely pay it some attention.

Selfloss

Ponderous puzzle games with a not-so-subtle narrative metaphor underlining it all can be a dime a dozen these days. However, every so often one comes along with a unique setting and premise that I simply can’t avoid. Selfloss was definitely an example of an indie game doing this to me this month, not least due to its distinctly Slavic-inspired stylings and visuals that help set it apart. You play as an elderly healer who endeavours to rid the world of an ailment by undertaking an epic journey by boat. One that sees him save the spirit of various dying creatures around him, such as giant turtles, whales, and the like. Puzzle-solving using his staff’s beam of light is made excellent use of in each chapter, especially when you’re required to temporarily separate the two. What it all amounts to is kept purposely obscure, but Selfloss kept me enraptured for the short time it lasted.

Special mention: TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge – Radical Reptiles DLC

First added to PS Plus Extra and Premium lineup back in June 2023, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only was the original 2022 game already a perfect encapsulation of the 80s TV show and the various arcade beat-em-ups of that era, but it continues to be supported via post-launch updates excellently. First came the Dimension Shock DLC that introduced Karai and Usagi, and now this month we received Radical Reptiles. Though not quite as feature-packed as the one that came before, playing as classic characters Mondo Gecko and Mona Lisa gives players yet another excuse to jump into this beautiful looking and playing beat-em-up with all-new animations and character art. Complete with a remixed soundtrack from the likes of Anamanaguchi and Button Masher, I’ll never deny of having more ways to prevent Shredder from getting his revenge.