Indie Game of the Month Awards December 2020

Make your hard drive Out of Space

Written by A.J. Maciejewski for Indie GOTM Awards on January 6, 2021 🏅

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2020 was a heck of a year and it ended with some truly fantastic indie games so here are the best ones that we reviewed in December.

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Dadish 2D Platformer of the Month

Sometimes, a simple and challenging 2D platformer is all you need and Dadish features tight gameplay that's set in a lovely and silly world. Plus, it made me laugh consistently and few games are funny enough to do that so you know you'll be in for hilarity with this one. v1d30chumz 3-235-173-74

Out of Space: Couch Edition Co-op Game of the Month

For the past handful of years, there have been many couch co-op multiplayer indie games so it really takes a lot to stand out in the genre. Most such games feature carefully-crafted levels yet Out of Space: Couch Edition went above and beyond by incorporating procedurally-generated stages that compose massive space ships. It's quite a tough little game, too, so you'll really have to manage your time and communicate effectively if you want to survive the infecting alien presence. Needless to say, I never imagined that cleaning up a space vessel could be this much fun. I highly recommend it!

Traffix Casual Game of the Month

I love when games seem simple yet there's much more to them than initially meets the eye. Directing vehicles in Traffix with a minimal amount of accidents may be tough but it'll keep you coming back for more until you master every stage in its stylish campaign.

Shady Part of Me Adventure Game of the Month

Shady Part of Me is a puzzle platform adventure where you switch between a girl and her shadow. Helping each other progress involves many clever noodle-scratching puzzles and tricky scenarios so it makes for one rewarding experience that's quite heartfelt, too.

Ruinverse RPG of the Month

As someone who enjoys retro-inspired RPGs, I had a blast with Ruinverse and its bubbly cast of characters. Exploring dungeons while teaming up to battle all sorts of imaginative enemy hordes makes becoming more powerful via the brilliant growth systems a treat.

Petal Crash Puzzle Game of the Month

I may have downloaded Petal Crash a couple of months after it released yet it definitely remains my favourite puzzler that I played in December with its enjoyable tile-sliding gameplay where creating lengthy chain reactions makes for one gratifying formula. Great stuff!

Colossus Down Beat 'em Up of the Month

After enjoying the twisted adventure games Agatha Knife and MechaNika, I didn't think the next game in the series would have been a beat 'em up. To my surprise and delight, Colossus Down is an excellent brawler with some nifty mechanics that any genre fan will love.

Synthetik: Ultimate Roguelike of the Month

It's odd that there are so many twin-stick shooter roguelikes out there yet not many reach the heights of Synthetik: Ultimate and its overhead tactical shooting action. Planning ahead to tackle each scenario is super-engaging so I definitely recommend this indie gem.

Tesla Force Twin-stick Shooter of the Month

Having enjoyed Tesla vs Lovecraft back in 2018, I was looking forward to playing Tesla Force on my new PS5 and it definitely impressed with its action-intense arcade-style gameplay, satisfying campaign full of a variety of missions, and cooperative multiplayer component.

Tanuki Justice Retro-Inspired Game of the Month

This is my favourite award to discuss each month because I love retro and indie games and creating a true old-school experience must be challenging. This month, Tanuki Justice absolutely blew me away with its authentic retro aesthetics and tight gameplay that'll have you running, jumping, and throwing shurikens like there's no tomorrow. It's cute, fun, and you can play through with a chum, too.

Minecraft Dungeons: Howling Peaks DLC of the Month

After playing Minecraft Dungeons back in May, I didn't play it for months until I decided to get its DLC. Usually, expansions don't entice me to dive back into games yet Howling Peaks offers a ton of fun that made me fall in love all over again with Minecraft Dungeons.

PHOGS! Indie Game of the Month

Finally, our overall indie game from December is PHOGS! This strange and colourful co-op game where you and a chum control both ends of a double-headed puppy is an absolute joy. Whether you're solving puzzles, trying to snag some treasure, or working out tricky situations, you and a pal are bound to have an excellent time playing through its lengthy campaign and it's very funny to boot.