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What are the best indie games on the PS Vita?

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Limbo vs Machinarium vs Stardew Valley

 vs Spelunky vs Shovel Knight vs Guacamelee! vs Sound Shapes vs OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood vs Severed

Specs

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

-

Platforms

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Steam Rating

Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre

Puzzle (point-and-click)

Platforms

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Steam Rating

-

Genre

Farming Simulation, Role-Playing

Platforms

Windows, OS X, Linux, PS 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, Android

Co-Op

Online and Local, up to 4 players

Controller Support

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Platformer / Indie / Roguelike

Platforms

Win

Co-Op

4 Player Couch

Controller Support

Full

Steam Rating

-

Genre

Action, Platformer

Platforms

Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Windows, Mac, Linux

Co-Op

2 Player Local

Controller Support

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Action / Platformer / Metroidvania

Platforms

Win / Mac / Linux

Co-Op

2 Player Couch

Controller Support

Full

Steam Rating

-

Genre

-

Platforms

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Steam Rating

-

Genre

-

Platforms

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Steam Rating

-

Genre

-

Platforms

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Pros + Cons

Pro
 Puzzles that require quick thinking

Due to most things in the environment being able to kill the player most puzzles need to be solved while thinking on ones feet, or death will occur. Luckily players can try as many times as they like.
Comment

Pro
 Artistic puzzle

Limbo has very unique environment with highly creative puzzles that offer a great experience with monochrome, b/w and other dim colors.
Comment

Con
 No leaderboards

Even though the Xbox 360 version of the game had leaderboards the Vita version does not, which removes some of the replayability from the title.
Comment

Pro
 Beautiful Art Style

Machimariums hand drawn graphics exude a very steam punk style that definitely has a very unique look by being all hand drawn.
Comment

Pro
 Built in hint system

For those that do find some of the puzzles too challenging there is an inbuilt hint system.
Comment

Pro
 Challenging Puzzles

The puzzles are quite challenging to the point of frustration but in the end give a sense of immense reward when figured out.
Comment

Con
 Items may be difficult to find due to similar colors

At points in the game there are needed items that blend in too well with their surrounding making it quite difficult to actually see them.
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Pro
 Great soundtrack

When you work on your farm, go fishing, explore or just walk around the town you'll be accompanied by a really nice soundtrack. It's sometimes upbeat, sometimes soothing, and sometimes even melancholic, with every track matching each location and season perfectly. There's also a wide variety of instruments used, including a piano, accordion, banjo, synths, and many others. This allows you to listen to the soundtrack for hours without getting tired of it. Sometimes it's very hard to believe Stardew Valley and its soundtrack was produced by just one person.
Comment

Pro
 A great mix of genres

While Stardew Valley is primarily a farming simulator, it also has social interaction elements and combat elements. The social interaction elements allow you to interact with people around the town. You can befriend them, get quests from them, hang out with them, and even find a significant other to go out with and eventually marry. It can be very addictive to max out your relationship with everyone. The combat elements are introduced when you unlock the dungeon, allowing you to battle creatures such as slimes, golems, and even mummies. While the combat is pretty simple, having you just swing your weapon, it's very satisfying to whack away at enemies. If farming ever starts feeling stale you can try either of these to mix it up, allowing you to keep the game fresh for a longer time.
Comment

Pro
 No limit

You can play it at anytime, even if you finished the main story.
Comment

Con
 Bugs, crashes and sometimes freezes when you play the "Journey of The Prairie King" arcade

So far, there are no updates that fix those problems.
Comment

Pro
 No limits means that Adobe Flash Player doesn't control it

Comment

Pro
 Roguelike origins allow for quick sessions

Being that Spelunky is at its heart a roguelike the gameplay sessions can tend to be quick as the player will die quite often. This makes for something that can be played in quick bursts throughout the day. the convenient saving also lends to this as a game that is still ongoing can be quickly saved in order to be picked up at a later time.
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Pro
 Procedurally generated levels

Each level is randomly generated, which gives a fresh experience every time played, which helps with the longevity of the game.
Comment

Pro
 Skill based gameplay

Spelunky gives the player everything needed to succeed from the start so it is only when the players skills get better will they advance.
Comment

