"Independent can mean different things to different people," says Geoff Keighley as Dave the Diver drives debate over what an 'indie game' actually is

Dave the Diver
(Image credit: Mintrocket)

We see the term banded about all the time, but what exactly is an 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:indie game

Typically, it's used to describe a game created by a small team, and without the financial support of a large publisher. Sometimes that definition gets stretched, though, and it's certainly not the case for the popular sea-based adventure Dave the Diver. With its simplistic pixel art style and quirky, experimental gameplay, i♋t certainly looks like a typical indie at first glance, but in reality, its developer, Mintrocket, is a subsidiary of Nexon, a very large South Korean publisher.

, the event's producer and host, Geoff Keighley, was quizzed about the thinking behind this decision. 

"Independent can mean different things to different people, and it's sort of a broad term," Keighley says. "You can argue, does independent mean the budgeඣt of a game, does independent mean where the source of financing was, is it based on the team size? Is it the kind of independent spirit of the game, meaning a smaller game that is different?"

He adds, "It's a realไly complicated thing t🌜o figure out and come up with strict rules around it, so we let people use their best judgement, and you can agree or disagree with the choices."

Over on Twitter, Keighley's comments have reignited the debate over what an indie is, and while nobody is arguing that Dave the Diver is anything other t🧔han a delightful and well-made game, many feel itඣ shouldn't be considered indie.

"Dave the Diver is NOT indie. If you play it, you'll see for yourself," says . "They def had a sizable budget. SO MANY different systems and mini-games. Lots of cutscenes.🔯 ಌIncredible OST. It's a surprisingly big game."

In the same boat is , who writes, "It's very inherently clear that the game under a billion dollar studio isn't an indi🥂e, and , who says that indie is "undefinabl💦e at this point," though some games, such as Dave the Diver, are "easy to define as 'not' indie".

User reckons there's room for debate when it comes to funding or studio size but, "a hard line should be that 'Indie' means self-owned. Neither studio nor game should be owned or held by a corporate i🌳nterest🐓."

Even with a big publisher behind it, Dave the Diver has some stiff competition on its hands as the other games in the running for Best Independent Game at The Game Awards 2023 are Cocoon, Dredge, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Sea of Stars, and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Viewfinder. 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Baldur's Gate 3, which some argue has a right to be included in the indie category, is a frontrunner alongside Remedy's long-awaited sequel, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Alan Wake 2, with both gamꦑes receiving eight ꦑnominations each. The winners will be decided on December 7.

Check out our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:upcoming indie games guide for a look at the best indies coming to console and PC in the near future.

Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the ꧒UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that fir♒st Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.