Zombie Mining, Space Dogfights, DLC Parody and More of Our Latest Xbox Live Indie Favorites

Every few weeks we here at Kotaku make a selection of some of the best Indie games that Xbox Live has to offer. These are our latest favorites.

You’ll be able to find the list here for reference, or in the “Kotaku‘s favorites” channel in the Indie Game section of Xbox Live’s Games Marketplace.

DLC Quest (80 MS Points): For just $1, you can get all the DLC you ever dreamed of! This game is a simple platformer, but the real star is the heavy parody of downloadable content that plays out in front of you. Using coins you collect in-game, you must purchase DLC packs to unlock even the most simple of actions, such as pausing. Yes, there is even a horse armor pack. It’s definitely worth checking out for the laughs. It is fun, too.

CastleMiner Z (240 MS Points): CastleMiner Z leans heavily on the concept and style of Minecraft. It comes from the same developer as the popular CastleMiner. The game shares the look and gameplay of its relative, but comes with the important additions of zombies and guns! You can still mine, build, and craft items, but the attractive world boasts an apocalyptic style. Zombies roam the land. If you like the other mining games and want a twist on the formula, I recommend checking this out.

Devilsong (240 MS Points): This is a 3D space-flight shooter that puts you in control of a small fighter in an open region of space. Think Star Fox 64 in “all-range mode”, allowing you to turn in any direction to finish off enemies. You can boost around, fire turrets and missiles, and play online with as many as 16 people. Graphically it’s pretty solid, and if you like this style of gameplay you can’t really go wrong for 240 MS points.

Iron Core (80 MS Points): Iron Core is also a space-flight shooter, but in the style of Galaga. This top-down shooter has you rapidly firing at enemy ships, grabbing power-ups, and fighting bosses. It’s simple, but Galaga didn’t become so popular because it was complex. This $1-version has the same fun gameplay you’d expect.

World Wars II (240 MS Points): This game is somewhat difficult to get the hang of, but it has a lot to it. World Wars II is a top-down real-time strategy game in which you control your troops through a battlefield. The controls can get a bit complicated, but it’s a surprisingly tactical game with a host of modes and tutorials, and you can play offline co-op or online with up to eight people.

Moon Miner (80 MS Points): Moon Miner is an interesting game, because it deceives you at first. Your objective is to dig down below the surface in your mining machine on, you guessed it, a moon in space. You can harvest materials, but you can only carry so much, and your oxygen and fuel deplete fairly quickly. It seems too easy at first, until you get cocky and venture too far below the surface, dying from a lack of air to breathe. Fortunately you can upgrade your machine to allow you to dig deeper, extending the game’s length. It’s a neat little title, so I think it’s worth a look