Indie FPS Games With Innovative Gameplay

The FPS genre has gone through periods of innovation and stagnation through the years. Beginning with pioneering titles such as DOOM and Quake, as well as BUILD Engine classics such as Duke Nukem 3D and Blood, first-person shooters eventually shifted toward cover-based gameplay and twitchy reactions.

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6 Best Single-Player Indie FPS Games

These excellent indie first-person-shooters deliver the best single-player experiences in the genre.

With multiple styles of FPS firmly established, modern indie developers have a deep well from which to draw when creating new first-person shooters. From games such as ULTRAKILL that blend FPS gameplay with a character action-style system, to Post Void with its mash-up of twitchy movement and roguelike structure, there’s something in the indie scene for all kinds of FPS fans.

8

Maximum Action

Stylish & Wholly Unconcerned With Challenge

• Platform(s): PC
• Released: 2018
• Developer(s): George Mandell
• Genre: FPS

Maximum Action is a low-poly indie FPS that takes clear inspiration from games such as Max Payne and FEAR. Using a combination of slow-motion “bullet time,” excess gore, and flashy dives, Maximum Action emphasizes style over challenge in an accessible action sandbox.

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Best Sandbox Action Games

Games in the sandbox genre emphasize freedom and creativity and paired with action, players are geared up to cause mayhem.

This focus on expressive action and creative style makes for a fresh experience, showing that first-person shooters don’t have to be about careful positioning or fast reactions. The often brisk nature of each mission and the action cinema homages also allow Maximum Action to stand out as a purpose-built sandbox.

7

Chop Goblins

A Micro-FPS With Stripped Down Mechanics

• Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch
• Released: 2022
• Developer(s): David Szymanski
• Genre: FPS

Chop Goblins’ gameplay is fairly straightforward, old-school FPS action. However, through a combination of tongue-in-cheek humor, ultra-simplistic controls (even forgoing a jump option), and—most importantly—an incredibly short runtime, Chop Goblins manages to be a truly refreshing experience.

Players used to bloated experiences or even typical labyrinthine episodes of old-school shooters will find in Chop Goblins a fresh pace. This tight, efficient design is packed with constant changes of scenery that players can blast through in less than an hour. While the lack of a jump button certainly limits players, this limitation allows for a deeper focus on the fundamentals, simultaneously allowing Chop Goblins to be more accessible to a wider audience.

6

Neon White

An FPS That Intuitively Encourages Speed Running

Released

June 16, 2022

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco

Though it pushes the definition of a first-person shooter with its lack of gun models and focus on pure movement, this is precisely what makes Neon White so innovative. Through intuitive controls and clear, easy-to-read level designs, Neon White becomes an accessible runner, but it’s the way it encourages speed running that makes it such an innovative experience.

Neon White’s gameplay loop is truly unique, blending trigger-happy FPS gameplay with expressive movement abilities and fluid level design. Most importantly, the medal system, and the way it drip-feeds players with unique hints, provides constant encouragement to replay levels to achieve faster clear times before moving on.

5

CULTIC

A Horror Focus, Slower Pace, & Unique Art-Style

Released

October 13, 2022

ESRB

nr

Perhaps the most obvious distinguishing feature of this title is its distinctive art style, which blends pixel art, voxel-based models, and 3D environments with a heavily stylized color palette. This immediately stylish presentation isn’t CULTIC’s only innovation, however, with its gameplay combining elements of survival horror with classic old-school first-person shooter action.

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The following games waste little time getting started, instead opting to throw players straight into the action.

CULTIC is far more of a shooter than a true horror game, but it takes clear inspiration from games such as Resident Evil 4. Furthermore, CULTIC innovates with its slower pace, though it does allow experienced players to blitz through levels, facilitated by clever enemy encounters that often force a methodical approach.

4

Deep Rock Galactic

Co-Operative Action & Intuitive Exploration

Systems

Released

May 13, 2020

ESRB

T for Teen due to Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence

Deep Rock Galactic is not a typical FPS, though it does borrow from tried-and-true formulas of horde-based co-op games such as Left 4 Dead 2. In the game, players delve into procedurally generated caverns, which themselves are generated in a distinctive and naturalistic manner, completing set objectives as they explore and fight off deadly alien bugs.

The combination of mining, exploration, and horde survival provides a fresh experience, elevated by co-op play and consistent progression. This is elevated further by phenomenal character classes that each offer particular strengths and weaknesses, allowing each player to explore and combat enemies in their own way.

3

ULTRAKILL

A Stylish & Utterly Unique Concoction

Ultrakill

Released

September 3, 2020

ESRB

t

ULTRAKILL is a slick, stylish FPS that plays at a breakneck pace, supported by short levels that combine corridor shooting with expressive combat arenas. The game stands out not only for the speed of its gameplay, but for its chunky art style, imaginative weapon designs, and character-action combo system.

Fans of fast-paced shooters and character-action games such as Devil May Cry will quickly find themselves at home with ULTRAKILL. However, despite its familiarity, ULTRAKILL’s tactile controls and mash-up of game mechanics feel decidedly fresh.

2

Fallen Aces

Immersive Exploration & Fast-Paced Brawls

Fallen Aces is a stylish combination of FPS, brawler, and immersive sim. This game excels with its pulpy comic book art style, which practically leaps off the screen. However, it’s the aforementioned blend of immersive sim gameplay and first-person brawling that makes this title so refreshing to play.

The immersive and open design of the game’s levels and the variety of approaches they facilitate allow for some truly expressive gameplay. Furthermore, the sheer level of polish within the game’s presentation, controls, and environments make for an experience that stands out from the crowd almost immediately. Add to this a distinctive combination of art styles and immersive gameplay mechanics, and Fallen Aces presents players with a unique flavor of pulpy action.

1

Post Void

Twitchy, Psychedelic Chaos

Action

Arcade

First-Person Shooter

Indie Games

Systems

Released

August 6, 2020

ESRB

t

This fast-paced and psychedelic indie FPS lacks weapon variety, a narrative, and even hand-made levels. However, these perceived shortcomings only play to the game’s strengths, allowing for a more focused and tightly-designed experience that emphasizes speed, ace aiming, and quick thinking above all else.

Its scratchy, gritty art style with its bright and psychedelic visuals go hand-in-hand with a chaotic soundtrack and fast game speed. This speed is mechanically encouraged via a constantly-draining health bar, an innovation that has clearly influenced more recent titles such as CRUEL and even the upcoming Bloodthief.

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8 Beginner Tips For Post Void

Players new to this unique FPS experience may be a little lost at first. Luckily, these tips and tricks should make things easier.