Home Gaming The Lazygamer Awards 2015 – Best Indie Game

The Lazygamer Awards 2015 – Best Indie Game

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Not every game needs the budget of a Hollywood blockbuster or an army of disposable interns to help create some magic. Thanks to gaming being a malleable art form where even a few pixels can convey all the emotional complexity of a David Cage dream, smaller studios are more than capable of crafting masterpieces on a smaller scale.

2015 saw plenty of experimentation done by smaller studios, as well as the return of an old favourite or two. But like Sean Connery once said, there can be only one winner. I might have paraphrased a bit at the end there, but you get the point. And the award for the best Indie game of 2015 goes to…

Ori and the Blind Forest

ori_and_the_blind_forest

One of the very best games to hit anything with a Microsoft brand on it this year, Ori won hearts and broke them by being an absolutely gorgeous platformer with a deep story that had minimal dialogue. An emotional rollercoaster developed with the love of a Metroidvania-inspired fondness for challenges, Ori and the Blind Forest has the ability to touch the heart of even the most jaded and cynical human beings on the planet. Including this guy!

But beyond the emotions, beyond the daredevil acrobatics needed to survive a level or the lush visuals that framed a scene, Ori was pure quality. For a game that was developed by a smaller studio, Ori and the Blind Forest oozed the kind of pedigree that you expect from bigger games these days and routinely fail to see.

A gorgeous combination of gameplay, graphics and charm, Ori and the Blind Forest is easily the best indie game of the year. If not a strong contender on its own, as one of the best games made in 2015.

Honourable mentions

We had a tough time finding that one indie game that stood head and shoulders above the others. From the frantic action of the 1980s, board games on console and the return of a gory shooter which may have left a controller or two broken, it wasn’t easy choosing a winner. But let’s give it up for those other indie games which you you definitely should not ignore:

  • Hotline Miami 2
  • Armello
  • BroForce
  • Stasis

And that’s it for the indie scene this year! Stay tuned for more awards today and tomorrow!

Last Updated: December 14, 2015

79 Comments

  1. And so it starts…I swear, if CoD wins, I’m starting a petition

    Reply

    • Captain JJ 4x

      December 14, 2015 at 09:06

      They can win the fish award which should go well with them getting in the sea.

      Reply

      • oVg

        December 14, 2015 at 09:10

        They should be grateful that we even stuck around after the 2013 GOTY 😉

        Reply

        • Captain JJ 4x

          December 14, 2015 at 09:13

          Haha.

          Reply

    • oVg

      December 14, 2015 at 09:09

      COD wont win… BLOPS 3 will 😉

      Na, we all know its Rocket League.

      Reply

      • HvR

        December 14, 2015 at 09:11

        The brace yourself next for EA’s FIFA: Top Gear Toyota Car Soccer Challange

        Reply

      • Captain JJ 4x

        December 14, 2015 at 09:11

        You know Gavin will never allow that.
        Except if they call it the car-FOOTBALL game, of course. 😉

        Reply

    • miaau

      December 14, 2015 at 09:10

      A petition for what? New Minister of Home affairs? New fisheries minister, yeah. thats the one.

      Reply

      • HvR

        December 14, 2015 at 09:13

        Now the fisheries minster can GITS but not likely because he or Jou-Ma-se-Peterson probably never even seen an wave, beach, snoek or kreef.

        Reply

        • miaau

          December 14, 2015 at 09:14

          now, now, where do you think they spend their government sanctioned and paid for holidays? We just have to hope the sea in CanCun is the same sea as here, is all.

          Reply

          • HvR

            December 14, 2015 at 09:16

            One place is all the new inspectors they hired, but this is what the typcial inspection looks like:
            http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/marc-jacobs-122809-01__oPt.jpg

          • oVg

            December 14, 2015 at 09:16

            Oh dear

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 14, 2015 at 09:19

            As my aqua aerobics instructor once remarked when we had the pleasure of seeing some old guy in his leopard print speedo, “The older they get, the smaller the speedo gets.”

          • miaau

            December 14, 2015 at 09:23

            pleasure, seeing, older person, speedo. I cannot put this words in a sentence that does not make me cringe.

            I suppose as I start getting there, I will be able to. Right? RIGHT

        • oVg

          December 14, 2015 at 09:15

          Or sea.

