10 Best Indie Games On PS Now, According To Metacritic

Although the Xbox Game Pass boasts an impressive lineup of indie games, PS Now, PlayStation’s primary subscription service, has an even broader range of titles from independent studios to choose from. From lighthearted puzzle games to uncompromising platformers, there is something for everyone in the PS Now indie game roster.

Using Metacritic’s review aggregator as a measure, these games rank as the very best of the PS Now indie game range, and, with games like Frostpunk and Celeste included, there are titles here worth trying out for any kind of gamer.

10 Critter Crunch (PS3) – 87

Critter Crunch is a charming arcade-like puzzle game from 2009 that tasks the player with helping the charismatic main character Biggs gain jewels to eat. The player does this by using Biggs’ long tongue to rearrange bugs as they descend in a grid so that they eat each other, dropping the jewels for Biggs.

Critter Crunch packs a lot of fun into this simple gameplay concept, and the beautiful hand-drawn visuals have barely aged and give it a unique aesthetic appeal. There are also several different game modes for players to sink their teeth into, and the game is definitely worth checking out as one of the less-remembered indie titles.

9 Guacamelee (PS3) – 87

Drawing inspiration from traditional Mexican culture and folklore, Guacamelee! is a very fun and chaotic action-platformer. As the name suggests, the game’s focus is on over-the-top melee combat and it uses an open-world Metroidvania style to smoothly combine action with multidimensional platforming.

The player controls Juan, a masked luchador, as he tackles the forces of the evil charro skeleton Carlos Calaca in stylish gameplay that is always accompanied by great music. The local co-op multiplayer mode is another reason why Guacamelee! shouldn’t be ignored, as the game can provide many hours of fun.

8 Frostpunk (PS4) – 87

As one of the most successful indie games of recent years and with a sequel on the way, there is no reason not to try out this dark, city-building survival game. Taking place in an alternate history in which the 19th-century world is consumed by a volcanic winter, the player must use their strategic decision-making skills to help the survivors in the new harsh world.

Frostpunk offers a rich and memorable narrative and allows room for the player to build and lead society in their own way, whether striving for peace and enlightenment or ruling with a cruel iron fist. Frostpunk has depth and requires a lot from the player, and is worth checking out simply as it’s one of the most unique micromanagement games around.

7 Velocity 2X (PS4) – 90

Created by Futurlab, who also developed the satisfying PowerWash Simulator, Velocity 2X is a follow-up to the original Velocity and brings more of the same fast shoot ’em up action with even more hyperactive fun. The story follows a space pilot, Lt. Kai Tana, as she attempts to stop the Vokh Empire and return to her home planet.

The gameplay utilizes a classic top-down shoot ’em up style, switching to intense run-and-gun action when Tana leaves her ship. Velocity 2X is relatively short but there is plenty to unpack and enjoy about this futuristic title that has earned it universal acclaim on Metacritic.

6 Spelunky (PS3) – 90

Though it received a highly successful sequel two years ago, the original Spelunky, created by the one-man team of Derek Yu, is still well worth playing in 2022. Originally released as freeware for Windows, Spelunky has the player explore caves full of traps, enemies, and treasure with tight platforming and fast combat.

Where Spelunky stands out is that the caves in the game are entirely procedurally-generated, meaning the game has infinite replayability. This makes the platformer an addictive treat that is very easy to pick up and a lot harder to put down. Spelunky is still an impressive game and one of the best platformers on PS Now.

5 Flower (PS3) – 91

The game that helped establish ThatGameCompany as one of the most prestigious names in the independent game developer world, Flower is still one of the most unique experiences in gaming. With a focus on simple controls and gameplay, Flower allows the player to become a breeze, carrying flower petals and freely exploring the beautiful environment around them.

Whilst Flower‘s calming escape from reality isn’t for everyone, with its refusal to follow almost any traditional video game convention, it is worth checking out as an experience that can’t really be found anywhere else. Flower is also one of the best video games that take place in Spring, though its relaxing feel can be enjoyed any time of the year.

4 The Swapper (PS4) – 92

A puzzle-platform game set in a dark science fiction setting, The Swapper takes an unusual gameplay concept and turns it into a very well-realized side-scroller. In The Swapper, the player is tasked with finding a way out of a damaged space station, with their main tool being a device that creates a clone of the main character that they can swap places with.

The game has a strong sense of atmosphere, with the distinctive visual style reflecting the vulnerability and isolation of the main character’s situation, and the puzzles require just the right amount of abstract thinking to solve. Though The Swapper is relatively short, the world and narrative it establishes are fascinating and will leave most players wanting more.

3 Journey (PS3) – 92

Crafted by the same company that made Flower, Journey is an equally beautiful attempt to challenge traditional ideas of what a video game should be. Also focusing on sensory experience, Journey is all about how people’s lives intersect as they travel an expansive and interactive world.

Though Journey keeps the controls simple and accessible, there is a decent variety in the gameplay, as the player can walk, glide, and fly in order to explore the world in all its glory. Achieving universal acclaim on Metacritic, Journey stands as proof that indie games can succeed by going their own way and producing experiences entirely different from everything else that’s out there.

2 Braid (PS3) – 93

One of the most prominent indie games at the time of its release in 2008 and the fourth-best PS3 game of the following year on Metacritic, Braid is a puzzle game that is centered around time-manipulation mechanics. Each world in Braid comes with new ways to affect time, rewinding, creating parallel timelines, and much more.

In addition, the game features intuitive platforming that makes the fascinating world of the game all the more fun to explore while solving the intriguing puzzles the game lays out. Braid holds up well nearly 15 years after its initial release, and fans of indie puzzle-solving games can’t do much better than this title.

1 Celeste (PS4) – 94

Though it’s known for being an uncompromisingly difficult platformer, there is a lot more to Celeste. The 2018 title looks incredible as it’s one of the best modern pixel-art games, and it has an amazing soundtrack that makes struggling over and over to complete difficult platform challenges an almost calming experience.

Where Celeste stands out from other platformers is the huge range of motion mechanics it explores, and almost all of them are executed to perfection. There isn’t a dull moment in Celeste, as the game throws one challenge after another at the player while weaving a touching and memorable story of Madeline’s climb up the titular mountain.