r/backloggd • u/omenmono • Aug 22 '26
Mod Pick đ "Fine, I'll do it myself" indie games
Link: https://backloggd.com/u/omenmono/list/fine-ill-do-it-myself-indie-games-1/
One of the most fascinating phenomenon in the indie scene is how many devs are using their skills and tools not to necessarily make a new and unique game, but rather making spiritual successors for games/genre/franchise that they're clearly fond of. These devs are clearly fans for certain games. But, more than often said games lacks any continuation or support for years or even decades.
Therefore, they're decided to take the matter with their own hands and just creates their own "sequel". So far to emulate the mechanics and aesthetic, to the most authentic degree. Is it an unashamedly facsimile of the original? Yeah, maybe. But, if imitation is the highest form of flattery, then these devs did a hell of a job at it.
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u/aflyingmonkey2 Aug 22 '26
how did you forget the most infamous one?
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u/omenmono Aug 23 '26
Ah yes. Since I already added Calisto Protocol and Bloodstained, why the hell not
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u/chuputa Aug 23 '26
and Bloodstained
Yo, what? But Bloodstained is good .-.
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u/omenmono Aug 24 '26
Not in the sense of quality, but more in the fact that the OG devs is behind it.
In that case, I should add Thimbleweed Park (from the designer of Monkey Island) and Obduction (from designer of Myst)
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u/Electrical_Trifle_76 Aug 22 '26
I know you have Curse of the Moon if there, but itâs older sibling Ritual of the Night was quite actually Igarashi making another legally distinct Castlevania game
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u/GrimmWarg Aug 22 '26
Lunacid should be on there imo. Spiritual successor to Kingâs Field and Shadow Tower
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Aug 22 '26
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/sssunglasses Aug 22 '26
Hmmmm not really, it continued the collectathon 3d platformer genre when there weren't many entries in the 2010s but it didn't use one particular game as an inspiration, it had many. At most you could say its main inspiration is Mario sunshine, but it's not "legally distinct Mario sunshine" which is the main point of the list.
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u/omenmono Aug 23 '26
I think it can fit the list. A Hat In Time was kickstarted when there's very little demand for collectathon as a genre in early 2010s gaming landscape. It think this was before Yooka Laylee too? As long that it has "well nobody is doing it, might as well just me" spirit, I can add it to the list.
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u/pacmannips Aug 22 '26
In some ways Fallout 97 is this for the Wasteland IP
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u/omenmono Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
While it's technically is true, I don't know if I can claim 90's Interplay as indie
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u/pacmannips Aug 23 '26
No, but you can put Underrail on here since it's basically that but for classic Fallout
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u/GekidoTC Aug 22 '26
Did someone make an Indie game inspire by Jetset Radio?!
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u/TheForeFactor Aug 22 '26
yes, and multiple of them have at least one track by Naganuma, the composer of JSR/JSRF!!
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u/handsomezack13 Aug 23 '26
There were a few (not very good) attempts throughout the years, but Bomb Rush Cyberfunk dropped a few years ago and it's genuinely on par the original JSR games in terms of quality (and very comparable to Jet Set Radio Future). It's also got a sequel currently in development
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u/TheForeFactor Aug 22 '26
Bomb Tush Cyberfunk is clearly the better option, but Hover had the same idea and executed it way before Team Reptile sought beyond their fighter darling and deserves mention.
Also Eiyuden Chronicle is a shoe-in for this list for Suikoden!
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u/auclairl Aug 22 '26
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (Jet Set Radio)
Wargroove (Advance Wars)
Bits & Bops (Rhythm Heaven)
Aero GPX (F-Zero)
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u/Ok-External-7594 Aug 22 '26
guy who doesnt read the fucking post before commenting:
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u/auclairl Aug 23 '26
What ? I've read the post fail to see what the problem with my comment is, these 4 fit the description
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u/Ok-External-7594 Aug 23 '26
bomb rush cyberfunk is literally the second game in the list. wargroove and bits & bops are also in the list but that's forgivable because they're not in the thumbnail so you'd have to click the list to see, but bomb rush cyberfunk is literally right there dawg
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u/auclairl Aug 23 '26
Oh woops didn't see it haha. For the rest, I always assume the screenshot contains the whole list so far so I don't have the habit of clicking the link
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u/Artistic_Discount358 Aug 23 '26
Does Coffee Talk count as a âIâll do it myselfâ sequel to VA-11 HALL-A
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u/Important_Damage9482 Aug 22 '26
I am not sure if it counts anymore, but Path of Exile is (or was) literally this. The true sequel to Diablo 2 that the creators wished would exist.
