Best Indie Games With Multiple Endings

Key Takeaways

• Various indie games feature multiple endings determined by a variety of decisions.
• Games like
  Lone Survivor
  and
  Papers, Please
  offer replay value with their alternative endings.
• Titles like
  The Stanley Parable
  utilize multiple endings as a core gameplay motivation.

While many games feature a clear beginning, middle, and end, there are a variety of games that facilitate multiple conclusions. This is predominantly seen in games with bigger budgets, but plenty of indie games have tried their hand at this approach as well.

From the secret alternative ending to Playdead’s INSIDE to the plethora of endings in Lucas Pope’s classic indie title, Papers, Please, the quality of multiple endings can be seen across a variety of genres in indie gaming. However, these endings aren’t always the most varied and are often decided based on binary decisions.

1 Lone Survivor

A 2D Survival-Horror Game With Psychological Themes

Described as a game in which choices matter, Lone Survivor is a 2D, pixel art survival horror game that features elements of psychological horror and stealth gameplay. Despite the pixel art aesthetic, Lone Survivor‘s visual style is decidedly creepy. This is in large part thanks to unsettling imagery, a dark tone, and unique effects.

Players who enjoy survival horror, stealth mechanics, and psychological horror stories may find themselves on board with Lone Survivor. Furthermore, the addition of multiple endings dramatically increases the game’s replay value. These endings are centered around the character’s mental health, a theme that rides in tandem with Lone Survivor’s psychological horror.

2 Papers, Please

A Classic Indie Game With A Minimalist Style

Developed by Lucas Pope (who later went on to create Return Of The Obra Dinn) and released back in 2013, Papers, Please is a minimalist indie game that’s driven by its subtle story and supported by a downtrodden atmosphere. The game takes place in the fictional state of Arstotzka, a communist territory, putting players in the role of an immigration inspector.

While the endings aren’t the most detailed, they are many, and each of them is surprisingly evocative considering the minimalist visuals. Overall, Papers, Please provides a dismal but thoughtful experience that’s amplified by its variety of endings. These endings include everything from being arrested, to escaping Arstotzka.

3 Oxenfree

A Supernatural Indie Adventure

Oxenfree is an indie adventure game that’s driven by its moody atmosphere and supernatural story. The game’s unique art style, immersive soundtrack, and otherworldly atmosphere offer players a distinctive experience that features multiple endings.

These endings see each of Oxenfree’s characters reach fates of varying happiness, based on the decisions players have made throughout the game. Fans of games such as Night In The Woods and/or Kentucky Route Zero may enjoy Oxenfree, though it certainly has its differences. For those that enjoy this title, however, Oxenfree has more recently spawned a sequel in the form of Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals.

4 The Stanley Parable

A Strange, Eerie, And Often Humorous Walking Simulator

Released back in 2013, The Stanley Parable is a first-person indie game with a heavy focus on exploration. Though somewhat simple on the surface, essentially a walking simulator, The Stanley Parable is elevated by an eerie atmosphere, an excellent narrator, and a multitude of endings.

Discovering the various and often humorous endings of The Stanley Parable is what elevates the title above and beyond a run-of-the-mill walking simulator. Using multiple endings as a core motivation for the gameplay as a whole is particularly unique, making The Stanley Parable a distinctive experience after over a decade on the market. These endings are typically reached by either obeying or disobeying the advice of the game’s Narrator and much of the joy to be had in The Stanley Parable is in finding what happens when the rules are broken.

5 Undertale

An Indie RPG That’s More Than The Sum Of Its Parts

Though its visuals may be bare-bones, Undertale is a surprisingly atmospheric experience thanks to its music, memorable character designs, and evocative writing. Undertale is a unique RPG that allows players to exercise pacifism, an addition that facilitates the game’s multiple endings.

Undertale succeeds with its ensemble of colorful characters and the narrative weaved around them, building up to one of three endings. These endings are brought about by three styles of play: neutral, pacifist, and genocide, encouraging multiple playthroughs.

6 INSIDE

A Deeply Atmospheric Narrative-Driven Puzzle-Platformer

INSIDE is a puzzle platformer developed by Playdead (LIMBO), driven by a subtle narrative and immersive atmosphere. The sound design and art direction drive much of the experience, as well as the dystopian world that acts as the game’s backdrop.

Several secrets can be found throughout INSIDE‘s short but sweet adventure, hidden relatively well across a variety of dark, moody environments. Should the player manage to discover every secret, INSIDE rewards them with an alternative ending. However, both endings are equally ambiguous.

7 Hollow Knight

An Indie Metroidvania In An Underground World

Hollow Knight is an indie Metroidvania that succeeds with its well-crafted combat and, more importantly, its immersive atmosphere. The underground world in which Hollow Knight takes place is tremendously creative and beautifully realized with imaginative art direction and character designs.

The game’s narrative is told with a subtle hand, mostly given to the player through character dialogue and environmental storytelling. As such, it can be difficult to stumble onto its multiple endings naturally, requiring players to work a little harder to achieve them. Many of these endings leave the game on a somewhat bittersweet note, though the secret cutscene (unlocked by speaking with the Mister Mushroom NPC) provides a more whimsical end to the adventure.

8 Bastion

A Riveting Action-Adventure With Powerful Narration

This impressive debut from Supergiant Games (Transistor, Hades) provides players with an action-adventure experience elevated by a unique and utterly immersive method of storytelling. Bastion primarily uses narration to tell its story. The music, talented voice-acting, and unique world make Bastion a wholly memorable experience. The binary choice toward the end of the game is just the cherry on top.

Though it’s not packed with branching options and impactful decisions, Bastion does feature an important choice toward the end of the game that affects the ending. As a result, Bastion is somewhat more replayable than it otherwise would be. One ending results in turning back time, while the other is a somewhat bittersweet final note.