Hollow Knight for sure but Celeste is also amazing. Haven't played Hades since I'm generally not a fan of the genre. Cuphead is very good but not quite on the level of the other two.
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Hollow Knight vs Cuphead vs Hades vs Celeste - Best indie game of the past 5 years?
- Thread starter Uncle at Nintendo
- Start date
The four games listed all have higher MC scores (though not by much, to be fair). I think The Outer Wilds greatly resonated with lots of people, but its appeal is definitely more limited than the games in the poll. Same with games like Obra Dinn and Into the Breach. I personally consider Into the Breach to be one of the most finely-designed games ever.
I'm just happy the indie scene is so strong right now.
Hades is really good but I bought Dicey Dungeon at about the same time and that's the one that's really grabbed me.
I'm sure it does. If Cuphead, which had Microsoft money thrown behind it during development, counts-- it should. SoR4 probably counts and is sadly missing from this poll too.
Also, Blazing Chrome is such a better run n gun than Cuphead...
I played Hollow Knight most, but Celeste had the biggest overall impact for me so I voted Celeste.
EDIT: And why these games? Cuphead isn't that great, although it has a beautiful aesthetic. Hades is phenomenal, but where are other roguelikes like Enter The Gungeon and Dead Cells? I love Hollow Knight, but where is Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom?
EDIT: And why these games? Cuphead isn't that great, although it has a beautiful aesthetic. Hades is phenomenal, but where are other roguelikes like Enter The Gungeon and Dead Cells? I love Hollow Knight, but where is Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom?
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Celeste gameplay is literally perfect. I'm even more convinced after seeing the developer talk about all the subtle little things they do to make it feel and work just right on Twitter a year or two ago. That's my choice.
That being said Cuphead's animation is astounding. I can't believe the effort that had to go into it. I want to dig more into Hollow Knight and I look forward to playing Hades when they bring it to a console I own, I could play it on a friend's Switch but rather wait.
That being said Cuphead's animation is astounding. I can't believe the effort that had to go into it. I want to dig more into Hollow Knight and I look forward to playing Hades when they bring it to a console I own, I could play it on a friend's Switch but rather wait.
Making me choose between Hades and Celeste is like asking me to pick which of my children is my favorite. But I voted for Hades.
Hollow Knight without a doubt is one of the bset indie games of all time for me.
There are several more indie games I'd put instead of celeste.
There are several more indie games I'd put instead of celeste.
Hollow Knight since it's the genre out of this list that I prefer.
Celeste is the follow-up. It was a fun and challenging platformer with great music and characters.
Hades was really good, but I get incredibly bored with rogue-like randomization and gameplay loops.
Cuphead's artstyle was the only thing that really captivated me.
Celeste is the follow-up. It was a fun and challenging platformer with great music and characters.
Hades was really good, but I get incredibly bored with rogue-like randomization and gameplay loops.
Cuphead's artstyle was the only thing that really captivated me.
I voted for Hades because it's my favorite of the four choices given (I really like all of the games listed), but I prefer Outer Wilds, INSIDE, Night in the Woods, and Disco Elysium to all of them. I recognize, though, that the strength of my games vs. OP's games is narrative, as opposed to the tight gameplay in the ones listed.
These are all 10/10 games, and the OP is forgetting other 10/10 indie games such as Outer Wilds, the Oris, and Monster Boy.
Outer Wilds is almost cheating, though, because the production value in that game is seemingly so much higher than the others.
Of the ones listed though, Hollow Knight is just a bigger and more robust package IMO which is what puts it ahead. Pound for pound they're All A Winner.
Celeste has by far the best difficulty curve in any game I've ever played. The last minutes of the game were more or less exactly as challenging to me as the first minutes. I was on the edge of my seat for pretty much every screen of the game, feeling as though I just made it through by the skin of my teeth. At no point did I think anything other than "I can do it, I almost have it." It's something I've never really experienced in a game.
Outer Wilds is almost cheating, though, because the production value in that game is seemingly so much higher than the others.
Of the ones listed though, Hollow Knight is just a bigger and more robust package IMO which is what puts it ahead. Pound for pound they're All A Winner.
Celeste has by far the best difficulty curve in any game I've ever played. The last minutes of the game were more or less exactly as challenging to me as the first minutes. I was on the edge of my seat for pretty much every screen of the game, feeling as though I just made it through by the skin of my teeth. At no point did I think anything other than "I can do it, I almost have it." It's something I've never really experienced in a game.
