Apart from the most popular names out there, there is plenty of Indy gaming league you would want to follow, and here are some for you.
From the days of Counter-Strike, esports and online gaming leagues have always been in the conversation. This happens more or less among the gamers and the entire gaming community. The term esports or online gaming has gained a considerable amount of attention in recent times. This is thanks to the big guns in the online gaming industry namely FIFA, PUBG and COD, etc. But that doesn’t leave the indy gaming sector fighting for its existence within this genre of the next generation gaming. Though it started off pretty rough, in recent years the indie gaming league has flourished to something dynamic. Having said that, let’s talk about 5 indy games and their leagues that can go well beyond grabbing the attention of gamers worldwide.
Mage Quit
The first game in our indy-online” list is MageQuit. It is an online brawling game based on a fantasy theme that can even be enjoyed when your device is out of the internet’s reach.
Maximum Number of Players:
MageQuit allows up to 10 players to get involved in this fun-oriented brawler game.
Gameplay Mechanism
MageQuit is a game basically based on wizards and its brawling powers aided with different kinds of spells. From the very first round, a player needs to use and cast spell on their mage or wizard in order to eliminate other players available online. With every elimination, the brawler grows in size and strength. The game then tends to shift more towards an interesting phase. After the end of 9 rounds, the player with the largest wizard is declared as the winner.
Esports Scenario
Back in 2019, the first official online tournament for Mage Quit was held by its developers and the steam platform. Since then, there has been a number of esports event for this game taking place here and there. Even though the game is relatively new for the esports arena, yet it holds impressive scope in e-gaming leagues.
If you are someone who loves hanging around fantasy games then, Mage Quit can be worth your time and money. As said earlier, it comes with the multiplayer feature that lets it make way towards online gaming leagues. This is sure to turn the attention of gamers worldwide.
Platforms:
Microsoft Windows, Mac, Xbox
Killer Queen Black
The second game, that makes our indy gaming league list is Killer Queen Black. It is a strategy-based game that can be played both online and offline. Killer Queen Black comes with four-on-four team combat features across seven different battlefields. These are set to take the strategic multiplayer experience to the next level.
Maximum Number of Players
Killer Queen Black makes way for two teams of four players each into an intense online brawl of strategy.
Gameplay Mechanism
Killer Queen Black starts with two teams of four players each. The game mechanism is designed in such a way that it provides three ways of attaining the winner tag. The first being killing the opposition’s queen thrice. The second mode of winning includes collecting berries and fulfill the team’s base. Sounds interesting right? Well, the third way is even more interesting. In this mode, a player or the team needs to ride on their snail towards the desired goal-post avoiding all the hindrances created by the opposition.
Esports Scenario
Just like the winning ways, the entire gameplay experience of this very indy game is entertaining and exciting. At the same time and the multiplayer feature, availability takes the overall experience to the next level. This also aids the online gaming leagues in the indy level. This can well, make gamers turn their heads, big time. Recently a good number of gaming leagues are being held worldwide. From the KQB community to the AMA time, reddit, twitch etc. are home to the esporting events of Killer Queen Black.
Platforms:
Microsoft Windows, Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Released back in 2018, the fighting game from Brandi Namco Studios. Super Smash Bros Ultimate is the third game in our list of five. It comes with vivid gameplay modes that include campaign mode for a local or single. As well as the versus mode if you are looking at the online multiplayer side.
Maximum Number of Players
Super Smash Bros Ultimate allows up to 8 players to take the battlefield online at a time.
Gameplay Mechanism
A player’s basic aim in this game is to knock out his/her opponent. The game comes with 30+ playable characters all having different power sets and moves. Talking about the winning conditions, the game offers three of them. The first being the timed condition. This is where a player needs to grab the most amount of points by defeating the opponent in the stipulated amount of time. The second winning mode is named Stock. A player is provided with some life set and they needs to aim at being the last man standing. The last mode is the classic Stamina mode. This is where a player needs to fight and drag the opponent’s health to zero in order to be declared as the winner.
Esports Scenario
Back in May 2024, the first esports event for Super Smash Bros Ultimate was held. Top-rated Melle player Hungrybox partnered with esports organization Team Liquid. They came up with a $10,000 prize pool online event for this game. It featured over 8,000 players! This event helped paved its way to becoming the biggest online gaming event for Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
The online league of the game is thus gathering positive attention in recent times and is something every gamer should have a look into.
Platforms:
Nintendo Switch
Rocket League
Published by Psyonix over various different platforms from PlayStation to Windows, Rocket League is one of the most popular games in the online indy gaming league sector.
Maximum Number of Players
Rocket League puts up 2 teams of 4 players each in an intense, fun-packed soccer game with super-powered cars.
Gameplay Mechanism
The game is basically based on the soccer theme and thus in order to win you need to score goals. But the only catch is, the players that you will be controlling for scoring are rocket-powered cars. Being superpowered the cars come with a number of abilities that include, jumping in the air, power-hitting the ball in the mid-air, and more. Alongside that, the in-game scenario is flooded with mini-items and collectibles like speed boosters that help a team attain an edge over their opponent.
Esports Scenario
Rocket League has been making its mark in the online gaming industry since 2016. The first Rocket League Championship was declared and held by the creators of the game themselves in March 2016. The championship featured a prize pool of whopping $55,000 and it was just the beginning. Sooner, the game became an integral part of the online gaming industry. From 2017 to 2019 a good number of major online leagues for this game took place. This included a $75,000 tournament at Summer X Games, a $100,000 worth prize pool tournament by NBC Sports Group, and many more.
Recently in 2024, the online gaming structure for this game got even more polished. The official league now features three regional events that are concluded with one main event at the very end. Each team, based on their performance, gets awarded points that help them participate in the world league. The world league then constitutes a final event with a prize pool of $1,000,000.
Platforms:
Microsoft Windows, Mac, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Linux, Nintendo Switch.
Special Mentions:
Apart from the above-mentioned games, there are a few others that are worth mentioning considering their future in online leagues.
- Apex Legends 2×2
- Disco Elysium
- Untitled Goose Game
- Inside
- Into The Breach
The online gaming industry is growing exponentially in recent times and the indy gaming sector is sure to make a considerable impact. Though the number of indy games with strong e-sport backgrounds is less, the growing popularity and structuring are making way towards an intriguing future and we are a part of it, read more at igitems.