The gaming industry is split into three main categories: indie, AA, and AAA. These terms are more than just letters — they reflect the scale of projects, the size of their budgets, and the ambitions of their developers.
What’s the difference between AA and AAA games? How do they differ from indie games? We’ll walk you through it in this article.
What are indie, AA, and AAA games?
Let’s break it down one category at a time.
The indie game: a low-budget yet ambitious project
Indie games are projects created by small teams or solo-developers, without the support of large companies. Such developers enjoy more creative freedom, but possess fewer resources.
What defines an indie game:
- Limited budgets for development—generally below one million dollars.
- The team usually comprises fewer than ten developers.
- Marketing via social media and word of mouth.
- Creative freedom. Developers can bring their ideas to life without worrying about interference from big publishers.
- Due to the limited resources, the emphasis is often placed on gameplay rather than graphics.
- They may be aimed at a narrow audience or experimental genres.
- As a rule, they are created faster than big-budget games.
Indie games come in all shapes and sizes, from simple platformers to vast RPGs. Here, more importance is placed on the creators’ ideas and enthusiasm than money.
Indie developers stand out for their accessibility to their audience. They communicate with the fans of their games and promptly respond to their feedback. This creates a special atmosphere around the game.
Examples of indie games:
- Sea of Stars—a retro-style RPG that’s reminiscent of old-school Japanese RPGs. Made by just a small team of developers, this project became such a success that it won several awards for the best independent game. These days, it has been played by over four million people.
Sea of Stars. Source
- Stardew Valley—a simulator that allows players to manage their own farm and life in a pixel world. The game has received recognition for its depth and entertaining gameplay despite its simple graphics.
Stardew Valley. Source
- Hotline Miami — a shining example of an indie action title. This game‘s plot is torn into pieces and fed to players via mysterious scenes, surreal conversations with masked people, and through telephone conversations.
Image from the game. Source
- Undertale — this game was made by just one person, Toby Fox, but it became a real hit. It’s a role-playing game in which you can choose to either kill enemies or come to an agreement with them. The game has simple graphics, but boasts a very deep plot and characters that have captured the hearts of millions of players.
Image from Undertale. Source
AA games: the midpoint between indie and AAA
AA games (Double-А) are the medium-caliber projects of the gaming world. They’re a kind of happy medium in the game industry, melding the best traits of both indie and AAA projects.
What defines an AA game:
- A budget higher than that of indie games, but lower than those involved in AAA projects. Usually between a few million and tens of millions dollars.
- Medium-sized teams of around 50–100 people.
- More marketing power behind them than indie games, but less than that of AAA projects.
- Can afford to take more risks than AAA games, but with less freedom than indie projects.
- Often concentrated on one or two key elements (such as the plot or gameplay) without trying to be the best at everything.
- A good visual component, but without using the most expensive tech.
- Often geared towards a specific audience or genre.
Double-A projects frequently experiment with genres and mechanics, but do so with a higher degree of caution than independent games. They can afford higher-quality graphics and sound than indie games, but don’t aim for the photorealism of AAA titles.
Double-А games are gaining popularity among players who seek a high-quality, fresh gaming experience but don’t want to overpay for pricey AAA games. This category is appealing to developers, too: it allows them to create ambitious projects without the massive expenditure and risks that come with developing AAA projects.
Examples of AA games:
- The Outer Worlds — a role-playing game in a cosmic setting by Obsidian Entertainment. Its plot and freedom of choice earned it high ratings.
Image from The Outer Worlds. Source
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice—a psychological action game from Ninja Theory with innovative sound design and a deep study of the protagonist’s mental state.
Image from the game. Source
AAA games: top projects with big budgets
AAA games (Triple-A) are high-budget projects from well-known studios and publishers. Their releases are often the main events of the gaming year.
What defines an AAA game:
- Vast budgets for development—generally fifty million dollars or higher.
- Large teams of developers—often over 200 people.
- High-quality graphics and sound, often using cutting-edge technology. With professional actors and motion capture, many triple-A games feel like interactive movies.
- Extensive content and long runtime—the main plot usually takes 20+ hours to play through.
- Widespread advertising campaigns. At times, the marketing budget can even exceed the development costs.
Triple-A games are the blockbusters of the gaming world. They draw in millions of players and strive to blow them away with the coolest gaming experience possible.
But AAA games do have their downsides. Due to the amounts of money they invest into such games, studios are more risk-averse. This sometimes leads to old ideas being rehashed. High prices (generally 60–70 dollars) can also scare off some players.
Nonetheless, AAA games remain a significant section of the industry. They spur the progression of technology and set new standards for quality. Their influence often reaches beyond gaming, swaying pop culture in its entirety.
Here are a few examples of AAA games:
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt—this is an RPG by CD Projekt Red. Its enormous world and exciting plot saw it become a benchmark of the genre. Critics rated it highly—its average score on Metacritic stands at 92/100.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Source
- Red Dead Redemption 2—a video game set in the Wild West, where you play as a cowboy named Arthur Morgan. The game‘s world is so detailed that it feels alive. You can hunt, rob trains, or wander through the gorgeous scenery. This game won 178 Game of the Year awards.
Image from Red Dead Redemption 2. Source
- The Last of Us Part II—a bleak video game about surviving in a world ravaged by a terrible epidemic. It received 326 Game of the Year awards.
Image from The Last of Us Part II. Source
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla—a game about Vikings, in which you explore medieval England, take part in epic battles, build your own settlement, and raid towns. Players especially liked the game‘s detailed and accurate representation of the Viking era.
Image from the game. Source
Telling apart indie, AA, and AAA games—in a nutshell
This table shows how these categories relate to one another according to our key criteria:
These categories can sometimes overlap. For instance, some indie games may have budgets similar to those of double-A projects, and some AA games are not inferior in quality to triple-A releases.
What to remember about the differences between indie, AA, and AAA games
Indie, AA, and AAA games are three categories within the video game industry. Each of these has its advantages:
- Indie games provide the freedom for fresh ideas
- AA games blend creativity with quality
- AAA games wow the crowds with their scale and graphics
When planning a project, developers should bear in mind the difference between indie, AA, and AAA games. This will help to accurately gauge the resources and tools required.
However, a game‘s category does not always determine its success. What matters is creating a project that will appeal to its target audience and bring satisfaction to its developer.
Here at Inlingo, we’ve been helping games breach the global market since 2012. We provide localization, art, narrative design, and voiceover for projects of all sizes.
Want to conquer an international audience or strengthen your team? Get in touch with us via . Together, we’ll make your game accessible and attractive for players all over the world.
