Summary
There are so many interesting games coming out almost every week, and it’s nearly impossible to keep up with them all. While projects from major developers likeFromSoftwareand Naughty Dog often find success due to an association with a popular brand, smaller titles are often lost in the shuffle, despite being just as good as, if not better than, the biggest games of the year.
It’s hard for an indie studio to stand out from the crowd, but there are a handful of development studios that have consistently launched impressive games that distinguish themselves with unique visuals, mechanics, or narratives. They might not behousehold names like Nintendo or Capcom, but these developers have created some spectacular experiences and deserve more attention.
811 Bit Studios
Founded by former members of CD Projekt Red and Metropolis Software in 2010, 11 Bit Studios has gained recognition for crafting tense games that often require players to make difficult choices that can impact the outcome of their playthrough. 2014’s This War of Mine helped put 11 Bit Studios on people’s radars, but their next game, Frostpunk, catapulted them to the next level.
The success of Frostpunk led to more opportunities for 11 Bit Studios, including allowing them to publish games from other developers like Moonlighter, Children of Morta, and Indika. The team has continued to find success with Frostpunk 2 and 2025’s The Alters, so it would be a good strategy to keep an eye open for the next game they make.
7Too Kyo Games
Too Kyo Games was co-founded by legendary developers Kazutaka Kodaka (Danganronpa) and Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape series) after they left Spike Chunsoft to pursue their own ambitions. If you’re a fan of either of the creators' approaches to storytelling or their visual styles, it’s worth diving into this studio’s catalog to see how they’ve grown since moving on from the series that helped make them popular.
Though the first couple of games under Too Kyo’s umbrella didn’t reach the same heights as either the Zero Escape series or Danganronpa, the studio hasrecently hit its stride with 2025’s The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy. This adventure brings together the best parts from both of its creators' former projects and pushes the genre forward in exciting new ways.
6Grasshopper Manufacture
Grasshopper Manufacture is known for creating punk-fueled action games with Kafkaesque storylines that almost feel like fever-dreams when you play through them. Unlike many of the other underrated studios on this list, this studio has actually been around since 1998 and works with a variety of publishers to help them make their dream games into a reality.
Grasshopper Manufacture is synonymous with video game director Suda-51, whose unique style has helped define the studio and the games they create. Popular hits like Killer7 and the No More Heroes trilogy are the best examples of what to expect from the Japan-based development studio, but they’re also known for throwing out curveballs, like Sine Mora and Diabolical Pitch, an Xbox 360 game that required the Kinect accessory.
5Thunder Lotus Games
Thunder Lotus is a Canadian developer that began when the founder created a Kickstarter to fund the studio’s first game, Jotun. Launching in 2015, the game instantly caught people’s attention with its satisfying gameplay, world-building, and a stunning, hand-drawn art style that continues to be a defining feature of every Thunder Lotus experience.
One of the most interesting aspects about Thunder Lotus is that the studio is constantly exploring new genres instead of revisiting the same one over and over again, unlike other developers who only become known for creating a certain type of game. From Spiritfarer, which is a cozy management-type experience, to 33 Immortals, a roguelike with online multiplayer, the team is constantly exploring new ideas and continues to find success with each one.
4Kaizen Game Works
Kaizen Game Works has developed two games since it was founded in 2018, and both of them have proven that this studio is creating some of the most surprising and unique adventure games of the generation. It’s hard to compare Paradise Killer or Promise Mascot Agency to any other game, which is a rare claim to have in an industry that loves to rinse and repeat certain ideas to oblivion.
Everything from the visual style to the soundtracks for both of these titles oozes a cool aura that makes you feel like you’ve entered a secret club that nobody else has heard of. If Kaizen Game Works can continue its trend of creating immersive worlds with memorable characters and stories, it could secretly become one of the best innovators of the adventure genre since Myst helped popularize it in 1993.
3Nomada Studio
Similar to Kaizen Game Works, Nomada Studio has only released two games so far, but both of them are so distinct and compelling that the developers have already created a strong reputation for themselves. Both Gris and Neva areadventure games with platforming elements and puzzles to solve, but the most impressive aspect of both adventures is how they weave stunning visuals with music to stir emotions within the player.
Nomada Studia is located in Barcelona and was founded by former Ubisoft employees who wanted to break free from the triple-A world so they could bring their own ideas to life. Both games depict their stories with very few words or dialogue, but the visual and audio elements are so strong that you won’t need to hear a conversation to know how the main characters are feeling at any point in these gripping adventures.
2Simogo
Mobile games can have a bad reputation for having predatory gacha mechanics or misleading advertising, but Swedish-based developer Simogo has been reminding players of the platform’s potential since it launched its first game, Kosmo Spin, on the App Store in 2010. For the next few years, Simogo would continue to focus on the mobile market with highly-acclaimed games like Bumpy Road and Beat Sneak Bandit.
Despite constantly working on exciting and creative games throughout the 2010s, Simogo truly blew up with its spectacular Sayonara Wild Hearts in 2019, which mixes rhythm-based gameplay with exciting visuals that make you feel like you’re living inside a pop album from the future. Both Sayonara Wild Hearts and 2024’s Lorelei and the Laser Eyes launched on consoles, which could factor into the studio’s sudden burst of popularity.
1Strange Scaffold
Strange Scaffold might be the hardest-working development studio in the industry, which is a shame because it still feels like not many people are aware of the fantastic games it’s been putting out at an extremely impressive rate. The studio has already released eleven games since 2021, and all of them have a unique twist or idea that helps them stand out in a crowded market.
From Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator to Clickolding and Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3, Strange Scaffold’s approach to creating games usually involves turning a genre on its head by subverting player expectations. Nearly every game in its library is worth checking out for one reason or another, and it doesn’t seem like the studio plans on slowing down anytime soon.
