Playing video games from major developers and publishers is a lot like watching movies from Hollywood - we're bound to get big budget productions, filled with bombastic action, solid voice talent and, if we're lucky, some decent writing. We are going to be entertained. What we are often not going to be is truly intellectually challenged by the material. Yes, every once in awhile we get a title that's fantastic all around, with a thoughtful story a la Bioshock, or a title that is witty in both design and dialogue such as Portal.

For the most part, though, when we want a totally unique experience that doesn't conform to one of the major genres, one that presents us with new ideas and actually asks us to think about what they mean (rather than wrapping it all up in a final cutscene), we've got to turn to indie games. Often developed by small studios without a publisher lined up in advance, or sometimes created by a one-man (or woman) army, or simply given more leeway as a digital release, they've got the wiggle room to try new ideas.

These ideas may end up fantastic, or they may bomb entirely. The may be portentous, pretentious, pompous or any other word one can come up with to indicate they're just too darn wrapped up in themselves. The may be graphically brilliant, or built on simple themes that haunt our memories. Either way, if they're done right they leave a lasting impression. The following list is a tribute to some of the artsiest indie games to date. (Yes, there are more, and being indie games we have likely missed some along the way, but these are the big ones).

Braid (XBLA, PSN, Mac)

Braid is one of those games the artsy interior of which became more and more apparent as the story unfolded. At first, it felt a lot like a fresh, time-bending puzzler that used its mechanics to face gamers with some incredibly difficult stages. Its story was kind of quirky and reminded of Mario's quest to save the princess (albeit with creepier characters and an air of fancier times)...until it really unfolded. It was then that the genius and artsy nature of developer Jonathan Blow's design was revealed. The time-bending played into more sinister themes, and made us think about the heroes of the games we had been playing for years.

Limbo (XBLA)

Love it or hate it, Limbo definitely deserves mention among the artsiest of indie games. By choice, it is colored in black-and-white hues with a sort of static filter, playing off shadows and silhouettes. Its story is never directly stated, and most gamers get their bearings from the dashboard description rather than the game itself. It declines to give gamers a proper tutorial, but rather let's the gameplay evolve with its simple controls, and when it's all over, many gamers will be left asking what the heck they just played. Whether that ultimately works or not, there are definitely some pretentious ideas at play, thanks to Danish developer Playdead Studios.

Flower (PSN)

It's no surprise that the next on our list of the Artsiest Indie Games comes from the same people that gave us Flow, one of the earliest artsy indie games of the current generation of consoles, bringing into question what we call a "game." Flower essentially let's players control the wind, blowing around an increasing collection of flower petals. It stars as sort of a serene experience, and then thatgamecompany starts merging the landscape with urban environments to drive home a deeper purpose.

Eufloria (PC, PSN)

Gamers need go no further than Eufloria's Steam description (though we're not advising against going further) to realize just how artsy of a game it is. "Eufloria is an ambient game of space exploration and conquest that employs surprising themes of plant growth and bio mechanical evolution." See? It also has a beautifully simplistic art style with a color scheme that just beckons to gamers. It comes from developers Alex May and Rudolf Kremers.

Everyday Shooter (PSN)

Everyday Shooter is not only of the best titles on PlayStation Network, but also earns itself a spot among the artsiest, as developer Jonathan Mak's designs take the directional shooter genre to a whole new level. The game is essentially an album, and each level one of its tracks, where the shooter gameplay actually plays a part in creating the music created and heard on the fly. It's a lofty idea, brilliantly executed by one man in his garage, while consuming lots of seaweed. Seriously!

Devil's Tuning Fork (PC)

Created by a student team at DePaul University, Devil's Tuning Fork gets a spot on the artsiest list not for an overly pretentious storyline, but for its unique art style. The Devil's Tuning Fork gimmick, for lack of a better term, is turning audio into visual. It works a lot like radar (think Dark Knight) using black and white lines to display sound waves reminiscent of M.C. Escher's artwork that allow the player to see in an otherwise pitch black environment.

The Path (PC)

The Path is another game where the description on Steam says a lot about its artsy merits. There is only one rule to The Path, and that's not to leave the path. That rule must be broken, as the game is about exploration. There is one goal to the game, and when the gamer attains it, the character dies. One by one, a mother sends six children on an errand to a sick and bedridden grandmother. Too artsy for its own good? Like every other game on this list, that decision rests in the hands of the gamer.

Like the list? Hate it? Think we missed something? Please feel free to offer your own comments and suggestions below.