The Rise of Indie Gaming: Why Indie Games are Overtaking AAA Games

story by Hope Cox, design by Jonnie Rosser

Over the last decade, there has been a rise in popularity for indie games, with some outperforming games from AAA studios. You may wonder why these games are performing better in the gaming community. Is it simply because of affordability and creativity, or is there more to the story? Gamers and industry experts are trying to understand this shift in the gaming community. 

As indie studios continue to improve their game design and quality, it is getting harder to tell the difference between games from an indie studio versus the triple-A studios, as the major video game companies with larger teams and bigger budgets, are known.

What Are Gamers Looking For?

When choosing the next video game to play, consumers often look for affordability, creativity and authenticity. Hardy LeBel, a game design and production teacher at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment in Seattle, highlights these sentiments for the rise of indie games. 

“I would argue that the large, big commercial game companies that are out there have really overemphasized the commercial part of this art form… and have really separated themselves from the art part of it,” LeBel says. AAA studios tend to focus on appealing to larger audiences in order to return a profit on their major investments. This can lead some AAA studios to prioritize optimization to appeal to a global market instead of the artistic side of the medium. LeBel notes indie games are freer to embrace. 

LeBel says people are often drawn to indie games for their creativity. “They can really be personal, they can really be expressive and explore interesting themes or unexpected ideas. That kind of creativity is very appealing in a world that's full of cookie-cutter products and commercialization everywhere you look,” says LeBel. It’s this authenticity on an artistic level that LeBel believes is crucial to the success of many indie games, rather than the marketing component.

Does Marketing Make a Difference?

But marketing is one way that indie and AAA studios differ, mostly as a result of differing budgets and shifts in market demands. Assistant Professor of Games, Interactive and Immersive Technology at Washington State University, Diamond Beverly-Porter, defines the differences in marketing in relation to the amount of money the studios invest. “The marketing difference between indie and AAA games really is just the amount of money that you can pour into it, because that initial first step definitely dictates the ways that you go about making your marketing campaigns.” 

Bubby Darkstar, indie developer and artist best known for  “Subway Midnight,” gives insight into his experience with marketing. Darkstar released “Subway Midnight” in 2021 and notes how quickly the demands shift. “The thing about marketing is that it is basically non-stop changing. It's the stuff that used to work really well, but just doesn't work at all. And I think day to day it's completely different.”

How Important is Affordability?

Many gamers consider the cost of a game before purchasing and playing it. Indie games tend to be cheaper and average from $1 to $25, while the cost to purchase a AAA game can range from $50 to over $80. The high prices of AAA games can create a barrier for gamers wanting to invest.

Darkstar considers indie to have a smaller barrier for entry, which makes it easier for both gamers and developers to have access. “I think affordability on both sides is probably the number one reason why there is such a rise in indie these days,” says Darkstar. 

However, LeBel does not see price as a barrier when he considers playing a game.“I, as a gamer, have always sort of found that if I love a game and I really feel like it's giving me incredible entertainment value, price is not really a barrier. I'm willing to put money into the games that I love and the products that really entertain me,” he says. For some gamers, price will not be a barrier when considering an indie or AAA game purchase. Others may find it more difficult to afford AAA games, causing them to opt out and choose indie for affordability.

Does High-Budget Production Matter?

Given the increased price of AAA games, this categorizes them as high-budget productions. With the rise of indie games, a question arises — do high-budget productions matter? Carly Sax, a fourth-year professional and Creative Writing major at CWU, does not consider high-budget production a major factor when deciding to play a game. “A game that's a little rough around the edges is not a bad thing. Unless we're talking about an unfinished game. I'm talking like a game that's got a stupid glitch — those are some of the funniest moments you're gonna ever have,” Sax says. 

High-budget games do not always matter to the gamer. Sometimes, a small glitch can make the game more enjoyable. Ryland Rider, a gamer and former CWU student, has similar sentiments. “Some games have millions of dollars poured into them that aren't worth playing and are really shallow, and all of the game plays over in a couple of hours … Then you have the multiplayer that you can totally sink hundreds of hours into. But if you're not into that, you'd be better off buying a smaller, lower-budget story game. Or finding one of the really good big-budget story games,” says Rider. 

Who’s Willing to Take Risks?

When it comes to storytelling and design, some studios are willing to take more risks. Darkstar believes that indie studios and developers are more likely to take risks than AAA studios. He notes that indie studios are more likely to keep their veteran employees around, which helps to foster an environment where developers have a stable foundation to experiment on.

“They will keep their veteran employees and they will build much more stable, polished, and probably much more experimental and risky games,” Darkstar says. “Those are the games that will get attention, and those are the games that will make a bunch of money.” That’s not to suggest that all games that take risks will receive positive feedback.  

