Papers Please was an example of a well done indie game that had something to say, and the subject matter influenced the gameplay.
Gone Home was very interesting and well done for what it was, that hooked the player early on my masquerading as a horror game. People have been critical of it for pushing the boundary of how minimally "interactive" a game can be and still be considered a game, and being a bit of a bait-and-switch.
I have not played Sunset, but from what I have seen, it looks like it has even less gameplay than Gone Home, but no interesting hook up front (even if it is a trick) to pull the player in.
If people really want to push the medium, the cost of their game should be low or free, so that there is no barrier to entry and their work has a chance at reaching the most people. If they want to make money, they need to make games that people might actually want to buy. Trying to to both at once is madness, and would take immense skill to pull off.
I think there is lots of room for experimental games - but expecting them to be a commercial success is foolish at best. There are thousands upon thousands of people that wish they could be making games for a living, but don't because they have to support themselves, and it is not fair to expect the world to support you in doing so "just because."
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