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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we are showcasing the most successful indie games ever
00:14released from both a financial and critical standpoint. To clarify, when we say indie,
00:20we mean the modern definition that began to take form in the 2000s.
00:30But before we get into it, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe
00:37and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:41Braid
00:49With its time-bending mechanics and charming storybook art style,
00:53Braid made a huge impact when it was released in 2008. Pretty much everyone who played it
00:59thought the world of it, and creator Jonathan Blow and his team earned multiple awards for
01:04their efforts. Not only that, but Braid earned around $6 million, a sizable chunk of cash for
01:10a self-published game back then that Blow used to finance his next game. It's considered by many to
01:16be an influential stepping stone in moving indie games into the mainstream. Sadly, the 2024 remaster
01:23didn't fare so well, with Blow referring to sales as quote, utterly terrible. Still,
01:28as far as the original goes, it deserves its inclusion and our respect.
01:40Celeste
01:41For fans of ultra-hard platformers, 2018's Celeste more than delivered mechanically,
01:55but it also had a touching story at its heart that made it resonate deeply with players and
02:00carried it into the limelight. Madeline's struggle to reach the mountain's peak garnered
02:06reviews from all outlets, and earned a passionate following of speedrunners.
02:11That's not to mention several awards, including indie accolades at the Dice and Game Awards,
02:17as well as endless praise for Lena Raine's incredible score. At a million copies sold
02:23within its first two years, there are certainly higher selling indie games on our list,
02:28but the sheer amount of love Celeste has gained from the industry and its community can't be
02:33ignored. Cave Story
02:50During the birth of the modern indie game era, one game paved the way for future possibilities,
02:56and that game was Cave Story. Long before every other indie release was a Metroidvania,
03:02Cave Story perfected the format with incredible level design and gameplay that made it near
03:08impossible to put down. All this glory from a one-man development team in Daisuke Amaya.
03:15While it was initially only released on PC in Japan, Nicalis worked with Amaya to bring it
03:20to other platforms around the world, including an enhanced port and a 3D version for Nintendo's
03:27handheld. These days, it's still considered a monumental turning point in indie game development.
03:43Castle Crashers
03:51Sometimes, a game does something so well that you just want to keep playing it forever.
03:57Castle Crashers was released in 2008. With a silly medieval premise, wacky sense of humor,
04:03and addictive multiplayer mechanics, it instantly blew up on Xbox Live Arcade.
04:08If you had a 360 and were a fan of beat-em-ups, chances are good you got sucked right in. It was
04:15so easy to pick up and play with friends or strangers, garnering a ton of love in an era
04:20where these types of games had mostly disappeared. By 2019, the game had sold 20 million copies,
04:28and we doubt its legacy will ever fade.
04:38PAL World
04:39Ah yes, the Pokemon with guns game. Everyone knew what to expect when PAL World released
04:53in early 2024, and as the game's sales show, it's also exactly what they wanted.
04:59This blend of adorable critters with massive weapon armories is undeniably absurd, but most
05:06players couldn't refuse the allure, and were happy to fork over their hard-earned cash to
05:11developer and publisher PocketPair, who has since released several updates and expansions.
05:16PAL World sold 8 million copies during its first week on Steam,
05:21and after a month, it had climbed to 15 million. While its player base has since declined,
05:27and we doubt it'll be much of an award winner, those numbers cannot be denied.
05:36Human Fall Flat
05:49For some games, all it takes is a simple yet addictive premise to pull in millions of players.
05:55No Brakes Games' Human Fall Flat is a puzzler that uses physics-based gameplay to get through
06:01a variety of obstacles. For the vast majority of them, multiple solutions exist, which is precisely
06:08where the fun comes from. With so many ways to complete puzzles, you're given freedom to tackle
06:13them how you see fit. While it wasn't nearly as big a critical darling as others on this list,
06:18Human Fall Flat has outsold nearly all of them. By the end of 2023, it had sold 15 million copies
06:25across a plethora of platforms, and a sequel is currently in development.
06:37No Man's Sky
06:46With its disappointing launch far in the rear view, No Man's Sky has long been heralded now
06:52as one of the best live service games on the market. Even at the start, anticipation was so
06:58high that it sold mountains of copies. However, those sales likely would have ceased there if
07:04not for developer and publisher Hello Games' continued support, updates, and expansions.
