Both the producers and director have said little about the indie game regarding a potential TV adaptation. it’s a shame. Despite the hype surrounding AAA games, many flopped, while hidden gems circulated in the anonymous shadows outside of hardcore gaming circles.
To be fair, many indie games are nearly impossible to translate into a TV show without essentially stripping everything about the game and reassembling it into something completely different.
Everyone knows how many players love this idea (yes, the sarcasm is justified). Take “unpacking” as an example. This is a game about unpacking and decorating a house. Netflix’s Dream Home Makeover illustrates this point so well that no adaptation is needed.
Alas, between Fallout, Halo, The Witcher, and upcoming TV adaptations like God of War, indies have taken a back seat, at least for now.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some indie games worthy of TV adaptations. In fact, some are absolutely perfect for it.
oxfree
Oxenfree is Night School Studio’s first foray into the video game genre and is a captivating exploration of a surreal, supernatural atmosphere. Replicating such beauty and atmosphere on television isn’t an easy task, but it can be done.
Just look at Netflix’s Haunting of Hill House – the show has a decidedly sinister vibe in every dark corner.
At its heart, Oxenfree is a game about relationships. A group of friends took the ferry to Edwards Island for a two-day party.
They find themselves separated, and subtle and creepy supernatural events ensue.
Mirrors that communicate with the audience, talking pools, immortal souls and spiritual possessions are the least of their concerns.
There’s also enough time elements woven throughout the story to keep things interesting, potentially setting up multiple seasons of content.
As a standalone game, player choices are integral to the plot, and a TV adaptation could capitalize on this by creating a cast of fascinating characters whose relationships ebb and flow based on their choices.
Soma
SOMA is a survival horror indie game that deserves a TV adaptation in the worst possible way. The story takes place at an underwater research facility called PATHOS-II (where have we seen paranormal activity like this before?).
The protagonist of the story, Simon, suffered a brain injury in a car accident and of course had to undergo an “experimental” procedure. The process went awry, and Simon ended up in PATHOS-II nearly a century later.
As Simon moves in and out of PATHOS-II, things only get weirder.
The story touches on several fascinating topics in the realms of science and science fiction (probably not too long for the latter), especially consciousness.
The twists and turns in the game translate well into situational form. Cramming the mysteries, discoveries, and questions raised by SOMA into a two-hour movie format would do the game a disservice.
Disco Elysium
As the hype around Baldur’s Gate 3 continues, another little-known but impressive turn-based RPG remains on the shelf.
However, despite Disco Elysium’s lack of combat, it was still very popular, at least not to the extent of BG3.
Even more impressive is the story, in which a flawed drunken detective kicks things off by jumping straight into a brutal murder investigation. Disco Elysium does something rare in video games by engaging in an extremely complex dialogue and choice system.
Adapting an indie game like this into a TV series is a dream job for a creative person. It’s not often that you have a wide-ranging and deeply interesting conversation on this level.
If there’s anything that movies and TV shows have proven over the years, it’s that solid dialogue can suffice, especially when the producers put their heart and soul into it.
Choices and consequences are also part of the show, along with an interesting mystery that would make for great television.
The Binding of Isaac
It’s a very strange indie game that could be adapted into an even stranger TV production. Isaac’s union revolves around Isaac’s mother, or rather, around her sanity. Things quickly take a turn for the worse as she descends into madness.
Also, there are elements of the biblical Isaac, whom his father Abraham intended to sacrifice to demonstrate his faith in God.
Isaac was saved from such a fate by an angel. Believe it or not, this game is much darker than its biblical references.
Isaac’s mother listened to the voices in her head and planned to kill him. However, not everything is as it seems, and maybe it is. Or maybe it exists simultaneously and not simultaneously. That’s the point, and that’s why The Binding of Isaac has so much potential for a TV adaptation.
Choices and multiple endings obfuscate the truth, or what we think is the truth.
A TV adaptation of an indie game on the level of The Binding of Isaac has the potential to be a hot topic for years to come, with no one thinking it’s right or wrong.
Stardew Valley
Your first thought might be: Who in the world would think that a cute little farming sim could make a great game? Stardew Valley might surprise you.
Although Clarkson’s Farm is a reality documentary about starting a farm, it proves that even farming has potential in the entertainment industry.
Now, imagine a fictional version of the same story, starting from scratch, filled with social events, crazy quests, hard times, and successes. If this sounds dramatic, that’s because it is.
There are so many ways to play an indie game like Stardew Valley, and the possibilities for TV adaptations are endless. Just come up with a few ideas around the local Pelican Town village and the snowball started rolling.
life is strange
Imagine a teenager who suddenly gains the power to reverse time.
Depending on the time of day and day of the week, this would be one of the most devastating things to ever happen to humanity.
In Life is Strange, you play as a teenager where every choice you make can be re-enacted in a carefully crafted narrative.
While it may sound boring, the choices we make in life have hundreds or even thousands of branching consequences, large and small.
In the game, reversing a choice that negatively affects a friend can result in the loss of another friend.
This required a complex script spread over multiple episodes. However, if they can do it in the game, they can do it in the TV adaptation.
Hades
One way rival streaming platforms could undercut Prime’s upcoming God of War is by opting for Hades.
Hades is very similar to Kratos’ older God of War games from his time in ancient Greece. Amazon has chosen Kratos for his recent adventure in the north.
But Hades has a lot to offer in terms of ancient Greek mythology. The story revolves around Zagreus trying to escape Hades in search of his mother. Unfortunately, at least for Zagreus, his father is Hades himself.
As a player who loves excellent indie games, the battle scenes are eye-catching.
For TV fans looking for TV adaptations of Greek mythology, the dialogue in “Hades” is excellent. Put the two together and we might get something special.
Brothers – the story of two sons
The premise of the story is simple: two brothers leave home to find medicine for their sick and dying father. Fortunately, this little story goes deeper than a brief summary can cover.
What makes Brothers such a compelling TV adaptation of an indie game is the relationship between the brothers.
The game’s advertising image resembles an old Super Nintendo game – colorful and vibrant enough to pass the test.
But the game is much darker than its aesthetics might suggest. Themes of temptation, suicide, death, coping with grief, and real-life danger are present throughout the story.
The deep relationship between the two brothers is the power of this engine.
If written well, it could make for a solid movie, but only a series can encompass the vast scope and emotional depth of the brothers’ journey.
dredge
Of all the games on this list, this one is the most surprising. It’s a strange thing, too, even though we don’t jump into the psychedelic madness of The Binding of Isaac .
If you could take the conceptualization of The Deadly Catch on Discovery+ and combine it with some grandiose horror and creepy personality, you’d end up with the same thing as Dredge.
In Dredge, panic is what you have to control, as sea creatures are attracted to the lights on the ship. Messages in bottles, ghost ships and sea monsters keep the tension running high.
The underlying story involves a mysterious collector who asks the captain to retrieve lost artifacts and return them using a magical Book of the Deep.
The origins of the paranormal activity surrounding the island are key to the story, which touches on themes of loss, grief, hope, and the consequences of returning from the dead.
It’s a cross between The Monkey’s Paw and The Deadly Catch, with an air of Lovecraftian horror that lingers long after the story is told.
With the entertainment industry’s growing interest in video games, is there an indie game you think deserves a TV adaptation? Leave a comment below and add your own comments to the list!