Con
 Difficult to the point of frustration

Spelunky is pretty difficult and some could say abusive, but with practice and a desire for masochism the game can be mastered.
Comment

Pro
 A unique experience

Shovel Knight has 2D pixel art, a simple gameplay, and a retro feel. It stands out in an era dominated by 3D titles with super detailed graphics and convoluted gameplay because of its influences from classics like Zelda, Castlevania, Duck Tales, and even Super Mario Bros. It’s not just trying to cash in on the nostalgia of older players because it’s a game that can be enjoyed by anyone thanks to its polish.
Comment

Pro
 Risk reward system

Players can risk destroying checkpoints for loot, which means if one does die after destroying their checkpoints they will have to start from the beginning of the stage. Basically this is a gambling system that can pay off or cause a crushing blow.
Comment

Pro
 Retains an original feel despite clear influences

The art design, music and writing maintain a very original feel to the game despite its obvious influences, which is what helps the game stand out, which makes it enjoyable in its own right.
Comment

Pro
 Competent loot system that allows for purchasing upgrades

User can upgrade their armor and weapon through earning loot drops from enemies or digging. The earned cash allows one to purchase upgrades that help the player advance in the increasingly difficult game.
Comment

Pro
 Combination of the best gameplay elements of retro pixel games of the NES era

Combining elements from Mega Man, Mario 3, Duck Tales, Zelda II and Castelvania Shovel Knight excels over the rest of the games trying to cash in on the 2D pixel art revival of recent years.
Comment

Con
 Enemy design is not always great

Some of the more recurring enemies often have just a pallet swap in order to differentiate them, which comes off as a bit lazy and uninspired.
Comment

Pro
 Pleasant design with great music

The animations are smooth and well done and the art style is very nice to look at, those combined with the great music gives a very specific feel to the game which is Mexican themed. Which shows how well though out the overall design was.
Comment

Pro
 Metroidvania gameplay

Just like in the classic Metroid and Castlevania games users explore an open 2D world with branching paths where they explore to find new items to upgrade and get further in the world. Very few competent games excel in this style so to see something that not only looks pleasing but has competent level design is refreshing.
Comment

Pro
 Local co-op

Guacamelee has local co-op support.
Comment

Pro
 Game progression through new moves

Areas in the game are unlocked by performing moves on obstructive blocks, which allows your move complexity to increase proportionally with game progression.
Comment

Pro
 Well executed pop-culture references as well as references of other titles

Pop-culture as well as other popular titles within the metroidvania and platformer genres are referenced throughout the game in various situations for comedic effect. And it's done in a very unobtrusive way as to not be annoying.
Comment

Pro
 Fun fighting combo system

Attacks in Guacamelee are done with combining lots of different attacks into one devastating and fun to execute combo.
Comment

Con
 Short

Sadly the game is pretty short topping out at about 6 hours of playtime to complete the main story.
Comment

Pro
 Cross buy

Sound Shapes, when purchased digitally is a cross buy game that gives the user access to the game on Vits PS3 and PS4.
Comment

Pro
 Each world had its own visual designer as well as musical artist

Each world (album) in the game has a different feel due to being designed by different visual designers as well as having different musical artist do the soundtracks. Being that the levels are designed around the music in each there is definitely a individualistic feel to each that exudes the "look" of the music.
Comment

Con
 Syncing saves between devices can be troublesome

Having to send saves to other devices is a bit frustrating not only in the fact that it has to be manually done but in that it is also buggy.
Comment

Pro
 Better in every way over the original

More levels, more tricks, and rebalanced gameplay allow this version to be better over the first in almost every way.
Comment

Pro
 Cross buy and cross save

Users who purchase the game on Vita will also get the game for the PS4. On top of this users can also share their saves between devices meaning no matter what device is played on the game save will be at where they last left off.
Comment

Con
 Never ending learning curve

The game is pretty hard to master as the learning curve is almost never ending. This can be frustrating for completionists or those who just want to master a game's mechanics.
Comment

Pro
 Interesting mechanics

You use one hand to control the character with buttons and the other to attack with the touch screen
Comment

Pro
 Started as a PS Vita exclusive

Originally was an exclusive before expanding into 3DS and mobile devices
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