‘Indie Cross’ (2023) — A Spectacular Tribute To Indie Games

Indie Cross (2023) is an animated fanfiction series about different indie game characters interacting with each other and trying to survive against a group of dimension-traveling robotic antagonists. The series was made by an independent animator named MORO Productions, with help from musicians, voice actors, and fellow animators.¹ The show’s title was previously used for a mod in “Friday Night Funkin'” (2020) by the same creator, though the two are separate things.²

Only two episodes have been released so far, yet both of them have gained millions of views and many enthusiastic fans. Fans of any indie games are recommended to give both of them a watch before reading, if they value the surprise of seeing familiar faces (at least those that weren’t explicitly advertised). The appeal of Indie Cross (2023) is found in its amazing animation and music, how it lets us see fun interactions between characters, and how it lets fans anticipate future indie game characters.

“Animating Affection” — How Indie Cross (2023) Honors Indie Games Through Style & Sound

Indie Cross (2023) makes great use of its animation medium, adding a plethora of details within the frames that add personality and references that act as homages to various series. For example, episode two features a chase sequence between multiple characters.

There is a short scene within the sequence where the camera and environment are displayed like that of a 2D platforming game, showing each character using their respective abilities to move around. It’s a clever nod to the fact that the characters in the sequence are all from 2D platformers.

There is also a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” moment where a shot of one of the original characters in the series flashes to a darkened shot of a character from one of the indie franchises featured within the show, a rather difficult boss known to give players a bad time. The shot conveys a warning that this fight won’t end well for them, a warning that is not taken seriously.

The show’s creativity extends well into the music. “The Kid Behind The Slaughter,” with its high-energy techno beat, takes clear inspiration from the likes of “The Living Tombstone,” an artist who has created plenty of iconic fan-made songs about “Five Nights At Freddy’s.” (2014)³ Meanwhile, “I Am Me” seems to combine “Finale” from “Undertale” (2015) and “Nowhere to Run” from “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator” (2017) to weave together a piece that depicts a triumph of contrasting tones: hopeful and bittersweet.⁴ These pieces do well to add to the tones of their respective scenes.

“When Worlds Collide” — Character Pairings Across Indie Franchises

Indie Cross (2023) doesn’t throw indie game characters together without thought or reason. Many of the characters that interact with each other have something in common, or a trait that adds an interesting bit of contrast between them. The largest group that we follow throughout the show so far is comprised of “Shovel Knight” from “Shovel Knight” (2014), “Cuphead” from “Cuphead” (2017), “Madeline” from “Celeste” (2018), and “The Knight” from “Hollow Knight” (2017).

Shovel Knight’s gallant demeanor contrasts well with Cuphead’s more casual and whimsical attitude. He also meshes well with the second “knight” of the team, the knight from “Hollow Knight” (2017). Though he is far less talkative than his shovel-wielding counterpart, the two are united in their honorable personalities. Madeline is the most grounded, not being a cartoon character or a valorous knight, but a mostly normal Canadian citizen. “Mostly” because she still has special abilities like the rest of the cast. Aside from that, her status as a fairly normal human being adds a layer of relatability for the audience.

Of course, the series divides its focus to other characters. Both of which have been paired with characters that make interesting contrasts.

“Mortality Vs. Immortality” — The Drifter & The Beheaded

Teased in the post-credits scene of the first episode and playing an active role in the second episode of the series is “The Drifter” from “Hyper Light Drifter” (2016) and “The Beheaded” from “Dead Cells” (2018). The two find themselves in a city unfamiliar to both them and the audience, due to it being an original location presumed to be related to the origins of the mysterious mechanical antagonists of Indie Cross (2023). They are driven to work together in order to survive and find a way back home.

The appeal of this pair comes in their contrasting demeanors and the state of their lives. The Drifter is silent and mysterious, whereas The Beheaded is talkative and quippy. While The Drifter is afflicted with a disease that is slowly killing him,⁵ The Beheaded is effectively immortal.⁶ These traits work well to complement each other, making the two an enjoyable duo.

