Does size really matter? Read on to find out the key differences between AAA and indie games and if it’s possible for indie games to overshadow their bigger relatives.
It may not be too obvious at first glance, but there are some areas indie games excel at when compared to AAA games.
Today we’ll learn some about the major differences between indie and AAA games and what makes indie games in particular special.
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Still Wakes the Deep | 2024-06-18 | Indie | The Chinese Room |
 | REPLACED | 2025-12-31 | Adventure | Sad Cat Studios |
 | Manor Lords | 2024-04-26 | RTS | Slavic Magic |
 | Baba Is You | 2019-03-13 | Indie | Hempuli |
 | Factorio | 2016-02-25 | Indie | Wube Software LTD. |
 | The Witness | 2016-01-26 | Adventure | Thekla, Inc. |
 | Bastion | 2011-08-16 | Adventure | Supergiant Games |
 | The Stanley Parable | 2013-10-17 | Adventure | Galactic Cafe |
 | Stardew Valley | 2016-02-26 | Adventure | ConcernedApe |
 | Spelunky | 2013-08-08 | Adventure | Mossmouth, LLC |
 | Spelunky 2 | 2020-09-29 | Platformer | Blitworks |
 | Papers Please | 2013-08-08 | Adventure | 3909 |
 | Goat Simulator | 2014-04-01 | Adventure | Coffee Stain Studios |
 | Minecraft Windows 10 Edition | 2015-07-29 | Adventure | Mojang Studios |
 | Limbo | 2011-08-02 | Adventure | Playdead |
 | Fez | 2013-05-01 | Adventure | Polytron Corporation |
 | Hotline Miami | 2012-10-23 | Adventure | Dennaton Games |
 | Hotline Miami 2 Wrong Number | 2015-03-10 | Action & Shooter | Dennaton Games |
 | Cuphead | 2017-09-29 | Indie | StudioMDHR Entertainment Inc. |
 | Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout | 2020-08-04 | Casual | Mediatonic |
 | Kerbal Space Program | 2015-04-27 | Adventure | Squad |
 | Super Meat Boy | 2010-11-30 | Indie | Team Meat |
 | Darkest Dungeon | 2016-01-19 | Indie | Red Hook Studios |
 | Rocket League | 2015-07-07 | Race | Psyonix, Inc. |
Why Are Indie Games Better Than Triple-A Games?
Although AAA games have their own qualities, indie titles, too, have their strengths that shouldn’t go unacknowledged.
Most importantly, as indie games are being developed by smaller studios – or even a single person – with a very limited budget, there’s a higher chance that the finished game will be a product of love and genuine passion.
The game might lack the quality of the story, good sound effects, polished visuals, and so on, but the overall experience and the gameplay itself may turn the game into something you wouldn’t want to miss.
Indie games can also take more risks and experiment with unique gameplay mechanics, giving them the important novelty factor.
Developers of AAA video games tend to be more cautious, as there’s more money at stake, which encourages the big studios to take an approach that already proved to work in the past – that’s why we see so many entries in big and popular game franchises rather than entirely new games, which may lead to boredom and oversaturation of the market.
What Makes an Indie Game Indie?
An indie game is a game that was developed by a small, independent team or individual with a very limited budget and no support from major developers or publishers.
In some instances, the budget can still be relatively high; for example, the developer may decide to run a crowdfunding campaign. A successful campaign may yield hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars but it most likely won’t change the indie nature of the game.
What is the Difference Between Indie AA and AAA Games?
Terms such as “indie AA” are rarely used but should you encounter one and wonder what makes it different from AAA, it’s simply the budget and the development team size.
In general, you could assume that if the game’s budget was a few million to a few dozen million dollars, and the team consisted of up to 50 people, it’s probably something that could be called “indie AA”, as opposed to AAA with hundreds of people and budgets possibly reaching hundreds of millions.
What Makes a AAA Game a AAA Game?
Depending on the definition – of which there are many – a AAA game is most often considered as such if it’s being developed by a large studio with a high budget. Although “large” and “high” may sound too vague, that’s the truth, as there are no specific breakpoints or set-in-stone requirements that should be met by the game to be considered a AAA title.
There’s nothing like an official AAA committee that would objectively judge games and give them a stamp of approval.
As a rule of thumb, if the initial budget for the game exceeds $100 million, it’s rather safe to assume it’s a AAA game. But what if it was only $90 million? Or $80 million? That’s where things get blurry.
The term itself is more of a buzzword and can be often misused due to the lack of one commonly accepted definition.
For instance, there are examples of games that may show various AAA qualities and even surpass the competition in that segment of the market, yet are seldom referred to as AAA games. On the other hand, some games that became extremely popular may be called AAA games even though they’re not.
Conclusion
Both AAA and indie games have their strengths but it’s undeniable that indie developers have more freedom and can create more innovative games.
On top of that, they can quickly adjust the game based on player feedback due to having a smaller team and fewer people needed to consult every change. In the case of AAA titles, money plays a much bigger role, making the big studios less willing to take risks, as they have much more to lose if the game turns out to be a major flop.