Game of the Year: Best PS5 Indie Game of 2024

Alongside our Game of the Year top 10 list and personal picks from the Push Square editorial team, we are recognising the best PS5 games of 2024 in select categories. Today is the turn of the best PS5 indie game of 2024.

What if instead of going to heaven when you die, you’re instead instructed to clean the afterlife with a broom as a cat? That’s the setup for Crypt Custodian, and it helps fuel one of this year’s best Metroidvanias. Its gameplay loop of action and platforming is oh so enjoyable, and its light Metroidvania elements of opening up new paths with fresh abilities keep any backtracking engaging. The whole thing is just incredibly charming and a proper example of how the indie scene is still shining bright.

Read our Crypt Custodian PS5 review through the link.

Thank Goodness You’re Here! is the silliest game we’ve played in a long time, and it achieves that with such aplomb that it has to be rewarded. In essence, it’s akin to a point and click adventure; all you can do is jump and smack things, but these interactions lead to consistently funny dialogue and scenes throughout. The cartoon Yorkshire town of Barnsworth is so well observed, and along with its barmy cast of residents, it feels like a real place. The presentation is perfectly pitched, the voice work is great, and the unhinged British humour hits the mark all the way through. It’s not the most complex game in the world, but it’s one of the most entertaining we’ve played this year.

Read our Thank Goodness You’re Here! PS5 review through the link.

Red Candle Games has converted Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice into a 2D Metroidvania, and in doing so, produced one of the finest independent games of the year. It may be difficult, but stick with it and you’ll be rewarded with a very gripping adventure bursting with fantastic combat, stunning visuals, and a surprisingly good story. With an excellent soundtrack to boot, there’s no need to continue your excruciating wait for Hollow Knight: Silksong because one of the very best Metroidvanias is already available now.

Read our Nine Sols PS5 review through the link.

Platinum Trophy: Balatro

There’s a simple reason Balatro is the most talked about indie game of 2024, and it’s because it’s bloody brilliant. This roguelike card game starts simple as you play your typical 52-card deck, but soon evolves into something far deeper and richer the further you go. It layers on various synergistic systems and items, all combining in deliciously satisfying ways to make your deck a potent points-earning machine. Building a game-breakingly powerful deck and watching all the multipliers and effects pop off is incredibly rewarding, and you’ll be searching over and over for opportunities to get that dopamine hit. It’s endlessly replayable, hypnotically addictive, and stuffed with new cards to unlock and alternative ways to play. This is our top indie game of the year, but it’s easily among the best games of 2024 period.

Read our Balatro PS5 review through the link.

Do you agree with our picks for the best PS5 indie game of 2024? Share your thoughts in the comments below and check out more of our Game of the Year coverage through the link.