New year, new decade, and a lot of new games on the way. But while the year promises some thrilling blockbuster games like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us Part II, there are also plenty of indie games that offer some different often and unexpected experiences. We’ve listed a few below, but one of the great things about the indie market is that they’ll also be something you’ll have missed, and something else worth checking out, so don’t assume that these are necessarily going to be the best indie games coming this year, when who knows what will happen.

　　Previous entries in Wccftech's Most Anticipated of 2020 series: RPG, Shooter, Platformer, Fighting, Action, Horror, Strategy & Simulation

　　

Spiritfarer

From the art style alone this game looks impressive, but combined with a wonderful story are grief and acceptance, an enthralling cast of characters and a really big hat, Spiritfarer might just steal your heart in 2020.

　　There was a timed demo on Steam that hopefully you had the chance to play, letting you experience the cozy management of making those ready to pass feel comfortable on your ship. It feels like a beautiful blend of a lot of other games, but its tone is set to be very emotive when the full game releases sometime this year.

　　

Carrion

You know The Thing? That monster of tendrils and gristle that could only be created in the mind of John Carpenter that terrorised the arctic scientists? You ever wanted to play as it?

　　Carrion is a game where you get to be the monster that goes bump in the night, or in this case, I guess you go squish in the night. You are a tangle of red parts that hooks, sticks and drags of the environment in alien, grotesque movements and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. If you like the look of arcade action and old school horror, Carrion should be one to watch among indie games.

　　

Sable

I put this on last year's list and I can’t quite bear to remove it. It looks wonderful and the lore being dripfed from the developers makes it all the more enticing. Hopefully this year we’ll get to speed around the dunes.

　　Inspired by old school sci-fi, Sable is a game that has you looking for a mask to wear. It's a coming of age story that is bound to have some interesting moments, but on top of that it is set to be an exploration that really feels like your exploring somewhere different.

　　

Moving Out

On the other end of the spectrum from emotive games and thoughtful design is Moving Out. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the developers have thought long and hard about their production, but I’m not sure the player will have that same introspection as they play.

　　In the same vein as Overcooked, Moving Out is a frantic co-op game that has players moving stuff. Sounds simple, until you remember how hard it is to work cooperatively at anything, and there’s lava too. Moving Out looks to be so fun and funny that you won’t resent your friends when it all goes wrong. Hopefully.

　　

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Looking on from the hugely acclaimed tear-jerker Ori and the Blind Forest, this sequel has been in the works for a long time and we might hopefully see it this year. As far as 2D platformers go, Ori is up there with the best of them, a fast, precise game that offers so much horizontal and vertical exploration.

　　But on top of that, you’ve got Metroidvania style powers, eye-watering beautiful design and a story that makes your eyes water for entirely different reasons.

　　

Oddworld: Soulstorm

After an astounding 15 million games sold, Abe is back. Rolling in 23 years after the original launched, Oddworld Soulstorm promises to take us back to Abe, the slave-come-revolutionary that so many millenniums played as children, and often accidentally killed.

　　Letting players revolt against capitalism run amok you’ll undoubtedly be freeing slaves, possessing the bosses and getting unfortunately munched for food.

　　

The Pathless

From the creators of Abzu, a game about peacefully exploring the ocean with some fish and drone friends, comes The Pathless, a game about slaying demons in a forest. The inspiration for this title seems to come from dozens of other indie games, but the all beautifully meet in the trailer while highlighting the studio's unwavering style for its environments and characters. 

　　And you’ll have an eagle friend helping you the whole time too, which is just neat.

　　

Psychonauts 2

There have been a lot of games that didn’t get the sequel they deserved. There have also been plenty of games that got a sequel that no one wanted. We’re hoping that Psychonauts 2 won’t fall into that last category.

　　Coming at a hasty fifteen years since the original, Psychonauts 2 brings us back into the slightly unsettling world and mind of Raz. His mission, which will undoubtedly go quite wrong, is to voyage into the minds of others to discover secrets and tackle drama. On its surface, the original was a child's game complete with silly humour, but there’s a darker vein in the series that we expect to see again in this sequel.