Summary

  • Annapurna Interactive has launched numerous successful indie games, including partnerships with Remedy Entertainment.
  • Titles like Open Roads, Twelve Minutes, and Donut County have received critical acclaim and won awards.
  • Annapurna Interactive continues to pioneer unique and visually distinct games that push boundaries in the indie game industry.

Since 2016, Annapurna Interactive has assisted in launching dozens of titles across every platform. The publisher established itself as a pillar in the independent game scene, with multiple titles under Annapurna Interactive's publishing umbrella garnering BAFTA awards and numerous other accolades throughout the years.

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Annapurna is showing no sign of slowing down anytime soon by having a slew of promising titles on the horizon, which now even includes an exciting partnership with Remedy Entertainment with its Control and Alan Wake universe. Until then, here are some of the best games that you should absolutely check out from Annapurna if you haven't already.

Updated on September 26, 2024, by Dennis Moiseyev: Annapurna Interactive is one of the most prominent indie game publishers in the industry, focused on bringing you some of the most visually distinct and creative games that developers could conceptualize, bordering on arthouse and experimental design. While there has been news of mass resignations by Annapurna's staff, in-development projects will continue their progress. In the meantime, here are some more critically acclaimed and award-winning games that Annapurna has to offer!

18 Open Roads

Open Roads

Adventure Released March 28, 2024 ESRB T For Teen Due To Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Language, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes Developer(s) Open Roads Team Publisher(s) Annapurna Interactive Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse

Open Roads is a road trip game starring a mother and daughter duo, Opal and Tess Devine, who are voiced by Keri Russell (The Americans, The Diplomat, and Cocaine Bear) and Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart, Unbelievable, and No One Will Save You). Going through their attic, they uncover clues pointing to darker family secrets and lost treasure, which sends them on a quest for answers. The art style also brilliantly blends 3D first-person with hand-illustrated characters.

While Open Roads seems to be the least critically acclaimed game from the publisher thus far and can leave you with a mixed impression, it's made by an independent team formerly of Fullbright, the studio behind the hits Gone Home and Tacoma. Open Roads was also part of the official selection for the 2023 Day of the Devs: The Game Awards Edition showcase.

17 Twelve Minutes

Twelve Minutes

Adventure Released December 7, 2021 ESRB m Developer(s) Luis Antonio Publisher(s) Annapurna Interactive Platform(s) PC Genre(s) Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse

Twelve Minutes was developed by Luís António and published by Annapurna in 2021. It's a top-down game, a refreshing change from most modern games, that takes place almost exclusively in one small apartment where you are trying to solve a murder mystery in a time-loop fashion. Plus, it stars James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe.

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Twelve Minutes received great reviews and won several awards, including the Best Puzzle and Trivia Games in the Webby Awards show. It even received praise from Hideo Kojima himself, who said it made him think about making another adventure game.

16 Donut County

Donut County

Puzzle Released August 28, 2018 ESRB E For Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Comic Mischief Developer(s) Ben Esposito Publisher(s) Annapurna Interactive Platform(s) PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Android, iOS Genre(s) Puzzle Powered by Expand Collapse

Donut County is the kind of game you've probably seen in an app before. You move around a hole, and the hole gets a little bigger every time something falls into it. It's a lot like Katamari Damacy, except it's a hole instead of a ball.

The creator of Donut County, Ben Esposito, merges this simple mechanic with silly, lighthearted storytelling techniques and genuinely adorable characters to create something wonderful. As a result, Donut County has been nominated for many awards and won Mobile Game of the Year at the SXSW Gaming Awards.

15 Flower

Flower

Adventure Released February 12, 2009 ESRB e Developer(s) Thatgamecompany Publisher(s) Sony Computer Entertainment Platform(s) Android, iOS, PC, PS3, PS4, PS Vita Genre(s) Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse

Originally launched back in 2009, thatgamecompany's Flower offers you what's titled 'an interactive escape.' In Flower, you utilize a highly simplistic set of controls to control the wind as you experience lavish landscapes and embark on a personal yet emotional journey.

Flower received plenty of critical acclaim, garnering two game awards. On top of the BAFTA and the VGX awards it earned, another amazing fact about this simple and relaxing little game is that it's among the first collection of games to be featured in the Smithsonian.

