Indie games come in all shapes and sizes but Pixel Art titles hold a special place in our hearts and for very good reasons. These games look super adorable and when combined with an exciting plot and thrilling gameplay – it’s a combination worth cherishing!
With that said, here are my top 21 picks for the best upcoming Indie Pixel Art Games of 2024.
1. Pepper Grinder – [2024]
First up on this list, we have Pepper Grinder, an action-packed adventure game that beautifully combines traditional 2D platforming with the intense thrill of drilling. As Pepper, you embark on a vengeful journey to reclaim your stolen goods from evil Narlings. Armed with a powerful Grinder, you get to drill through the terrain, control powerful machines, and engage in fast-paced battles that REALLY pop thanks to the game’s fluid animations and precise movements. And as you progress through the world and collect jewels, you can power up Pepper at the shop to face more challenging enemies and even unlock new paths on the world map.
2. Sons of Valhalla – [2024]
Having followed Sons of Valhalla for quite a while, it’s exciting to see this pixel-art Viking adventure finally set to launch in 2024. This game offers a unique blend of side-scrolling combat with strategic base-building in a visually stunning Viking world. You play as Thorald Olavson, a Viking warrior seeking revenge from a Jarl who destroyed your home, kidnapped your love, and fled to distant England.
But revenge doesn’t come easy – You will have to develop towns, raid neighboring villages for resources, and steadily gather power to challenge your enemies. As you progress through the game, you will unlock new weapons, including catapults, battering rams, and whatnot to siege enemy fortresses. It even features atmospheric details like day-night cycles and changing weather, making it a promising Viking adventure worth exploring in 2024.
3. Vikings on Trampoline – [2024]
While we are still on the topic of Vikings, here’s another one. Vikings on Trampoline is an upcoming 2D brawler that offers strange yet fun gameplay. In this one, you play as tiny Viking characters bouncing on trampolines, trying to stay on and push opponents off for the win.
The game lets you play against friends in Versus mode or team up to save the kingdom in Adventure Mode. It’s a chaotic one that’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat as you try to push your enemies off the trampolines, face big bosses, and unlock new levels.
4. Replaced – [2024]
The other Indie gem that I’ve been following for quite a while now is Replaced. An upcoming sci-fi action platformer that puts you in the shoes of REACH, an AI trapped in a human body, trying to survive in a world plagued by outlaws, corruption, and greed after a catastrophic nuclear oopsie.
Replaced offers an exciting single-player experience with cinematic platforming, stunning pixel art, and dynamic action combat that REALLY pops out. But it’s not all combat, the game also offers a deep dystopian story set in an alternative past, exploring life in a society where the rich see the poor and their organs as mere currency.
5. Loco Motive – [Q1 2024]
If you love a good mystery game, Loco Motive is sure to make you excited. It’s a point-and-click puzzle-solving adventure that puts you in the shoes of three prime suspects in a murder investigation. Set in a 1930s express train, your task in this game is to prove your innocence by finding the actual culprit.
You do that by collecting clues and putting them together while you engage in some interesting and hilarious conversations with fellow passengers. The game even lets you switch to direct character control, in case you are not a big point-and-click fan. Loco Motive seems like a promising mystery adventure that’s set to drop in the first quarter of 2024.
6. Paper Trail – [2024]
Then we have Paper Trail, an innovative puzzle game where you have to fold paper to create new paths to navigate through the puzzles. What initially seems like a simple task quickly transforms into a challenging gameplay experience, where you constantly have to twist, rotate, and contort the pages to craft a new trail. This one will definitely have you scratching your head as you try to make sense of the world in front of you. Paper Trail doesn’t have a fixed release date, but it’s expected to drop sometime next year.
7. Magical Delicacy – [2024]
Next up, we have Magical Delicacy, a wholesome 2D platformer that combines the thrill of platforming adventure with the joy of cooking. In this game, you play as Flora, a young witch setting up shop in a lively town called Grat. You can do a lot in this game – explore a new town, befriend a cast of quirky characters, cook and deliver delicious food, and a whole lot more.
Magical Delicacy offers a linear story with many optional encounters, providing opportunities for open-ended play. With its charming pixel art and engaging gameplay, this one’s a great option for those who love cooking and exploration.
8. Bloomtown: A Different Story – [Q2 2024]
Bloomtown is probably the most fleshed-out RPG on this list. It mixes turn-based combat, monster taming, and social RPG elements to create a completely unique gameplay experience. Set in a seemingly peaceful 1960s American town, you play as Emily, a young girl who stumbles upon a dark underworld that seems to be kidnapping young kids.