I voted Hades because I normally don't care for rogue-likes and this one actually caught my attention.
It took awhile for me to warm up to Celeste since it seems like just another platformer at first, but once it clicked (maybe halfway through), it really clicked. Hollow Knight is fine, but I'm still unclear why the indie zeitgeist picked up on this one when there are at least a few other Metroidvanias I think are better. Cuphead is exceedingly gorgeous but otherwise I don't think it stacks up next to the 16-bit run-and-gun games that inspired it.
I guess Monster Boy and Streets of Rage 4 are considered borderliners but otherwise I think they best most of the games here. Into the Breach is also notable in its absence.
It took awhile for me to warm up to Celeste since it seems like just another platformer at first, but once it clicked (maybe halfway through), it really clicked. Hollow Knight is fine, but I'm still unclear why the indie zeitgeist picked up on this one when there are at least a few other Metroidvanias I think are better. Cuphead is exceedingly gorgeous but otherwise I don't think it stacks up next to the 16-bit run-and-gun games that inspired it.
I guess Monster Boy and Streets of Rage 4 are considered borderliners but otherwise I think they best most of the games here. Into the Breach is also notable in its absence.
Hollow Knight is what I voted for, I still have to finish it but I loved the hell out of what I have played so far. I'm a little torn as I also really really loved Hades, but Hollow Knight just has a slight edge as I like the style of gameplay a bit more. Celeste and Cuphead were both also extremely well made and fun games but just didn't hold for me as well as the others.
Still have to give Hollow Knight a proper shot after getting it for free with PS+, but was rather unimpressed with my first few moments with the game.
I am a bit interested in Celeste, have little interest in Hades (not a fan of roguelikes), and no interest at all in Cuphead.
From what I've played, I have to give it to What Remains of Edith Finch. Lewis' story is the best gameplay segment I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing from a ludonarrative perspective.
I am a bit interested in Celeste, have little interest in Hades (not a fan of roguelikes), and no interest at all in Cuphead.
From what I've played, I have to give it to What Remains of Edith Finch. Lewis' story is the best gameplay segment I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing from a ludonarrative perspective.
Beautiful. I'll just add it to my list of games I have on Switch that I need to play...
Obra Dinn
Into the Breach
Celeste
Shovel Knight
I put the most time into hades due to the nature of the gameplay but my vote goes to hollow knight. Hades is amazing though. Haven't played cuphead nor celeste yet to say anything about those.
It's one of the best games on the system, yes. It's an absolutely wonderful port.
All are winners on Switch.
i need to play obra dinn too, it's been in my wishlist forever.
I wouldnt say that these are the 4 greatest indies of the past 5 years. These are fantastic games that I love but there are many more on the same level.
Into the Breach
Slay the Spire
Obra Dinn
Outer Wilds
Disco Elysium
(To name a few)
Into the Breach
Slay the Spire
Obra Dinn
Outer Wilds
Disco Elysium
(To name a few)
Agreed, it's really fucking good. I'm replaying it now and that first escape sequence really stuck me, like, "oh, man, I forgot how challenging this is..."
It actually reminds me of the first escape sequence in Ori and the Blind Forest, where you have all of the tools at your disposal, but all of a sudden you have to put those tools to the test. I recently replayed Ori 1 and was like "shit, the escape sequence is harder than I thought...":
I couldn't last longer than an hour on HK, Celeste, and Cuphead so I fuck with Hades by default.
PlayStation 4 / 5 in March, Xbox and Switch in the summer.
Glad to hear it. I keep neglecting my Switch because I keep thinking I'd rather play on the Switch Pro if that ever happens.
Yeah I know it's so up my alley but I've put it off.
Disappointed to see Celeste so low in the running.
Also, worth noting- everyone seems to say "I'm not gonna play Hades, that genre is not my cup of tea". Then they play it. Without knowing your exact tastes, there is still a chance that you won't love it as much as everyone else, but I would advise you not to dismiss it based on genre alone.
I say that because I looked it and thought "I don't like roguelikes, I don't need to play Bastion again, it looks a bit Diablo-ish, and I don't like that either". I ended up being wrong about all those things and I can't put it down. I'm addicted. I've also bought it for three of my friends.
My personal favorite indie of the last five years is CrossCode, but of these four I'd put Hollow Knight at the top closely followed by Hades. Haven't played the other two
