10 Amazing Indie Games Inspired By The Legend Of Zelda
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VOICE OVER: Josh Mclean
WRITTEN BY: Josh Mclean
If you're a fan of The Legend of Zelda, you'll love these indie games inspired by the beloved series. From side-scrolling adventures to top-down action RPGs, we've compiled a list of 10 incredible indie titles that capture the magic and charm of Zelda. Some are already out, while others are in development and need your support. Dive into new worlds with games like Tunic, Kloa: Child of the Forest, and Mika and the Witch's Mountain! Whether it's nostalgic graphics or innovative gameplay mechanics that draw you in, there's something here for every Zelda enthusiast.
MP-10-Indie-Games-Inspired-By-The-Legend-Of-Zelda_Y1I0J5
Josh McLean
If you were making your own video game what sort of things would inspire you? Perhaps it would be Nintendos high fantasy series that has ventured across a wide variety of game genres?
Indeed, The Legend of Zeldas influence can be felt in much of gaming, from hobbyist game projects to high budget titles, looking at you paraglider mechanic
As today I wanted to pick out a few slightly smaller scale video games that thoroughly deserve your attention, Zelda fan, at least I assume youre a Zelda fan, you did click on this...
-and while not all of these indie games are out yet, you may find the next Zelda-like of your dreams in need of your support, today. Preamble over, like and subscribe to show us you have a want for indie game coverage, an lets go!
10 - Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore - Seedy Eye Software
9 - Seed of Life - Julien Marchetti
8 - Moonshire - Challacade
7 - The Plucky Squire - All Possible Futures
6 - Maple Forest - @_NATSU_KAZE_
5 - Tunic - ISOMETRICORP Games Ltd.
4 - Sheeplad - Robin Poe
3 - Kloa Child of the forest - Wildpad Games
2 - Legend 64 - Legend 64
1 - Mika and the witchs mountain - Chibig, Nukefist
Arzette is a side-scrolling action adventure which masterfully achieves a feat that no one else wanted, to be a spiritual successor of the terrible yet hilarious Link & Zelda CD-i games.
Its cutscenes resemble that of the inspiration source material, having reportedly given their animators free reign to make the visual gags as wacky as they wanted. Meanwhile the gameplay segments use pixel art sprites that look hundreds of times better than Wand Of Gamelon over here with the exact same color palette.
The developer company Seedy Eye Software is of course a sound alike to C-D-I, which also hired the original voice cast of CD-i Link and Zelda, plus other notable youtube talent to star in the game.
Athletics aside, the gameplay makes the original sidescrollers formula and makes it digestible, featuring locked pathways you can return to later and key items tied to interacting with goofball NPCs. Overall, one of the greatest high effort meme posts Ive seen in awhile.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKVj3fAsO_s&ab_channel=LimitedRunGames]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_M8s_wATUY&ab_channel=LimitedRunGames]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMtjAP_4a3c&ab_channel=LimitedRunGames]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y117S7C4354&ab_channel=VideoGameNews]
Seed Of Life is an old school Zelda-like aiming to recreate the visuals of the Gamecube and PS2 era!
The player controls a wolf, with an itty bitty companion flying alongside them, which are two feelings that traditional dungeon based Zelda enjoyers will be oddly familiar with.
Speaking of dungeons, you can expect them as a major element of this indie, complete with large scale lock on boss battles and tons of little puzzles to solve along the way. A glance at some of the sliding block puzzles which the dev has shown off in particular, took me right back to my days of struggling in Twilight Princess ice levels, and I would be lying if I said I wasnt a little excited to see if these ones will be just as nostalgically annoying.
Other visual elements like the players HUD are equally Zelda themed, with items and abilities being equipable to certain buttons that are present on the screen during gameplay. Plus, a floating camera that seems to be reminiscent of Ocarina of Time with the maneuverability of something like Skyward Sword.
Overall the Seed of Life just looks sweet dude, and nails its desired aesthetic with grace. Its Steam page is up now with no set release date.
