Crackdown 2 developer Ruffian Games has announced its next project, and it's probably not what you expect. Tribal Towers is Ruffian's attempt at an indie game, a self-funded project in which the studio can be the master of its own destiny.

The announcement (via Joystiq) is sparse on the details but noted that the last few years pinch-hitting for other studios have given it experience with CryEngine, Unity, and Kinect. It also mentions the growing PC and tablet market, and a goal to be "as agile as possible." The company is planning a "Friends & Family" test in the near future. Other than those details and a piece of concept art (above), we're in the dark.

Ruffian actually has two irons in the fire, as the announcement also mentions a "top secret project with a well-known publisher." But, it stressed that it isn't working on Crackdown 3, so you can put those hopes behind you.