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Best Indie games of 2017

The 42 best Indie games released in 2017, ranked from 13,046 critic and player ratings.

The best Indie game of 2017 is Hollow Knight, with a critic score of 91/100 — updated November 2026.

How this ranking is built
  • Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
  • A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
  • Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
  • Release window covered: 2017.
  • 42 games are listed on this page, carrying 13,046 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 42

Played them? Give your tier with the + next to each game. No account needed to try — create one to keep your tiers.

01 Hollow Knight A Hollow Knight 2017 · 2,277 ratings · 14 Tier votes · finished by 20% · 7 h to beat A 2D metroidvania with an emphasis on close combat and exploration in which the player enters the once-prosperous now-bleak insect kingdom of Hallownest, travels through its various districts, meets friendly inhabitants, fights hostile ones and uncovers the kingdom's history while improving their combat abilities and movement arsenal by fighting bosses and accessing out-of-the-way areas. 91 /100
02 SteamWorld Dig 2 SteamWorld Dig 2 2017 · 194 ratings · finished by 12% SteamWorld Dig 2 takes you on a platform mining adventure forged in Metroidvania flames. When an old trading town is struck by mysterious earthquakes, it’s up to a lone steambot and her unlikely companion to uncover what trembling terrors lie beneath. Dig your way underground and explore vivid worlds riddled with treasure, secrets and traps. Combat dangerous enemies at every turn of the underworld’s twisted paths, including shadowy creatures and the haunted remains of an ancient electrical threat. Upgrade your gear to forge deeper into the earth and take on bigger challenges. Swing across large chasms with your Hookshot and fly through caves with the Jet Engine! And finally, learn the truth about your long lost friend… 89 /100
03 Night in the Woods Night in the Woods 2017 · 313 ratings · finished by 32% Night In The Woods is an adventure game heavily focused on story, characters and exploration, with some platforming to get around town. Mae's a cat so the roofs and ledges and powerlines are all her playground, and she's not the only one up there by a long shot. You'll also be doing various activities and interacting with the world in different ways, getting to know the townspeople, hanging out with friends, exploring Possum Springs inside and out, and venturing into the surrounding areas. 88 /100
04 What Remains of Edith Finch What Remains of Edith Finch 2017 · 999 ratings · finished by 38% What Remains of Edith Finch is a collection of short stories about a cursed family in Washington State. Each story offers a chance to experience the life of a different family member with stories ranging from the early 1900s to the present day. The gameplay and tone of the stories are as varied as the family members themselves. The only constants are that each is played from a first-person perspective and that each story ends with that family member's death. It's a game about what it feels like to be humbled and astonished by the vast and unknowable world around us. You'll follow Edith Finch as she explores the history of her family and tries to figure out why she's the last Finch left alive. 87 /100
05 Cuphead A Cuphead 2017 · 932 ratings · 5 Tier votes · finished by 21% Cuphead is a classic run and gun action game heavily focused on boss battles. Inspired by cartoons of the 1930s, the visuals and audio are painstakingly created with the same techniques of the era, i.e. traditional cel animation (hand drawn & hand inked!), watercolor backgrounds, and original jazz recordings. Play as Cuphead or Mugman (in single player or co-op) as you traverse strange worlds, acquire new weapons, learn powerful super moves, and discover hidden secrets. Cuphead is all action, all the time. 87 /100
06 Pyre Pyre 2017 · 132 ratings · finished by 14% A party-based RPG/visual novel/sports game hybrid wherein the player, dubbed the Reader for their literacy by the group of scavengers who discovers them, is sent in exile to a lawless wasteland called the Downside and has to lead their ever-growing party of misfits to locations wherein many similar parties compete in Rites in order to attain freedom and be absolved of their crimes. 86 /100
07 Oxygen Not Included Oxygen Not Included 2017 · 384 ratings · finished by 3% 86 /100
08 Monument Valley 2 Monument Valley 2 2017 · 101 ratings Guide a mother and her child as they embark on a journey through magical architecture, discovering illusionary pathways and delightful puzzles as you learn the secrets of the Sacred Geometry. 85 /100
