An Indie Backlog curated overview. We round up the best indie RPGs and how professional critics and players received each one — the scores and quotes below are theirs, linked to the source.
A grizzled miner and a mysterious young girl flee a dying underground society for the ruined surface world above. Eastward pairs jaw-dropping pixel art with a warm, strange, Zelda-meets-EarthBound adventure.
At a Glance
| Developer | Pixpil (pub. Chucklefish) |
| Released | 2021 |
| Platforms | PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series |
| Subgenre | Action-adventure RPG |
| Playtime | ~25 hrs (main) / ~30 hrs (most content) |
| Metacritic | 82 / 100 |
| Steam | Very Positive (84% of 16,000+) |
| Steam Deck | Playable |
| Languages | 7 supported |
About the Game
Eastward comes from Shanghai studio Pixpil (published by Chucklefish) and is set in a crumbling world where humanity has retreated underground. John, a quiet miner, and Sam, a girl with strange powers, set out for the long-forbidden surface.
It plays as a top-down action-adventure in the Zelda mould: you swap between John — armed with a frying pan, bombs, and gadgets — and Sam, whose energy powers solve puzzles and stun enemies, working the pair together through dungeons and towns.
Its calling card is the art: lavish, detailed pixel work widely cited among the best ever made, paired with warm, melancholy storytelling — and there’s even a full retro JRPG mini-game tucked inside.
Screenshots
Screenshots: Pixpil (via Steam).
Why It Made the List
Eastward earns its place on craft alone — the pixel art is breathtaking — but it backs that up with a heartfelt, genuinely odd adventure that lingers long after the credits.
What the Critics Say
Eastward holds a Metacritic of 82, with critics smitten by its craft:
“This engrossing indie action-RPG is a knockout.”
10/10 — Screen Rant
“Who knew you could have so much fun with a frying pan?”
9/10 — DualShockers
What Players Say
Players are won over too: Eastward is Very Positive on Steam (84% of more than 16,000 reviews). The art and atmosphere draw the loudest praise.
Praise & Criticism
What critics and players tend to highlight:
Widely praised
- Some of the best pixel art in any game
- A warm, weird, memorable story
- Satisfying two-character puzzle design
- A richly detailed world
Common criticisms
- Pacing drags and it’s very wordy
- Combat is fairly simple
- Some find it overlong
Games Like This
If Eastward clicks for you, line these up next:
- CrossCode — more combat-focused, but the same SNES-era craft.
- Hyper Light Drifter — sleek, wordless action-adventure with gorgeous art.
- Anodyne 2 — another surreal, stylish indie adventure.
Where to Buy
Available on: Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch.
Plain store links for now — swap in your affiliate-tagged URLs once you’ve joined Amazon Associates and the eBay Partner Network. (Steam has no affiliate program; that link is for convenience.)