2. Abzu

It’s beautiful underwater settings and exploration-based gameplay made Abzu one of the most memorable indie games of 2016.

Abzu is a game made by part of the development team who worked on the 2012 hit Journey, and it’s obvious that both games share the same exploration-based gameplay and atmosphere. And Abzu, like the earlier Journey, also features a very nice score by veteran composer Austin Wintory. But while Journey took place on land, Abzu is mostly an underwater game.

And Abzu’s underwater settings sure are beautiful-looking, with rich colours and teeming with all sorts of aquatic creatures like dolphins many breeds of fish. Of course, like its predecessor Journey, the gameplay and mechanics in Abzu are very simple and straightforward, as this is mostly about swimming and exploration, and about enjoying the game’s colourful underwater settings. And even if there’s not much of a story either, it is clear that Abzu is an underwater experience and a top indie game that’s not to be missed.