The first-person shooter genre is by far one of the most popular in all gaming, so it makes perfect sense that there are a plethora of amazing indie titles within it, including the likes ofNeon White,Mullet MadJack, andSelaco. These indie FPS games are often better than their AAA counterparts, offering frantic, over-the-top action with unique gameplay mechanics, and more often than not, plenty of callbacks to iconic boomer shooters likeDOOM.
Many of the best indie FPS games are also thebest FPS gamesin general, with several of them having been released quite recently. From fast-paced FPS games with destructible environments to spooky supernatural shooters,there are so many great indie FPS games absolutely worth trying out. Of course, picking which one to start with or add to the backlog is tough. Fortunately, in no particular order, these indie FPS games are by far the best of the best.
10Severed Steel (Greylock Studio)
A Fast-Paced FPS With Fully Destructible Environments
Severed Steelis a game all about momentum. It sees the player slide, wall jump, dash, and duck through six campaign missions as the one-armed protagonist, Steel. Without the ability to reload, Steel is reliant on picking up weapons from her enemies as she continues to push through each of the incredibly challenging encounters. With a healthy amount of bullet time and very destructible environments,Severed Steelis a flashy and incredibly stylish high-octane shooter.
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Outside the main campaign, fans can also take on the roguelike mode that randomly generates missions for players to work through.Thanks to the dynamic AI, each mission will prove to be quite challengingas well as feel fresh each and every time. Upon launching,Severed Steelquickly earned a name for itself as not just one of the best shooters on Steam, but also one of thebest indie gameson the platform.
9Selaco (Altered Orbit Studios)
A Story-Driven Sci-Fi FPS
Selacois one of 2024’s most beloved indie FPS games, and for good reason. Taking inspiration fromSevered Steel,Selacosees players progress through destructible environments populated by dynamic AI as a female protagonist on a mission. This is a far more story-driven FPS than a lot of other indie shooters, so players should expect a more structured campaign.
Despite launching into Early Access,Selacocomes with a lot of content, including a fully-voiced campaign, incredibly satisfying shooting, several main story missions, lots of spectacular set pieces, and so much more.Selacohas quickly risen through the ranks of indie FPS games and indies in general to become a true standout hit that is sure to entertain all kinds of people.
8Mullet MadJack (HAMMER95)
A 90s Anime Fueled Fever Dream
Mullet MadJackis a very unique FPS game in terms of both its aesthetic and its gameplay mechanics. Taking clear inspiration from 90s anime,Mullet MadJackis an incredibly frantic and frenetic first-person shooterthat sees players attempt to increase their time limit by killing enemies. Starting with just 10 seconds, fans must systematically eliminate every enemy they see without getting distracted, or they risk losing everything.
Mullet MadJackis a very tightly designed experience that keeps the momentum going with its expertly crafted gunplay, great level design, and sumptuous visuals. There’s a lot to love aboutMullet MadJack, but for those still on the fence, there is a demo available on Steam that lets prospective players experience a good portion of the game.Mullet MadJackis the perfect indie FPS for those who love a stylish shooteror who want something a little different.
7Hypercharge: Unboxed (Digital Cybercherries)
Toy Story With Guns
Hypercharge: Unboxedtakes all the toys that 90s kids grew up with and pits them against each other in an extremely enjoyable PvP mode. Players take on the role of action figures as theyfight in huge locations like a toy shop, a backyard, and a bedroom, against real people or offline bots for those who prefer to play solo. With multiple action figures to unlock, there’s plenty to work towards across all game modes.
Hypercharge: Unboxedalso has a co-op campaign that can be played either online or locallyvia split-screen. The sheer amount of content available is what madeHypercharge: Unboxedone of thebest games on Xbox, as it originally launched exclusively for the platform. With colorful visuals, detailed maps, multiple modes, and a plethora of collectibles,Hypercharge: Unboxedis the perfect indie FPS for those who want to play with friends.
6DUSK (David Szymanski)
A Doom-Inspired Occult Boomer Shooter
DUSKis a more horror-focused FPS that takes a lot of inspiration from classic 90s boomer shooterslikeDOOM,Hexen, andQuake. It features three huge campaign missions that involve players exploring haunting and twisted locations while taking on an array of spooky enemies. Fortunately, fans can fight back using the game’s enormous arsenal of weapons, including swords, crossbows, shotguns, and so many more.
