For the independent developer, Lugaru is a success story like almost no other. An unknown developer, Wolfire Games, came out of nowhere and surprised the scene with a game of incredibly high quality and great art direction. Made entirely by one man, Lugaru became one of the most successful indie games in memory and a critical hit as well. The most surprising part about all of this is that the entire game was created by just one man. Wolfire Games is the pseudonym of one David Rosen, and Lugaru is his only commercial release. At least until overgrowth is released and completed.

Playing Turner, an anthropomorphic rabbit, you must uncover a conspiracy involving the highest echelons of rabbit and werewolf society. The graphics are simple but effective, and there is an attention to detail when detail matters, such as when you wallop an enemy and want see his broken teeth being spit out. Speaking of walloping, the combat is one of the best in a third-person action game. Using context sensitive actions, you can doing things such as roll out of throws to minimize damage, catch blows and reverse them, or sneak up and stealthily execute inattentive guards. You also have to keep yourself hidden from other senses besides sight such as hearing and smell. Overall, it's one of the best action games, independent or not, and is well worth the money paid for it. You can find more information about it and buy the game through the Wolfire Games website.


A perennial indie classic, Crimsonland evokes all the best old memories of popping quarters in with a buddy to grind away at the endless action of Gauntlet or Smash TV. Only this time, you are all alone. Despite the lack of multiplayer, though, Crimsonland is able to hold its own five years later as one of the best games to be put out by an independent developer.

Crimsonland has no real story. Such things are not for the likes of true warriors. Rather, it immediately gives you several different options of mass murder. You can play the Quest mode, which is a mode where plenty of missions are structured to provide you with a challenge without the random nature of Rush or Survival. You can play Rush or Survival, where you must hold off a never-ending horde of enemies as long as possible. Finally, there is Typ-O-Shooter which is basically Typing of the Dead. The three regular game modes all have one thing in common: you have a weapon, and it is time to brutally kill everything that ran, walked, or crawled. Utilizing myriad weapons and perks is great fun, and Crimsonland is mindless action at its best. You can find more information about it and buy the game through the 10tons Ltd website.


The brain-child of Alec Holowka and Derek Yu, Aquaria is an award-winning action-adventure game for those looking for a taste of the nostalgic along with a dose of something new. Winning the prestigious Seumas McNally at the Independent Games Festival in 2007, it has deserved every bit of praise it has gotten since its release in December of 2007.

Following the quest of a lonesome Naiji to find her family, Aquaria utilizes some intriguing gameplay mechanics and a beautiful world to really draw the player in. You can sing to other creatures of the see or harm them. These same songs also manipulate your environment to solve puzzles on your journey. There are multiple forms and many different types of songs to utilize, which makes it all that much better. The art style is painterly and vivid, showing off Derek's excellent art skills. It's a taste of the past with a distinctly newer flavor mixed in, but it still comes out absolutely delicious. You can find more information about it and buy the game through the Bit Blot website.


An excellent freeform physics-based fighter, Toribash is another great indie game and the only physics game on this list. With a great multiplayer component, an entertaining sandbox mode, and the ability to save replays of your best fights, it is very different from the other fighters you have played. This is a good thing, though.

Toribash takes a whole different approach to combat. Instead predetermined animations, the player controls the joints and muscles of their character in a bid to beat the enemy into submission. By triggering certain parts to do certain actions, you can do things like punch your opponent in the stomach until they die, knocking them flat on their ass with a sweep kick, decapitating them with a strong tug of your powerful hands, or even pulling off your own arm and killing the enemy by clubbing them with it! The game is gory, but it is all abstract, which reduces the impact of the gore. If you are thinking about something besides the excellent gameplay, though, chances are you aren't playing it quite right. It's almost like a puzzle game. Just one where you rip off limbs and murder people! You can find more information about it and buy the game through the Toribash website.

For more coverage on indie games and the scene, keep an eye out for Independent Minds at the same bat time, same bat channel. Also check out Freeware Friday and our indie category for some excellent freeware games and indie news, respectively.