10 Narrative-Driven Indie Games with a Better Story Than The Last of Us

That The Last of Us has become one of the leading examples of modern video games is undeniable, especially since Naughty Dog's work managed to convince millions of people that they can be more than just entertainment.

Deep stories, sensitive reflections, human characters… Joel and Ellie's journey evoked numerous emotions in all who played it, although that doesn't mean it's the most outstanding title to do so.

In fact, while I greatly value its contribution in helping to showcase video games as an art form, I also believe it doesn't offer anything truly groundbreaking, especially in terms of its story.

Therefore, in order to highlight creations that have been able to convey genuinely unforgettable experiences, I invite you to read this list of ten story-driven indie games with a better story than The Last of Us.

10 To the Moon

A Truly Heartfelt Tale

Although I've always had issues with To the Moon's pacing and linearity, it's undeniably among the most emotionally resonant stories ever conceived in the indie scene.

When it comes to touching players' hearts, Eva Rosalene and Neil Watts' efforts to reconstruct the memories of a dying man are so powerfully moving that it's difficult to finish the game without shedding at least a tear.

Traveling through the afflicted man's memories, piecing together a past blocked by trauma and fear, is as challenging as deciding what to do with his present, sparking a debate about the story's narrative that remains alive online even today.

It's a specific story within an even more straightforward game, but To the Moon's simplicity allows us to focus on a superbly crafted plot that leaves players completely captivated until the credits roll.

9 SOMA

Discerning the Transmundane

Plot twists in video games embody a beloved aspect of the industry from the gaming community, so it's no surprise that SOMA is part of the most cherished indie games of all time.

However, the game's ability to subvert expectations and deliver unexpected 180-degree turns isn't the only reason it's on this list, but rather the way it gradually leads you to its revelations.

The crescendo the title offers in terms of levels, threats, consequences, and dialogue is truly phenomenal, with a divinely paced rhythm that feels like not a single second of the story is wasted or lacking.

The introspective insights SOMA offers into what it means to be human, consciousness, and the desire for self-preservation are philosophically invaluable, so much so that, unlike The Last of Us, it has achieved a resounding and unanimous consensus on the excellence of its ending and how the story builds up to it.

8 GRIS

The Colors of Life

Grief is a common theme in art in general and video games in particular, but the way GRIS portrays it is among the most distinctive our medium has ever seen.

Without dialogue, indicators, or any interface, this cinematic platformer tells its story through everything that makes up the game, always refusing to use the most direct methods.

The animation, atmosphere, colors, movement, and above all, the music, work together to tell every little detail about what we are experiencing within its world, making you an active participant in the story and connecting in a profound way rarely seen before.

I'm not one to cry much while playing video games, and for GRIS to have done so without explicitly saying anything is among the most memorable narrative achievements the interactive industry has ever offered me.

7 What Remains of Edith Finch

The Tragic Beauty of Nostalgia

The tragedy of nostalgia can manifest in many ways, and in What Remains of Edith Finch, it appears as a self-fulfilling curse that haunts a family whose fate seems more closely tied to death than usual.

Experiencing the stories of the Finch family members, personally embodying their deaths while exploring their motivations and fears, generates one of the strongest feelings of empathy I've felt in the last decade with any medium.

Watching a family tree wither away, plagued by so much misfortune in life, is a difficult experience to process, even with the masterful subtlety and sensitivity with which the game guides us through their memories, almost magically and hopefully.

With sequences that range from incredible to utterly unforgettable, What Remains of Edith Finch reflects on so many aspects of being human that it's difficult to list them all, but fortunately, it only needs one Sunday afternoon of yours to change your life.

6 The Red Strings Club

Humanity at Bay

The Last of Us explores the human condition viscerally and palpably in times of crisis, showing the depths to which people are capable of going under enough pressure, but The Red Strings Club's approach is more subtle and impactful.

Depicting the bloody conflict between groups fighting for survival during a viral outbreak is brutal, but what truly made me reflect was talking to an ordinary worker about how she agreed to have a chip implanted into her brain to eliminate negative emotions like anxiety and depression.

It might be related to the fact that one fate seems far more plausible and terrifying than the other, but with each character, dialogue, and choice, The Red Strings Club leaves one deeply contemplative about the implications of free will, the social nature of humanity, and our capacity to grow as a civilization.

They are vastly different ways of imagining the future, though in the process of arriving at their respective conclusions, The Red Strings Club has left ideas in my psyche that continue to resonate almost a decade after I finished it.

5 Undertale

The Importance of How

While Naughty Dog does an excellent job of translating the harshness of its apocalypse into gameplay, especially through The Last of Us' gameplay design and technical prowess, I always felt disconnected from the story because killing becomes routine, not an ordeal.

