WHAT THE EVOLUTION OF INDIE MEANS
FOR THE INDUSTRY IN 2027 By Paul Sulyok, Founder & CEO, Green Man Gaming
G
aming remains one of the fastest
growing creative industries, expected to bring in a projected global revenue of £150
billion this year1. But the landscape is also fast-changing. While the market continues to be dominated by large development teams like Rockstar Games and EA, the charts are telling a new story for PC gaming, and small independently developed games are increasingly displacing titles from major incumbents. This new highpoint for indie games will shape the future of the gaming market, as we look towards 2027.
INDIES TAKE CENTRE STAGE In 2026 studio Dazed Games’ How to Fish, a multiplayer fishing game made by a team of two developers, has taken the gaming universe by storm. This is just one of many success stories. Peak, a mountain climbing game from small Swedish studio Landfall; Hollow Knight: Silksong, a Metroidvania platformer by Team Cherry, and many other new indie releases have accumulated an unprecedented amount of popularity and attention for indie developers this year.
It is clear that the industry is shifting into a
more bifurcated ecosystem, between smaller indie games and blockbuster costly AAA titles. Gamers no longer automatically look towards high-budget games that they can add to their birthday lists and are increasingly looking to enjoy a higher volume of great value indie games.
COVID AND PRICING The AAA industry is still burdened by decisions taken during the pandemic. Consequently, prices for games from AAA studios have continued to rise, with major releases now pushing towards the £70 mark5. For many gamers, this is increasingly difficult to justify,
unless they can find a better deal. That can mean waiting for sales on AAA games or seeking out indie titles instead. Indie games, with their substantially smaller budgets, have largely avoided this cycle of price increases, typically remaining priced at around £15. As we know, these games also tend to be experimental and artistically distinctive, taking risks in ways larger companies with established consumer expectations normally do not. Fast-paced indie shooters like Ultrakill exemplify this philosophy, using a retro early-PlayStation art style to evoke nostalgia for the 1990s and 2000s. This combination of low costs and distinctive
creative vision has made indie games more popular than ever before, with particular interest from younger players. But how are these games being advertised and reaching consumers without the budgets to spend on costly advertising campaigns?
NEW TRENDS IN MARKETING Short-form content on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram has been a marketing gamechanger. Teams use these platforms to track the progress of games they are making, building anticipation and sometimes going viral from a single compelling game feature, whether a comedic enemy or an interesting soundtrack. This has become an increasingly popular
trend this year, with development logs and social media comment sections offering consistent transparency and communication with fans, while even helping developers to raise funding. In addition, YouTube and streaming platform
Twitch are impossible to ignore. If developers can get influencers to play through their game, it can generate enormous exposure and build momentum around a release. In effect, these platforms have reduced one of the traditional advantages enjoyed by the largest studios: the ability to spend heavily to secure attention. This environment has flooded the market with an endless supply of excitement for gamers, who
are constantly seeing new releases that are also more affordable.
SELF-CONTAINMENT OF INDIE GAMES So, do these games have longevity, and what does that mean for their profitability? High-budget games encourage longevity and consistent engagement through continued microtransactions and ‘battle passes’. This, of course, tends to be largely absent from indie games, where the initial sale of the game is the most crucial part of the business model.
Their significantly lower development costs mean that they do not necessarily need to keep players spending for an extended period to justify the initial investment. Instead, success can come from strong launch sales and sustained interest, allowing smaller developers to move on to expansions, sequels or entirely new projects.
A CLEAR TRAJECTORY The rise of indie is an unavoidable force for everyone in the industry and has repercussions beyond small studios. While AAA game costs can spiral for consumers, embarking on a new indie game provides a clear, locked price. The big players must be alive to this and ensure that their offerings can compete for players’ time and money, for the health of the wider ecosystem. Our talent base is as innovative as ever, and the diverse gameplay and range of fresh ideas are extremely positive to see. Influencers and social media platforms are picking up on this creativity and are playing an increasingly valuable role in publicity and advertising, giving unconventional titles opportunities to reach audiences that would once have required significant marketing budgets. As we move into 2027, this does not mean that indie games will replace AAA titles. Instead, the market is likely to become more differentiated, between huge, premium gaming experiences and smaller, cheaper and highly distinctive independent releases. Most importantly, for gamers, the future will bring more choice than ever before to find something perfectly suited to them.
September/October 2026 MCV/DEVELOP | 27
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