[https://mastodon.social/@Ki3_Games]
[https://x.com/Ki3_Games]
MOONSHIRE has been an ongoing project by youtuber Challacade who has been documenting his development progress right here on YouTube.
Originating as a teaching slash learning project on the recreation of early Zelda games, the project that would eventually become Moonshire took on an identity of its own once original art, animations, and gameplay ideas began to be implemented.
Most uniquely, is Moonshires current gameplay loop of focusing on picking up weapons and sacrificing them for the players benefit. Breaking your weapon to heal encourages continuous experimentation with other items, and is a super unique way of incorporating a self inflicted durability system.
The classic top down visuals and tight action can be experienced in Moonshires current demo out now.
[https://www.youtube.com/@challacade]
Join Jot and his friends as they escape a 2D world for the 3D one. From trailer impressions The Plucky Squire is somewhere between Super Mario meets Zelda, and that certainly looks like a recipe for success.
A Link Between Worlds enjoyers might feel right at home, as you scale walls and clear obstacles by entering a 2D plane, or fight off little goobers with your sword in 3D, all rendered in an adorable storybook style.
The indie team under the name All Possible Futures is led by two co founders, one of which has spent a large part of his career designing the art pokemon at gamefreak, so its no surprise the game looks as charming as it does. Having incorporated a self aware element by mixing various art styles and genre references.
The Plucky Squire is out soon, like very soon, September 17th, and I cant imagine itll be any less than a hoot of a good time.
[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+plucky+squire+gameplay]
If you didnt immediately fall in love with the sights and sounds of this Gameboy-esc RPG, I dont know if we can be friends.
Maple Forest is a Zelda-like staring a woodland fox and some adorable mythic creatures. The visuals are super unique, using a very limited palette but at an extremely high level of detail in texture and lighting.
The game seems to have loads of items planned judging by the menus, and the dev has currently shown off classics like a bow, bomb, and fire rod equivalent. Expect to fight skeletons, weird bug-things, and all the rpg staples.
This thing oozes charm, and Im hungry to learn about more of Maple Forests nostalgic storylines and charming dialogue. The kickstarter is listed as launching soon!
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeldaLikes/comments/vpwjfk/behold_a_very_sweet_goat_maple_forest/]
[https://x.com/search?q=%40_NATSU_KAZE_%20maple%20forest&src=typed_query]
I probably don't need to sing Tunics praises, it's a smash hit, using a completely unique in-game mechanic of a virtual manual which can slowly be understood by the player as they gain knowledge and solve puzzles.
Theres coins to collect, a freely explorable world, baddies to dodge, and lots and lots of secrets.
Tunic features an isometric view, which can obscure hidden pathways and prompts the player to explore the nooks and crannies they cant immediately see. This is a perspective seen primarily in strategic games which rely on thinking, which is perfect for this problem solving adventure, but is also a fairly unique choice for a zelda-like action adventure.
Tunic has won the Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game award, and wracked up loads of nominations since its release.
[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tunic+trailer]
Sheeplad, true to its name, is a side-scrolling action adventure rpg inspired by the black sheep of the Zelda series, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.
Occasionally seen as one of the quote unquote bad zelda games, this developer has taken it upon himself to show how the core of the game has a lot of untapped potential.
The awesome visual style and unique interpretation seem to be a first of its kind, with a heavy focus on tight swordplay. The game features a purposeful nuance like the learning of perfect timings, the different weapons enemies may use, and multiple movement options the player has available at any given encounter. As well as the devs commitment to their vision for players having to work for their win. Sheeplad proudly features no maps folks, get lost.
While were waiting on the kickstarter to launch, the dev does have a smaller side projects page available now known as Sheeplass.
[https://x.com/RobinPoedev?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor]
What if you took the visual palette and soundscape of a Studio Ghibli project and met it with top down Zelda action adventure?
Well youd have Kloa, a cozy yet fast paced indie with folkloric figures and epic bosses.
The player can dash, shoot, and slash as you may expect, across some glorious landscapes. Gameplay details are not fully revealed as of yet, but there will be some kind of combo system, as well as guards deflects and piercing shots. Currently the animations present in all of the basic attacks alone are impressive on their own, and the Japanese media influence will be a major selling point for the project moving forward.