There’s more toDUSKthan just its campaign, as once players are done with that, they can jump straight into the endless wave-based mode that sees them attempt to survive as long as possible.DUSKis definitely not for the faint of heart, easily being one of thebest indie horrorshooters. However, for those who can handle its twisted world,DUSKoffers one of the best modern boomer shooter experiences available, especially thanks to its phenomenal soundtrack.
5Witchfire (The Astronauts)
A Gothic Roguelike Shooter
Witchfireis a gothic roguelike shooter with extraction and RPG elementsthat sees players venture into huge open areas full of deadly fantasy enemies as they attempt to find loot and escape with it intact. The more loot players successfully extract, the more they can upgrade their various weapons and abilities, all of which will give them a slight advantage over the horrifying hordes awaiting them in each biome.
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The best part aboutWitchfireis its gunplay, which feels akin toDestiny’s. It’s fast-paced, fluid, and responsive, making every shot feel incredibly satisfying. It also helps that the unlockable abilities are unique, giving fans fresh ways to engage with each enemy type.Witchfire’scombination of extraction shooter and RPG makes it a compelling experience that’s hard to put down, and the perfect indie FPS title for those looking for something a little darker.
4Trepang2 (Trepang Studios)
A Gory Supernatural FPS
Trepang2is an explosive indie FPS with a great story and even better combat that grabs onto the player and never lets go throughout its entire runtime.It’s fast-paced and incredibly high-octane, combining gory and punchy gunplay with superpowers. The player wakes up with no memory of who they are and deadly superpowers with which to seek vengeance. These powers include going invisible, dashing into enemies, taking a lot of punches, and slowing down time, to name a few.
There’s simply nothing more satisfying than sneaking up behind an enemy, snapping their neck, turning on the next one, and blasting them away with a shotgun.Trepang2offers this kind of experience and many more like it throughout its twist-filled narrative, which is what makes it such a compelling indie FPS in the first place.This is absolutely the ideal shooter for indie fans looking for something with high production valuesand weighty gunplay.
3I Am Your Beast (Strange Scaffold)
The Embodiment Of Rambo
I Am Your Beastis a game that revels in the joy that comes from successfully pulling off kill after kill in rapid succession. It puts players against overwhelming odds, but gives them the tools to deal with it, leading to the feeling of being a one-man army akin to Rambo himself.There’s an immense amount of satisfaction to be found inI Am Your Beast’sfrantic combat, especially when fans get stuck in the heat of the action.
I Am Your Beastwas a surprise hit in 2024, quickly working its way up the charts and garnering an Overwhelmingly Positive review score on Steam. All the praise is absolutely warranted though, asI Am Your Beastis an incredibly creative and excellently crafted experience that is as delightful as it is intense to playthrough.I Am Your Beastis the ultimate indie FPS for those who want to feel like Rambo.
2ULTRAKILL (Arsi “Hakita” Patala)
Hyperviolent Retro FPS
ULTRAKILL, in many ways, is the game that saw the indie FPS genre grow in popularity. Its blend of movement-based combat, ultraviolence, and an affinity for 90s shooters went on to inspire many of the best indie FPS games available today. When it comes to each of these elements,ULTRAKILLdoes it the best, offering one of the most satisfying yet extremely visceral retro FPS experiences around.
This is absolutely not one for the faint of heart, as every enemy explodes into a pool of gore when shot, leading to environments quickly becoming bloodstained nightmares. Fortunately,the variety in level design, expertly designed weapons, intriguing story, and impressive gunplay make it all worth it andULTRAKILLa must-play indie FPS gamefor fans of the genre.
1Neon White (Angel Matrix)
An FPS For Speedrunners
One of the greatest indie FPS games of all time isNeon White. From its surreal yet colorful world design to its intriguing characters and speedrun-focused combat,Neon Whiteis a truly unique and oftentimes bizarre FPS game oozing with style. The goal of each level inNeon Whiteis to complete it as quickly as possible and to achieve that, players have a collection of cards that can be used to traverse the environment or kill enemies.
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The combination of these cards is what sees players find crafty shortcuts and shave off a few seconds per level.Neon Whiteis absolutely a speedrunner’s dream, as the entire game is singularly focused on beating it as quickly as possible. However, that loop and goal is engrossing and enough to keep fans coming back repeatedly.Neon Whiteis easily one of the best indie FPS games ever made, and a must-play for those who enjoy lightning-fast gunplay and an incredible style.
