Given the dearth of high-profile releases this time of year, it can be particularly challenging to find something new to tide you over until the next Deus Ex, or Madden (or whatever AAA title will next float your boat) shows up. This week, I came across a new (free) DigiPen student project called "It Belongs in an Ancient Ruin!" My review sums up how I felt about the experience, and Indiana Jones fans will find it hard not to enjoy the adventures of Pennsylvania Smith, a fedora-wearing archaeologist who steals artifacts from museums and returns them to ancient ruins. Honestly, I'm so in love with the concept that I really hope developer Back Table Productions banks it into a larger project.

I've also been having fun with a relatively new game for Android (and iOS) called Burn the Rope by Big Blue Bubble. The control-scheme is quite cool. Fire only burns upward, requiring users to physically rotate their mobile device to burn as much of each stages' rope pattern as possible. There's a free, lite version available, but it's well worth the $3 price tag for the full version.

Indie Games Channel's own Ozzie Mejia has been hard at work gathering interviews with the developers participating in the Xbox Live Indie Games channel's upcoming Indie Games Summer Uprising. They all provide some good insight into how some top-tier XBLIG developers approached their latest games. This week, we have interviews with the creative minds behind Cute Things Dying Violently, Take Arms, and Raventhorne.

Alex Jordan of ApathyWorks on Cute Things Dying Violently

James Petruzzi of Discord Games talks about Take Arms

Milkstone Studios' Alejandro González on Raventhorne

Explosionade developer Mommy's Best Games also dropped their first official trailer for the Croteam-sanctioned spin-off, Serious Sam Double D, which is headed for PC and XBLIG this August (also shown in the screens above). In short, the gun-stacking mechanic looks pretty awesome, and probably makes a certain Mr. Nukem a little jealous.