A list of the ten best Indie games out there?

[bill]

obviously quality can have a subjective slant, and genres each have their favorites, but if a neophyte was asking: what are some of the best indie "try-before-you-buy" software game titles out there, which ones would be in the top percentile?

The more objective the list, the better, top seller + critical acclaim + polish. If there is a website with these sorts of lists that would be cool too.

[Hiro_Antagonist]

Does popcap count as indie?

Assuming not, some of my favorites are:
-Breakquest
-Hamsterball
-Starscape
-Star Chamber
-Outpost Kaloki

The last 3 are strategy games, geeky to varying degrees. But that's my bag, baby.

Add in Popcap, and you also get:
-Insanaquarium (I <3 Insanaquarium)
-Zuma
-Dynomite
-Rocket Mania

-Hiro_Antagonist

[Winterwolf]

-CrimsonLand
-soldat

[Reactor]

If there is a website with these sorts of lists that would be cool too.

Gametunnel awards (http://www.gametunnel.com/html/section-11.html)

[Sharpfish]

I have not done extensive research on all the demo-downloads available (far too busy developing stuff to play anything at this time) but over the laste year or so, titles I remember as standing out from their Demos include:

Outpost Kaloki
Hamsterball
Zuma Deluxe
Wobbles
On The Oche (darts)
Breakquest
Gish
Kickshot Pool

Of course there are many more quality titles out there, but I don't get that much time to try them all - so the above is really just a quick opinion on what I consider good production values, fun, and "polish™" ;)

In fact, some of them are that good that a. I may buy them soon and b. I almost feel like advertising them on my site for free (when it was more established and had a decent amount of visitors to have an impact). I can see passion in these products that shines through compared to the "run of the mill" stuff that just does the bare minimum needed to call itself a game.

Well done to these guys! :)

[Nexic]

Jets 'n Guns

[Ricardo C]

My current faves, as "Best" can be very very subjective:

1 Cosmo Bots/Cosmic Bugs (Retro64)
2 Wik and the Fable of Souls (Reflexive)
3 Beesley's Buzzwords (Flashbang)
4 Zen Puzzle Garden (Lexaloffle)
5 Big Kahuna Reef (Reflexive)
6 Snood. Yes, Snood. Leave me alone! (Did Dave Dobson ever name his company?)
7 Trials of Werlin (Bantam City)
8 Puppytron (Puppy Games)
9 Rainy Colors (Trifaces)
10 Zuma. Yes, Zuma. Leave me alone! (Popcap)

[BantamCityGames]

My current faves, as "Best" can be very very subjective:
...
7 Trials of Werlin (Bantam City)
...

Whoa! This is the first time anyone ever mentioned ToW as one of their top 10!!! Woohoo!

[KNau]

I have to second Cosmo Bots. At first I didn't think anything of it but then I got hooked trying to get as far as I could before the demo ran out. Definitely buying it next royalty check.

I also like Laser Squad: Nemesis. It's lost the charm that the original Laser Squad had but still really good for a strategy fix.

[Abscissa]

In no particular order:

- Snowy: the Bear's Adventures (http://www.aliasworlds.com/snowy/) and Snowy: Space Trip (http://www.aliasworlds.com/spacetrip/): It's nice to see clones of some of the more obscure - yet very deserving - classics, and the Snowy games are very polished.
- Big Kahuna Reef (http://www.reflexive.com/index.php?PAGE=game_detail&AID=196): The only swap-tiles-and-match game that's ever managed to hold my intrest.
- Cactus Bruce and the Corporate Monkeys (http://www.blueteagames.com/): Great game, love the humor
- Hamsterball (http://www.raptisoft.com/hamsterball.shtml): Marble Madness, baby! With cute rodents! (Best Marble Madness clone I've seen)
- Jets'n'Guns (http://jng.rakeingrass.com/): Incredible action.
- Platypus (http://www.retro64.com/platypus_game.asp): Very fun, and love the original art style.
- BreakQuest (http://www.nurium.com/index.php): Of course ;)
- Pop-Pop (http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/pop-pop/): Excellent breakout-inspired game. Innovative and well-polished.
- Super DX-Ball (http://www.blitwise.com/superdxb.html): Another excellent breakout game.
- Hyperballoid (http://www.bigfishgames.com/downloads/hyperballoid/): Also a good breakout
- Paradoxion (http://www.vsbgames.com/paradoxion/paradoxion.php): Most addictive puzzle game I've played in years, and great polish (And a level editor is coming!)
- Zzed (http://www.nevosoft.com/zzed/zzed.html): I love what it's done for Bust-A-Move/Puzzle Bobble style games.
- Alien Shooter (http://www.sigma-team.net/alienshooter/index.htm): Very fun
- Orbz (http://www.orbzonline.com/): Original, fun, love the multiplayer.
- Gish (http://www.chroniclogic.com/): Of course ;)
- Alien Hominid (http://www.alienhominid.com/): Not sure if it qualifies as indie...
- Torus Trooper (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cs8k-cyu/windows/tt_e.html): Very fun, Great visual style, Great example of the D language, and it's free :)

[Mark Sheeky]

What no Doom?

Mark

[Savant]

What, no Unreal Tournament?

If you want to play the id card, you have to include every self funded developer. :)

[Fish-Guy]

BoXiKoN is a very addictive puzzler game, and have spent many hours at the keyboard just clicking away. Its available at www.shoecakegames.com It definately ranks in my top 10.

[digriz]

For me, it's pretty much anything by Retro64, especially Cosmo-bots.

Jeff Minters GridRunner++, loved hamsterball although, i still haven't bought it and anything by pom pom too.



Also, star monkey by small rockets is a good shoot-em-up.