Indie games are the font of so much refreshing, interesting and radical game design and writing that if you're only sticking to mainstream releases from major publishers we can confidently say that you're missing out on some really singular experiences.

The PlayStation 4 has been home to a huge number of indie games over the course of its lifespan, with more coming out all the time, so it's been a challenging task to narrow down the very best options for you on the platform. Here, are our top picks for indie games on PS4.

Best indie games for PS4 2022: The best independently-published titles for PlayStation 4 photo 1
Disco Elysium
1. Best overall

Gripping writing

The best writing in any recent game, and total freedom to craft your own path through a mystery.

Pros
  • Amazing writing
  • Total freedom
  • Great art style
Cons
  • Too wordy for some

The most ambitious RPG you'll find on PS4 is also an indie game from a small team - Disco Elysium is jaw-droppingly well-written and lets you go about a complex murder investigation in almost any way you could think of. You play a damaged and amnesiac detective, so the scope for bad decisions is just huge.

They're all adapted to, and the dialogue system is incredibly impressive. With full voice acting, the PS4 version is a great choice and we can guarantee you won't forget the game's story in a hurry. A game that as many people as possible should get to play.

Best indie games for PS4 2022: The best independently-published titles for PlayStation 4 photo 10
Hollow Knight
2. Superb exploration

Brilliant platforming

An amazing subterranean world to explore and loads of bosses to conquer.

Pros
  • Great art
  • Loads to explore
  • Rewarding combat
Cons
  • Gets tough in places

Another marvel from a tiny team, Hollow Knight builds on the ace traditions of Metroid and Castlevania with a side-scrolling adventure through a huge map that you'll uncover piece by piece while getting stronger and acquiring new skills.

It's a fabulous time with beautiful hand-drawn art and loads of enemies to fight, with excellent and difficult boss encounters. Once you're on top of the mechanics, the optional post-game content is a feast for the most hardcore gamers among us.

Best indie games on Xbox One 2022: The top independent games for Microsoft's console photo 4
What Remains of Edith Finch
3. Impactful story

Affecting storytelling

A brilliant set of stories that come together into an affecting web.

Pros
  • Gorgeous story
  • Incredibly inventive
  • Really moving
Cons
  • Not a long game

A ravishing story about a family of unlucky individuals, Edith Finch is told with dazzling invention. You explore the life stories of family members through short vignettes that transport you to other worlds and have you controlling toy frogs, bundles of kites and more besides.

It all looks and sounds gorgeous, and there's a melancholy offbeat tone to it all that lives with you afterwards. What Remains of Edith Finch is a masterpiece, but also happens to be an ideal game for those new to gaming.

Best indie games for PS4 2022: The best independently-published titles for PlayStation 4 photo 3
Hades
4. Great action

Tight combat

A brilliant roguelike that holds no prisoners but incentivises you with excellent story beats.

Pros
  • Great combat
  • Excellent writing
  • Totally moreish
Cons
  • Can be challenging early on

With incredibly tight combat a structure that changes every time you begin a new run, Hades is a superb roguelike that can take ages to really master. However, what elevates it into the stratosphere is its wonderful approach to story, which constantly lays out breadcrumbs for you as you try and try again.

You'll try to escape the realm of the death god countless times, but each one will teach you something either about a gameplay mechanic or about a character, and that rewarding progression is an endless treat, even once you've drained the story dry.

Best indie games on Xbox One 2022: The top independent games for Microsoft's console photo 6
Inside
5. Brilliant vibe

Superb style

An amazing ride from start to finish, Inside is a game that deserves to be played without knowing much about it.

Pros
  • Amazingly paced
  • Visual style is superb
  • Unpredictable
Cons
  • A one-way journey

A short and sweet delight, Inside is a bizarre side-scroller that silently tells a crazy story of dystopian technology gone wrong - to say much more would be to spoil a simply sublime late-game twist, but you absolutely have to play it all the way through.

With some simple puzzles, the pleasure here is more in just seeing how things unfold, and it gets pretty hectic by the end. That it's bundled with the also-iconic Limbo makes sure you get two superb games in one, too.

Best indie games for PS4 2022: The best independently-published titles for PlayStation 4 photo 12
Stardew Valley
6. So chilled

Soothing farming

There's nothing quite as calming as Stardew Valley, or as wholesome.

