10 Indie Game Sequels That Need to Happen

Not every game gets it right on the first try. In fact, it’s rare that they absolutely do nail everything on their first go. For every fully realized game like The Witness, there are hundreds of titles that show promise, yet falter while reaching for the brass ring. Thankfully, video games can have a second shot at greatness in the form of a sequel.

Some of the most interesting and innovative ideas in gaming has come from indie games. When developers aren’t as worried about focus testing, they can take risks and go in adventurous new directions. There’s no shortage of indie games that I’d love to see sequels to, but I’ve selected 10 that really stand out as needing another shot. This isn’t a list about what the best indie games are (as a lot of the great ones don’t need a follow-up), but rather which games can benefit the most from a new entry or help fill a spot in the gaming world that isn’t being fulfilled.

Check out my list of 10 indie game sequels that need to happen below:

I hope you enjoyed my list of 10 indie game sequels that need to happen. Each of these games have displayed a lot of promise and have delivered it to a varying degree. That said, there are still plenty of other indie games that could benefit from a sequel, so naturally many were left off on the cutting room floor while making this list.

Let me know in the comments what indie games you would like to see receive a sequel, and if they made the list!

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Indie Games that Need Sequels

10 Indie Games That Need Sequels
Chambara

Recently released multiplayer deathmatch game Chambara has one of the coolest ideas I've seen in a game. Players, which are one of two colors, can blend into portions of the map and the game becomes a difficult game of hide-and-seek. Looking at the other player's screen isn't cheating, it's necessary. It's not unlike Screencheat in that regard, but unlike Samurai Punk's shooter, Chambara is lacking features. There's little in terms of modes and no online play. All of this could be fleshed out in a sequel.
Citizens of Earth

Citizens of Earth did just enough to remind me of how great Earthbound was, but it never managed to fully scratch that itch. The game had a lot of promise, though, so I think a sequel could lead to something great. It needs to be less of a love letter to the past and more of its own standalone entry, cut out a lot of the fluff that was present, and deliver a compact yet thrilling RPG experience. I believe in the President of the world!
Escape Plan

One of the Vita's neatest launch titles was Fun Bits Interactive's Escape Plan. While the title, which had players puzzle out how to escape individual rooms, relied on touchscreen gimmickry that hasn't really held up all that well, it showed that it could work on consoles when it was ported to PlayStation 4. I feel like with additional mechanics, both Lil and Laarg could really shine in another adventure.
FEZ

FEZ is one of my favorite games, and nothing will beat cracking its code after putting hours into decoding its secret language. It's a brilliant puzzle-platformer, and I was elated when plans for a sequel were announced. Sadly, creator Phil Fish left the game industry and canceled said sequel shortly afterwards. While I'm at least happy that gaming got FEZ (what else can you ask from one person?), I can't help but feel a bit selfish here. I want FEZ 2 to happen, but more-so I just want one of gaming's greatest minds to come back to the industry. After all, it's simply a better and more interesting medium when Phil Fish is contributing to it.
Frobisher Says

I love WarioWare to the point where I'd probably argue its merits as the greatest series of all-time (for your sake, please don't test me on this). Why am I talking about Nintendo's seemingly dead series? Because the Vita exclusive Frobisher Says has been the best alternative to the king of microgames. While it's unlikely to happen due to the developer's current hiatus, I'd love to see a new Frobisher Says game. I think a mini-game collection could really shine on PlayStation VR, especially one with a great sense of humor.
Shadow Complex

I'm glad that in 2016, PlayStation gamers finally got to experience the pure joy that is Shadow Complex. Chair Entertainment's Metroidvania title showed that there was still an audience for this type of game on consoles back in 2009, and we've seen a lot of great takes on the genre since then. I feel like it's time for the former king of the genre to reclaim its throne, and I hope that Chair follows through with its plans for a sequel that they've openly exploring.
Shadwen

Shadwen was a pretty big disappointment. At a certain point, Frozenbyte's stealth game became monotonous and the constant bugs made it annoying to play. That said, the core concept of a stealth game playing like SUPERHOT is so good. It needs to go fully into that direction, have bite-sized levels and use time as a mechanic that isn't just rewinding in order to ease trial-and-error sloppiness. It can be done, but it'll take a lot of polish in order to fulfill its potential.
Super Meat Boy

In 2010 the term "masocore" was introduced to the gaming public thanks to the popularity of Super Meat Boy. Despite six years passing, there haven't really been a difficult platformer that has surpassed Team Meat's beloved game. I'd love to see a proper follow-up to the game on consoles, but Team Meat will have to finish up The Legend of Bum-bo first. Hopefully gaming hasn't seen the last of Dr. Fetus. Actually, on second thought, I'm totally okay with a different villain.
The Sun and Moon

Ludum Dare winner The Sun and Moon has a fantastic concept — allowing players to dive into the ground and using reverse-gravity to leap into the air. It's fun to do, simple to pick-up and it made for a pretty solid platformer. That said, its minimalist look (while gorgeous) didn't really do it any favors. There was no story or memorable characters, and it felt like it was lacking a cohesive world. A sequel, that used these same mechanics but in a very different wrapper, could fix all of these shortcomings.
TowerFall Ascension

TowerFall Ascension is one of the best local multiplayer games I've ever played. Sadly, I don't get to play it very often and when I do jump back in over Share Play it's never with four-players. This is a game that is crying for online play, and I really think a sequel could add that needed mode. Matt Thorson already proved that he has plenty of ideas for the future of TowerFall with its DLC expansion, but even more could be done with an actual sequel.