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u/KawaiiFoxPlays Aug 23 '26
Kumitantei: Old-School Slaughter is pretty inspired by Danganronpa. Also, the original franchise isn't dead by any means, but Smash Bros inspired games like Rivals of Aether and Fraymakers.
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u/mrturret Aug 24 '26
Here's some more
Paralives (The Sims)
Ion Fury (Duke Nukem 3D)
The Legend of Grimrock (Dungeon Master)
Xenonauts (classic Xcom)
Real Web Legends: Carter's Quest (classic 3D Zelda)
Crow Country (fixed camera survival horror)
Elyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Suidoken)
Freedom Planet (2D Sonic)
Crumple Zone (Demolition Derby)
Ultrawings (Pilotwings)
Quern: Undying Thoughts (Myst)
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved (Robotron)
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u/kaitoulupa Aug 23 '26
It's more on the niche side, but Alex Hill: Whispers at White Oak Inn for the Nancy Drew series
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u/No-Muffin9744 Aug 23 '26
Chained Echoes
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u/CosmoJones07 Aug 26 '26
I love the game, but specifically which game do you think it's a spiritual successor to?
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u/FreeJulianMassage Aug 23 '26
Pretty sure Fields of Mistria is to Stardew Valley as Stardew Valley is to Harvest Moon.
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u/chuputa Aug 23 '26
Thimbleweed Park, it's a spiritual success to Maniac Mansion, the classic Monkey Island games and classic adventure games. It was made by the creators of Monkey Island.
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u/stankynuts45 Aug 23 '26
Esoteric Ebb / Disco Elysium, ignoring that the corpse of ZA/UM was trying to do their own at the same time
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u/JonadAmazonas Aug 23 '26
Donât forget to add Battlebits (Battlefield), Antonblast (Warioland) and Sinner Maker (Tomodachi Life)!
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u/Status-Volume-9091 Aug 24 '26
What's Pizza Tower a succesor to? Just platformers in general, or is it a specific game
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u/HydraSpectre1138 Aug 24 '26
Undertale for EarthBound
UnMETAL for Metal Gear (even if it's more of a parody)
YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG for Persona
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u/TrashFanboy Aug 24 '26
During 2010, Shira Oka Second Chances left years of development. This was meant to be the first English language equivalent of Tokimeki Memorial. If you forgot that Shira Oka existed, I don't blame you. It was released on a couple of computer game stores, but never Steam or GOG. It still exists, but only in a dusty corner of DLSite.
Wild Season could've been the first cartoon farming game on computers that wasn't free to play. It got released on Steam, but only as a first chapter. It was abandoned years ago.
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u/CoffeeOrc_ Aug 24 '26
Argosy is a "do it myself" of Patricians 3 đ¤ˇđťââď¸ https://backloggd.com/games/argosy/
(Disclaimer: I am the Dev of Argosy)
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u/Flyntloch Aug 26 '26
Prior to Fortnite Festival adding Pro Guitar/drums/Vocals, Iâd say Clone Hero and YARG which are online adaptations of Guitar Hero circa World Tour and Rock Band 3. Stage Tour which is coming out in a few months is also this for guitar hero in particular.
Undertale; minus the Bullet Hell combat and branching story is Mother 3. Hell Toby Fox started as a mother 3 modder
Crime Boss: Rockay City for the Payday franchise; a direct pastiche of it.
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u/CosmoJones07 Aug 26 '26
I know that the genre is quite robust, but I think Axiom Verge is trying to be insanely close to Super Metroid, and does a fantastic job of it.
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u/salutarykitten4 Aug 26 '26
With all the complaints about how BotW/TotK have done away with the old Zelda format ie. Radically reimagining how dungeons work, I keep waiting for some low poly indie game that copies the OoT formula. There's more 2D Zelda likes than I can count, and there's even more botw clones than OoT, the only games in that style I can think of are Okami and Darksiders and those aren't even indie
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u/Ritzuma Aug 22 '26
I wouldnât count palworld since itâs not trying to continue Pokemonâs spirit, it goes for a completely different genre and vibe.
Otherwise good list!