How to Tell a Great Indie Game From a Cash Grab

The app stores are flooded, and telling a lovingly crafted indie from a clone factory's output is a skill worth having. Over the years we've built a rough checklist that saves a lot of wasted downloads.

Start with the screenshots. Real games show actual gameplay; cash grabs show staged, misleading art that never appears in the game. Then read a few reviews past the top ones — the honest complaints tell you more than the praise.

Check how the game handles interruptions and offline play. Thoughtful indie developers respect your time and hardware. If a small puzzle game demands constant connection for no reason, that's a red flag.

Finally, trust the feel. A good indie game usually shows its personality in the first few minutes. If nothing about it feels intentional, it probably isn't.