Kloa has a kickstarter page available and a public demo is stated as coming soon. Im personally looking forward to the reveal of other characters, as this tanooki fellow in a straw hat is already a winner.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3p_gCgwD9o]
[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1905580/Kloa__Child_of_the_Forest/]
Legend 64 is still in early days, but it may be one of the most captivating work-in-progress indies ever. That is if youre into masterfully recreated Nintendo 64 charm.
The dev who has documented his progress here on youtube under the same handle of Legend 64, has utilized similar techniques and limitations as the original Nintendo hardware for a fully authentic fifth generation feel.
The result is this purposefully haunting atmosphere of a game that feels like you should know, like a lost game from the past or a nostalgic hidden gem that somehow hasnt even been released yet.
The player fights back monsters with their lantern and glowing ember friend, in a lock-on style battle system that rivals or perhaps will improve on that from Ocarina of Time itself. Big scale boss battles and stunning NPCs are in the works.
The Legend 64 project dev is cooking something truly amazing, and while progress continues on youtube, we are eagerly awaiting more pages like Steam to be put up.
[https://www.youtube.com/@Legend64Project]
Have you seen Kiki's Delivery Service? Have you ever wanted to live in a world like that? How about The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker, with its bright comical visuals and light hearted evils found in the people and scenery?
Mika and the witchs mountain tells you exactly what it is at a single glance. A Relaxing broomstick flying chore-venture game.
Mika wants to be a witch, but finds herself delivering mail, icecream, and just generally being a helpful little feller.
The main hook is being able to glide around the world and hit air drafts to help you reach townies and get them their packages.
If youre looking for cozy, and have always enjoyed the toon link approach to visuals, this is absolutely the game for you to spend a couple calming hours in. Out now on everything youd expect!
[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mika+and+the+witch%27s+mountain+trailer]
Thanks for watching, did I miss any Zelda-like indies you have your eyes on? Let me know in the comments. Be sure to subscribe, like the video for more, and check out our other The Legend of Zelda content here on MojoPlays.
Josh McLean
If you were making your own video game what sort of things would inspire you? Perhaps it would be Nintendos high fantasy series that has ventured across a wide variety of game genres?
Indeed, The Legend of Zeldas influence can be felt in much of gaming, from hobbyist game projects to high budget titles, looking at you paraglider mechanic
As today I wanted to pick out a few slightly smaller scale video games that thoroughly deserve your attention, Zelda fan, at least I assume youre a Zelda fan, you did click on this...
-and while not all of these indie games are out yet, you may find the next Zelda-like of your dreams in need of your support, today. Preamble over, like and subscribe to show us you have a want for indie game coverage, an lets go!
10 - Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore - Seedy Eye Software
9 - Seed of Life - Julien Marchetti
8 - Moonshire - Challacade
7 - The Plucky Squire - All Possible Futures
6 - Maple Forest - @_NATSU_KAZE_
5 - Tunic - ISOMETRICORP Games Ltd.
4 - Sheeplad - Robin Poe
3 - Kloa Child of the forest - Wildpad Games
2 - Legend 64 - Legend 64
1 - Mika and the witchs mountain - Chibig, Nukefist
#10: Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore - Seedy Eye Software
Arzette is a side-scrolling action adventure which masterfully achieves a feat that no one else wanted, to be a spiritual successor of the terrible yet hilarious Link & Zelda CD-i games.
Its cutscenes resemble that of the inspiration source material, having reportedly given their animators free reign to make the visual gags as wacky as they wanted. Meanwhile the gameplay segments use pixel art sprites that look hundreds of times better than Wand Of Gamelon over here with the exact same color palette.
The developer company Seedy Eye Software is of course a sound alike to C-D-I, which also hired the original voice cast of CD-i Link and Zelda, plus other notable youtube talent to star in the game.
