The Ultimate Guide to Underrated Indie RPGs (2025 Edition)

Introduction

The world of indie RPGs is brimming with hidden gems waiting to be discovered. In recent years, independent developers have crafted role playing experiences that rival big budget titles in storytelling and creativity. Yet many of these games fly under the radar, enjoyed by devoted fans but still underrated by the wider gaming community. If you’re a gamer tired of the same mainstream RPG formulas, or just someone looking for a fresh adventure, this guide is for you. We’ll delve into some of the best underrated indie RPGs as of 2025, from story rich tearjerkers to coop dungeon crawls, all while highlighting what makes them special. Let’s explore some indie RPG treasures!

Why Indie RPGs Are Worth Your Time

Indie RPGs are titles created by small teams or solo developers. Free from the constraints of big publishers, indie creators often take bold risks, resulting in games with unique art styles, experimental gameplay, and heartfelt storytelling. These passion projects can deliver experiences just as rich as any blockbuster RPG. In fact, some of the most innovative RPGs in recent memory have come from indie studios. They may not have AAA marketing budgets, but they make up for it with creativity and soul.

 

Many gamers find that indie RPGs scratch a particular itch that mainstream games sometimes miss. Want a deeply personal narrative that really tugs the heartstrings? There’s an indie for that. Craving retro-style turn based combat reminiscent of your SNES days? Indies have you covered. Plus, indie RPGs are often more affordable (or even free!) and accessible on platforms like Steam or Switch. By giving these underrated titles a chance, you might discover a new all-time favorite that you never saw coming.

 

Below, we’ll break down different categories of underrated indie RPGs and highlight examples in each. Whether you’re into immersive stories, nostalgic pixel art, strategic combat, or co-op adventures with friends, there’s an indie RPG gem waiting for you.

Immersive Stories in Indie RPGs You Might Have Missed

One of the biggest draws of RPGs is their ability to tell an engrossing story. You don’t need a giant studio to craft an emotional narrative, some indie games have delivered story-rich experiences that players remember for years. These games focus on compelling characters, meaningful themes, and often leave a lasting impact on those who play them.

 

Take To the Moon, for example. This 2011 indie RPG Maker game from Freebird Games looks simple on the surface, but its storytelling is legendary. The game follows two doctors venturing through a dying man’s memories to fulfill his final wish. The journey unfolds like an interactive drama and has been widely praised for its narrative and emotional power.

 

Another unforgettable story-driven indie is Wildermyth. Released in full in 2021, Wildermyth combines tactical combat with procedurally generated storytelling. Each playthrough follows a band of heroes across generations, and your choices shape their destinies. The writing is so good that it feels like a personalized myth unfolding with every decision. In fact, Wildermyth has been called “one of the most underrated and best-written games” of recent years. If you love games where your choices truly matter to the narrative, this is one to try.

 

And we can’t talk story-rich indie RPGs without mentioning Omori, OneShot, Lisa: The Painful, and others. These titles tackle heavy or unconventional themes (mental health, surreal worlds, dark humor) through RPG mechanics, delivering stories you probably haven’t experienced elsewhere. They may not be household names, but their cult followings speak to how impactful their storytelling can be.

 

Pixel Art Adventures with Heart

There’s something undeniably charming about pixel art graphics. They evoke nostalgia for the classic 8 bit and 16 bit era, yet modern indie RPGs often use pixel art to tell very emotional stories. The contrast of simple visuals with deep storytelling can hit you right in the feels. If you appreciate retro aesthetics and a good cry, these pixelated adventures are for you.

 

One of the best-known in this category is To the Moon, which we already highlighted for its story. Its visuals are reminiscent of old-school JRPGs, proving you don’t need 3D realism to convey powerful emotions. Another title, Finding Paradise (the sequel to To the Moon), continues that legacy with a similarly poignant narrative in a pixel art wrapper. Critics and fans laud these games for heartfelt storytelling that stays with you long after the credits roll.

