Shuhei Yoshida’s favorite PlayStation indie games of 2024

Hello everyone! 2024 was another incredible year for indie games, and today, I’m very excited to share 11 of my favorite titles that were released on PlayStation this year.

Pacific Drive

Pacific Drive is a ‘road-lite’ survival game, where you navigate a stormy, mysterious forest with your car as your only companion. Each time you set off on an excursion, your car will slowly breakdown due to strange anomalies, and you must return safely back to your garage. Otherwise, you’re required to start over. You can restore and upgrade your car with resources gathered during your runs. Each trip into the wilderness is unique and randomized, which makes the gameplay all the more engrossing and addicting.

Animal Well

The pixel-art world of this beautiful game feels nostalgic yet somehow completely novel, with its surreal lighting that illuminates the map. Animal Well is a Metroidvania with a world filled with endless surprises. The sense of accomplishment you’ll feel after conquering its challenging platform sections and cryptic puzzles is truly unique and exhilarating.

V Rising

The massively popular vampire survival PC game is now available on PlayStation. Players awaken as weakened vampires and hunt for the blood of enemies and animals to regain strength and acquire their powers to conquer the map. As vampires, players are vulnerable to sunlight. You must hide in the shadows and avoid sun exposure in order to survive during the daytime.

SCHiM

When you were a child, did you ever pretend that you could only move around by jumping from shadow to shadow? SCHiM allows you to relive those nostalgic moments by playing as a frog-like creature who can only navigate the map by hopping between shadows. It’s also a visually stunning game with its unique color pallet and art style.

The Plucky Squire

Plucky Squire is a charming action adventure where you jump between 2D and 3D worlds.

One moment, you’re enjoying a 2D action game inside the pages of a storybook, but the next second, you’re embarking on an adventure in the outside 3D realm, and before you know it, you’re back inside the book, solving puzzles. Full of delightful gimmicks, the game delivers an experience that players of all ages can enjoy.

Palworld

An indie game coming from Japan, Palworld is an open world, crafting and survival game full of adorable creatures (Pals), that took the gaming world by storm. The gameplay loop of collecting Pals, expanding your base, and venturing out further out into the world is very addicting and hard to put down.

Neva

The latest title from the visionary team behind GRIS, a beautiful yet heartbreaking adventure game released back in 2018. Neva chronicles the story of the player and a wolf cub, Neva, who together embark on a journey through a vibrant world that progresses from season to season. The story is told without dialogue, and the ending will move you to tears.

Fear the Spotlight

Fear the Spotlight is an atmospheric horror adventure featuring a retro low-polygon art style reminiscent of the original PlayStation era. Two teenage girls sneak into school after hours, only to be separated by disturbing paranormal activities. They must solve puzzles and stay out of sight of the monster who wanders the hall to be safely reunited.

Slitterhead

From the mind of Keiichiro Toyama, the legendary creator behind Siren and Gravity Rush. During the ‘90s, Kowlong, Hong Kong, is faced with a series of gruesome murders. The player is a body-less entity that possess NPCs roaming the streets in order to battle Slitterheads, a monster that feasts on human brains. Finishing off the monsters as ordinary middle-aged men and women is an absolute blast.

Nine Sols

A new game brought to life by Red Candle Games, the studio behind Detention and Devotion. Taking inspiration from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Nine Sols is a hardcore action game centered on deflection-based combat. Pulling off a perfect parry and counterattack is tremendously rewarding and invigorating. The atmosphere blends cyberpunk with ancient Chinese mythology and Taoism, is also unique and fascinating.

Balatro

A fusion of poker and roguelike? You might think, “What’s that?” But once you start, you won’t be able to stop. This worldwide hit game is the creation of a single developer. Incredible!