Mark of the Ninja highlights this week's Best of Indie Games

This week on "Best Of Indie Games," we take a look at some of the top independent PC Flash/downloadable titles released over this last week. The delights in this edition include a 'fiendishly difficult platformer inspired by H.P Lovecraft and classic horror', a freeware shoot'em up by Q-Games programmer Kalin Gorski, a minimal action game from VVVVVV creator Terry Cavanagh, plus the release of Klei Entertainment's new stealth platformer Mark of the Ninja. Here's some recent highlights from IndieGames.com: Game Pick: 'They Bleed Pixels' (Spooky Squid, commercial indie) "They Bleed Pixels is a 'fiendishly difficult platformer inspired by H.P Lovecraft and classic horror'. Featuring 'extra-tight controls', a gothic lolita with claws for arms, a soundtrack from DJ Finish Him and even a Ponycorn-inspired guest level, Spooky Squid's latest title is likely to keep you busy for a while." Game Pick: 'Qwak HD' (Mr. Qwak, commercial indie) "Mr. Qwak, the venerable developer of Amiga classic Qwak, has finally released the Retina-enhanced Qwak HD for the iPad. The game, a super-boosted remake of the 16-bit retro-lovely, features over 70 levels, a glorious soundtrack, cutesy graphics, a two-player mode and some impressively designed controls." Game Pick: 'Knightmare Tower' (Juicy Beast, browser) "The story of a knight who has been charged with the task of rescuing ten princesses, Knightmare Tower will have you rocketing through the seemingly endless heights of a monster-infested tower." Game Pick: 'Somewhere in England, 1928' (Drink Cider, Make Games, browser) "Somewhere in England, 1928 is a remarkably elegant little entry in JayIsGames' most recent Casual Gameplay Design Competition. Here, you'll play as William, one half of a dynamic duo that is out to escape tentacled monstrosities." Game Pick: 'March to the Moon' (Califer Games, commercial indie) "Rather than being assigned a weapons loadout as in other shooters, March to the Moon allows you to choose from among 12 different skillsets, each of which includes nine abilities. Players earn experience by killing enemies; skills and stats can then be upgraded with each level gained." Game Pick: 'Galaxy Defenders' (Kalin Gorski, freeware) "Inspired by the DOS shooter Tyrian, Galaxy Defenders features a wide variety of enemy types, and allows players to team up with a co-op partner throughout its 12 included levels.The simplistic art style makes it easier to focus on incoming enemies and their surprisingly tricky bullet patterns." Game Pick: 'Super Hexagon' (Terry Cavanagh, commercial indie) "Terry Cavanagh describes Super Hexagon as a minimal action game, but clearly he's never seen anyone play his game nor the maximal, raging fits that it induces. Players rotate a triangle left or right to avoid oncoming lines and shapes. One hit, and it's game over." Game Pick: 'Escape Goat' (Magical Time Bean, browser) "MagicalTimeBean's Ian Stocker has released a free and fully-featured HTML5 version of his Xbox Live Indie Games puzzle-platformer Escape Goat, a single-screen action-puzzler in the vein of classics like Solomon's Key and Fire & Ice." Game Pick: 'Revolgear 2' (Bikkuri Software, freeware) "While most of these Japanese titles opt for manic bullet dodging, Revolgear 2 offers a more relaxing experience. Players choose from four different ships to pilot through five stages and bosses, with a true last boss waiting for those who satisfy certain conditions." Game Pick: 'Mark of the Ninja' (Klei Entertainment, commercial indie) "Mark of the Ninja is a stealth game in which players must silently evade the squadrons of enemy guards that fill each level. If evasion isn't an option, you can opt to distract guards using diversionary tactics."