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A wonderful tribute to the old classic, Marble Madness, Hamsterball lets you use your mouse or keyboard to race a hamster through one twisted, loopy level after another. Incredibly addictive and fun to play, it's little wonder that this game was awarded "Downloadable Game of the Year" by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. The game features a nice multiplayer mode as well.

One of my all-time favorite indie creations, N is a brilliant, minimalistic take on Lode Runner, and other classic platformers. Superb controls, a great physics engine, wonderful level design, and pure ninja goodness combine to make this one a true classic.

Eets has been described as "a succulent combination of Lemmings and the Incredible Machine." If you've played either of those classic games you know how promising that sounds. And this game delivers: outstanding artwork and production, fun, creative puzzles, and a dash of straight out funkiness. There are a good number of boring puzzle game clones out there; this is not one of them. Give it a try.

An abstract, story-driven tower defense game set in a dimension "beyond hyperspace." The basic idea is to defend your "path" by setting up various "towers," each with their own strengths and weaknesses. With 26 different enemy types, 11 tower types, and 100 levels in 6 campaigns, this game will keep you busy for a while. Fast-paced, addicting, strategic, and fun.

You begin as a rather ugly man named "Beethro" who travels deep beneath the ground. There are other people down there too, citizens of a mysterious "Rooted Empire", that are carving tunnels and building things. Beethro just wants to know why, but it's hard to get a useful answer. He was always fond of saying "there is no problem that can't be solved with a really big sword," but upon arriving at the underground capital, Beethro is startled to find that nobody seems interested in attacking him. No, for some reason, they would rather persuade him to stand in a very long line. This is a must-try puzzle game!

One of the best platformers ever released for the PC. In Gish, you play a 12-pound ball of tar in search of true love. Become slippery to slide through small places, sticky to climb up walls and ceilings, and rock hard to force your way through barriers. The game's physics engine, along with all of its production values make this one a real pleasure to play.

Be forewarned: this game takes time and dedication to appreciate. However, if you take that time, you will find in Dwarf Fortress one of the most amazing and complex simulation games that you will ever play. Combining aspects of roguelike, strategy, and "god" games, Dwarf Fortress has two modes of play: Fortress, where you oversee a dwarven civilization, and Adventure Mode, which plays like a typical roguelike game. To date I find Dwarf Fortress to be one of the most amazing games ever made, including all commercial offerings, but like I said: be warned that the game is not easily accessible! For help, look to the wiki. Also, try out Mike Mayday's Graphics Edition of the game.

Among the best independent games released in the last ten years, Cave Story is a traditional action adventure in the vein of old classics such as Metroid and Castlevania. It was five years in the making, and every detail shows off the love and care that went into its production. If you only play one indie game this year, make it this one.

Probably the best side scrolling shoot 'em up on the market today. The levels are very well designed, the graphics are beautiful, and the game play will have you knee-deep in explosions in no time. The sound is also outstanding, with a 60-minute original heavy metal soundtrack from Swedish band Machinae Supremacy. Warning: blood and violence.

Neko Puzzle is a wonderfully fast, fun little puzzle game that makes your brain feel really good! Guide your flying kitty in a course through each level solitaire-style, before the time runs out, or compete in real-time against another human opponent. The puzzles are different every time you play, so whenever your brain is in need of that "massaged" feel, pop open this game, and your good to go!