09 Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice C Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice 2017 · 1,097 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 25% · 8 h to beat From the makers of Heavenly Sword, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and DmC: Devil May Cry, comes a warrior’s brutal journey into myth and madness. Set in the Viking age, a broken Celtic warrior embarks on a haunting vision quest into Viking Hell to fight for the soul of her dead lover. Created in collaboration with neuroscientists and people who experience psychosis, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will pull you deep into Senua’s mind. 84 /100
10 The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ 2017 · 102 ratings The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is a dungeon-crawling shoot-'em-up that's literally a different game each and every time you play it! The randomly generated maps are built with over 11,000 unique room configurations, each populated with a nearly endless variety of enemies, items, challenges and secrets! 83 /100
11 The Sexy Brutale The Sexy Brutale 2017 · 150 ratings · finished by 7% 83 /100
12 Cat Quest Cat Quest 2017 · 94 ratings · finished by 15% 83 /100
13 Thimbleweed Park Thimbleweed Park 2017 · 132 ratings 83 /100
14 Gorogoa Gorogoa 2017 · 177 ratings · finished by 29% 82 /100
15 The Long Dark The Long Dark 2017 · 199 ratings · finished by 5% 82 /100
16 Finding Paradise Finding Paradise 2017 · 97 ratings · finished by 13% 93 /100
17 Darkwood Darkwood 2017 · 84 ratings · finished by 5% 80 /100
18 A Hat in Time A Hat in Time 2017 · 248 ratings · finished by 16% 80 /100
19 Stories Untold Stories Untold 2017 · 90 ratings · finished by 10% 78 /100
20 Tacoma Tacoma 2017 · 126 ratings · finished by 13% 78 /100
21 Doki Doki Literature Club! Doki Doki Literature Club! 2017 · 543 ratings · finished by 28% 78 /100
22 Outlast 2 S Outlast 2 2017 · 253 ratings · 2 Tier votes · finished by 17% 78 /100
23 Little Nightmares A Little Nightmares 2017 · 748 ratings · 2 Tier votes · finished by 15% · 3 h to beat 78 /100
24 Slime Rancher B Slime Rancher 2017 · 252 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 11% 78 /100
25 Life is Strange: Before the Storm Life is Strange: Before the Storm 2017 · 500 ratings · finished by 33% 77 /100
26 Observеr Observеr 2017 · 482 ratings · finished by 15% 77 /100
27 Old Man's Journey Old Man's Journey 2017 · 98 ratings · finished by 13% 77 /100
28 Last Day of June Last Day of June 2017 · 82 ratings · finished by 9% 76 /100
29 Ruiner Ruiner 2017 · 127 ratings · finished by 11% 76 /100
30 Detention Detention 2017 · 92 ratings 76 /100
31 The Escapists 2 B The Escapists 2 2017 · 87 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 5% 75 /100
32 Brawlhalla Brawlhalla 2017 · 291 ratings 75 /100
33 They Are Billions They Are Billions 2017 · 173 ratings 74 /100
34 Observer (itch) Observer (itch) 2017 · 164 ratings 74 /100
35 RiME RiME 2017 · 238 ratings · finished by 17% 73 /100
36 Yooka-Laylee Yooka-Laylee 2017 · 109 ratings · finished by 4% 70 /100
37 Ark: Survival Evolved Ark: Survival Evolved 2017 · 265 ratings · finished by 2% 69 /100
38 Gang Beasts Gang Beasts 2017 · 162 ratings · finished by 6% 65 /100
39 We Were Here We Were Here 2017 · 157 ratings · finished by 15% 63 /100
40 Rain World Rain World 2017 · 91 ratings · finished by 4% 62 /100
41 Friday the 13th: The Game S Friday the 13th: The Game 2017 · 100 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 4% 61 /100
42 Hello Neighbor C Hello Neighbor 2017 · 104 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 5% 37 /100
Browse all Indie games

Other years

Best Indie games of 2026Best Indie games of 2025Best Indie games of 2024Best Indie games of 2023Best Indie games of 2022Best Indie games of 2021Best Indie games of 2020Best Indie games of 2019Best Indie games of 2018Best Indie games of 2016Best Indie games of 2015Best Indie games of 2014

Same year, other platforms

Best PC games of 2017Best PlayStation 4 games of 2017Best Xbox One games of 2017Best Nintendo Switch games of 2017Best Mac games of 2017Best Linux games of 2017Best iOS games of 2017Best Android games of 2017Best Nintendo 3DS games of 2017Best PS Vita games of 2017

Nearby rankings

Best Indie games of 2016Best Indie games of 2018Best Action games of 2017Best Adventure games of 2017Best Casual games of 2017Best Fighting games of 2017Best Racing games of 2017

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Indie game of 2017?

Hollow Knight currently tops the ranking with a score of 91/100 across 2,277 ratings. It holds a A grade from the Tier community — updated November 2026.

How is this ranking built?

Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.