The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has been sitting by my TV for almost a week now, still in shrink wrap. I lent Batman: Arkham City to a friend, before I had even opened it. I sent Uncharted 3 off to one of our writers, without even giving it a go on my PS3.

I just don’t have time for these triple-A games. This isn’t a clichéd “publishers need to spread out their releases!” rant (though publishers do need to spread out their damn releases). And this isn’t me complaining about not having enough time to play everything. I am actually gaming a lot. I’m simply devoting most of my time toward some lesser-known titles -- ones I would like you to check out.

The following three games won’t knock the big boys off the sales charts, and no one’s telling you that you should skip Modern Warfare 3 for one of them, either. But if you can find a sliver of time in your busy schedule....

Dungeon Defenders (XB360, PS3, PC, mobile)

What is it? Tower defense meets dungeon-crawling action-RPG...without any actual dungeon-crawling.

Why you might like it: A slow trickle of ugly fiends quickly turns into a massive flood; whether you’re prepared or not, you will be overwhelmed. So it takes careful planning and precise strategy to keep alive, and to do this, you must play cooperatively...even by yourself.

In Dungeon Defenders, you have four very different character classes to choose from, all of which have unique towers, weapons, powers, or traps at their disposal. During each build phase, before the enemies come marching in, you and the other players set up your defenses to complement each other. The squire’s spike blockade is more durable than the apprentice’s magic blockade, so those should make up the main wall of defense. Meanwhile, the monk’s electrical aura will zap all passersby, so the apprentice can skip erecting lightning towers in favor of fireball towers to fry the shock-resistant baddies.

No friends? No problem. You can actually create and build up multiple characters and switch between them during the build phase to set up the perfect death gauntlet of defenses. And when you get it all just right, you’ll see why Dungeon Defenders is so rewarding from a thinking gamer’s point of view.

Why you might not like it: The developers puked a carnival of gaudy colors all over this game -- the bright hues are almost overwhelming to look at. And the kiddie graphics style may turn you off, even though you are playing as children in this story. Make no mistake, though -- this is one tough, hardcore strategy title. Get past the looks, and you'll enjoy yourself.

PixelJunk SideScroller (PS3)

What is it? A sidescrolling (what else?) shooter with Tron-like aesthetics and 1980s sensibilities (that’s a good thing).

Why you might like it: When’s the last time you played an old-school shoot-em-up that wasn’t a remake of an ancient release? Developer Q-Games has created a new one, and you owe it to gamingkind to support it with your dollars. Sure, it also has precise controls, a unique health system (damage overheats your ship; dive into water to cool down), power-ups, and R-Type-style level design...but don’t worry about all that. You should buy it just on principle alone.

Why you might not like it: Like any of SideScroller’s brethren in this genre, the action gets tough! But you’re no baby gamer, right? So I don’t want to hear any whining out of you.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North (XB360, PS3, PC)

What is it? War in the North is an epic hack-and-slash that really sets a new bar for production values. Sure, it’s a little strange to categorize a Lord of the Rings game as “under the radar,” but c’mon...did you even remember that this was coming out? I didn’t. I believe Skyrim publisher Bethesda cast a Forgetfulness spell on me....

Why you might like it: I still have trouble believing the developers put this much effort into a licensed product -- that’s the beauty and freedom of not having to follow a film script or meet the movie’s premier date. The voice acting is superb (you will believe you’re talking to a gruff dwarf or eccentric wizard). The environments are fantastic (elven home Rivendell, set against a serene mountainside, looks like a heavenly paradise). And the story, which weaves in and out of the events of the trilogy canon, is so detailed and fleshed out, you’ll wonder how this is just a game and not a full-fledged feature film.

I could spend hours just listening to the different characters talk about everything that’s going on in Middle-earth, and I’m not even a hardcore LOTR follower. The developers really gave it their all for the fans, and it’d be a shame if you missed this.

Why you might not like it: The action is a little cumbersome and slow-paced, with way, way too many burly enemies to have to hack, slash, and smash through -- heck, even the lowliest of orcs have tens of thousands of hit points. When it takes so long to kill even a single foe, the stages start to drag out. But everything else (including plentiful loot to gather) will keep you fighting ’til the end.

OK, let’s hear it from you guys: What holiday games likely to be overlooked would you recommend to your fellow Bitmob community members?