We chatted with the top Xbox Live Indie Games developers yesterday to kick off Indie Independence Weekend, and we're continuing the indie love by cataloguing our favorite Xbox Live Indie Games. If you've never visited the Indie section of the Xbox Live Dashboard, these 16 sweet games are the first you should try.

Miner Dig Deep
We definitely have a major appreciation for this miner (see what we did there?). Miner Dig Deep mixes many disparate elements (Dig-Dug-esque gameplay, resource management, a beautiful animated style and mellow indie-style music) into a wonderfully cohesive package. There isn't anything like it on the Xbox, so folks looking for a unique experience should dig into this game.

Hypership Out of Control
The space shooter genre is one of the toughest to innovate in, given its age and the continuous stream of new games since its inception. Hypership Out of Control manages to do it by never slowing down. Once you get going in Hypership, the game becomes equal parts shooter and high-intensity racer, with the gorgeous retro style and multiplayer capability serving as sweet bonuses for one of XBLIG's top shooters.

Decimation X3
With Decimation X3, Xona Games has refined the Space Invader-style shooter to near perfection. By adding multiplayer, colorful graphics, uniquely designed enemies, and a constant stream of power ups, Decimation X3 keeps the excitement level persistent for as long as you've got your hands on the controller.

Cthulhu Saves the World
Not only is Cthulu able to save the universe, he's saved the traditional role-playing game from rote stories and characters. Cthulu  Saves the World has a unique premise (an evil deity that has to be nice first), a strange storytelling device (Cthulu regularly interacts with the narrator),  and a great retro RPG style that welcomes the aforementioned craziness - it's a wonderful recipe for a great gaming experience.

Biology Battle
Biology Battle was originally intended for Xbox Live Arcade, and the amount of polish present in the game definitely reflects that. A dual-stick shooter set on a microscopic scale, Biology Battle features unique enemies, well-designed stages, and fun power-ups. Don't like the "high for XBLIG" $5 price tag deter you - Biology Battle definitely earns its keep in entertainment value.

Lumi
Something has taken all the light from your world and its up to you to get it back. You play as an illuminated cat-thing that could be Pikachu's cousin who must platform through 9 levels to find fireflies that power plants that light up the levels' paths. We found this game to be strangely addicting with its soft harmonious music, vibrant art, and tricky platforming.

Dysnomia
Dead Space meets Call of Duty Black Ops' secret top-down shooter in Dysnomia. You're a marine franticly killing bugs coming out of every nook and cranny imaginable. (one of the spawn points we consistently saw was a toilet) Thankfully ammo and health are just as plentiful as enemies. Level design is interesting and fun, with areas changing often enough to make it feel like you are really traveling around the planet. Dysnomia is very coop friendly, with Player 2 able to jump in and out as they please. If you are looking for an old arcade style shooter to relax with a buddy, then Dysnomia is for you.

Solar 2
Wandering the cosmos can be lonely; luckily you can grab floating friends with your own gravitational pull! Solar 2 feels like a cross between Spore and Katamari Damacy as you fly around the randomly generated universe slowly absorbing any matter smaller than you. Starting as an asteroid you progress to a shielded planet with its own starfighters and then finally into your own personal solar system!  This is a game where you could easily spend hours, just filling up the meter watching your personal universe expand.

Minions!
Blasting your way through enemies that look like walking nutcrackers is oddly satisfying. Minions is like if Minecraft did Call of Duty. Playing as a commando, you lead the charge of your own continuous waves of units against the enemy base through simple maps. The best part about Minions is the ability to create your own specific sidekick that can be purchased with gold dropped from the dead. We found the most entertaining part of this game was upon completion of a level, all nearby living friendly soldiers do cute back flips.

Decay
Survival horror fans will rejoice in this hidden gem of a game! Tough, moody, and generally unnerving Decay is a grueling affair. Decay does a stellar job at making you solve strenuous mental puzzles while also being scared out of your mind, these mechanics together constantly make you feel as if you were going mad. What we found most creepy was the way the camera swings when you change direction. While you play you feel like you are under constant surveillance by some unknown entity, lurking behind the next swing of the camera waiting to surprise you!

Arkedo Series 03 - Pixel
Pixel is a vibrant 8-bit-style platformer. You play as Pixel the digital cat and you traverse various electronic environments. It is a fun and forgiving game, it takes 6 hits from either water or an enemy to kill you and every time you take a hit it respawns you at your last jump point. Definitely the best part of Pixel is the head-stomping animations for both the enemy and your character. Every time you land a successful hit the pixilated cat grins in a manic way and you hear a satisfying "thud". The enemies deaths are even better, with the walking apples (yes, walking apples) cleaving themselves in half upon being stomped.

I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1
This classic 2009 Indie title boasts simplicity and elegance, as player's twin-stick shooting skills will be put to the ultimate test as zombie hordes, angry pixels and gelatinous globs will unrelentingly swarm the screen. Not only does it support up to 4-player local co-op, it rocks one of the coolest songs known to the modern indie-gaming subculture.

Zombie Estate
Following in the same decrepit veins as I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1, Zombie Estate pits you and up to four of your best zombie-smiting friends against the undead militia. The addition of a monetary system makes custom weapon load-outs a cornerstone of the title and in its later stages, becomes vital to micromanage ammo reserves. Zombie Estate is one of my favorite Indie titles this side of the afterlife.

Breath of Death VII: The Beginning
Humorous games in the Role-playing genre are few and far between, Breath of Death VII looks to change that. Half nostalgia, half ridiculous dialogue, this indie gem shines brilliantly even among its over-budgeted competition. Even at its creamy, light-hearted core the game builds upon the fundamental pillars of the genre, keeping the leveling and battling true to its 8-bit roots. At the low price of $1, there's no reason Breath of Death shouldn't be on every gamer's playlist.

Epic Dungeon
Epic Dungeon artfully recreates the dungeon crawlers of yore, bringing back simpler times where a rogue was a rogue and a warrior was just the player who sucked at everything else. This indie classic is about as close to the 80s as you're going to get - 8 bit graphics, four shallow classes and dungeon-crawler gameplay worthy of a Gauntlet arcade cabinet. Epic Dungeon is almost a steal at its $1 price-point, the only thing that could've made our dungeon delving a little more epic would be some co-op action.

Akane the Kunoichi
Akane doesn't bring a HUGE amount of value for a game that very nearly BUSTs out of the indie scene, but there's a LARGE amount of potential for this TITillating adventure.  The game's awesomely slick controls and 16 bit-era graphics feel perfect. The game's only downfall is that the game can be rather difficult leaving even the most hardcore gamers feeling like BOOBS. Oh, and the fact that Akane has large breasts doesn't hurt.