Welcome to our list of must-play top 10 best indie games of 2020! This one's been a long time coming, as we've been very excited to showcase some of the games on this list. One thing worth keeping in mind: these aren't holiday-themed games at all. Or, rather, they're not Christmas/December-themed.

Work is likely to ease off for many of us in the coming days and weeks, which, in turn, means more time for gaming. This also means you'll have the opportunity to finally give some lesser-known indies a fair shake that they so desperately deserve. So, though they're not very Christmassy, our top 10 best indie games are all plenty awesome for a playthrough or two now that you'll finally have the chance.

We'll have plenty of December-themed articles and showcases for your consideration soon. Today, though, let us show you our list of top 10 indie games you do not want to miss out on in 2020.

Top 10 Best Indie Games of 2020 List

The vast majority of our list is entirely new, as you're about to find out. All of these neat little thingies came out over the course of 2020, and from our experience, they've probably flown under the radar far as the casual gamer is concerned. This is precisely where our list comes in, however! If you're looking for PC indie game suggestions, just scroll on ahead and have fun. Note that these bad boys (and girls) are not numbered in any specific order. We just couldn't pick out a favorite!

#10: Pumpkin Jack

Halloween may have come and gone, but that doesn't mean you can't play badass pumpkin-themed adventure games anymore. This lovingly-crafted third-person action game precisely the kind of game many of us enjoyed the most during PlayStation 2's heyday. A fast, fun, and incredibly polished character-driven adventure that'll keep you coming back for more over and over again. Besides: it's not like pumpkins are forbidden outside of Halloween, right? Give this one a whirl if you miss the likes of Jak & Daxter or Ratchet & Clank!

• Steam rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
• get Pumpkin Jack today

#9: Going Under

Another cutesy-looking indie, Going Under is a scathing satire of the contemporary tech startup scene. You'll take control over an unpaid intern tasked with clearing out literal and proverbial dungeons underneath your company campus. Of course, you'll do so by wielding office tools and supplies, because what else? This one's just pure ol' fun, and not only when it comes to gameplay: satire is the name of the game in Going Under. Your intern will find themselves taking out gig workers, cryptocurrency miners, subscription box manufacturers, and just about every other modern startup you've seen yet. Good times with this one, trust us.

• Steam rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
• get Going Under today

#8: Dustoff Z

Dustoff Z is weird, but lovably so. At its core, the game is a helicopter shoot-em-up, but you won't be doing much shooting yourself. Instead, you'll hire gunners to shoot zombies, while you heli-handle all manner of strange gadgets, machinery, and - yes - zeds themselves. Your impromptu chopper's winch will be your most helpful tool, adding a layer of physics puzzling to the mix. It's strange, to be sure, but it's heaps of fun, and it simply needed to be on our top 10 best indie games list no matter what.

• Steam rating: Very Positive
• get Dustoff Z today

#7: Space Crew

Space Crew is what happens when competent devs set out to create a Star Trek lite kind of strategy management experience. This game is actually technically a sequel to the developer's previous title, Bomber Crew. It's also the same genre, except way more in-depth and - arguably - more interesting as well. From enlisting your own hand-picked crew of specialists all the way to handling first contact situations, Space Crew will give you plenty of opportunities to prove your worth on a galactic scale. Are you up to the task?

• Steam rating: Very Positive
• get Space Crew today

#6: Ikenfell

A quality turn-based tactical RPG if there ever was one, Ikenfell made its way onto our list of top 10 best indie games not by breaking down entrenched genre standards, but simply by being that good a game. Essentially, what you've got here is a story about a semi-troublesome group of wizards and witches in training, who set out on adventures over and over again for this or that reason. It's a simple enough setup, but it's the execution that makes it worth your time. Another thing worth pointing out is that Ikenfell's soundtrack has been composed by the good people who worked on Steven Universe, so that's a real hoot.

• Steam rating: Very Positive
• get Ikenfell today

#5: Ring of Pain

Another Spooktober entry on this list of top 10 best indie games of 2020, Ring of Pain surprised us with how well-designed, interesting, and creepy it turned out to be. The game is a card crawler, but it's fast and extremely well balanced. Difficult, too, but that kinda fits the bill thematically. What it does well, however, is that it opens up a strange non-universe filled with monsters and enigmatic creatures in an extremely gamified sense. It's really great, and we can't help but recommend it.

• Steam rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
• get Ring of Pain today

#4: The Survivalists

The Survivalists came about as a spiritual successor to The Escapists, but it does a whole lot of stuff a whole lot differently. Its core gameplay loop consists of players attempting to survive, with the endgame tucked away in intricate dungeons and all sorts of related activities. It's fun, doubly so if you've got a crew to play Survivalists with! Another thing that works in its favor is that it's got a very comprehensive post-launch update roadmap. We're talking about huge new features and content coming soon, so there's always something exciting and fresh for us to look forward to.

• Steam rating: Very Positive
• get The Survivalists today

#3: Hotshot Racing

We knew Hotshot Racing would make its way into our top 10 best indie games list since we first checked it out back in September. A refresher of the classic Virtua Racing formula, Hotshot Racing is just simple enough for anyone to be able to pick it up and enjoy right off the bat while being just layered enough to keep them coming back for more over and over again. New cars, new tracks, new championships, new racers: it's all there and waiting. Of course, none of this would mean much if the game's driving features were bad. The good news, then, is that they're friggin' phenomenal. Grab this one if you're a race car driver at heart!

• Steam rating: Very Positive
• get Hotshot Racing today

#2: Filament

What would a top 10 best indie games list be without at least one innovative puzzler to tie them all together? Before you ask, yes - that was a pun. Filament is basically a cable puzzler, where players need to figure out what really went down aboard The Alabaster, a massive space-bound research vessel where everyone but the player character suddenly went missing. This is accomplished through a series of physics-based puzzles we can only describe as maddeningly satisfying. And also just maddening until you figure them out, y'know.

• Steam rating: Very Positive
• get Filament today

#1: Neon Abyss

One thing's for sure: somewhere very close to the pinnacle of indie gaming of the year 2020 sits Neon Abyss, and its spot is very well deserved. This incredible rogue-lite platformer is positively loaded with more content than you could shake a stick at. It's also crazy fun! That helps a whole lot, we feel. We're not sure if it's the dungeons, the enemies, or the progression system we enjoy the most about Neon Abyss. In the end, what matters the most is that the game is good. And boy is Neon Abyss good. If you'll get any one of the indies on this list, get this one. You can thank us later!

• Steam rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
• get Neon Abyss today

How about that list of Top 10 Best Indie Games?

How do you feel about our list of the top 10 best indie games of the year? Naturally, some of you will disagree with some of our picks, but that's the nature of opinions. Everyone's got one!

If you enjoyed this short overview of some of the greatest games we've got on sale, be sure to check in from time to time in the coming days and weeks! We've got a whole lot more articles and overviews planned for the coming month, and we think you'll be very interested in reading what we've got to say. Hint: it rhymes with 'feals and fiscounts'. Stay tuned and happy gaming!