We’ve heard a lot about the AAA games coming out in 2011 like Bulletstorm, Diablo III, and Portal 2. But what else do we have to look forward to, especially in that sweet spot of $10-15?

2010 was a bumper year for the indie gaming community, and 2011 looks to be continuing that trend. Here’s what looks awesome for the upcoming year. (Note: some of these games don’t have announced release dates, and most of the ones with release dates are subject to change.)

Monaco (PC, ?)

This heist game plays from a top-down perspective and allows up to 4 players to work together to perform a variety of heists in real-time (either split-screen or online). Produced by the one-man shop of Pocketwatch Games, Andy Schatz plans on a release on PC and at least one console. It looks to be hectic, madcap, and a lot of fun. Release date is as of yet unannounced.

Voxatron (PC, Mac, ?)

From a one-man-shop Lexaloffle comes this two-joystick arena shooter in the vein of Robotron 2084 and Smash TV. The only difference is that the arena is now 3D, and made up of destructible voxels a la Minecraft. Both enemies and the player can modify the terrain, which features water, lava, walls, and other objects which should make for an interesting play experience.

The Witness (Multiplatform, unknown)

The Witness is an island puzzle/exploration game from Jonathan Blow, the creator of Braid. There’s a limited amount of information available at the moment but he keeps up a development blog here. So far what we know is that the gameplay takes place on a small island with many puzzles to be completed, somewhat like a reimagining of the Myst series (but hopefully less frustrating).

Spy Party (Multiplatform, unknown)

When former Maxis employee Chris Hecker got laid off, he went to work full-time on Spy Party, a 2 player game where one person plays a spy, the other person plays a sniper. The sniper sits on a rooftop facing the windows of the party, while the spy must perform a variety of missions inside. The only problem is that the spy must perform these missions while blending in with the AI partygoers so as to not arouse the suspicion of the sniper. There’s much to be done on this game as of yet, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this gets pushed to 2012.

Depth: Aquatic Stealth (PC?)

It’s divers versus sharks in this underwater stealth/hunting game. Depth is being made through the Unreal Development Kit by the team that made the original UT2004 Killing Floor mod before Killing Floor was released standalone. Currently 3 classes of sharks and divers are planned, each with unique traits and weapons. Probably multiplayer-only, though this is currently unsure. They’re saying it should be very much like the Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer of the Splinter Cell series, EXCEPT UNDERWATER!

Fez (X360)

Fez features a 2-D guy trying to get around in a 3-D world. This is accomplished by rotating the game world at will to any of the four compass directions, creating 4 distinct 2-D maps that must be used together. It bears several similarities to the acclaimed Echochrome. Originally slated for a 2010 release, this should be coming out for sure this year.

Subversion (PC, ?)

Made by indie studio Introversion, which brought us Darwinia and DEFCON, this single-player strategy game has the player assembling a team to orchestrate heists on a variety of targets. There are a wide variety of tools at the player’s disposal, and usually more than one way of accomplishing the mission’s goals. Development has been ongoing for the last 4 years, and Introversion hopes for a 2011 release.

Rock of Ages (PC)

This game, from Ace Team, the makers of Zeno Clash, is a mashup of Pythonesque silly art references, Marble Madness, and tower defense. Featuring a giant smiling boulder. The game takes place throughout a variety of art periods, from Renaissance to Rococo. Build towers to protect your castle while rolling yourself at the enemy’s defenses.

Dead State (PC)

Finally taking the zombie theme to a genre it really hasn’t been before is Dead State, the inaugural production from indie studio Double Bear Productions. Not many details are available and the game may not be released this year, but the concept looks promising.

Grim Dawn (PC)

Grim Dawn is an action RPG featuring an old-west steampunk meets alien demons setting. It is being developed by Crate Entertainment, which consists of veterans of the Titan Quest RPG, giving promise to the quality of the game. The alpha will be available to those who preorder sometime mid-2011, with a release in late 2011 or early 2012.

From Dust (X360, PS3)

This mysterious game has the player attempting to save an ancient civilization from their collapsing world by harnessing forgotten powers. Not many details are available but the visuals of changing landscapes and the mechanics of the elements make the game seem like Black & White: Apocalypse. Release date unknown.

Retro City Rampage (X360, Wii)

Retro City Rampage is a parody mashup of the GTA series and many other classic 8-bit games, featuring a top-down perspective like GTA/GTA2. This game promises to be a great tongue-in-cheek retro game, and it’s clear from the website the developers are having a lot of fun with it.

Frozen Synapse (PC, Mac)

This game aims to make turn-based strategy accessible again. It features single-player and 2-person multiplayer. Players are dealt a “hand” of units, then instruct the units in a plan of attack. Then the actions play out simultaneously once the players have submitted their battle plans. Then the action pauses again and allows players to queue up their next turn. Lots of features are planned, including YouTube exporting, Facebook/Twitter integration, matchmaking, global rankings, and random map generation. Beta access is currently available to preorders and those who preorder will also receive a copy to give to a friend. A full release on Steam will be available sometime in Q1/Q2 2011, and preorders will also receive a Steam key.