In contrast, Undertale connects both aspects gloriously, using interactivity as the anchor for all its intentions, and creates a message appropriate for each player depending on how they choose to undertake their journey in the underworld.

When you see that sparing the lives of monsters requires numerous mechanics, empathizing with the circumstances of the supposed enemy, and dodging their attacks in difficult bullet hell sections, while killing is comparatively much easier, you understand the motivation behind the story and the gameplay as a whole.

Undertale not only offers a magnificent plot with memorable characters with whom you forge a genuine connection (which, in itself, guarantees it a place on this list), but it does so through mechanisms unique to video games, leveraging their inherent characteristics rather than those of other media like film.

How you tell stories in this medium is often as important, or even more so, than what you tell, and this title, in particular, is one of the leading modern examples of the trend.

4 NORCO

Magical Realism at its Peak

In terms of crafting realistic stories within plausible contexts, NORCO delivers some of the best work I've ever seen, far surpassing the average AAA title that attempts to replicate the same tone.

However, its ability to narrate situations of human tragedy, such as the industrial empire's dominance over life and systemic hopelessness within a structure that treats us as commodities, doesn't detract from the creativity with which it integrates fantastical elements.

NORCO's magical realism strikes a perfect balance between fiction's eccentricity and reality's closeness, one where the apocalypse isn't another zombie epidemic but something far more terrifying and plausible: corporate greed and digital illusions are going to eradicate us.

Even though it's a point-and-click adventure, this indie masterpiece's dialogues and circumstances haunt you for years, making you seriously reconsider where we're headed if the world continues on its current course.

3 Night in the Woods

A Life-Changing Experience

Seeing yourself reflected in a video game becomes a transcendental experience, and as a twenty-something in the midst of a social, political, labor, economic, and military crisis that turns each day into an amalgamation of uncertainties, Night in the Woods becomes a mirror.

Comparing a post-apocalyptic action-survival game and a graphic adventure set in a cozy town is among the strangest exercises I've had to undertake for one of these lists, but I'm absolutely clear about which of the two stories I find more impactful.

Reality always surpasses fiction, and unfortunately, Night in the Woods is shockingly accurate when it comes to depicting the difficult feat of growing up, becoming independent, and staying alive in an era where all forces seem conspiring to prevent you from succeeding.

And no, I don't mean magical entities or cartoonishly supernatural beings, but the ultimate evil that the game itself acknowledges: the systemic configuration of a civilization whose models are no longer relevant to global needs.

However, Night in the Woods doesn't leave you feeling permanently depressed, as it dedicates much of its campaign to the importance of creating bonds, forming communities, and supporting each other in the face of growing inequality, resulting in a balanced story that can resonate with everyone.

2 Outer Wilds

Smiling at the End of the World

The anxious attempt of video games to be seen as a mature medium led us to an era of bloody stories with morally ambiguous themes, though I'm truly glad that games like Outer Wilds helped us break free from that oppressive trend.

Survival and killing are harsh realities for those who must experience them, but the notion of having to face the inevitable end of the universe while relentlessly fighting across countless lives to prevent it is far more impressive.

The futility of the struggle in Outer Wilds, coupled with the understanding of humanity as a perpetual effort through time that we pursue to create a better future for the next generations, is among the most poignant experiences I've had as a player.

A dialogue written on a wall in an alien language between two scientists who love each other amidst a stellar cataclysm moved me more than any event in The Last of Us, which is saying a lot considering the great story the latter tells.

The difference lies in the fact that Outer Wilds is lived, urging an organic experience in which you grow as an explorer, person, and companion to the point of being able to accept the inevitable embrace of oblivion.

1 Disco Elysium

The Greatest Interactive Story Ever Told

Within and beyond the indie scene, I don't think I'm exaggerating or mistaken when I say that Disco Elysium presents the greatest interactive story ever told, capable of rivaling films and books without hesitation.

The work of the original ZA/UM is a titanic artistic expression that covers everything from the broadest to the smallest topics, narrating a story of depression, anxiety, longing, and struggle that no AAA title has been able to craft.

Even if we disregard the countless variations it produces depending on your decisions and pacing, Disco Elysium becomes memorable with every character, dialogue, choice, setting, and message that makes its appearance in a detective odyssey to find both the culprits and our place in the world.

From a Martinaise that constantly speaks through its alleyways and colors, to a concatenation of gameplay systems perfectly suited to narrative, such as the Thought Cabinet and the distribution of cognitive abilities, it's simply a flawless title.

The Last of Us has more blood and cinematics, though Disco Elysium has more ideas, emotions, critiques, conclusions, uncertainties, traumas, stories, and misfortunes, so I think the balance has a clear side to tip towards.