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 quiet boy, a sketchbook world of color and friends, and something deeply wrong underneath it all. OMORI hides genuine dread beneath one of the cutest exteriors the genre has ever worn — and asks how far you’ll go to avoid the truth.
At a Glance
| Developer | OMOCAT |
| Released | 2020 (PC) / 2022 (consoles) |
| Platforms | PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series |
| Subgenre | Psychological-horror RPG |
| Playtime | ~21 hrs (main) / ~29 hrs (most content) |
| Metacritic | 88 / 100 |
| OpenCritic | 86 / 100 — Mighty |
| Steam | Overwhelmingly Positive (97% of 86,000+) |
| Peak players | 3,107 concurrent (all-time, SteamCharts) |
| Steam Deck | Playable |
| Languages | 4 supported |
About the Game
OMORI is the long-awaited debut from artist-led studio OMOCAT. You play a withdrawn child who escapes into HEADSPACE — a vivid, crayon-bright dream world explored alongside friends Aubrey, Kel, and Hero — while a quieter, heavier reality waits back home.
Battles are classic turn-based affairs with a twist: an emotions system where Happy, Sad, and Angry states form a rock-paper-scissors layer over raw stats, so reading and shifting moods matters as much as dealing damage. The presentation lurches, deliberately, between adorable and nightmarish.
Underneath the whimsy is a careful, deeply affecting story about grief, guilt, and depression, with exploration and choices that gate dramatically different endings. (Content note: it deals with heavy themes, including suicide.)
Screenshots
Screenshots: OMOCAT (via Steam).
Why It Made the List
OMORI earns its place because few RPGs marry art, music, and feeling this boldly. It is funny and disarmingly cute right up until it isn’t — and the turn it takes lands precisely because of how much craft went into the disguise.
What the Critics Say
OMORI holds a Metacritic of 88, and on OpenCritic it’s rated “Mighty” with 100% of critics recommending it. It launched to broad acclaim — especially for its art direction, soundtrack, and emotional weight.
What Players Say
Players are even more emphatic: OMORI is Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam — 97% of more than 86,000 reviews — and peaked at 3,107 concurrent players. The art, the music, and the gut-punch of its later hours draw the loudest praise.
Praise & Criticism
What critics and players tend to highlight:
Widely praised
- Striking art that shifts from adorable to nightmarish
- A memorable cast and an outstanding soundtrack
- A clever emotion-based combat twist
- A story that genuinely stays with you
Common criticisms
- A slow, whimsical first act before it deepens
- Turn-based combat is fairly simple
- Its heavy themes won’t suit everyone
Games Like This
If OMORI’s blend of charm and darkness lands for you, try these:
- Undertale — the cult classic that shares its heart, humor, and emotional gut-punches.
- LISA: The Painful — a bleak, blackly funny RPG built around brutal choices.
- Yume Nikki — the surreal dream-exploration cult game that helped inspire OMORI.
Where to Buy
Available on: Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch.
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