          Reply

    • Ottokie

      December 14, 2015 at 09:27

      And I am getting peer pressure from other people to buy Blops 3 for the holidays -_-

      Reply

      • The Grand Admiral Chief

        December 14, 2015 at 09:35

        Geoff and myself just had a lengthy discussion about that damn game

        Reply

        • Ottokie

          December 14, 2015 at 09:35

          End results?

          Reply

          • The Grand Admiral Chief

            December 14, 2015 at 09:38

            He says it is a very (goes to look for quote) “polished and refined” game.

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:38

            Sarcasm or legit quote?

          • The Grand Admiral Chief

            December 14, 2015 at 09:39

            Legit quote, het actually gaan soek vir sy woorde

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:56

            Well then I probably just humor them and buy it. But I feel so dirty buying COD :

    • WitWolfy

      December 14, 2015 at 09:56

      COD is Indie??? It shows…

      Reply

  2. Alien Emperor Trevor

    December 14, 2015 at 09:06

    Hey! I own one of those!

    Reply

    • Captain JJ 4x

      December 14, 2015 at 09:07

      Only one?
      And you’re a Steam gamer?
      What the hell man!? 😉

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        December 14, 2015 at 09:08

        It’s not even on Steam, it’s on GOG – and only because I backed the kickstarter. 😀

        Reply

        • Captain JJ 4x

          December 14, 2015 at 09:09

          Haha. Okay, fair enough.
          I’ve only got Ori myself. But on Steam, because I’m not a hippie. 😛

          Reply

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 14, 2015 at 09:10

            So you don’t bother checking to see if your eyeliner was tested on animals? Sies.

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 14, 2015 at 09:11

            :/

          • The Grand Admiral Chief

            December 14, 2015 at 09:13

            DOH!

  3. oVg

    December 14, 2015 at 09:07

    IM SO JEALOUS. If its better than JOURNY then I will buy an xbone.

    Reply

    • Jan Prins

      December 14, 2015 at 09:22

      I get a headache just looking at this screen grab! The sun! The sun is horrible!

      Reply

      • oVg

        December 14, 2015 at 09:25

        Stay away from the light.

        Reply

        • Jan Prins

          December 14, 2015 at 09:37

          And never feed me after midnight.

          Reply

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 14, 2015 at 09:41

            And never get you wet?
            (this is going too far)

          • Jan Prins

            December 14, 2015 at 09:43

            Well, I do shower once a day…

  4. Jan Prins

    December 14, 2015 at 09:19

    I dunno. This game, I get the idea it is going to make me cry like a little girl. And I cannot handle that level of sadness…

    Reply

    • miaau

      December 14, 2015 at 09:22

      That is true sometimes. Books, like the Assassin series by Robin Hobb are, technically, very well crafted and easy to read. But the emotional roller coaster? Wow.

      Also, then, if I was you, I would avoid Tim Burton films, like Big Fish.

      Also, good luck there buddy, you are most certainly not alone in feeling that way. Trust me.

      Reply

      • Jan Prins

        December 14, 2015 at 09:29

        Seriously. I was emotionally traumatized when I lost Jack in that Suicide Mission. She got carried off by the seeker swarms. Those screams of her in my ears?
        Man…
        I have not read any of the Assassins Creed books. Though I will confess to this: I have not read Sir Terry Pratchett’s last Discworld book. Yet.
        I am still working in getting the biggest box of tissues in the world to keep by my side…

        Reply

        • The Grand Admiral Chief

          December 14, 2015 at 09:34

          Dammit dude!

          Reply

        • miaau

          December 14, 2015 at 11:38

          Yeah, just stay away from the Assasins series, then.

          Good luck. Sir Pratchett wrote great books, really.

          I feel the same as you. Just take a deep breath and continue the game. It is all we can do. Good to feel the emotional release, bad to bottle it up. From my own personal exp. Use it or not. Just do not get over involved with the games, take a break if need be. Also from own personal exp.

          Reply

  5. Ottokie

    December 14, 2015 at 09:22

    Ori and the blind forest is bestest…that is all

    Reply

    • Ottokie

      December 14, 2015 at 09:25

      • Captain JJ 4x

        December 14, 2015 at 09:25

        I thought you said that was all?
        Liar!