Your mission is to find out the truth as you explore this massive universe filled with unique environments and evil monsters. There’s so much going on in this game – you can work on farms, go fishing, befriend other kids, and of course, fight intense turn-based battles alongside your friends. It’s a one-stop-shop for people who love farming, exploration and epic battles. And it’s coming out in the second quarter of 2024.
9. Toxic Crusaders – [2024]
Now, it’s time to spice things up with some classic beat ’em-up action in Toxic Crusaders. It’s an upcoming 2D action side scroller that offers 4-player co-op gameplay. Players can pick from a roster of 7 different characters, each with their own unique skills and abilities to beat the enemies on the streets.
Toxic Crusaders offers an engaging and off-beat gameplay experience to both long-time fans of Troma movies and total beginners. It certainly stands out with its vibrant pixel-art graphics and cooperative multiplayer experience that’s unlike any other.
10. Streets of Rogue 2 – [2024]
Then we have Streets of Rogue 2, an action-packed sequel to an insanely addicting RPG Sandbox adventure game that throws you into an ever-changing open world where you’re on a mission to take down a corrupt president. This sequel takes all the cool stuff from the first game and cranks it up a notch.
You’ve got a bunch of character classes with unique powers, a massive arsenal of weapons and gadgets, and a world that’s just waiting to be blown to bits. You can do anything in this game – hijack vehicles, blow up buildings, and interact with a wide variety of quirky AI characters. And the best part is, you get to do all that with your buddies in multiplayer mode. It’s an absolute blast of a game that’s set to drop sometime in 2024.
Looking for more than Pixel Art Games? Here are the Best Indie Games Coming out in 2024
11. Anomaly Agent – [24 Jan, 2024]
Anomaly Agent is yet another action-packed platformer with gorgeous cyberpunk pixel art and tons of combat. In this game, you step into the shoes of Agent 70, tasked to stop the anomalies from destroying the planet. Anomaly Agent offers a thrilling adventure with acrobatic moves, deadly weapons, and good old hand-to-hand fights.
The game lets you make your own decisions that will determine whether the world becomes a safer place or spirals into total chaos. Anomaly Agent seems to offer a smooth gameplay with a rich narrative. And we won’t have to wait too long to try it out as it comes out on 24 January 2024.
12. Emberbane – [Q1, 2024]
In a similar vein to Anomaly Agent, we also have Emberbane coming out in 2024 as well. It’s yet another cool-looking action platformer where you play as Ophelia, a young woman on a mission to take down some nasty gods messing with the elements and bring balance back to the land.
Speaking of elements – Ophelia possesses the powers of fire, water, air, and earth that the players can mix and match for some strategic takedowns. There’s still much to learn about the game, but judging from the trailers, Emberbane looks quite promising and definitely worth waiting for.
13. Momodora: Moonlit Farewell – [11 Jan, 2024]
Next up, we have Momodora Moonlit Farewell, the latest addition to the fan-favorite Momodora series. Moonlit Farewell is going to be the concluding chapter in the long-running series, picking right after the events of Momodora 3. You play as Momo, the High Priestess of Koho village, on a mission to save her people from a demon army led by an evil bellringer.
As Momo, you’ll explore a gorgeous pixel art world, meet interesting characters, engage in melee fights, and shoot arrows in action-packed battles. Moonlit Farewell introduces a new “Sigil” system that allows you to customize your play style. And you also get to adjust the difficulty level, making the game more accessible to both old-timers and total beginners. Moonlit Farewell is set to come out on January 11, 2024.
14. Kusan: City of Wolves – [Q3 2024]
Then we have Kusan City of Wolves, an upcoming top-down shooter set in the near-future city of Kusan. A place overrun by shady criminals and evil masterminds. In this game, you play as a fixer, who finds himself in a difficult situation after an innocent girl gets kidnapped by your former boss. Now it’s up to you to save the girl. And that means, going against your old gangster buddies.
But worry not, you have a powerful high-tech arm and tons of combat moves that will help you navigate the dark and dangerous streets of Kusan. I dig the game’s gritty art style and gore-filled action, really looking forward to playing this one when it drops in the third quarter of 2024.
