We often hear about AAA publishers throwing ungodly amounts of cash into their projects to ensure success.
Ironically, often the games that manage to live rent-free in our hearts aren’t the ones backed by huge budgets, but rather those fueled by the blood, sweat, and passion of a small group of people - or sometimes, just one person.
13 AA Games With AAA Appeal
Sometimes it’s about the gameplay, sometimes it’s about the visuals, but it’s always about the quality, so let’s check out some double-A games.
Whether through clever game mechanics, captivating stories, or unique art styles, some games show how far a little can go.
Talent, passion, hard work, and inspiration are more important than any budget, and these ten games are an example.
10Blasphemous
Ungodly Levels of Good
Blasphemous
Blasphemousturned many heads when it first launched on Kickstarter due to its unique tone and theme. This 2D Metroidvania featured iconography and settings heavily inspired by Catholicism and religious themes. While some consider it distasteful, most find it interesting and captivating.
The campaign was a major success,raising over 300,000 dollars- annihilating the asking price of $50,000 and unlocking multiple stretch goals in the process.
The Spanish development team has certainly delivered on its promises.Blasphemousreceived critical and user acclaim for being one of the most visually striking titles on the market,leading to the development of a sequel.
9Undertale
A Game Full of Determination
Undertaleis certainly considered one of the most impactful games in recent memory.
Toby Fox managed to tug at our heartstrings with minimal technical details, instead focusing on memorable characters, captivating music, and, of course, the game’s unique interactions between the user and the game, not shying away from breaking the fourth wall.
The original Kickstarter campaignonly sought 5,000 dollars but ended up raising ten times that amount. While the campaign’s success exceeded the creator’s expectations, $50,000 is still a relatively modest budget by video game industry standards.
Especially considering thatUndertaleis now often cited as a prime example of video games as a true art form.
8Hollow Knight
The Kind of Bugs We Love to See
Hollow Knight (Dupe)
It’s amazing to think that a game universally regarded as a cornerstone of its genre was created by such a small team with such a tiny budget. Yet, that’s exactly what happened withHollow Knight.
Even years after its original release,Hollow Knightis consideredone of the best Metroidvanias out there. It punches far above its weight, sparking a revival of the genre with many new Metroidvania titles emerging as a consequence of its success.
While its Kickstarter campaign was successful, it wasn’t by a huge margin. The developers asked for AU$35,000 and ultimately raised AU$57,138, hitting about half of their stretch goals.
The campaign reached its objective, but it’s incredible that it led to a title that had such a significant impact on the gaming industry as a whole.
10 Games To Play If You Love Hollow Knight
Finished Hollow Knight and looking for your next adventure? Then check out some of the games on this list.
7Vampire Survivors
Satisfaction to the Point of Addiction
Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivorsis a prime example of how simplicity and a strong focus on mechanics are often enough to make a game engaging and addictive.
The deceitfully simple gameplay loop - walking around, dodging monsters, and collecting power-ups - keeps hundreds of thousands of players glued to the screen every month.
It’s no surprise that the developer has a background in the gambling industry, as his experience in that field clearly influenced the core design concepts ofVampire Survivors.
In an interview, the developer revealed that theentire monetary cost of the game amounted to around £1,100, mostly spent on game assets.It’s safe to say that the money was well spent.
6Papers, Please
Bureaucracy Is Fun!
Papers, Please
Who would have thought that spending time checking documents and stamping rims of paper could be so enjoyable?
Papers, Pleaseis a shining example of pure game design. It takes a single mechanic and expands it into an entire game, seamlessly integrating challenging moral choices and a captivating narrative.
A single person developed the entire game, and its success enabled them to createReturn of the Obra Dinn. All this in their own time and using their own money, resulting in a title whose ripples are still visible in the industry to this day.
Not bad for what is essentially a paper-pusher simulator.
5Return of the Obra Dinn
Return of the Obra Dinn
Sometimes, lightning does strike twice.
After the success of Papers, Please, Lucas Pope delivers again with a game that has lived rent-free in the minds of many players ever since.
Return of the Obra Dinnoffers one of the most captivating premises in gaming to date, offering one of the finest detective game formulas in recent memory.
The entire concept of unraveling a mystery by investigating the moment of death of each person involved, as if you were there, is both unique and enthralling.
Despite (or maybe because of) its 1-bit esthetics,Obra Dinnis visually stunning and plays beautifully with its mechanically straightforward approach.
It’s hard to believe this impressive result has been achieved by one person working alone, even factoring in that the creator is a veteran of the video game industry.
4The Binding of Isaac
Rebirth (of a Genre)
The Binding of Isaac
The Binding of Isaaccatalyzed the resurgence and evolution of a long-forgotten genre: Roguelikes. Its release is, by many accounts, a pivotal moment in indie game development history.
Remarkably, it was developed in just three months of part-time work by two people, which, in hindsight, sounds absolutely incredible.
The morbid adventures of our little protagonist exploring the depths of his own home have inspired many people to tackle the daunting task of creating games as a hobby. Consequently, the game is partially responsible for the huge selection of awesome indie games available today.
Over time,The Binding of Isaachas continued to improve, with numerous DLCs and an updated version keeping it fresh and engaging.
3Dwarf Fortress
I Need a Flowchart for This
Dwarf Fortress
Most of the time, you may keep project costs down by reducing its scope and keeping things simple. If you’re a madman, you can go in the exact opposite direction—creating an unbelievably complex game across more than two decades and make it all about dwarves.
Dwarf Fortressis a passion project that became the life’s work of a remarkably dedicated duo of developers. What started as a game about managing a dwarf colony has evolved into a juggernaut of endless interactions, where no two game sessions are alike.
For its first few years, the project survived on donations and built a dedicated community of supporters, eventually leading to itsvery successful release on Steam.
2Stardew Valley
It Ain’t Much, But It’s Honest Work
Stardew Valley
Talking about passion projects, we can’t excludeStardew Valleyfrom the conversation.
Developed by a single person over four and a half years,Stardew Valleyis now one of the most known and beloved exponent of the “cozy games” genre.
The game resonated with the public pretty much immediately, achieving explosive success. Over the years, it has evolved witha plethora of free updates and mods, keeping it relevant to this day.
People love how the game seamlessly blends farm management and social interactions with the discovery of the many hidden secrets it has to offer.
After years of additional content, Stardew Valley allows you to take care of animals, explore ancient ruins, and decorate your farm with about a bazillion items - all while petting your dogs and cats and smooching your spouse.
1Minecraft
Industry-Shaking Cube-Placing Action
We all knowMinecraftfor the multimedia franchise Juggernaut it is today, but it’s easy to forget that Mojang, the development studio, just counted a handful of people when the game entered beta. Before that, the game existed as the work of a single person.
The simple core mechanic of moving colorful cubes around in a sandbox and using them to build stuff struck a chord with the players, who couldn’t stop experimenting andeagerly awaited for every update.
From there it was only a matter of expanding the game with new mechanics, NPCs, biomes, and more, turning what started as a small solo project into one of the most recognizable brands of all time.
10 Amazing Metroidvanias With Standout Mechanics
Double Jumps and Grapple Hooks are old hat. Check out these imaginative tweaks on the Metroidvania formula instead!