Athletics aside, the gameplay makes the original sidescrollers formula and makes it digestible, featuring locked pathways you can return to later and key items tied to interacting with goofball NPCs. Overall, one of the greatest high effort meme posts Ive seen in awhile.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKVj3fAsO_s&ab_channel=LimitedRunGames]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_M8s_wATUY&ab_channel=LimitedRunGames]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMtjAP_4a3c&ab_channel=LimitedRunGames]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y117S7C4354&ab_channel=VideoGameNews]
#9: Seed of Life - Julien Marchetti
Seed Of Life is an old school Zelda-like aiming to recreate the visuals of the Gamecube and PS2 era!
The player controls a wolf, with an itty bitty companion flying alongside them, which are two feelings that traditional dungeon based Zelda enjoyers will be oddly familiar with.
Speaking of dungeons, you can expect them as a major element of this indie, complete with large scale lock on boss battles and tons of little puzzles to solve along the way. A glance at some of the sliding block puzzles which the dev has shown off in particular, took me right back to my days of struggling in Twilight Princess ice levels, and I would be lying if I said I wasnt a little excited to see if these ones will be just as nostalgically annoying.
Other visual elements like the players HUD are equally Zelda themed, with items and abilities being equipable to certain buttons that are present on the screen during gameplay. Plus, a floating camera that seems to be reminiscent of Ocarina of Time with the maneuverability of something like Skyward Sword.
Overall the Seed of Life just looks sweet dude, and nails its desired aesthetic with grace. Its Steam page is up now with no set release date.
[https://mastodon.social/@Ki3_Games]
[https://x.com/Ki3_Games]
#8: MOONSHIRE - Challacade
MOONSHIRE has been an ongoing project by youtuber Challacade who has been documenting his development progress right here on YouTube.
Originating as a teaching slash learning project on the recreation of early Zelda games, the project that would eventually become Moonshire took on an identity of its own once original art, animations, and gameplay ideas began to be implemented.
Most uniquely, is Moonshires current gameplay loop of focusing on picking up weapons and sacrificing them for the players benefit. Breaking your weapon to heal encourages continuous experimentation with other items, and is a super unique way of incorporating a self inflicted durability system.
The classic top down visuals and tight action can be experienced in Moonshires current demo out now.
[https://www.youtube.com/@challacade]
#7: The Plucky Squire - All Possible Futures
Join Jot and his friends as they escape a 2D world for the 3D one. From trailer impressions The Plucky Squire is somewhere between Super Mario meets Zelda, and that certainly looks like a recipe for success.
A Link Between Worlds enjoyers might feel right at home, as you scale walls and clear obstacles by entering a 2D plane, or fight off little goobers with your sword in 3D, all rendered in an adorable storybook style.
The indie team under the name All Possible Futures is led by two co founders, one of which has spent a large part of his career designing the art pokemon at gamefreak, so its no surprise the game looks as charming as it does. Having incorporated a self aware element by mixing various art styles and genre references.
The Plucky Squire is out soon, like very soon, September 17th, and I cant imagine itll be any less than a hoot of a good time.
[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+plucky+squire+gameplay]
#6: Maple Forest - Natsu Kaze
If you didnt immediately fall in love with the sights and sounds of this Gameboy-esc RPG, I dont know if we can be friends.
Maple Forest is a Zelda-like staring a woodland fox and some adorable mythic creatures. The visuals are super unique, using a very limited palette but at an extremely high level of detail in texture and lighting.
The game seems to have loads of items planned judging by the menus, and the dev has currently shown off classics like a bow, bomb, and fire rod equivalent. Expect to fight skeletons, weird bug-things, and all the rpg staples.
This thing oozes charm, and Im hungry to learn about more of Maple Forests nostalgic storylines and charming dialogue. The kickstarter is listed as launching soon!
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeldaLikes/comments/vpwjfk/behold_a_very_sweet_goat_maple_forest/]
[https://x.com/search?q=%40_NATSU_KAZE_%20maple%20forest&src=typed_query]
#5: Tunic - ISOMETRICORP Games Ltd.