 

 

Other pixel art indie RPGs blend nostalgia with innovation. Chained Echoes (2022) is a great example of a modern game that looks like a SNES classic. It features 16 bit-style graphics and turn based combat, yet feels fresh and exciting. Reviewers called Chained Echoes “a love letter to fans of the genre” that stands as one of the best RPG experiences in years. It captures that Chrono Trigger/Final Fantasy VI vibe perfectly, while telling an original story in a colorful fantasy world. Despite stellar reviews, Chained Echoes is still under the radar for many gamers, so don’t miss it if you crave that retro goodness.

 

We also have indie RPGs with gorgeous pixel art that focus on atmosphere and emotion. Games like Eastward take players on a journey through beautifully crafted landscapes with a touching story of family and friendship. Undertale and its follow-up Deltarune use simple sprite graphics but subvert RPG tropes in clever ways, delivering laughs and gut-punch feels (the first chapters of Deltarune are even free to play). Pixel art isn’t just an art style, in these games, it becomes part of the storytelling charm.

 

Turn Based Treasures for Retro JRPG Fans

Do you miss the golden age of JRPGs, with their turn based battles, party management, and epic quests? Indie RPGs have you covered. Many small developers grew up playing those classics and are now creating their own modern takes on the formula. If you loved games like Octopath Traveler’s style or classic Final Fantasy, you’ll find plenty of indie titles that scratch that itch, often with unique twists.

 

A standout is Sea of Stars (2023), a stunning indie RPG inspired by Chrono Trigger. It features vibrant pixel art and a combat system that feels both nostalgic and new. Sea of Stars garnered a lot of positive buzz, showing that even as an indie, it can shine alongside bigger titles. Another great one is Wandering Sword (2023), which adopts the HD-2D look (similar to Octopath’s mix of 2D sprites and 3D environments) and brings it to a martial-arts-themed adventure. It has grid-based fights that you can even toggle between turn based and real-time modes to your liking

 

Then there’s Chained Echoes, which we mentioned earlier. It epitomizes the retro turn based JRPG revival, down to its world map and airships, but streamlines away old grindy mechanics. Similarly, Cosmic Star Heroine offers a bite-sized sci-fi JRPG experience reminiscent of Phantasy Star, and Bug Fables gives Paper Mario fans a delightful indie alternative with turn-based combat and charming papercraft visuals.

 

These games prove that the spirit of classic JRPGs is alive and well in the indie scene. They often fly under the radar because they don’t have big marketing, but they’re there, delivering exactly what longtime RPG fans crave.

Grab a Friend: Co-Op Indie RPGs for Shared Adventures

RPGs aren’t just solo endeavors, some of the most fun can be had teaming up with friends for a co-operative quest. While co-op RPGs are rarer (especially story-heavy ones), the indie world has produced a few gems that let you and your buddies take on dungeons and monsters together. If you have a friend, sibling, or significant other who loves RPGs too, give these co-op indie titles a look.

 

One excellent co-op indie RPG is Children of Morta. It’s an action RPG where you play as members of a heroic family, and it supports two-player co-op (either local or online). The gameplay is a blast, think Diablo-like combat, but it also weaves in a touching family story that progresses between dungeon runs. Stardew Valley, while primarily a farming sim, also qualifies as an RPG with leveling and questing elements and it allows up to four players to build a farm and explore together (perfect for a more relaxed co-op experience on Switch or PC). For something more combat-focused, Wizard of Legend offers fast-paced magic dungeon crawling for two players, and For The King is a tabletop-style roguelike RPG you can tackle with a party of friends.

 

Another noteworthy mention is Wildermyth again, yes, we praise it a lot, but it also supports co-op! Up to 5 players can control different heroes in the party, making collaborative storytelling possible. It’s like running a D&D campaign with friends, but the game’s system handles the narrative twists.

 

Fans of tactical RPGs can check out Solasta: Crown of the Magister, a D&D-inspired indie RPG that supports four-player co-op. Solasta doesn’t have the production values of a Baldur’s Gate 3, but it’s called “the underrated RPG” from indie studio Tactical Adventures

 

for a reason, it offers authentic turn-based D&D combat and full campaign co-op, which is a rare combination. If you want to stick close to Dungeons & Dragons rules and adventure with friends, Solasta is a hidden gem that deserves more attention.