14 The Unfinished Swan

The Unfinished Swan

Adventure Indie Games Puzzle Shooter Released October 16, 2012 ESRB t Developer(s) Giant Sparrow, Santa Monica Studio, Armature Publisher(s) Santa Monica Studio Platform(s) PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, iOS, PS Vita Genre(s) Adventure, Indie Games, Puzzle, Shooter Powered by Expand Collapse

The Unfinished Swan features an all-white landscape and asks you to help Monroe paint his surroundings with ink to better see the structures and explore. The one-and-only Terry Gilliam voices the King in this narrative; oh, and of course, you are always on the tail of a wandering swan.

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Launched all the way back in 2012 as a timed PlayStation exclusive from the studio that would later bring you What Remains of Edith Finch, Giant Sparrow's The Unfinished Swan has won two separate BAFTA awards for Game Innovation and Best Debut Game.

13 Florence

Florence

Visual Novel Adventure Released February 4, 2018 ESRB e Developer(s) Annapurna Interactive Publisher(s) Annapurna Interactive Platform(s) Android, iOS, PC, Switch Genre(s) Visual Novel, Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse

Florence revolves around a young woman's first love and the eventual hardships that follow. Uniquely, completion of Florence will only take players 30 to 40 minutes. The game's minimal commitment and proven quality should be more than enough for those curious to give it a go.

Developed by Mountains and launching first on mobile devices in 2018, Florence has garnered a total of seven awards; winning a Game Award, a BAFTA, an Apple Design award, a DICE award, two separate Game Developers Choice awards, and a Webby award.

12 Kentucky Route Zero

Kentucky Route Zero

Adventure 5.0/5 Released January 7, 2013 ESRB T For Teen due to Language, Use of Drugs Developer(s) Cardboard Computer Publisher(s) Annapurna Interactive Platform(s) PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One Genre(s) Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse

Kentucky Route Zero is a five-part adventure game known for its artistic vision in both its visuals and approach to game narrative, which take on a more Lynchian vibe. It then finally received a console port via the TV Edition, which also brought the fifth and final part of the game along with it seven years after its original launch!

Cardboard Computer's Kentucky Route Zero has earned several awards dating back to 2013. It's been awarded third and fourth in two different Game of the Decade lists, two Game of the Year awards, a Best Musical award, and a Best Narrative award.

11 Gorogoa

Coveted as a remarkable puzzle game, critics recommend Gorogoa as a must-play for puzzle game genre fans. Illustrated by Jason Roberts in a hand-drawn style, Gorogoa is described as more than a game, expressing itself through charming scenes and one-of-a-kind puzzle mechanics.

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In Gorogoa, you create panels of scenes with puzzle tiles, and that's the unique way the story gets told here. This game has been awarded several artistic awards and three gaming awards, winning two separate GDC awards as well as a BAFTA award for Debut Game, all in 2018.

10 The Artful Escape

The Artful Escape

Adventure Music Released September 9, 2021 ESRB E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Alcohol Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco Publisher(s) Annapurna Interactive Platform(s) PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Developer Beethoven & Dinosaur Genre(s) Adventure, Music Powered by Expand Collapse

The Artful Escape is a musical and psychedelic sci-fi journey born from the vision of Australian musician Johnny Galvatron of The Galvatrons. You're a teenage guitarist named Francis Vendetti going on a colorful and trippy adventure to alien worlds across the Cosmic Extraordinary, jamming out and fighting bosses. The cast even enlists stars like Carl Weathers, Lena Headey, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Strong, and Michael Johnston.

The game's elaborate art and design certainly made it a major award contender. In 2022, The Artful Escape took home the BAFTA award for Artistic Achievement, a NAVGTR award for Art Direction, and a Webby for Technical Achievement.

9 Sayonara Wild Hearts

Sayonara Wild Hearts

Action Adventure Rhythm Arcade Released September 19, 2019 ESRB E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence Developer(s) Simogo Publisher(s) Annapurna Interactive Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, Mobile, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One Genre(s) Action, Adventure, Rhythm, Arcade Powered by Expand Collapse

Simogo's Sayonara Wild Hearts is depicted as a pop album in the form of a video game. This title plays like a rhythm arcade game, featuring colorful visuals as you follow the psychedelic heartbreak of a young woman. Sprinkled into this extravagant musical and visual journey are also sword-fighting action and motorcycle riding.

Launched in 2019, Simogo's pop album hybrid was nominated for three categories at the Game Awards, including Best Music and Best Art Direction, and was awarded a BAFTA, a DICE award, an Apple Design award, a Webby award, and a Pégases award.