It’s no secret that the video game industry has seen better days. In 2025, many still call it a struggle, as thousands of developers continue to face layoffs and studios crumble. This, of course, plays a hand in the decreased number of games coming out, with 2024 seeing a sharp decline from 2023 in AAA titles.
As game makers fight against a long list of hindrances, big games that debut in the meantime see negative impacts on reception. Yet, while indie studios take the brunt of these blows, it seems more and more are throwing their hats in the ring, many of which utilize a nostalgic pixel art style. The cherry on top? The games are good. Really good.
Nostalgia at an Affordable Price
Call the recent surge in pixel art a recession indicator. But this art style has been around since the advent of video games, dating back to testing in the ‘50s and ‘60s. With steady advancements in hardware and graphics, it’s stuck around. However, we’ve certainly seen fewer games made in this style in the decades since its inception.
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Today, pixel art production typically goes faster than more realistic styles of animation. Meaning, development costs weigh less on developers—just one key difference noted by animators. In turn, you get games made by teams giving it their best. As big studios compete for the best graphics and support on the most powerful system, putting out a pixel-art game today is now a meaningful stylistic choice. This communicates an understanding of the industry’s history and a real love for the medium.
ConcernedApe’s farm and life sim Stardew Valley remains one of the most notable titles in the pixel-art niche today. Released in 2016, gamers frequently cite the one-man project as the first in the growing “cozy game” subgenre, which encompasses other farm and life sims as well as decorating sims, city builders, pet sims and much more. But Stardew Valley’s visuals and mechanics were nothing new to gaming. In fact, the game’s creator, Eric Barone, told PC Gamer it essentially began as a Harvest Moon clone, carrying a marked sense of nostalgia.
Beloved by Veteran Gamers
This feeling is particularly strong among those of us who were around before the franchise’s originators separated and Harvest Moon, as we remember it, lost its title to developer Natsume and became Story of Seasons under Marvelous. Beyond fans of these games, this art style is generally beloved by gamers who grew up with it.
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This nostalgia factor has become somewhat of a not-so-secret ingredient in media production as of late. While projects banking on a collective soft spot for the past often fall under the umbrella of cash grabs—remakes, sequels, prequels, “requels” and reboots—the expanding catalog of pixel-art games released or in development today are coming from indie studios that habitually ask for far less than their games are worth. You can still get Stardew Valley for $15 on Steam and find it marked down every so often.
The same goes for titles that show promise in Early Access and ahead of launch, like NPC Studio’s Fields of Mistria. Both ventures have been met with glowing reviews, panning out well for small teams of developers. However, not every studio that puts a price tag of $20 or less on its games is so lucky. There are obvious pros and cons to this pattern. Gamers on tight budgets get quality games at affordable prices, while talented teams of developers must undersell their work in a struggling market.
As we see similar projects announced, the question is: Is this model sustainable? And if so, can it carry the games industry to redemption?
A Better Alternative
On April 14, The Guardian reported that Sony has once again increased the price of PlayStation 5 consoles, this time by 25 percent. The decision was made under heat from President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs, upping the price of the digital console in the UK and Europe. Meanwhile, the standard console’s price point will remain the same. Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and Africa will also see similar rises in cost.
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This comes after Nintendo showcased the Switch 2 during its Nintendo Direct presentation earlier this month, later revealing inflated prices for the console and select games online. Titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza currently top standardized Switch prices, with MSRPs listed at $79.99 and $69.99, respectively.
Gamers Are Sweating
While it remains merely rumored that physical copies of some Switch 2 games could run players an additional $10, gamers are most concerned about the $449.99 price point for Nintendo’s newest system. In the U.S., at least, you can currently get your hands on the Switch OLED for $100 less. That’s a price difference that once set Nintendo apart from its competitors as the “affordable” option in gaming. President of Nintendo of America, Doug Bowser, has faith the Switch 2 will eventually match its predecessor’s success as Nintendo navigates market changes amid Trump’s tariffs. In the meantime, gamers are sweating.
Many say they can’t afford the new console’s price point, a dilemma Bowser has also acknowledged. Nintendo of America’s president points those who can’t swing the cost of the new system and its exclusive titles to the original. But more affordable, less demanding alternatives are looking better and better to players who just want to sit down with a good game, and indie studios are delivering big time.
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Saving the Game
I wouldn’t be the first to point out how many indie game studios have released top-tier games in the past year alone. It seems even more have titles in the works, and many already show promise. Double Dagger’s Little Kitty, Big City launched last May and remains one of the best games I’ve had the pleasure to review. Fields of Mistria, an Early Access title from NPC Studio, incorporates both pixel art and ‘90s anime art styles and has become an all-time favorite before it’s even reached its 1.0 update.
Others on my Steam wishlist include Coldblood Inc.’s horror life-sim Neverway, Perfect Garbage and Blumhouse Games’ horror farm-sim Grave Seasons and Chucklefish’s spellbinding life-sim RPG Witchbrook. MonsterPatch, a monster-collector RPG inspired by old-school Pokémon, is another Steam release many are looking forward to as developer Sean Young and publisher SmashGames work toward their next Kickstarter goal. This only scratches the surface of developing indies, among which the competition is stiff.
In December 2024, Game Developer reported Stardew Valley topped 41 million lifetime sales, a milestone that’s made its creator millions. The success of the game sets a precedent for others of its ilk, but despite what clickbait-y headlines would have us believe, not every indie is the next Stardew Valley.
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Unsustainable Patterns Could Change
Without adequate advertisement, most don’t even come close, going almost entirely under the radar until journalists, streamers and hands-on players get the word out and leave reviews on the titles they enjoy. That’s a risky gamble for any team of developers. The sad truth is that countless games will never get the notoriety they or their developers deserve, and the folks behind these games must foot the bill in the meantime.
But as stark as this reality may seem, it could be time we see unsustainable patterns change, given the state of the games market and other factors like the BDS Xbox boycott. As gamers search for better, more affordable options, free-to-play and marked-down titles from indie studios could see a spike in players. What’s more, most gamers likely already have an adequate system or console to play them.
The joke that you can play Stardew Valley on a potato still stands. There’s no guarantee, but there’s at least some hope that indie game studios and those who support them could change the industry for the better with a long overdue return to form. And all that pixel art might pay off.
For professional inquiries, email to [email protected]. You can also find Olivia on Bluesky and LinkedIn.
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