According to Darkstar, unlike many indie studios that are willing to experiment and take risks, some AAA studios take a less creative direction by following industry trends. “I think the AAA space becomes less creative with every passing day, because they sort of seem like they just chase trends and what have you,” Darkstar says. “There are creative AAA games, especially Nintendo, but if you're looking for a unique experience, definitely indie is the way to go. There's also really bland, boring indie games. Not every indie game is a home run.”

Is AI Undermining Gamers’ Trust?

Over the last decade, AI has become more commonplace in creative spaces, and the game industry is no exception. Generative AI has been spotted in some recent game releases by studios, causing concern and frustration to some consumers. 

Sax says she is becoming increasingly frustrated and distrustful of current game releases due to the use of generative AI and the increase of games feeling unfinished. “It frustrates me how AAA games often will release them, and it'll be unfinished,” she says. “They expect you to buy it in advance, and then you get the game, and it is a half-finished game, plus AI just makes it feel even shittier.” She suggests this frequent experience might be one of the reasons indie is becoming more popular.

Rider echoes this sentiment and says AI could be a contributing factor to why these games feel unfinished. “AI is definitely going to lead to some games being less visually finished. And I think that it will lead to more unfinished games that then get updated and finished after launch,” says Rider. 

According to Beverly-Porter, these frustrations gamers are feeling regarding AI can be attributed to the loss of a human touch that occurs when AI is used in place of a human employee.“Fans just do not like generative AI included in the process at all. That goes back to especially indie games being really personal, reflections of the lived human experience,” Beverly-Porter says. 

Are COVID-19 Effects Still Being Felt?

Andy Kaplan, assistant professor at DigiPen, suggests the COVID-19 pandemic had a role in the rise of indie. He notes that the game industry expanded at a rapid rate, with many studios hiring new talent, especially from AAA studios – however, around 2022 and 2023, many developers were laid off, leading them to seek employment at other AAA studios or switch to indie. “There was an influx of talent coming out of AAA studios, and those people were looking for work, either at other AAA studios or they're forming new companies or joining smaller studios,” Kaplan says. 

Kaplan adds that the combination of employees leaving AAA studios near the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and the access to more affordable game design tools are major components in the rise of indie. “The availability and accessibility of the tools led to a lot of new studios. So I think you've got a lot of competition and a lot of really talented game developers leaving AAA studios, either by choice or by layoffs and then joining smaller independent studios,” says Kaplan. 

Advice for Future Developers?

LeBel gives his advice to future game developers, who might be worried about the current state of the industry. “I tell my students all the time and I tell gamers anywhere across the whole world; don't give up on games. This is a natural correction. Video games have always been made by people who love the art form [and] really care about entertaining and delighting our audience. That's the way it's always been.” 

LeBel continues to highlight that the industry is on a course correction and there will be a space for developers who love game design to be creative. LeBel adds, “These business guys are going to go away, but the real creators will stick around and things will stabilize; I promise. Don't give up hope.” Although the industry may seem uncertain at times, with the rise of AI used in games and layoffs from larger studios, LeBel encourages the future of game designers to continue their passion for the art form. 

To support indie studios and developers, Darkstar recommends purchasing indie games from the various game stores, such as Steam and Itch.io, when they become discounted. Darkstar also recommends interacting with their content through social media, using hashtags or leaving heartfelt messages and fan art. “I read it all,” he says of social media posts, “and I see the fan art and all that stuff. And genuinely, little fan art or just a nice review or whatever, is enough to keep me going through like the whole day.”

Chris Onorati, Lab Manager and one of the Assistant Instructors of DigiPen’s Game Department, and also Co-Founder of the Rat Zone, suggests that gamers recommend games to their friends. “Word-of-mouth advertising is really how indies live and die,” Onorati says, adding that if you have the finances to purchase an indie game at full price, it can help the developer. “If you feel so inclined and you have the money, but it's never expected, if you buy indie games not on sale, then that just gives a little bit more of the money to the creator.”

Indie and AAA: Is There Space for Both?

It’s easy to pit indie and AAA studios against each other, but Beverly-Porter and Onorati take a more welcoming approach to both sides of the industry. “To any reader or people interested in the topic, I would say that gaming, like all entertainment, is fueled by your passion and your personal interests,” Onarati says. “But if you're also interested in the AAA space, there are huge fans for Zelda, Minecraft and Mario. So at the end of the day… you might not like how the games are being made. I don't think that invalidates your preferences and what you find personally interesting.”

Beverly-Porter agrees. “It's less about replacing AAA games, more about expanding what games can be… It's not a competition, though some people frame it like that.” Instead, she says, there is a place in the industry where both sides can be embraced.