I played a lot of games over the weekend, so I’m going to lump the indie games I played on the 360 into one post.

MotorHEAT

Definitely the pick of the bunch. I paid my 240 points for unlimited gameplay and online high scores and don’t regret it for a second. The risk/reward system is absolutely spot on, leading to many deaths in search of better scores. (I did better before I’d worked it all out, which is a sign that it’s working properly.) My only problem is that none of my friends seem have bought it, but that’s hardly the game’s fault. Top stuff.

I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1N IT!!!1

It’s funny for a while, but games go on too long. Nevertheless, I paid the eighty points for the full version just to reward the developer for creating something amusing, slightly insane and that doesn’t completely forget gameplay in pursuit of the lulz.

Groov

I bought this a long time ago, but hadn’t played it for ages. The way the music and gameplay interact is pure, genuine brilliance and lifts a fairly standard twin-stick shooter up into the realms of the truly special. If you didn’t check it out when it was new, do so now.

Breath of Death VII: The Beginning Demo

Knowing, gently amusing NES-style RPG. I didn’t buy it, because I doubt I’ll ever put much time into it, but I’m tempted to spend eighty points just as a small message of thanks to the developer for putting a smile on my face for ten minutes or so.

Beat Hazard

This twin-stick shooter supposedly creates levels based on the music you choose. It looks very impressive and plays fluidly enough, but I didn’t notice much connection between the gameplay and the songs. It’s also a bit stingy, not even allowing you to finish a song in the demo. Along with the indie-high price tag of 400 points, that meant that I didn’t buy it. Worth a download, though, just to check it out.