Annapurna Interactive is one of the most prolific indie game publishers out there, right up with Devolver Digital in terms of the amount of bangers they’ve helped put out.

They’ve published everything from intense action platformers to story-focused walking simulators, and it’s almost always a banger game you’ll never forget.

They’ve got one of the cleanest track records in the industry, with some incredible genre-defining, life-changing experiences under their belt, and I feel it’d be fun to rank their best.

These games are primarily ranked on how much I enjoyed them, or how much they personally impacted me, since these games are so emotionally evocative.

10 Storyteller

Twisting the Narrative

Unlike most other titles to come, Storyteller isn’t meant to be a life-changing masterclass art piece, but rather just a simplistic, unique puzzle game.

It was really fun to sit down, relax, and think of all the ways I could brutally murder someone and come out the other side a moderately changed woman.

The entire gimmick is being presented with a simple prompt, some characters, and some scenes, and having to construct a narrative from those puzzle pieces.

This leads to the game being a little bit repetitive and short, but overall a really fun time, and especially nice for a relaxing puzzle game that’ll still work your brain.

9 Stray

The Cat Game

While the opening cutscene hurt my soul a bit, Stray captured my heart with an adorable cat, cute robots, and a fascinating narrative.

It’s essentially a story about a robot named B-12, but you play as a cat that simply observes the story from an outsider’s perspective as it tries to get back to the surface.

It’s a bit of a janky platformer, climbing game, and cat simulator all tangled up into an adorable cyberpunk ball of yarn, and it’s hard not to fall in love with the vibe alone.

It’s quite moody, and the atmosphere is absolutely killer; plus, it’s got a cute kitty as the protagonist, so even with some obvious flaws, you’ll be blinded by cuteness, and we are here for it.

8 What Remains of Edith Finch

This Bird Takes Off

What Remains of Edith Finch is incredibly light in the gameplay department, but so heavy in the story department that I’d be remiss not to mention the beautiful narrative going on.

It’s a loose collection of stories around a cursed family, and it feels like you’re actively attempting to solve a mystery while just taking in the weird and wonderful sights.

It’s hard to talk about such a story-focused game without spoiling it, so I’ll simply say some stories hit the mark and then some, while others fall flat. But for the most part, they all play their part in creating a compelling, albeit short, runtime.

It’s a lovely game that’ll make you feel happy to experience everything you can possibly find within the confines of a walking simulator, and it managed to charm me, even though I’m usually all about the gameplay.

7 Cocoon

Somethin’ Buggin’ Ya?

Cocoon, despite mostly being known on the internet for taking away an award from Pizza Tower at the Game Awards, is actually an incredible puzzle game.

It’s got cute bugs, and orbs that contain worlds inside them, and has you use these orbs to power devices, making you manage your resources intelligently, and it even has some cool boss fights.

It gets especially mind-blowing once we start getting worlds within worlds, the game is so brilliantly designed that I couldn’t help but make audible sounds of excitement every time I figured something out.

It’s immensely satisfying to figure everything out, and even though it’s pretty straightforward and on the shorter end of things, it’ll still melt your mind.

6 Solar Ash

A More Radical Highway

Annapurna is well-known for making super artsy walking simulators and puzzle games, but having only published two platformers, they’ve produced some of the best in the genre.

Namely, Solar Ash has you skating across clouds, boosting through the air, and moving like you’re Shadow the Hedgehog, time manipulation included.

On top of the incredibly fun, slick movement, you’ve got an awesome cel-shaded style with everything bursting into colors, making it a spectacular sight for sore eyes.

To top it all off, the boss fights against absolutely massive beasts that you climb Shadow of the Colossus style, and that’s just an incredible decision.

5 The Pathless

Absolute Schmovement

The Pathless is an open-world game with an incredibly fun movement option, which automatically makes it one of my favorite open-world games.

You’re constantly on the move, shooting down targets with your bow as you run and glide from each major landmark to the next, never stopping if you can help it.

There’s just something so immensely satisfying about the visual and auditory feedback for hitting your targets, and even if it’s just a simple button press, it feels like it has gallons of depth.

On top of that really great movement system, you’ve got some serviceable puzzles with your eagle companion and a really great soundtrack. It’s one of the finest Archery games on the market, and one that you need to check out.

4 Lorelei and the Laser Eyes

More Writing than College

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes made me break out a real-life notebook that I’d had leftover from college, and any game that asks me to do that is insane, in the best way possible.

It’s a noir-styled mystery game where you solve incredibly cryptic puzzles, log everything yourself, by hand, and wrack your brain for any possible solutions.

It’s got a story that is simultaneously psychedelic and difficult to comprehend, while also being incredibly engaging and leaving me questioning everything.

The actual gameplay is usually just walking around and using the info you gather to solve puzzles, but it’s done in such an artful manner that it feels immaculate.

3 Neon White

“Annapurna Published This?”

The black sheep of Annapurna’s catalog, Neon White is an over-the-top action platformer first-person shooter deck-builder with a focus on speedrunning and an anime style.

It’s one of the slickest feeling games to play, having you quickly switch between cards that give you guns, discarding them for special abilities, and platforming like a god.

It’s one of the only games I’ve felt properly induced the competitive spirit in me, as any time I saw my friends above me on the leaderboard, I impulsively needed to decimate their time.

It’s got cringe writing, sure, but let the cringe flow through you and fuel you, and you’ll find an incredible experience and a lesson in how to make a game feel awesome.

2 Journey

A Masterpiece, Together

Journey wasn’t published by Annapurna at first, but got published by them when it came to PC, and given I play everything on Steam anyway, it counts.

It’s a beautiful game where you soar through the desert sands, hopefully, find a friend, communicate with them without any words, and experience the sights together.

It’s hard to describe the feelings this game imbued in me, from the vast emptiness of the desert to the horrific underground to the beautiful ascent up the mountain.

Everything felt like I had a sense of divine purpose, and that utmost strength was being sent through my character and into me, and it’s truly a masterclass in visuals, sound, and vibes.

1 Outer Wilds

There’s More to Explore Here

Outer Wilds is my favorite video game, and it has been since I first played it. I truly believe it to be the greatest example of what video games can be as an art form.

I can’t describe it without ruining the experience for anyone who hasn’t played it, but I can say that it’s personally touched me, and changed my outlook on existence.

I’ve been struggling with depression for my entire life, and Outer Wilds was the first game to make me cry in over 5 years when I first played it, having touched my soul right at the end, while I took everything in.

It’s such a powerful, potent experience, where the exploration, music, and beautiful artistry on display all combine to make something so unique it can never be replicated. All I can do is urge you to play it.