15. Turnip Boy Robs a Bank – [18 Jan, 2024]
Turnip Boy is back again with yet another thrilling adventure and this time, it’s going to be an evil one. Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is an upcoming action-adventure game with a hint of Roguelite elements, where our boy Turnip teams up with the Pickled Gang to pull off the weirdest heist ever at the Botanical Bank. Just like the previous games, we can expect a ton of action in this one, as there will be felonies, hostages, and epic fights with all sorts of weapons from diamond pickaxes to powerful explosives and even a cardboard box.
But beware of security guards, elite swat teams, and whatnot because this robbery won’t be an easy one. Fans of the series should be excited to see some familiar faces making a comeback with the addition of new ones that are just as quirky as the rest. This one is a must-play and it’s coming out soon on January 18, 2024.
16. The Siege and The Sandfox – [2024]
Stealth and Parkour are two features that we hardly see in Metroidvanias, but that’s about to change with The Siege and The Sandfox. It’s an upcoming 2D action-adventure game that throws you in a war-ravaged city as Legendary Sandfox, seeking revenge from the Queen for her betrayal of the crown. You have to master stealth and parkour to outwit guards, fight enemies, and uncover the secrets of the palace without blowing your cover.
Siege and the Sandfox features a rich 16-bit art that pops out thanks to modern visual effects, creating a unique and immersive look. You will travel through old prisons, beautiful palaces, ancient museums, and dark caves as you run, jump, slide, and pole swing through the game. If you are looking for an innovative Metroidvania adventure with stealth, exploration, and a compelling story – put this down on your list of games to play in 2024.
17. Chef RPG – [2024]
Then we have Chef RPG, a culinary adventure game that puts you in the shoes of a traveling chef, tasked to bring a dying restaurant back to life. The game features a gorgeous pixel art world where you’ll manage restaurants, explore different biomes, meet a variety of characters, forage and hunt for ingredients, and cook up delicious recipes to keep the townfolk coming.
But it’s not all cooking in this game – you can go fishing, fight wild animals, befriend locals, learn new recipes, and do a whole lot more. It offers an open-ended RPG experience that gives you all the freedom to make your own decisions. You can become anyone in this game – be it a chef, explorer, or a warrior – if need be.
18. Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall – [2024]
Next up, we have Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall, a much-awaited sequel that promises to take the story of its predecessor to a whole new level. In Snowfall, you are a ruler of a vast kingdom who has to ensure the safety of his people by making some hard decisions that will affect everyone around you.
Just like the first game, Snowfall will burden you with a massive royal responsibility – you will have to manage resources, fight battles, mend relations with your people, and also spend some time with your family. You will come across a cast of colorful characters throughout the game, leading to very interesting encounters. If you love a good story sprinkled with bitter-sweet moments, Snowfall is definitely a must-play.
19. Creature Keeper – [2024]
If you are a Pokemon fan, this next game is for you. I am talking about Creature Keeper, an upcoming pixel-art monster-taming title that reminds me of old-school Pokemon games. Instead of a trainer, you play as a keeper, who has one mission – to save these wild creatures from a mysterious illness that’s threatening their lives.
However, instead of turn-based battles, the combat in this game is real-time, which makes it all the more unpredictable and challenging. And you can do so much in this game besides battling – that includes cooking food, crafting weapons, exploring a vast 2D world, and taking care of your monsters. There’s no fixed release date for this, but it’s gonna come out sometime next year.
20. The Last Night – [2024]
Next up, we have The Last Night, a thought-provoking cinematic platformer set in a dark post-cyberpunk world where humans have nothing left to do after AI has taken over all their jobs. You play as Charlie, a second-class citizen exploring this gamified society to find a purpose in life.
The gameplay here is a mix of exploration, stealth, and gunplay, where players get to explore vibrant districts, meet a colorful cast of characters, avoid the city police and shoot down security drones to avoid getting caught. The Last Night looks absolutely stunning, as it seamlessly blends 2D and 3D elements with gorgeous pixel art. Now, this one was revealed all the way back in 2017 and we still don’t have a fixed release date. But it’s expected to drop in 2024.
21. Wind Runners – [Early 2024]
Last but not least, we have Wind Runners, a rogue-like side-scrolling dogfight game where you play as a rebel pilot fighting against an oppressive regime to end their reign of terror. Wind Runners looks stunning with cool-looking visual effects and impactful aerial combat. The game lets you pick from a variety of unique ships, each armed with distinctive weapons to take down enemy planes.
You also get to upgrade your planes with additional equipment and enhancements to fight more challenging enemies as you progress. It looks super challenging but equally rewarding as well. Guess we will have to try it out to find out more when it drops next year.
