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Over the past few years, indie gaming has exploded from a hobby of few to a viable business for those with great game ideas.
Thanks to distribution services like Steam, the Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, console and PC owners have a wide variety of instant entertainment right at their thumbs. Add to that the exploding mobile markets that are opening games up to previously unreached audiences. Plus, the low barrier to entry -- most indie titles range from $5 to $15 -- can make for an epic win.
Many indie titles represent new twists along well-trod gaming ground. Independent gaming studios are rarely beholden to publishers' whims, and can take bigger risks with game design or art style. Many of the games on our list also heavily pursued classic gaming styles that are still popular with gamers, despite no longer being produced commercially.