Best Indie Games of 2017 – #5: RiME

The beautiful puzzle adventure game tops the second half of our list.

RiME is a single-player puzzle adventure game about a young boy shipwrecked on a mysterious island after a torrential storm. Players must use their wits to decipher the challenges and secrets of an expansive world strewn with rugged terrain, wild creatures and the crumbling ruins of a long-forgotten civilization.

You play RiME at your own pace.  You’re free to interact with the stunning scenery, whilst searching for the many hidden secrets and collectibles, or interacting with wildlife.  Your ultimate aim is to reach the peak of the tower at the centre of the rugged world, and unlock its secrets.  No spoilers here as to what those may be.

Say developers Tequila Works:

We’ve always wanted RiME to captivate players’ imaginations, capturing that feeling of being a child and experiencing the wonders of a bedtime story for the first time.

With subtle narrative, colourful artwork and a sweeping score,  Tequila Works have reached this goal, as RiME offers players a meaningful journey filled with discovery.  The music is both memorable and distinctive, and provides a great background to the stunning visuals.  This is certainly one of the more beautiful indie games I have played this year.

Though RiME doesn’t provide much of a challenge for seasoned puzzle pros / adventurers, the difficulty is where I think it should be.  It’s just hard enough to keep the game interesting, without distracting from the fantastic story.  You’re not going to need to do a Google search every time you hit a new puzzle, keeping RiME accessible and fun.  It’s also doesn’t provide the longest game experience – completing within ten hours is quite possible, but every hour you do play is wonderful.

Since its release in May this year, RiME has received almost entirely positive reviews on Steam.  The critics are less consistent with their views of the game, so it’s up to you to make your mind up on this one.  You can pick up RiME on Steam with 40% currently off, at £17.99 / $24.  It’s also available for PS4, Xbox One and Switch.

If beautiful adventure games are your thing, check out Figment, our sixth best indie game of the year.