Top 10 Indie Video Game Mascots

The classic unsuspecting adventurer, Quote wakes up with amnesia only to find out he has a big role to play in saving the world. The premise is simple and fitting for the stylish robot and his blaster, but make no mistake; Quote’s story is far more nuanced that it seems at first blush. Quote has been a cult icon in games for over a decade — and his success in Cave Story helped pave the way for the oh-so popular retro aesthetic that countless indie games make use of today.

In a feat of pure heroism, the local farmer Juan Aguacate finds himself dead at the hands of the dastardly undead Carlos Calaca. Luckily, Juan is resurrected with a magical luchador mask, transforming him into a mighty lucha libre champion in the process — fulfilling his lifelong dream. Juan grapples and tosses his foes with all the finesse you’d expect from a mystical luchadore, creating a fluidity of movement we don’t always see from hand-to-hand combat — it also doesn’t hurt that Guacamelee is a bright, colourful, and all around gorgeous game.

Gomez, an adorable white… thing, is most identifiable by his fez hat, which was bestowed upon him when he came face-to-face with the Hexahedron. The life changing gift gives Gomez the ability to literally rotate the world around him, revealing that his simple two-dimensional world is actually made up of three (you heard that right, THREE) dimensions. Gomez and his fez are emblematic of a new era of authorship in games — thanks in large part to being featured in Indie Game: The Movie. Gomez represents the blood, sweat, and tears of design, and yet he still manages to be awfully cute.

Originally banned on Nintendo systems, The Binding of Isaac is the story of a little boy —Isaac— battling through his basement to escape his mother, who —after hearing the voice of God— is attempting to sacrifice him to prove her faith. Isaac’s world is morbid as can be, and he fends off the creatures of the basement with his projectile tears. It’s hard to tell if Isaac’s tear-soaked face is funny, cute, or terrifying, but it’s certainly unforgettable — solidifying him as an indie game mascot.

The lead singer in Freddy Frazbear’s Pizzeria Band, Freddy has become ‘the’ face of horror for a new generation of gamers – which is true regardless of whether you can’t stand him or can’t get enough. Freddy’s iconic music box jingle is instantly recognizable and sets up that one-of-a-kind jump scare terror the series is known for. The runaway success of Five Nights at Freddy’s let’s plays online has turned the animatronic bear into an all-time classic horror mascot — expect him to keep you up at night for some time to come.

Here he is: The default character skin for the popular creative sandbox game. Steve, sometimes referred to as “the player” may lack any sort of character or personality compared to the other entries on our list, but its hard to miss his iconic design anywhere you see anything Minecraft related … except maybe Minecraft Story mode. Fun fact: the character didn’t actually get the name “Steve” until he was set to make a guest appearance in Super Meat Boy, at which point Notch jokingly came up with the name when those dev’s asked what to call him. Speaking of which …

The new high watermark for pixel-perfect platforming games. The small, square, slab of meat is renowned for being the embodiment of tough-as-nails gameplay. But Super Meat Boy isn’t just about clearing levels; no, Meat Boy is on a quest to save his lost love. Meat boy leaves a trail of blood behind him as runs, an effective way to track your jumps on a level-to-level basis, and a good reminder that Meat Boy is, in fact, a cube of raw, sticky flesh.

Braid’s release signalled a completely new era for indie games. Suddenly it seemed realistic that an independent game could and should be as narratively complex as anything else in the industry. Tim’s journey through time echoes something beautiful and timid in all of us. Uncovering Tim’s fledgling romance is an incredibly poetic experience, and Tim is an unparalleled mascot for games that evoke this kind of complex sentiment. Wearing a plain suit and tie, Tim is the real everyman.

The man with the eight-strong legs, Octodad is an absolutely priceless – if rather simple character. While on the outside he is a loving husband and everyday father, who looks after his kids with the utmost care — he is also an octopus in disguise. He may struggle with some of the basics, like speech, or pouring himself a cup of coffee, but when you see the look in those big, wide, expressive octopus eyes, you feel every single thought going through his head. Don’t worry Octodad, nobody suspects a thing.

Before we name our number one, let’s look at some honourable mentions.

The Knights
“Castle Crashers” (2008)

Commander Viridian
“VVVVVV” (2010)

Patricia Wagon
“Mighty Switch Force” series (2011-)

Shovel Knight is special. It is the most genuine homage to the nascent years of video games ever made, and at the heart of that experience is a mascot named: Shovel Knight. Shovel Knight feels straight out of the mid-80s. He quests, he jumps, he digs, and he captures the imagination, and there’s something altogether endearing about him. He’s even got his own Amiibo, the first ever Indie game to get such a figurine: hey, if he can impress Nintendo, what CAN’T he do? Shovel Knight feels like a character we’ve known all our lives — a triumphant indie game mascot.

Did we miss a classic indie mascot? Who are your favourites? Let us know and make sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com for more great Top 10s published daily.