There is no genre where indie games are more embraced and beloved than role-playing games. Small developers have infused the genre with classics for years and are frequently considered to be among the all-time best in the genre, even better than some triple-A titles. This is likely due to the variety of what the genre can offer as well.

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While many earlier indie RPGs have reached a high level of success, the last five years have showcased a terrific run of games in the category that will be remembered for a long time. Those looking for a newer RPG from an indie developer have plenty of games to choose from.

Updated May 22, 2020, by Chris Birsner: As indie RPGs continue to come out, the overall quality of the niche genre continues to increase. Many of the best RPGs have come out within the last five years, so it's worth spotlighting as many as possible to give players some ideas on what indie RPG to play next.

12 Moonlighter (Metacritic Score: 83)

Living a double life can be difficult, but players in Moonlighter should enjoy taking on the many roles of Will. The shopkeeper takes care of his store by day but goes out to fight monsters at night. While in Rynoka village, players will be able to manage what to sell at the store while also setting the prices and managing the money the store has collected. The indie roguelike will task players with taking on monsters while not at the shop, forcing them to carefully study each enemy and understand how to defeat them using both weapons and the environment.

11 Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (84)

Castlevania is considered among one of the greatest action-adventure games of all time, and people have been itching for a new entry for the series. One of the producers that worked on the series was Koji Igarashi, who served as a producer at Konami. After leaving the company, Igarashi decided to start a new studio to create a Castlevania spiritual successor. In the indie RPG Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, an orphan named Miriam is looking to save herself and society from being destroyed by Gebel and must go through a demon-filled castle to do it.

10 Genshin Impact (84)

Developed by Chinese indie developer miHoYo, Genshin Impact is an action RPG that takes place in the fantastical world of Teyvat. This world is home to seven different nations, each with a God that rules over it. Players are the Traveler, a twin who is looking for their sibling somewhere in the world. Joined by Paimon, they must get involved with the gods and nations in order to find where the other twin went. Players can travel the open world in a party of up to four characters, controlling only one of them at a time.

9 Pyre (85)

Supergiant Games has risen as one of the more successful indie developers out there, especially when it comes to role-playing games. While they are currently known for a recent Game of the Year candidate, their previous title, called Pyre, was also well-received.

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Set in a high fantasy world, players are thrown into sporty gameplay matches known as "Rites." At the same time, players learn about the story through a hyperlink system and must gather materials to help their team get better at these "combat" sections.

8 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (85)

Despite being released by major publishers, RPG 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is the work of indie team Vanillaware. The plot of the game revolves around thirteen high school students who live in Japan during the 1980s. Early on in the game, the group is forced into a war set in the future that is a fight between Kaijus and mechs. The game is a side-scrolling adventure game with a combat system that takes place in real-time. Players will also need to explore and talk to people in order to advance the narrative while also examining scenes in Analysis mode.

7 CrossCode (86)

While the game was out in early access, indie RPG CrossCode was officially released in September 2018. From developer Radical Fish Games, this action RPG is stylized like an old-school SNES game and is set in the future. The player is Lea who is playing a fictional MMORPG called "CrossWorlds." The game revolves around the conflicts and interactions that take place in the game she is playing. The game features a fast-paced real-time combat system as well as various puzzles that will need to be solved as the game goes on.

6 Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (86)

When thinking about classic role-playing games by major developers, Nintendo's Paper Mario games from the early-2000s come to mind. To the ire of some fans, the developers have moved away from what they feel made the series' first two installments a solid turn-based RPG. Moonsprout Games felt similarly, and thus Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling was born. Players take on the role of three insects as they explore Bugaria in search of treasure and eternal life. Like its inspiration, the game uses paper-like aesthetics and turn-based combat.

5 West Of Loathing (87)

Those looking for a good laugh will enjoy heading to the wild west in West of Loathing by Asymmetric Publications. Players are able to explore an open world filled with different quests and puzzles that can be conquered. The game is stylized like a silly black-and-white drawing as all the characters are stick figures. It also uses a turn-based combat system where players can showcase a class they choose near the beginning of the game: Beanslinger, Cow Puncher, or Snake Oiler. Plus, players can choose a wide variety of hats to wear on their adventure.

4 Pillars Of Eternity II: Deadfire (88)

Before Obsidian Entertainment was an Xbox Game Studio, it was considered one of the most successful indie developers out there with multiple hits since its start. One of its last titles before being purchased was the sequel to one of its highly successful role-playing games.

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Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire once again puts players in the role of the Watcher, an individual with the ability to read people's souls. The game focuses on traveling the open seas on a ship and also dealing with enemies once on land. Players can choose between classes that each have four subclasses.

3 Disco Elysium (91)

Role-playing games tend to have a focus on combat, but that is not at all the case in Disco Elysium. In a game by ZA/UM, players start as a detective who is struggling with amnesia and initially learn nothing about the character as they are thrown into solving a murder mystery. The game focuses on skill checks and dialogue to drive the gameplay. Players have a set of 24 different skills that they can upgrade throughout their journey that can help get to the bottom of what is really going on in the game.

2 Hades (93)

Supergiant Games' most recent game was considered one of the best games of 2020. Hades is a roguelike where the player character, Zagreus, is attempting to escape the Underworld and his father Hades to make it to Mount Olympus. The game is presented in "runs" that the player must go through. When going through a series of rooms, players will face hack-and-slash style combat that, if they survive, can earn them rewards that can help with continuing the run and may even help in future runs as well.

1 Divinity: Original Sin II (93)

Another sequel that was given high praise by critics, Divinity: Original Sin II is even considered by some to be the best role-playing game of all time. The game is based in the world of Rivellon where the barrier between it and the Void has begun to fade, leading to Voidwoken crossing into the main world and beginning to feed off of the Source power citizens of Rivellon have. Players are able to control their party as they explore vast lands, choose different paths, and battle in turn-based combat. The game can be played either alone or in a cooperative mode.

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