How do indie games often challenge your expectations about what games can be?

[killamch89]

From subverting genre tropes to innovating core mechanics on shoestring budgets, indie developers constantly redefine what games can be. How have small-team or solo projects surprised you perhaps by offering novel control schemes, meta-narratives, or experimental art styles? Share examples where an indie title flipped your assumptions: turning platformers into meditation exercises, or stealth games into poetry. What design risks paid off in gameplay clarity or emotional resonance?

[Scorpion]

Indie games often surprise me by offering unique storytelling, innovative mechanics, and artistic styles that mainstream titles rarely explore. They challenge my expectations by proving that creativity and passion can create deeply meaningful, unconventional gaming experiences beyond traditional commercial ideas.