Yeah, I'm not too keen on indie games either. The industry talks about them like they're the second coming of Jesus.

Mario games for the most part are shallow affairs where a single core gameplay mechanic, usually a one-dimensional and unremarkable, is combined with an unconventional graphical approach. (Often an 8-bit look that seeks to replace effort and creativity with a cheap nostalgia grab) Add to this some pretentious narrative or symbolism designed to snare artsy snobs into proclaiming it some great work of art, when said narrative or symbolism is almost always just broad ideas (if that) thrown out there so that which people who want to see some profound meaning will concoct their own and attribute more depth to the game than it deserves.

Damn, I changed and it's still correct.

Of course most indie games suck, I mean anyone can make them. A lot of the games big publishers put put suck as well. There are lots of great diverse, inventive and fun indies as well tho. They may not have AAA production values but that doesn't stop them being fun and offer things that big games just can't, I have had more fun from games like Dungeons of Dredmor and Binding of Isaac than many AAA games. Not because they are some arty wank fests or because they are the little guy but because they have fun gameplay mechanics and prices to match their content (tho I have played both for many tens of hours so they were also both great value for money). A game with one neat mechanic that lasts 3 hours with a neat art style is worth more to me than a AAA game which offers 8-10h of tired mediocre gameplay and recycled "realistic" art design especially when the indie game is a sixth of the price.

Maybe you are just playing the wrong games

Maybe the 2D ones. But even then at least the gameplay is polished. Some of the indie plaformers have terrible jump mechanics.

I can't help but agree, for the most part indie games are rubbish.

You're a little late. I ranted about this last year. Though, I mostly ranted about the word "Indie", with the quality of the games to support my overall argument. But yeah, 90% of them suck.

One thing I hate about indie games is that they're pet projects heavily inspired by something else moreso than usually to point of " this is my non mario,but mario game" or " this is totally not Zelda". ..

I would say 95-99% suck there are hundreds released each year these days, and only half a dozzen really good ones usually.

Are there rubbish indie games, yes many.

However there are some really great indie games. Aside from the afore mentioned World of Goo, there are a bunch of titles I would recommend whole heatedly. Cheap, interesting and not shitty visually.

Bastion, Rochard, Guns of Iccarus, Torchlight series, Trine series, Little Inferno, Splice, Space Pirates and Zombies, Anomaly Warzone Earth, Vessel, to name just a few.

I'm still waiting for Minecraft on PS3 or PS Vita...

Overall, I don't care if a game is Indie or not. If the game looks interesting, I'll play it. Retro City Rampage looked nice, bought it, had a lot of fun. I don't care about Assassin's Creed or Call of Duty though, but I'm really looking forward to The Ladt of Us. Seriously, Indie or not, what does it matter?