 

Choices Matter: Underrated RPGs with Choice-Based Endings

One of the joys of RPGs is making choices that impact the story. Big studios like Bioware or Quantic Dream often get credit for branching narratives, but indie RPGs are experimenting with choice & consequence in fascinating ways too. Some indie games offer multiple endings or radically different story paths based on what you decide, giving a lot of replayability and personal ownership of the story. Let’s highlight a few underrated titles where your choices truly matter.

 

A prime example is I Was A Teenage Exocolonist (2022). This narrative indie RPG/visual novel hybrid puts you in a sci-fi colony growing up from age 10 to 20. Along the way, you make decisions about your character’s life, studies, friendships, even romances and those decisions lead to an impressive range of outcomes. In fact, the game boasts 29 different endings to uncover

 

It’s practically a choice-lover’s dream, as each playthrough can diverge wildly. Despite critical praise for its writing and design, Teenage Exocolonist remains a sleeper hit that many gamers haven’t even heard of. If you enjoy games like Life Is Strange or Persona (but want something more indie and replayable), put this on your list.

 

Another must-mention is the cult classic Undertale. While Undertale is hardly unknown at this point, it’s still an indie project at heart and famous for its divergent routes, whether you spare or kill monsters dramatically changes the ending and even how the game remembers your actions on replays. It essentially pioneered the idea of the game reacting to your moral choices in an indie context, influencing many games after it. Along similar lines, Omori has multiple endings depending on how you guide the protagonist through trauma, and The Stanley Parable (though not an RPG) is an indie that humorously exemplifies the many possible endings concept.

 

For a more hardcore RPG approach to choices, look at Citizen Sleeper (2022). This indie narrative RPG set on a space station has received acclaim for its writing and the freedom it gives players in shaping their character’s fate. It has eight different ending outcomes in total ,and you can even pursue several in one playthrough by smart use of save files. Citizen Sleeper’s rich narrative and branching paths make it a great pick for players who want a shorter but highly replayable RPG experience driven by decisions.

 

Free Indie RPGs on PC That Won’t Cost You a Penny

Who says you have to spend a lot to enjoy a great RPG? The indie scene includes several fantastic RPGs that are completely free to play. These aren’t “free to play” in the predatory microtransaction sense, we mean literally free downloads, with no strings attached, created out of love for the game. If you’re on a tight budget or just want to sample some indie RPG goodness without opening your wallet, check out these free offerings on PC.

 

One highly-regarded free indie RPG is Heroine’s Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok. This is a retro point-and-click adventure/RPG hybrid inspired by the classic Quest for Glory series. You play as a heroine in a Norse mythology setting, solving puzzles and battling monsters. The entire game was released for free, and it’s impressively polished, it even earned praise from one of the Quest for Glory creators. Heroine’s Quest is a “gorgeous... adventure/RPG hybrid” that stands alongside some of the genre’s best, featuring multiple classes and puzzle solutions that give it lots of replay value .It’s a labor of love that any fan of old-school adventures should try, and it won’t cost a dime.

 

Another free gem is Deltarune: Chapters 1 & 2. Created by Toby Fox (of Undertale fame), Deltarune’s first two chapters have been released at no charge. It’s an RPG with quirky characters and a unique battle system blending turn based combat and bullet-hell dodging. You can complete the available chapters in a few hours, making it a perfect free weeknight gaming project and a taste of more to come when the full game eventually releases (that part will be paid). The fact that you can experience something of this quality for free is amazing.

 

Other completely free indie RPG experiences include Moonring (a 40+ hour classic-style RPG released for free by its developer in 2023) , Grimm’s Hollow (a short and sweet spooky-cute RPG), and a plethora of RPG Maker community games available on sites like Itch.io. Some beloved older indie RPGs started as free projects too, the surreal adventure OFF and the horror RPG Ib were both free downloads that gained cult followings.

 

Conclusion

The indie RPG landscape in 2025 is rich and diverse. From deeply story-rich journeys that rival the finest novels, to pixel art adventures that tap into nostalgia, to innovative combat systems and beyond, independent creators are keeping the RPG genre alive and well. The games we’ve discussed here are just the tip of the iceberg. There are countless other underrated indie RPGs out there, each with its own unique charm.