Pros
  • So wholesome
  • Loads to do
  • Replay value
Cons
  • Pretty slow going

One of the most popular indie releases of all time, Stardew Valley has attracted legions of fans thanks to its chilled-out and laid-back gameplay loop, in which you escape a city's drudgery to take over your grandfather's rural farm.

You'll make friends and form bonds, learn how to work the land, go mining and fishing, and much more besides, and do all of it with lovely background music and charming art, all of it hand-crafted by its sole developer.

Best indie games for PS4 2022: The best independently-published titles for PlayStation 4 photo 6
Journey
7. Modern classic

Soulful pilgrimage

A brilliant game that has legions of fans thanks to its beautiful looks.

Pros
  • Gorgeous visuals
  • Amazing soundtrack
  • Soulful journey
Cons
  • Not the most action-packed

Journey is titled accurately, offering the chance to go on a pilgrimage that looks like it'll be a solo adventure before you find yourself paired up with strangers over the internet at opportune moments. With beautiful, simple geometry and lovely rhythmic traversal, it's got some memorable sights to see.

Its themes are simple, but they're evoked really skillfully, and the music that accompanies the game is sublime, making for a really contemplative, even meditative experience that we dip back into every few years.

Best indie games for PS4 2022: The best independently-published titles for PlayStation 4 photo 9
Celeste
8. Brilliant controls

Tight jumps

A platformer that's tough but totally fair.

Pros
  • Tight platforming
  • Nice story
  • Loads of post-game content
Cons
  • Not an easy game

One of the tighest and most accomplished platformers released in recent years, Celeste will have you performing maneuvres you didn't think yourself capable of by the end of its climb to the top of a frightful mountain.

Along the way, it tells a heartfelt story about self-belief and identity that's delicately handled but still makes a nice impact, and it's a superb shout for anyone who yearns for a retro platformer that takes some time to master.

Stray review: A cat's-eye view photo 7
Stray
9. Cult hit

A cat's world

A brilliant game that gives you a cat's-eye view of a post-apocalyptic world, it's inventive and fun to play.

Pros
  • Really fun tone
  • Rewarding controls
  • Interesting world
Cons
  • Not very complex
  • Occasionally wonky

A lovely game in which you play as a cute little cat that gets sucked into matters it might normally not be able to understand. Thankfully, a friendly robot drone can help you interpret the world and figure out how to escape from a huge underground city.

It's got plenty of mystery but also a surprising amount of visual class given the small team that created it, and with a nice short runtime Stray is a great way to play through a fun and unique story without needing hundreds of hours spare.

Best indie games on PS5 2022: Top independent games for the PlayStation 5 photo 4
The Pathless
10. Lovely visuals

Amazing movement

A game that makes merely moving around its map endlessly fun and satisfying.

Pros
  • Great movement mechanics
  • Nice, simple story
  • Impactful visuals
Cons
  • Slightly repetitive

We really enjoy the artistic look that The Pathless brings to proceedings, along with its soothing and satisfying core mechanic, which sees you timing arrow shots as you move to build up speed.

You journey around ravaged lands helping to cleanse huge monsters of corruption, fighting back against an evil presence that is slowly killing the world, and each area looks beautiful and distinct from the last. It's a simple game, but a really well-made one, and we'd recommend it to anyone.

How to pick your next indie game on PS4

There are so many indie games for the PlayStation 4 of all different genres that picking one can be a bit of a nightmare. That's why we recommend checking out the following questions, which could well help you narrow things down a bit.

What genres do you prefer?

As we mentioned, indie games come out across all genres, so we'd recommend considering what types you might prefer to play - whether that's a platformer, an RPG, an FPS or any number of other options. This will help you to come up with a smaller shortlist of options.

How important are visuals?

Indie games are able to employ a huge range of visual styles, and while we think variety is the spice of life, it's worth thinking over whether you like, for example, 2D art or would rather a 3D art style. The games we've listed have a variety of looks, so that could swing you one way or the other.

Do you want a gripping story?

Some indie games are all about the mechanics, offering up the chance to learn some complex gameplay patterns and get better at a control scheme or set of combos, and others offer up more story-driven experiences. This is something that can divide the games a little, so if you're more interested in exploring an interesting tale, that's something to bear in mind as you do your research.