I wonder what would be the next "indie trend" genre of video games, given that Metroidvanias and Roguelikes/lites are becoming over-saturated. Those genres became popular with indies only because of their niche-ness. Metroidvanias bring non-linear gameplay to a perspective that isn't really made for it, and roguelikes have unique mechanics, but have always been relegated to terminal games with graphics only being provided by front-ends.
I think we will see mechanics from both genres continued to be used for years to come, but as for new genres, I have some ideas:
* Ys-likes - Basically action-RPGs that play like the classic Ys games (Ys I, II, and IV to be specific). A lot of people think the whole bump combat system is archaic, but I'd argue that it keeps those games fast-paced, which is part of their appeal. Ys games also tend to be much shorter than traditional RPGs, so I can see indies pumping out Ys clones quickly. The cult fanbase of the Ys series seems to be growing so I feel like it's inevitable that a few clones will be made if they haven't already.
* Zelda II-likes - Non-linear sidescrollers don't have to copy Metroid and post-SoTN Castlevania, and while Zelda II has a lot of flaws, the basic design concept is fine enough that I can see a whole genre being built upon it.
* Side-scrolling RPGs - Same as above. Besides Zelda II, you also have WonderBoy and Ys III as examples of side scrolling RPGs.
* Vertically scrolling platformers - There aren't that many. Games like Kid Icarus have a cult following and have more depth to them than many people think.
* Point-and-click adventure games - People say that they haven't evolved since the 90s, but I think there is potential if you combine elements from other genres. Like, I can see certain parts where you confront with an enemy and it goes into an RPG-like battle or a fighting game.
* Second-person games - I thought that something like this would be a total joke because it implies that you are viewing from the perspective of your enemies and that the game would just look like you being shot, but after watching this video, I'm convinced that it could work. You could have escort missions where you see from the perspective of the escort while you control a character who is always in your view or a survival horror game where you see from the perspective of the zombies/monsters, but this would require a lot of camera work. Either way though, I think the potential is pretty limited.
