Indie games, short for independent video games, are video games typically created by individuals or smaller development teams without the financial and technical support of a large game publisher, in contrast to most "AAA" games. They are created by independent game developers, rather than those who work for large development studios or publishers like Sega and Ubisoft. Indie games are often characterized by their unique mechanics, shorter stories, and more stylized art, and are typically made with smaller budgets than AAA games.
The term "indie game" itself is based on similar terms like independent film and independent music, where the concept is often related to self-publishing and independence from major studios or distributors. However, there is no exact, widely accepted definition of what constitutes an "indie game" besides falling well outside the bounds of triple-A video game development by large publishers and development studios.
Indie development is a symbol of independence from game standards and daring ideas. This kind of development attracts newcomers who can barely code, as well as famous programmers who have worked in big game studios. An indie developer is a game developer who has their own opinion.
In summary, indie games are video games created by independent developers or small teams without the financial and technical support of a large game publisher. They are often characterized by their unique mechanics, shorter stories, and more stylized art, and are typically made with smaller budgets than AAA games.