Transformers were the key, PixelJAM artist Richard Grillotti explained to me. The idea was to fund his games by selling off his collection of classic Transformers toys. The timing of the auction coincided with the release of the movie, and as the bids entered the tens of thousands, he was confident he'd be able to live off the money for a while as he designed games and crafted pixel art.

Then the buyer didn't come through. Time and time again, they promised the money, but it never arrived. Eventually, Rich relisted the toys, but the hype was gone.

Now he's working in a tree nursery, and attempts to do the games in his free time.

Rich's story is just one of the many that I heard while at the GarageGames-hosted IndieGamesCon 07, many of which I'll be telling in the coming weeks and months. These folks are slightly different than developers behind the InstantAction.com games I wrote about last week.

For the most part, these projects are entirely self-funded and progress only as free time permits. Most of the designers are not developing their own games as a career, but are instead stuck working on someone else's project or slaving away in a tree nursery. Their games are nothing more and nothing less than labors of love. Their ideas are not constrained by the demands of a publisher, the limitations of a budget, or a strict schedule of milestones.

They are, in a sense, the true independent developers.

For now though, here's a brief rundown of the efforts the independent community had on display at IGC 07.

Dino Run by PixelJAM

Of the many titles Grillotti had on display at IGC, Dino Run was both the most exciting and the most elusive. In fact, the only way you could see the game is if you hunted him down and asked him very, very nicely about that awesome dinosaur pixel art you saw him working on earlier in the day.

Dino Run takes a simple gameplay concept and presents it in the form of delightful old-school hand-crafted pixel art. As a small yet nimble dinosaur, players must outrun the ever-looming, world-ending wave of destruction. The closer it gets, the darker the game's aesthetic grows, the redder the skies, the more charred the landscape.

Other PixelJAM games follow in the developer's mantra of "neo retro flash games for the good people of Earth!" Ratmaze 2 puts players in control of a rat stuck in what is most likely one of the world's biggest and confusing mazes, whereas Gamma Bros. calls to mind numerous classic shooters without being too incredibly difficult.

In addition to Dino Run, other upcoming projects from the studio involve a bee-based game as well as a moon game reminiscent of its interactive website, which offers playable versions of completed PixelJAM games for free.

The Gondolier of Love by Just One Cookie Games

Perhaps one of the most original games at IGC, and definitely among the oddest, Just One Cookie Game's The Gondolier of Love was also the crowd favorite, winning the coveted Player's Choice Award as the event drew to a close.

A cross between Crazy Taxi and a dating simulator, The Gondolier of Love has players acting as a boat-steering cupid, trying to match up interested parties and providing a romantic enough ride to get them in the mood for love. The various profiles list a variety of attributes, including food, music, and turn-offs, for the game's array of entertaining characters, which should help players in their quest to replace Cupid.

Along with a smooth ride, pickups scattered through the levels help the characters' infatuation with one another. After running across one of those items, the leprechaun and the gal in the gondolier, who previously had been listed as "unhappy" and were sitting on opposite ends with their arms crossed, were now gazing into each other's eyes, their heads surrounded by hearts. However, an unfortunate collision with a wall ruined the moment, bumping the passion meter to "curious," and then back down to "unhappy." Eventually, they both jumped into the waters instead of continuing the haphazard journey, and I was left all alone yet again.

Following The Gondolier of Love's warm reception at IGC, Just One Cookie Games is currently in talks with several publishers regarding a possible retail release. Based on the options in the game's menu, both Wii and Xbox 360 editions are possible in addition to the demonstrated PC version.

Turn the page for more independent goodness, including Debris and Oust from Alessi Games, Gameflood and Turbo Squid's mod-focused Infinity, and Eric Hartman's Two Guns Vs. and Blockland.