        Reply

        • Ottokie

          December 14, 2015 at 09:26

          GIF needed for dramatic effect…

          You still need to finish the game 😛 it’s awesome

          Reply

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 14, 2015 at 09:29

            I do. I do. But damn I’m playing a lot of games at once now.
            I need to finish two first….or at least one

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:30

            Ori took me 7 hours to finish. Get a six pack, Wednesday is a public holiday, and treat yourself to some awesome indie goodness xD

          • The Grand Admiral Chief

            December 14, 2015 at 09:30

            Cannot, DDDDDOUBLE AFFINITY!

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:30

            Ends tonight 🙂

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 14, 2015 at 09:31

            Must get the last stratos emblem for the tac alert. Gotta catch ’em all.

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:32

            Aren’t they all the same?

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 14, 2015 at 09:33

            Emblemist!

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:34

            Hahaha there is no winning xD

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 14, 2015 at 09:38

            😀

          • The Grand Admiral Chief

            December 14, 2015 at 09:34

            Shit I hope not, I stopped getting them because they looked the same…

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:34

            Same xD

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 14, 2015 at 09:36

            No, the centre changes depending on the number you have. 😛

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:36

            O.o

            Stuff like this you mention in MF chat xD

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 14, 2015 at 09:37

            I was too busy super SSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHing

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:38

            We were scraping the bottom of that RNG barrel

          • The Grand Admiral Chief

            December 14, 2015 at 09:38

            MOER YOU MF

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 14, 2015 at 09:40

            I need to go farm more T3Sab keys. This is like Nyx MF P and those goddamn T3Es all over again.

            I’ve run 3 t1 survivals for that stupid blade as well, last one to 40, no luck. Got the Latron P part though… which I don’t need seeing as I HAVE Latron P.

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:41

            I have to go into ODD for the handle… you know very well how bloody much of the year we have spent in there :

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 14, 2015 at 09:42

            lol yes. But it was worth it. Ember P FTW! I need a Dual Kama P handle from ODD as well.

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:44

            Last night I was camping the Trading chat, to see if I could get a Narrow Minded. Ended up with zero Narrow Minded and 50 extra plat…

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 14, 2015 at 09:46

            Those corrupted mods.

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:47

            Narrow is the last one. And every time I get a potential trader, he does not have the mod and offers plat xD

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 14, 2015 at 09:52

            I’ve got a rank 8 on Loki. Along with a few other mods I get a nice 30 second invisibility duration. Came in handy last night during the final sortie mission to revive the old team mates.

            One was an Equinox, who was resting enemies… and I had covert lethality on my dagger. 235 melee kills. 😀

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 09:54

            I have 22 sec on my invisibility now that I have the Primed Continuity

            Is covert lethality still so damn OP?

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 14, 2015 at 10:00

            Lethal on finishers, gives me a good reason to use the old ceramic dagger again – which I’ve always quite liked.

            I haven’t maxed out primed cont either, also on 8. Thing needs like 1 bajillion cores.

          • Ottokie

            December 14, 2015 at 10:02

            And now P Flow is also there 😛

  6. DragonSpirit009

    December 14, 2015 at 09:36

    I haven’t played the game but from what I’ve seen, it deserved that win ^_^

    Reply

    • Ottokie

      December 14, 2015 at 09:37

      Steam Christmas sale is very very close 😛

      Reply

      • DragonSpirit009

        December 14, 2015 at 09:38

        Yeah but sadly my wallet is closed T.T

        Reply

      • Captain JJ 4x

        December 14, 2015 at 09:39

        Maybe I can sell my wallet. Surely the leather must be worth something now.

        Reply

        • The Grand Admiral Chief

          December 14, 2015 at 09:39

          Goes well on toast

          Reply

  7. Pieter Kruger

    December 14, 2015 at 09:53

    The Lazygamer Awards 2016 – Best Indie Game
    Cuphead…..moving on to 2017….

    Reply

  8. Sentient Slug

    December 14, 2015 at 10:32

    Did any of you actually play super meat boy? That is just such a well designed game. Some of the best level design iv seen. Or was this released way before 2015?

    Reply

    • Geoffrey Tim

      December 14, 2015 at 12:17

      SMB was released WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY many years ago. Amazing game.

      Reply

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