Perhaps one of the more interesting games at the IGF is acmipark, which according to its website, isn't a game at all!  Acmipark instead creates a virtual world that is artistic in nature, and detailed after Federation Square and the surrounding area.  The game allows players to interact of course, but that interaction isn't limited to just chatting.  Instead there exist many features in acmipark that allow characters to interact with sound and light while interacting with each other.  Certainly a bit of an artistic adventure acmipark looks to be one of several games that pushes the definition of what a game is into new directions.
 

Anito pits you in the middle of a large conflict and intense storyline of the blood feuds of different racial groups.  The game plays somewhere in-between an RPG and an Adventure game, with a character building through experience set-up that isn't quite as obvious as you normally run into in an RPG, and a lot more involved storyline than I've ever seen before.  The game features two deeply interwoven sets of storylines, accessible by starting the game as either one of the two main characters.

The game's graphics are an interesting combination of 2D and 3D that lead it to having a very distinct look.  Perhaps the most intriguing part of the technical aspects of the game is the quality of the music, which is extremely memorable.
 

Bontãgo is not your typical puzzle game.  It includes aspects of strategy, though without quick playing, you'll quickly find yourself on the losing end of the game.  In addition, the team play aspects of the game make for an even more interesting game.  The general idea in the game is to build up a stack of blocks using blocks of different sizes and shapes.  (anyone with kids should be able to relate)  The higher your stack of blocks, the larger your controlled area on the board.  The theory behind the game is to build up towers and move outwards over the board, until you have built up enough controlled area to encompass the white flags on the board.  Of course things aren't quite as simple as building a big tower, and the board has a way of shifting to make the blocks all come tumbling down.
 

Certainly one of the more intriguing concepts at the Independent Games Festival comes forth in the game Facade.  In this game, you play a friend of a couple who is undergoing some marriage drama.  How things proceed depends on you, though things will go on whether or not you take part in the story.  Facade reacts to your interactions with the characters to change the storyline, making each play through the game a different story with the same characters.  The notable emotional involvement in the game is done to a degree that no-one has ever considered before, making you a real player in a drama that is so deeply based in computer AI, that it is intended to feel "real" to players playing through the story that is ever changing based on your interactions.
 

Fashion Cents aims for a different crowd that really any other game at the IGF.  This game is aimed primarily at the female audience.  The game puts you in charge of dressing up 10 different dolls.  The game at heart is a puzzle game, that keeps giving you new pieces of clothing that you must then match up into outfits on the dolls.  Of course the game is harder than it sounds, and creating the outfits is something that must be done with careful tact if you don't want to be told just how bad your color coordinating powers are.  Jazzy music and simple game play make this a fun game to play for all ages.
 

Unfortunately Fuzzee Teevee is one of the games that we were not able to play a demo copy of prior to the IGF.  The fact that this game looks so entertaining makes the inability to play it ahead of time doubly trying, but thankfully, the IGF is just around the corner!  In Fuzzee Teevee, adventure/platform has been combined with puzzle in a great game that features multi-player party fun and mayhem.  The graphics speak for themselves, and the Q&A we had with the developer was one of the most entertaining and energetic that we did.  Definitely a game to be on the look out for at the IGF.
 

Ah yes Savage.  There has been more discussion revolving around this game than any other at the conference.  With a budget over $1 million dollars, Savage is a well-funded game that doesn't have the look of a typical Indie.  The game is stunning in the art department, and that is only the beginning of the greatness of the game.  The combination of Real-Time Strategy and First Person Shooter into RTSS is one that many people have come to love.  Savage will certainly be in the running for an award or two at the IGF, and it will be interesting to see how the Independent community reacts when/if they win.
 

Take a heavy helping of Greek history, and mix it with turn based gameplay and a lot of strategy and you get Spartan.  Unfortunately this foray into the past was not something that was not available to Game Tunnel to try out prior to the IGF.  The screen shots are very intriguing, and anyone who has a love of strategy games, and empire building games will certainly want to swing over to the Spartan station and check out the game, though I fear that to fully appreciate the game you'll need to spend more than just a little while at the booth!
 

With some nice graphics, Starshatter shows some of the visual power that Indies are capable of, though it has been a long time coming.  While creating Starshatter over the last six years as Starshatter has been created, the game has evolved, and though not yet finished, the beta shows a great deal of power.  Starshatter lets you play as a captain in a fighter, and as you build up your prestige, you are then given promotions and larger ships, until you are using full-blown star cruisers in the battle campaigns.  With campaigns in both space, and planet side, Starshatter has plenty of variety and intrigue for shooter fans.
 

Taking on the Civil War in a strategy game is a great idea.  With all the fanatic fans of history however, creating a game that reflects the war accurately and to their liking is a near impossibility.  Still the guys over at Mad Minute Games are pressing on and have some very nicely created screenshots and movies that help to show people where this game is at.  Currently the game is due out in Winter of 2004, and no playable demo was available for Game Tunnel to preview.