Ignoring the lack of updates if the game is buggy, games back then were also more focused on quality and make gamers replay the game with unlockable features based on skills, not money. I can’t count the number of times I played Metal Gear Solid games over and over to unlock new features playing the hardest difficulty and with handicap features, and also to find Easter eggs. Speaking of Easter eggs, you’d lose a number of hours exploring every nook and cranny finding them!
Yes actually, but it’s not the type of manual that you’re thinking of, since they’re indie games they very rarely will have a physical release so the manual will be in the form of a downloadable, generally more focusing on how the game was made or the backstory of why the game was made or a downloadable art segment/soundtrack of the art styles of the game.
these downloadable unfortunately tend to start to disappear as the developers of the game or the company starts becoming larger and larger.