The Riddle of Steel (and other indie mayhem)

[SA]

Does anyone here have experience with the game Riddle of Steel?  I checked out their site and downloaded the quick-start rules, and I've got to say that so far it looks just as bloody and visceral as folks seem to say it is.  Check it out for yourself.

Two other RPGs that have caught my eye are Noumenon and Kill Puppies for Satan, both being very bizarre additions to the hobby (albeit for very different reasons).

Do any of you folks know of some high-quality indie RPGs worth sinking my teeth into?

[Raelifin]

YES! Phoenix Knight and I both LOVE Riddle. It put back the roleplaying in my game night. It's not without flaws, but it's worth buying just for the inspiration.

As for the others, I don't really have any experience there. Sorcerer is previewed int he back of my TRoS core book, so that could be good. I've also heard good things about Dogs in the Vineyard.

Ninja burger is always fun, though that's not a true RPG.

[SDragon]

I don't have any links, but Battle-Scarred Veterans Go Hiking is interesting. Sure, it needs more errata then half of WotC, but that's to be expected from a first draft of a game created in some guy's basement.

The concept, however, is great: below average people put in challenging, average situations. With archetypes such as "Hippie" and "Nerd, and skills such as "walking" and "whining", this is a game with lots of potential.

Now if only it mentioned what dice to use....

Edit- Turns out, the company that published this has been defunct since last november. Fortunately, I know how to get in contact with one of the former co-owners, and might be able to talk to him about revising the game under a different company.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Echo everything Rael said, except I've never heard of Ninja burger.

[Hibou]

Oh man, I would so get into TRoS if I actually had a place nearby to buy it...

[Raelifin]

I couldn't find anywhere near me so I bought it online.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

I found finding others players more challenging than getting the books.  But, yeah, most I had to order online.

[Thanuir]

Personally I prefer the Burning Wheel (reviews, short comments and such). It is a fantasy RPG, much like TRoS in many respects.

Dogs in the Vineyard is often considered one of the best indie rpgs around.

Sorcerer is not very well presented and understanding it may require some months of posting on the Forge, as well as trying the game and probably failing. It may be worth the trouble.

[Tangential]

Having played TRoS, I like it quite a bit for it's roleplaying and flavour aspects. The combat system is interesting but by the time you need to consult a table you are probably already dead.

DitV is cool setting (maybe I'm biased), but I'm not a huge fan of the mechanics. The escalation system works only for select archetypes.

There is a game, which I think is called Assassin(?) that is rather awesome. It has stats such as Coolness, and Heartlessness.