A brand-new indie game studio called Gardens, made up of developers from projects like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Marvel's Spider-Man, has just revealed itself and its first project. The AAA gaming industry has recently been met with criticism from both gamers and developers, mainly due to issues related to the unfair treatment of developers. This has led many developers to leave AAA studios in favor of indie games, which offer more creative freedom and better working conditions.

Independent video games have become increasingly popular in recent years, with these projects often offering more creativity and innovation than bigger titles. The indie game market is incredibly vast, giving fans many options when choosing their next gaming experience. In 2020 many gamers even ranked Hades, an indie roguelike dungeon crawler from Supergiant Games, as the greatest game of that year. 2021 brought with it many other high-profile projects like Twelve Minutes, an independent game featuring the voice work of big Hollywood actors James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley and Willem Dafoe, and the action game Kena: Bridge of Spirits. The best indie games of 2021 were able to craft unique and beautiful experiences outside of the AAA gaming sphere.

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A newly-announced independent game studio, Gardens, boasts a team that has worked on projects like SkyrimMarvel's Spider-ManJourney and What Remains of Edith Fitch. Co-founded by industry veterans Chris Bell, Lexie Dostal and Stephen Bell, the studio will run remotely and has been built on a platform of transparency, collaboration, empowerment and trust. Gardens' first game will be a multiplayer fantasy adventure, currently without a name, and the studio intends to build a dedicated community around it. Players will journey through a magical and unpredictable wilderness, with online components leading to meaningful encounters with other gamers.

While little has been revealed about Gardens' upcoming project, many other exciting indie titles are set for release in the near future. The biggest indie game releases of 2022 will deliver a wide variety of unique interactive experiences throughout the year. For example, the immersive action role-playing game Weird West comes from former developers of the Dishonored series. Stray, meanwhile, is a feline adventure where players will take control of a cat for platforming and puzzle-solving gameplay. While these titles will not be big-budget blockbusters, they promise to deliver wholly original gameplay innovations.

With a truly impressive collection of talent already assembled, Gardens appears ready to make waves within the gaming world. The remote studio's very first title already sounds exciting and ambitious, and Gardens is still hiring to build up its arsenal of veteran developers. With a portfolio including massive hits like Skyrim and Marvel's Spider-Man, the Gardens team looks poised to deliver something truly special.

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Sources: Gardens, Nibel/Twitter