Producers and directors alike rarely mention Indie games regarding a potential TV adaptation. It’s a shame. For all the hype AAA games get, so many are busts while hidden gems circulate in the shadows of anonymity outside hardcore gaming circles.
To be fair, many Indies are nearly impossible to translate into TV shows, not without fundamentally stripping the game of everything it is and reassembling something entirely different.
Everyone knows how much gamers love that idea (yes, the sarcasm is warranted). Take “Unpacking,” for instance. It’s a game about just that — unpacking and decorating a home. Netflix’s Dream Home Makeover covers that quite well without an adaptation.
Alas, in the midst of Fallout, Halo, The Witcher, and upcoming TV adaptations like God of War, Indies are relegated to the back shelf, at least for now.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few Indie games out there that deserve a turn as a TV adaptation. In fact, some are absolutely perfect for it.
Oxenfree
Oxenfree is Night School Studio’s first outing in the video game genre, and a fascinating dive into a surreal, paranormal atmosphere. Replicating such an aesthetic and vibe on TV is no easy task, but it can be done.
Look at Netflix’s Haunting of Hill House — a show where every dark corner has an unmistakably insidious vibe.
At its heart, Oxenfree is a game about relationships. A group of friends take a ferry out to Edwards Island for a two-day party.
They find separation, followed by subtle and creepy paranormal events.
Mirror images that communicate with the viewer, pools of water that speak, undead spirits, and spiritual possessions are the least of their problems.
There are also enough time elements woven throughout the story to keep things interesting, potentially setting up multiple seasons worth of content.
As an Indie game with player choice integral to the plot, a TV adaptation can leverage that, creating a fascinating group of characters whose relationships rise and fall based on choices.
SOMA
SOMA is a survival horror Indie game that deserves a TV adaptation in the worst way. The story takes place in an underwater research facility (where have we seen that kind of paranormal outing before?) known as PATHOS-II.
The protagonist of the story, Simon, sustains a brain injury in a vehicle accident and, of course, has to go through an “experimental” procedure. The process goes sideways, and Simon ends up on PATHOS-II nearly a century later.
It only gets weirder from there as Simon navigates in and away from PATHOS-II.
The story touches on several fascinating themes within the realms of science and science fiction (maybe not for long where the latter is concerned), especially consciousness.
The twists and turns within the game would translate well to an episodic format. Cramming the mysteries, discoveries, and questions SOMA raises in a two-hour movie format would do a disservice to the game.
Disco Elysium
With all of the hoopla surrounding Baldur’s Gate 3, another little-known but impressive turn-based RPG remains on the back burner.
Disco Elysium is quite popular, however, despite its lack of combat, at least to the degree of BG3.
What’s even more impressive is the story, with a flawed, drunken detective kicking things off by diving right into a brutal murder investigation. Disco Elysium does something rare in video games by engaging in a seriously complex conversation and choice system.
Turning an Indie game like this into a TV adaptation is a dream job for a creative mind. It’s uncommon to see extensive and deeply intriguing dialogue at this level.
If movies and TV shows have proven anything over the years, it’s that solid dialogue is more than enough, especially when the showrunners put their hearts into it.
Choice and consequence are part of the package as well, along with an intriguing mystery that would make for great TV.
The Binding of Isaac
This is a seriously bizarre Indie game that would make a weirder TV adaptation. The Binding of Isaac revolves around Isaac’s mother or, rather, her sanity. It’s quickly devolving as she descends into madness.
At the same time, there are elements of the Biblical Isaac, whose father, Abraham, intends to sacrifice him to show his faith in God.
Isaac is saved from such a fate by an angel. Believe it or not, the game is much darker than its Biblical reference.
Isaac’s mother means to kill him, obeying the voices in her head. Except, not everything is exactly as it seems, or maybe it is. Or maybe it is and isn’t at the same time. That’s the point, and that’s why The Binding of Isaac has so much potential as a TV adaptation.
Choices and multiple endings obfuscate the truth, or what we think is the truth.
An Indie game TV adaptation on the level of The Binding of Isaac has the potential to have people talking for years to come, with no one having the right or the wrong of it.
Stardew Valley
Your first thought might be: who in the world thinks a cute little farming simulation game would make a great game? Stardew Valley might surprise you.
Clarkson’s Farm, albeit a real-life documentary on starting a farm, proves that even farming has potential in the entertainment industry.
Now, imagine a fictionalized version of the same, starting from scratch, full of social engagements, frantic exploration, hard times, and success. If it sounds dramatic, that’s because it is.
There are so many ways to go with an Indie game like Stardew Valley, and the TV adaptation possibilities are endless. All it will take is some creative ideas centered around the local village of Pelican Town, and the snowball is rolling.
Life Is Strange
Imagine a teenager suddenly gaining the power to reverse time.
Depending on the hour of the day and the day of the week, it would be one of the most devastating things to ever happen to humanity.
In Life is Strange, you play one such teenager, and every choice you make throughout the well-written narrative is capable of being remade.
While this may sound boring, the choices we make in life have hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny and large branching consequences.
In the game, reversing a choice that negatively impacts a friend may result in losing another.
It would take a complicated script spread out over multiple episodes. However, if they can do it in a game, they can do it in a TV adaptation.
Hades
One way a rival streaming platform may possibly undercut Prime’s upcoming God of War is to pick up Hades.
Hades closely resembles the older God of War games throughout Kratos’ time in Ancient Greece. Amazon is opting for the more recent Kratos adventures in the north.
But Hades has a lot to offer in terms of Ancient Greek myth. The story revolves around Zagreus as he tries to escape Hades in search of his mother. Unfortunately, at least for Zagreus, his father is Hades himself.
As a gamer who loves a good Indie game, the combat shines.
For TV fans looking for a TV adaptation surrounding Greek myth, the dialogue in Hades is exceptional. Put the two together, and we may just end up with something special.
Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons
The story’s premise is simple: Two brothers set out from home to find medicine for their sick and dying father. Fortunately, there’s more depth to this little tale than a brief synopsis covers.
What makes Brothers such an enticing Indie game for TV adaptation is the brothers’ relationship with one another.
Advert pics of the game resemble an old-school Super Nintendo title — something colorful and vibrant enough to pass muster.
But the game is a lot darker than its aesthetic suggests. Themes like temptation, suicide, death, dealing with grief, and realistic dangers permeate the story.
The in-depth relationship between the two brothers is the power that fires this engine.
If written well, it could make a solid movie, but only a series is capable of covering the vast scope and emotional depth of the brother’s journey.
Dredge
Out of all the games on this list, this one is the most surprising. It’s a strange one, too, though we’re not jumping down the psychedelic insanity of The Binding of Isaac.
If you can conceptualize Deadliest Catch from Discovery+ and combine it with a sort of grandiose horror and macabre personality, you will end up with something in the same ballpark as Dredge.
In Dredge, panic is something you must control, and the things in the ocean are attracted to the lights on the boat. Messages in bottles, ghost ships, and sea monsters keep the tension level running high.
The underlying story involves a mysterious collector who tasks the captain with recovering lost artifacts and returning them using a magical Book of the Deep.
The source of the paranormal activity surrounding the islands is the crux of the story, involving themes of loss, grief, hope, and the consequences of bringing the dead back to life.
It’s the Monkey’s Paw meets Deadliest Catch, with a touch of Lovecraftian horror that lingers long after the tale is told.
With the entertainment industry’s growing interest in video games, is there an Indie game that you think deserves a TV adaptation? Drop a comment below and add your own to the list!