“Dark Mirrors Of Determination” — Frisk & Springtrap

Not all cross-dimensional encounters result in a team-up like The Beheaded and The Drifter. That’s because not every indie game character is necessarily a hero, or a good person at all. This is something the audience is reminded of when “Frisk” from “Undertale” (2015) meets “Springtrap” also known as “William Afton” from “Five Nights At Freddy’s 3” (2015) in episode two.

It’s important to note that the version of Frisk present in Indie Cross (2023) is meant to be one who has undertaken the “genocide” route of “Undertale” (2015), where they slaughter everyone in their way.⁷ These two come from indie franchises that took the world by storm back in the day and still remain fairly popular, so it’s no question why MORO would have them interact with each other.

There’s a morbid juxtaposition to be pointed out between these two killers. Springtrap is a child murderer, while Frisk is a murderous child. What they both have in common is their relentlessness, or rather, their determination. Springtrap is the overarching antagonist of the “Five Nights At Freddy’s” (2014) franchise and has managed to survive death so much that his signature catchphrase has become “I always come back.”⁸

And while Frisk can be killed, they don’t tend to stay dead for long due to the fact that saving and reloading is not just a feature of “Undertale” (2015) but an ability that they canonically possess.⁹ The main purpose of their meeting is speculated to be one of reflection, at least for one of them. Through meeting Springtrap, Frisk seems to learn what kind of person they can become if they continue their merciless path.

Whatever the case, the meeting does seem to change them because they end the episode sparing someone instead of killing them as they would’ve done earlier.¹⁰ This moment shows how Indie Cross (2023) uses characters from different franchises to explore and develop them over the course of the show.

Fandom Anticipation & The Art Of The Reveal

With Indie Cross (2023) being a fanfiction, it’s no secret how it utilizes plenty of familiar indie game characters. Both episodes of the show included a post-credit scene that hinted at future characters to stir excitement for the next installments. Recently, MORO uploaded a video teasing a character from another well-received indie game franchise: “Zagreus” from “Hades” (2020),¹¹ which has garnered over 600k views.

A significant part of the series’ appeal is the anticipation of new characters. Many fans are kept guessing as to who will appear in future parts of the show based on a roster of indie game characters that are both considered well-known enough to be added into the story and from a game that MORO has actually played himself.

With the way the series has handled other characters, pairing them together and creating interesting contrasts with each other, the audience is left wondering what kind of interactions new characters will have with others.

A Love Letter Written In Crossovers

The appeal of Indie Cross (2023) is plain to see through its great use of animation and music, the fun interactions between its characters, and the anticipation it creates for its fans regarding future indie game characters. It is far more than just an animated fanfiction series; it is a love letter to indie games, a celebration of years of passionate projects.

Some might find themselves disappointed by projects created by bigger entities these days, causing them to worry about the future of art and entertainment. Indie Cross (2023), a show about indie games created by an independent animator, shows how genuine love of the craft is kept alive and well by smaller developers and studios.

Footnotes

1. Indie Cross. “Episode 1,” YouTube, 16:22. May 19, 2023. INDIE CROSS – EPISODE 1 // (ANIMATED SERIES). ↩︎
2. “Indie Cross,” Funkipedia Mods Wiki, Accessed 6 December 2025. ↩︎
3. Yuri O. “The Kid Behind the Slaughter.” Indie Cross Episode 2 (Original Soundtrack), Yuri O, 2025. Apple Music. ↩︎
4. Therewolf Media. “I Am Me.” Indie Cross Episode 2 Soundtrack, Therewolf Media, 2025. Apple Music. ↩︎
5. “The Drifter,” Hyper Light Drifter Wiki, Accessed 9 December 2025. ↩︎
6. “The Beheaded,” Dead Cells Wiki, Accessed 9 December 2025. ↩︎
7. “Genocide Route,” Undertale Wiki, Accessed 9 December 2025. ↩︎
8. “William Afton,” Five Nights at Freddy’s Wiki, Accessed 9 December 2025. ↩︎
9. “Frisk,” Undertale Wiki, Accessed 9 December 2025. ↩︎
10. Indie Cross. “Episode 2,” YouTube, 49:17. April 19, 2025. INDIE CROSS – EPISODE 2 // (ANIMATED SERIES). ↩︎
11. INDIE CROSS TEASER// NEW CHARACTER REVEAL. YouTube, uploaded by MORO. 22 Nov. 2025. ↩︎