I probably don't need to sing Tunics praises, it's a smash hit, using a completely unique in-game mechanic of a virtual manual which can slowly be understood by the player as they gain knowledge and solve puzzles.
Theres coins to collect, a freely explorable world, baddies to dodge, and lots and lots of secrets.
Tunic features an isometric view, which can obscure hidden pathways and prompts the player to explore the nooks and crannies they cant immediately see. This is a perspective seen primarily in strategic games which rely on thinking, which is perfect for this problem solving adventure, but is also a fairly unique choice for a zelda-like action adventure.
Tunic has won the Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game award, and wracked up loads of nominations since its release.
[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tunic+trailer]
#4: Sheeplad - Robin Poe
Sheeplad, true to its name, is a side-scrolling action adventure rpg inspired by the black sheep of the Zelda series, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.
Occasionally seen as one of the quote unquote bad zelda games, this developer has taken it upon himself to show how the core of the game has a lot of untapped potential.
The awesome visual style and unique interpretation seem to be a first of its kind, with a heavy focus on tight swordplay. The game features a purposeful nuance like the learning of perfect timings, the different weapons enemies may use, and multiple movement options the player has available at any given encounter. As well as the devs commitment to their vision for players having to work for their win. Sheeplad proudly features no maps folks, get lost.
While were waiting on the kickstarter to launch, the dev does have a smaller side projects page available now known as Sheeplass.
[https://x.com/RobinPoedev?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor]
#3: Kloa - Child of the Forest - Wildpad Games
What if you took the visual palette and soundscape of a Studio Ghibli project and met it with top down Zelda action adventure?
Well youd have Kloa, a cozy yet fast paced indie with folkloric figures and epic bosses.
The player can dash, shoot, and slash as you may expect, across some glorious landscapes. Gameplay details are not fully revealed as of yet, but there will be some kind of combo system, as well as guards deflects and piercing shots. Currently the animations present in all of the basic attacks alone are impressive on their own, and the Japanese media influence will be a major selling point for the project moving forward.
Kloa has a kickstarter page available and a public demo is stated as coming soon. Im personally looking forward to the reveal of other characters, as this tanooki fellow in a straw hat is already a winner.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3p_gCgwD9o]
[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1905580/Kloa__Child_of_the_Forest/]
#2: Legend 64 - Legend64Project
Legend 64 is still in early days, but it may be one of the most captivating work-in-progress indies ever. That is if youre into masterfully recreated Nintendo 64 charm.
The dev who has documented his progress here on youtube under the same handle of Legend 64, has utilized similar techniques and limitations as the original Nintendo hardware for a fully authentic fifth generation feel.
The result is this purposefully haunting atmosphere of a game that feels like you should know, like a lost game from the past or a nostalgic hidden gem that somehow hasnt even been released yet.
The player fights back monsters with their lantern and glowing ember friend, in a lock-on style battle system that rivals or perhaps will improve on that from Ocarina of Time itself. Big scale boss battles and stunning NPCs are in the works.
The Legend 64 project dev is cooking something truly amazing, and while progress continues on youtube, we are eagerly awaiting more pages like Steam to be put up.
[https://www.youtube.com/@Legend64Project]
#1: Mika and The Witch's Mountain - Chibig, Nukefist
Have you seen Kiki's Delivery Service? Have you ever wanted to live in a world like that? How about The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker, with its bright comical visuals and light hearted evils found in the people and scenery?
Mika and the witchs mountain tells you exactly what it is at a single glance. A Relaxing broomstick flying chore-venture game.
Mika wants to be a witch, but finds herself delivering mail, icecream, and just generally being a helpful little feller.
The main hook is being able to glide around the world and hit air drafts to help you reach townies and get them their packages.
If youre looking for cozy, and have always enjoyed the toon link approach to visuals, this is absolutely the game for you to spend a couple calming hours in. Out now on everything youd expect!
[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mika+and+the+witch%27s+mountain+trailer]
Thanks for watching, did I miss any Zelda-like indies you have your eyes on? Let me know in the comments. Be sure to subscribe, like the video for more, and check out our other The Legend of Zelda content here on MojoPlays.