07:10That all being free certainly doesn't hurt matters either. Over the years, the game has brought in
07:16tons of new players and revenue, as well as earned multiple awards, most of which have been for its
07:21evolution and ongoing nature. Terraria
07:402D action games are a dime a dozen in the indie space, but Terraria has a variety of
07:46elements that make it stand out. Within its procedurally generated biomes, players have
07:51loved getting lost while exploring, crafting, and battling hordes of monsters that stand in their
07:56way. Since its release in 2011, developer ReLogic has also issued several updates that have added
08:03new enemies, weapons, modes, gameplay elements, and quality of life features, delighting long-time
08:09fans and bringing in tons of new ones. Across the multitude of platforms you can find it on,
08:15Terraria has sold nearly 60 million copies as of 2024.
08:28The Binding of Isaac
08:38Originally developed as a Flash game, The Binding of Isaac blended the structure of
08:42classic Zelda games with roguelike style and a twisted premise. As players took the unfortunate
08:49Isaac through a monster-infested dungeon, they basked in its dark, bizarre nature and
08:54challenging difficulty, and that brought the developers endless success. The game has since
09:00gone on to be remade in 2014, with Rebirth also receiving several well-received expansions as its
09:06player base grew, one of which let those players create their own content to suck them in even
09:11further. With so many characters, monsters, power-ups, and ways to play,
09:16The Binding of Isaac has retained a thriving following over the years.
09:28Super Meat Boy
09:30In 2010, there was simply nothing like Super Meat Boy. Across a multitude of brutal platforming
09:45levels, the unwavering Meat Boy braved nearly every type of trap to rescue his girlfriend,
09:50Bandage Girl, from the vile Dr. Fetus. Unapologetically weird in its setup,
09:56what truly had players unable to step away was its beautiful simplicity and agonizingly
10:02difficult obstacles. Every level was something to be conquered, which means they all gave players
10:08bite-sized levels of satisfaction upon completion that added up to a phenomenal experience.
10:13It sold a million copies within two years of release,
10:17and has kept growing in popularity, even getting a sequel in 2020.
10:26Rocket League
10:39As it would turn out, blending rocket-powered derby cars with football, or
10:44soccer for those of you in the states, was a genius idea. Psyonix's Rocket League shot into
10:49the popularity stratosphere when it was released in 2015, where it has remained for years.
10:56Through constant updates with new modes and vehicles spanning all corners of pop culture,
11:01it became an unstoppable multiplayer juggernaut. Within three years of its release,
11:07it had amassed 10 million copies and became a bona fide esports title. That's not to mention
11:13a lot of love from critics, as well as multiple best sports game and post-launch support awards
11:19from different organizations.
11:29Hades
11:38Supergiant made a name for itself with isometric action games, but Hades was something special.
11:44It was instantly praised for not only how it adapted figures from Greek mythology,
11:49but how its stories, characters, and mechanics evolved through the roguelike process of dying
11:55over and over again. The incredible music, art style, and voice acting only solidified
12:00its greatness. While in early access, it sold 700,000 copies and reached a million only three
12:07days after its official launch. It then went on to win a bevy of best indie awards, as well as
12:13those that highlighted its performances, design, and writing. To the surprise of no one, a sequel
12:19was announced two years later. Among Us
12:33While it wasn't initially a big success, Among Us later proved it just arrived a little too early.
12:39When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, and many of us turned to video games as a way to stay
12:45connected, that's when the game blew up. Through streamers on Twitch and YouTube, it found a huge
12:52audience, and that got developer InnerSloth the recognition it deserved. The same year it gained
12:57popularity, it reached 10 million sales on Steam alone, and earned a few awards in the process.
13:04It was so successful that InnerSloth was able to create its own publishing division,
13:09and an animated series is currently in the works.
13:20Cuphead
13:28As soon as we got a look at Studio MDHR's Cuphead, we knew it was going to be a hit.
13:35The old-timey, hand-drawn animation and music immediately got everyone interested.
13:40Even the intense difficulty of its bosses couldn't keep swarms of players from diving in.
13:45Unsurprisingly, it earned multiple awards for its art style, animation, and music.
13:51Speaking of which, its soundtrack was the best selling jazz album in years.
13:56By 2020, Cuphead had reached 6 million copies sold, and in 2022, it got both an animated
14:03adaptation from Netflix and an expansion, the equally challenging Delicious Last Course.
