Age of Indies

I have gotten really into indie games recently. I think for most people you either love them or hate them.  Some people don't get it.  The concept of an indie game has evolved though to the point where it refers not just to low budget games, but also to games that have a retro feel.  These are some of my favorites:  

Spelunky
Spelunky is a 2D Rogue-like game about traversing through caverns while avoiding booby traps and while I have never come close to beating the game, nor am I even sure if the game has an ending, I can honestly say it is one of the most addictive Rogue-Like game I've ever played.  Many Rogue-Like games randomize the enemies you fight to make it feel fresh every time you play, but in Spelunky the environment is the enemy, so every time you play  you actually have to stop and think about how to survive. This game takes a combination of intuition and observation, which makes it feel different from most video games, not to mention that the music is wonderfully hummable.

Enter the Gungeon
Enter the Gungeon is a bullet-hell rogue-like game with cute pixel graphics and more guns than you can manage.  Gungeon is one of those polished games that feels so good and the animations pack such a satisfying punch that it is hard to put down, but the things that have you reeling are those long term decisions like which gun to buy, which chest to open, or even which enemy to take out first.  It's difficult for me to imagine how they could make this game any better, but one suggestion might be for the game makers to add some difficulty options as some of the boss fights can leave you in a stupor.

Downwell 
Downwell is a bare-bones rouge-like action game consisting of falling down a well while shooting bullets from your feet at enemies below you.  This game has fast paced action and tight controls. If you are looking for a pure action game than this is the game for you.  Interestingly, this is one of the few games that I prefer to play on a keyboard as opposed to a game-pad because the controls are so tight that having your fingers on a keyboard is an advantage as opposed to having to search for buttons on the D-pad.  Most people recommend this game because of the cheap price, but honestly it has some of the best arcade style action games you could ask for.

Strider
Strider is a side-scrolling action platformer based on the 1980's arcade game of the same name.  The first thing I noticed about Strider is the fluidness. This game is so phsysical yet so seamless. You can run, jump, climb, hang, and even cartwheel all with just one button.  It gives you that same feeling you get when you see a gymnast do a double summersault and stick a perfect graceful landing.  The first half of the game is great, but it's kind of a shame that such beautiful combat gets bogged down with Metrodian style puzzles and about a dozen different kinds of throwing daggers. This game could be just about perfect if the creators would simplify the moves a bit letting you focus on the beautiful choreography instead of trying to figure out which dagger to use.

Hyper Light Drifter
Hyper Light Drifter sounds like a racing game about drifting, but its not.  It's a top down action-adventure hack n slash with a really cool art style and ambient music.  It is essentially the ultimate indie pixel game.  The main draw of this game is the purist action...