Summary
With bigmoney sports gaming companies like EA, 2K, and now even Epic Games dominating the sports gaming market, it can be difficult to findindie sports gamesthat are as good or better than those of the big AAA corporations. Despite this, after the rather repetitive recent editions ofFIFA(orEA Sports FC),Madden,andNBA 2Kas examples, it may be time to turn to indie games and give them a chance.
One thing to remember with indie sports gamesis the budget will be significantly lower, so players shouldn’t expect the highest quality graphics or the most feature complete game, although that doesn’t mean the game is worse than its AAA peers, it’s just something that players should keep in mind.
Metascore: 75
Descenders
From the developers of Action Henk, Descenders is a fast-paced extreme downhill biking game that’s easy to pick up, but difficult to master. Grab your bike, pick your team, and attempt to live up to the legend of your Descender. Will you join the die-hard, trick-frenzy ranks of Team Enemy, the proficient, off-road stylings of Team Arboreal, or the high-octane, speed-is-everything Team Kinetic?In Descenders, your team is your life. When you pick a side – Enemy, Arboreal or Kinetic – you’ll be bound together with other players who choose the same side as you. Take on different jumps, slopes and hillbombs every time you play in procedurally generated worlds. Control every subtle movement of your rider, with an in-depth physics system made for slick whips and scrubs.A fully-featured online Rep system lets you show off your worth, and earn new bikes and threads. Earn special mutators each time you play, and work out which abilities work best for your riding style.
Downhill mountain biking probably isn’t the most popular sport in the world, but in gaming, it can be extremely fun without the worry of breaking a few bones. This iswhereDescendersfinds its spot to shine, as it is one of the best mountain biking sims available. It’s high-octane, high-momentum, intense gameplay is gripping, and is accompanied by smooth liquid drum and bass music that adds to the experience.
Descendersis actually similar to a roguelike game, with boss jumps as opposed to boss battles and very difficult tracks that will push player reactions to their limit. The feeling that players can get fromDescendersis quite impressive, as the character movements, sound effects, and overall pace of the gameplay really pulls the player in to this mountain biking experience.
Legend Bowl
American Football games are quite sparse when it comes to indie options, withmany games looking to replicate theMaddenstyleof gameplay and feel.Legend Bowldoes the opposite, opting for a pixel art style that injects a retro kick that connects with many gamers, alongside up-to-date game modes and graphical quality.
Legend Bowlhas a franchise mode alongside a deep database of players, custom team names and stadiums, game conditions, and plays. The pixel art is an element of this game that may put players off, but the art inLegend Bowlis crisp and has a very modern feel to it, despite the retro look.
Since the days ofSkate and theTony Hawk’s Pro Skatergames by EA, skateboarding games haven’t exactly been amazing, with some attempts to recreate the baforementioned games generally failing.OlliOllithen arrived on the skateboard gaming scene, with an arcade-like gameplay style that was simple, unique, and very fun.
Since then,OlliOlli’ssequel,OlliOlli World, was released, with bundles of new graphics, a multiplayer open-world style set up, and the unique gameplay thatOlliOllihas made it’s own. The cartoon-like feel mixed with the mountain of cool tricks and that players can pull off, and the multitude of maps available, has combined nicely to makeOlliOlli Worlda great indie sports game.
Metascore: TBD
Fishing Planet
Fishing Planet® is a highly realistic first-person online multiplayer fishing simulator. Developed by avid fishing enthusiasts to bring you the full thrill of actual angling on your PC.Fishing Together with other players on the same boat. Our ocean fishing yachts can accommodate 2, 3, or 4 friends simultaneously.Compete online with other players in events and competitions with personal scores, achievements, leader boards and top-players lists.Highly realistic world of fishing on your screen:200+ species of fish with complex AI driven behavior depending on seasons, climate, time of day, water current, bottom type, water and air temperature, wind and more.26 scenic waterways with photorealistic graphics from all around the world with their own climate conditions, landscapes, bottom topography and vegetation. All waterways are based on real locations.Freshwater and saltwater fishing with their own features for realistic and immersive experience.Four types of fishing - float, spinning, bottom and saltwater trolling.
Sitting back and relaxing with a fishing game likeFishing Planetis always a fun time, with multiplayer functionalities letting players have a fishing trip with their friends through the wonders of gaming.Fishing Planetisn’t as simple as some might expect though, with an in-depth inventory section allowing players to customize their fishing rods, and a multitude of missions to spice up their fishing.
Fishing Planethas a great balance of a simple premise combined with a first-person and highly-technical style of fishing gameplay. Granted,fishing probably isn’t the most popular sports game genrecompared to other sports games. However,Fishing Planetdoes well at making their game playable for those who love fishing, but also for those who are not completely clued in to fishing.
One constant with sports games is that arcade-like games that don’t take themselves too seriously are always fun.Super Mega Baseball 3certainly fits into this category, with an art style and gameplay that makes baseball less technical and more about the fun parts of the sport. The teams and names of the players sum up this game, with many of the names being baseball-based puns.
Super Mega Baseball 3,whilst being a fun take on baseball, still has elements that make it a genuinely good baseball game, with season modes and ranked modes that take more thinking than simply smashing the ball out of the stadium. Alongside this, the game is very in-depth, with morale meters for players, a large variety of pitch-styles, and a massive player database.
Metascore: 68
Golf With Your Friends
Why have friends if not to play Golf… With Your Friends! Nothing is out of bounds as you take on courses filled with fast paced, exciting, simultaneous mini golf for up to 12 players!12 Player Multiplayer! ensure your skills are up to scratch as you tee off against 11 other golfers in simultaneous online multiplayer.Themed Courses! Go head to head on courses with unique mechanics and holes. Become a pro in the pirate course, aim for an albatross in the ancient theme or wage all out Worm warfare in the Worms course!Powerups! Drive a wedge between your friends as you trap their ball in honey, freeze it or turn it into a cube.Three Game Modes! Tee off in classic mini golf, shoot for the pars in hoops or swap the hole for a goal in hockeyLevel Editor! Putt your own spin on the game by creating, sharing and playing your own courses.Customisations! Turn the fairway into the runway, with unlockable hats, skins and trails for your ball.
Despite the rather low Metascore of 68,Golf With Your Friendsis, without a doubt, one of the most popular games on this list, with many streamers and YouTubers playing it on stream and seemingly having bundles of fun.Golf With Your Friendsis one of those games that, graphics wise and bug wise, isn’t amazing, but in terms of the pure enjoyment players can get out of a game, it delivers.
Playersget classic party-style type gameplay, complete with large lobbies that makeGolf With Your Friendsperfect for playing with a large group of people. The game has many different maps to keep the gameplay versatile, along with ball customization that adds a sprinkle of humor to an already funny game.
One of the most popular indie games of all time,Rocket Leaguehas firmly cemented itself as a legendary game, with the unique car and soccer crossover format that hasn’t really been replicated or done before. Although Epic Games did get involved withRocket league, allowingRocket Racingto be created forFortnite, the game at its core is still indie.
Psyonix created a game that players could play casually and competitively with equal amounts of fun.Rocket Leaguehas evolved so much, to the point where it became an eSports game, which is pretty amazing for an indie title to reach such heights. On top of the highly exciting and unique gameplay,Rocket Leaguehas a cool customization system,with more and more collaborationsallowing players to score goals in their dream cars.