14:09Whether the studio develops a sequel or a different hand-drawn masterpiece next,
14:14Cuphead is an impressive foundation.
14:24Hollow Knight
14:34Speaking of hand-drawn masterpieces, Team Cherry's Hollow Knight stunned players with
14:38its wonderful, macabre setting and level design that kept us all digging deeper.
14:43The mysteries of Hallownest paired incredibly well with the Metroidvania structure,
14:48while its tough difficulty made beating every boss and obstacle satisfying.
14:53Two years after release, it had sold around 3 million copies, earned a few notable awards,
14:59and seen four DLC expansions, all of which were released for free.
15:04It has also garnered a passionate following of fans, who consider it not only one of the best
15:10indies, but one of the best video games in general. Team Cherry announced a sequel,
15:16Silksong, in 2019, though as of writing, we're still waiting on a release date.
15:28Stardew Valley
15:29Filling the void left by Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley became THE farming sim to end all others.
15:42Its premise is as simple as it should be. Your grandpa leaves you a run-down farm in a small
15:47town, an opportunity to escape the overbearing city life. It is undeniably quaint and relaxing,
15:54but the game expands in unique directions as you continue to play. You'll unlock new areas,
16:00delve into caves with deadly monsters in search of resources, connect with the surprisingly
16:05touching townsfolk, and if you so choose, even marry and have children with one of them.
16:10Developer Concerned Ape has also kept updating the game for free over the years to the joy of
16:16many, and by 2024, it had sold 30 million copies.
16:26Shovel Knight
16:34With Shovel Knight, Yacht Club Games took all the best elements from NES action platformers
16:40and blended them into one glorious concoction. It was exactly what the industry needed,
16:47being funded through one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns at that point.
16:52Its visuals, gameplay, music, and the dastardly order of no quarter were all
16:58instantly praised as great replicas from games of old. Simply put, it was just a blast to play.
17:04Naturally, Yacht Club supported the game for several years through DLC featuring new campaigns
17:10that focused on some of the villains, and it produced a couple of spinoffs as well.
17:14Shovel Knight himself became a star, making cameo appearances in multiple games both big and small.
17:27Undertale
17:28There are untold numbers of AAA games that could never dream of matching the cultural impact of
17:42Undertale. Inspired by his love of Earthbound, Toby Fox created a strange, lovable world filled
17:48with oddly deep characters and some of the best video game music we've ever heard.
17:53The way it adapts to how you play, leading to different paths, has inspired unwavering love
18:00in players, many of whom have paid tribute with mountains of artwork, fan videos, and even their
18:06own games. The cult following of Undertale continues to grow years after release,
18:11with Fox also creating a spiritual successor in Deltarune to deepen their admiration.
18:16Five Nights at Freddy's
18:30Not only did Scott Cawthon create a ridiculously popular horror game in Five Nights at Freddy's,
18:36but its success led to one of the biggest video game franchises in the world. The concept of
18:42taking something many of us experienced in childhood and turning it evil, in this case
18:47a group of animatronic animal friends, is something many have tried to replicate since,
18:52though none have quite measured up. Sure, it wasn't as big a critical success as other indie
18:57games, but that hardly matters when it has earned boatloads of money, spinoffs, novels, and even a
19:03live-action movie adaptation from Blumhouse in 2023. It doesn't seem like Freddy will be slowing
19:09down any time soon. Minecraft
19:28While this list isn't necessarily ranked, Minecraft is objectively the most successful
19:35indie game that has ever been released. Created by Marcus Notchperson and officially released in
19:412011, the sandbox survival game has only managed to grow bigger and bigger. Microsoft bought the
19:47IP in 2014 for $2.5 billion, and it has since become the best-selling video game of all time,
19:55with 300 million copies sold as of 2023. We've seen it cross over with everything from Super
20:01Mario to Spongebob to Fallout. There have also been a ton of updates to it over the years that
20:07have only made it easier to spend hours upon hours meticulously building worlds. Additionally,
20:13it has its own convention, a few spinoffs, and is getting a live-action movie adaptation in 2025.
20:20What other indie games blew up to mainstream success, and which have you supported since
20:31the beginning? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays for
20:35more great gaming videos every day. Thanks for watching. If you enjoyed the video,
20:47there's more where that came from.