In my last post I scolded the mainstream gaming community for having bad taste in games and also for affixing the title "Indie" to games that are merely original but still published by the mainstream game industry. So I'm going to put my money where my mouth is and give you guys a taste of the indie underground currently operating just below the radar. For more information on the indie game scene you can checkout The Indie Game Source and The Indie Game Database.
The first game I want you to check out is called Seven Minutes.Of all the indie games I've played so far, this is my favorite. In fact I really credit this game with selling me on the idea of indie games as a serious scene. The main thing you need to know about this game is that the game is an experimental platform as well as an example of the indie subgenre that is being termed masocore (the "maso-" prefix being derived from the term "masochism"which refers to pleasure gained from pain). Masocore games tend to use the death of the player not as a restriction or penalty but a significant narrative and gameplay tool. In this particular game, the death of the player is used to emphasize the necessity for patience and limits when it comes to existence and at the same time draws the player into a serious fight with the game design itself as they are subjected to every platformer no-no in the Big Book O'Game Design. So please check it out and look not for fun but for enlightenment. Other than that you have to know that you haven't won the game until you see credits.
The second game I need to mention is a mesmerizing game that I played very recently called Phyta. Phyta definitely seems to be influence by Flow but ironically enough this game captures the essence of flowing gameplay much more than Flow. The reason? This game contains gameplay in addition to hypnotic interaction and beautiful aesthetics. Here's the premise: You control a giant sun with the mouse, vines grow towards the sun, the player tries to trap creatures within the vines. Give it a playthrough (the game continues forever without further advancement after reaching level 5.
The third game is the absolute example of the indie game and also the first masocore game (I believe). The game is called Psychosomnium and it was created by the most indie famous game developer, cactus. This game is a lot like Seven Minutes but with even more of an ambiguous nature. There is no description, just play it.
Randy Balma Municipal Abortionist--If WTF were a game this would be it. No description could do this much insanity justice.
Remember when Jack Thompson proposed his own game? Here it is made by indie scenester Derek Yu. I'm OK. This game was made using the same software we use for 2D game design at camp.
Derek Yu also worked on a serious game. It's called Aquaria. Check out the demo.
By the way, those of you who know about my Developer For A Day project called Rain might be interested to know that Rain is an example of a masocore game and thus the scene's influence on me.