Just as movies and animations can surprise with excellent photography, or a unique visual style, games are no exception, surprising with incredible character designs, surreal animations, and breathtaking scenarios. And most of these games are independent, made by small teams or even just one developer. Here is my top 5 of recent games that surprised me aesthetically, with the oldest being from December 2023.
1. Cookie Cutter
Developer: Subcult Joint LTD
Location: Brighton, England
Style: Metroidvania (or as they call it, “techno-pop-punk” 2D hand-drawn Metroidvania)
Release: December 2023
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox Series, Playstation 5 and Switch
I think the main highlight of Cookie Cutter’s visuals is the animation and character design. The main character, Cherry, is a spectacle in every way. The trailer makes it very clear that the work done by Stefano Guglielman, is amazing. He is the owner of Subcult Joint and the father of the Cookie Cutter project. Speaking a little about the game itself, it’s a Metroidvania with outstanding level design. Almost all of the game’s combat is done hand-to-hand, which makes it stand out from other games in the genre. To spice up the experience, parrying is necessary to survive and progress. It’s not an easy game, but it’s definitely a unique experience.
2. Neva
Developer: Nomada Studio
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Style: Side-scrolling Platform
Release: October 2024
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox Series, Playstation 5 and Switch
After the success of Nomada Studio’s first game, Gris, released in 2018, the company decided to go further. They created Neva, one of the most beautiful games. It serves as a lesson in color theory. Gris was already very beautiful, making it a bonus suggestion for this list. However, in my opinion, Neva is even more stunning. It’s about emotions expressed through colors. It’s about love, loss, victory, and violence. The game focuses on the relationship between the main character, Alba, and her wolf, Neva. The bond between them grows stronger during the journey. As a dog lover, I cried a lot while playing. Speaking of the game itself, it’s a platform game. It breaks the simplicity of the style with excellent puzzles, and a fine game design.
3. Empire of the Ants
Developer: Tower Five
Location: La Rochelle, France
Style: Real-Time Strategy
Release: November 2024
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox Series, Playstation 5
The third game here is completely different from the other games on this list. There are no well-developed characters or animations. Instead, it has a visual aspect very close to reality. This is superbly done by the French at Tower Five. The game is an anthill simulator, and the player controls the 103,683rd ant. The objective is to manage the entire group. Prepares the ants for battle, searches for resources, and evolves. Gaining ground sometimes requires facing more powerful enemies. These include praying mantises, where the real strategy comes into play. I was not prepared for what this game offered. Its visuals and gameplay were a huge surprise for 2024!
4- SCHiM
Developer: Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman
Location: Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Style: Platform, Exploration
Release: July 2024
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox One and Series, Playstation 4 and 5
What I’m about to say may sound weird. Ever since I first turned on the game, I believed it was Dutch. The story is about a human having a bad day. In the midst of events, he loses his shadow. The player controls this schim, which means shadow in Dutch, and that resembles a frog in appearance. Using the shadows of objects, people, or birds, he follows his human, until they reunite at the end. The levels are set in beautiful Dutch urban environments. And the color palettes are limited to just four tones. These tones vary from level to level, and they express the time and mood of the environment well. It’s a game without much stress, and the gameplay is quite captivating.
5. Airhead
Developer: Octato
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Style: Metroidvania
Release: February 2024
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox One and Series, Playstation 4 and 5
Here’s another unusual Metroidvania. The main character is a headless being, and he falls into a strange and hostile area. His goal is to escape and return home. Along the way, he encounters another being who was attacked and lost his body. The head and body join forces for mutual reasons. They need oxygen to survive in the game, and the player has to search for oxygen tubes in each level. Sometimes they find helium tubes instead, which make the character float and access new areas. A big difference in this game is the constant puzzles. The difficulty here is to keep the character alive due to the cylinder restrictions. The visuals are beautiful with well-chosen color palettes. The entire concept of the game is quite unusual.
I hope you enjoyed this list, comments here are not open, but you can write to me so we can continue the conversation here, or send me a message here.