 

As a gamer, exploring indie titles can be incredibly rewarding. Not only do you support passionate developers, but you also get to experience creative ideas that you won’t always find in mainstream games. The next time you’re hungry for an RPG that offers something different, consider going indie and digging into the hidden gems described in this guide.

 

Whether you team up with friends for a co-op quest, or dive solo into an emotional narrative, these games prove that budget doesn’t define brilliance. The ultimate RPG adventure might just be an indie title you haven’t played yet. Happy gaming, and enjoy discovering these underrated treasures!

FAQ

Q: What is an “indie RPG”?

A: An indie RPG is a role-playing game developed by an independent creator or small studio, without the backing of a large publisher. “Indie” stands for independent. These games are often self-published or released on platforms like Steam and consoles’ digital stores. Indie RPGs can vary in scope, some are short experimental projects, while others are full-length epic adventures. The key is that they’re made outside the traditional big-budget system, which often allows for more creativity and unique ideas.

 

Q: Are indie RPGs as good as big-budget (AAA) RPGs?

A: Yes, indie RPGs can be just as good and sometimes even better than AAA RPGs in certain aspects. While they may not have ultra-realistic graphics or Hollywood voice actors, indie RPGs often excel in gameplay innovation and storytelling. For example, Undertale (an indie) became world-famous for its creative gameplay and narrative choices, despite its simple visuals. Indie developers pour a ton of passion into their games, so you’ll often find very polished gameplay mechanics or deeply emotional stories. Of course, like any category of games, quality can vary, but many indie RPGs have received critical acclaim equal to or greater than their AAA counterparts.

 

Q: Why are these indie RPGs called “underrated”?

A: We use the term “underrated” to describe games that deserve more attention or praise than they’ve gotten. Often, these indie RPGs are highly rated by the players who know them, but they haven’t been played by a wide audience. It might be due to limited marketing, niche appeal, or simply being lost in the sea of game releases. For instance, Wildermyth is extremely well-written and loved by its fans , but many RPG players still haven’t heard of it making it underrated. This guide shines a spotlight on such games, so more people can discover and enjoy them.

 

Q: I’m new to indie games, where can I find these underrated RPGs?

A: Most indie RPGs are available on digital platforms. PC (Steam) is the best place to start every game mentioned in this article can be found on Steam or the developer’s website. Many are also available on Nintendo Switch, which has become a great platform for indie titles (perfect for handheld RPG sessions). Some are on PlayStation or Xbox digital stores as well. Additionally, sites like itch.io host tons of indie games, including free ones. To find more hidden gems, you can browse the RPG category on these stores, check out indie game forums, or read lists (like our supporting posts linked above!). Steam user reviews and community recommendations on Reddit or gaming blogs can also point you to awesome indie RPGs that flew under the radar.

 

Q: Do indie RPGs support mods or multiplayer?

A: It depends on the game. Many indie RPGs are single-player only, especially story-focused ones. However, a few do support multiplayer or co-op, we mentioned titles like Children of Morta and Solasta that let you play with friends. Mod support is not as common in small indie projects, but there are exceptions. For example, Stardew Valley (an indie farming RPG) has a huge modding community. Solasta includes a dungeon editor and Steam Workshop support for custom modules.Always check the game’s description; if modding or multiplayer is a priority for you, look for indie RPGs that advertise those features. Keep in mind that even without mods, many indie RPGs offer rich replayability through built-in choices and multiple endings.

 

Q: How can I support the developers of these underrated indie RPGs?

A: The best way is to buy their games (if they aren’t free) and spread the word. Leaving a positive review on platforms like Steam, or talking about the game on social media and forums, can greatly help indie devs gain more exposure. Many indie developers are very active on Twitter, Discord, or Reddit engaging with them or thanking them for their work is always appreciated. If you really love a game, you can often purchase soundtracks or artbooks as DLC, or even support the devs on Patreon or by buying merch if available. Every sale and shout-out counts for independent creators. Supporting indies not only helps the devs, but it also encourages the creation of more unique games for all of us to enjoy!