The New Generation of Indie Mascots

Can you believe that it was 10 years ago that little Tim from Braid graced our screens? This time-traveling tinker was soon followed by the unnamed Spelunker in Spelunky, Josef from Machinarium and the little boy from Limbo. Their popularity opened the flood gate to a whole host of colourful characters that included Meat Boy, Isaac, Minecraft Steve and Gomez from Fez.

Gaming mascots have been around since the dawn of video games and have included Mario on the Nintendo, Sonic on Sega, Zool on Amiga or Atari and Bubsy on PC to name a few. In the last two decades alone we have seen Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Master Chief and Lara Croft.

But over the past few years, we have seen new contenders enter the indie gaming arena. Today I take look at five recent characters worthy of entering the Indie Mascot hall of fame:

Shovel Knight

Shovel knight is a 2D side-scrolling adventure game that follows the titular Shovel Knight on a journey to save the world from an evil enchantress and her order of knights. Players hack, slash and pogo through the various levels and take down eight mini-bosses. The 8-bit aesthetics and retro charm make Shovel Knight a character worth remembering.

Hollow Knight

The more you explore Hallow Nest, the more you fall in love with Hollow Knight. The game is truly stunning from its dark and atmospheric graphics to its deep story and ancient lore. No matter which direction you choose, there is always something to see. Hollow Knight’s simple yet haunting look makes him a perfect gaming mascot.

Shantae

Shantae may have been around for almost ten years, but her latest re-invention has secured her place on this list. The Disney/Anime crossover look really works and her latest adventure makes her an iconic gaming mascot worthy of praise.

Cup Head

The 1930’s art style captured our hearts and the run-and-gun boss battles secured its place in the gaming hall of fame. Whilst Cup Head is only one game at present, the flurry of marketing, t-shirts and fan art shows just how popular the character has become.

Red (Transistor)

Red is the beautiful and talented singer that wields the mysterious Transistor, a powerful talking sword. Created by the same team behind Bastian, Red has a deep back story, a cool motorbike and a stylish bomber jacket. All of these combine to make a gaming icon.

Other characters who almost made the list included Hob, Lucky, and Juan Aguacate from Guacamelee. Who are some of your indie game heroes? Let me know in the comments.