I find that a lot of the best pc games out there are made by independent developers and don't have top-o-the-line graphics, but fun and casual gameplay.

Do you know of any kickass indie games?

Link related:
http://www.tigsource.com

agreed, indie games are really where the industry gets it cutting edge

It seems lots of foreign-type games are neat, too. Like, uhh, Paradise Cracked and Cold Zero and what-not.

Most definitely, http://www.kloonigames.com/blog/ is always worth a look. monthly independent experimental games, all made by one guy. (sometimes with help)

He's the creator of one of the games with the most potential I've seen in a long time: Crayon Physics. http://www.kloonigames.com/blog/games/crayon/

Most of the good ones are free.
But there are a few, most notably, Darwinia, Defcon, Gish and Uplink, that cost some cash, but are wickedly worth it.

Darwinia <3 Gish <3 Uplink <3

I've been playing Uplink since I was a freshman in high school.... oh man, I love that game. *goes off to install it*

It's awesomely delicious. and addictive. and all that crap.

search for a game called tremulous, its a game i believe based on the quake engine (gotta look that up) its in the development stages

Yeah, I've heard of it.

that and sauerbraten or whatever, that ones pretty ok