You may not be entirely aware of this, but Houston has a pretty huge scene involving local video game developers. The technology and availability of mobile and PC gaming has allowed small start ups to dive into the world of game design in a big way, and the local industry is as diverse as you would expect Houston to be. We've got everything from cutting edge adventures to the restoration of ancient gaming classics. Come meet the folks behind them.

10. Hygoon So far Hygoon has just one game to its name, Pterodactyl Attack for iOS. It's a difficult, but beautiful shooter where you, of course, fend off waves of flying dinosaurs. It also has a mode specifically for the color blind, so extra blessings be upon them for their consideration.

9. Random Features Coming out of Katy is Random Features. They specialize in mahjong titles and other simple puzzle games with cute themes. There's also their dance party series of games based on the old Simon toys where you remember longer and longer patterns to keep your creatures busting moves. It's light fare, but fun.

8. Corv Studios Founded by Oscar Gomez in 2009, Corv has put out some pretty impressive mobile offerings, mostly as Android and Kindle Apps. Pac-Ball with its tilt controls and inventive mazes is particularly fun and reached over a million downloads, and the 360-degree shooter Virus Effect is definitely addictive. I'm looking very much forward to their upcoming zombie game, ZC.

7. Lava Level On the other hand, if 16-bit is still too New School for you and you want to dive even further back, check out Lava Level and its mobile game Quest Lord by Eric Kinkead. It's a computer RPG of the type you just don't see anymore, and sure to warm the heart of any veteran adventure.

6. Killer Bee Software The folks at Killer Bee are on a mission to restore some of the most legendary strategy games of the early days of video games. Mark Baldwin and his Empire games led directly to games like Civilization and Global Conquest and Killer Bee doesn't want you to forget it. With the blessing of Baldwin himself, they've brought out Empire Deluxe and The Perfect General.

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