Terra184
02-17-2008, 03:17 AM
ACTION
Platform: The Game (http://www.platformthegame.com/index.html)
Here's a novel idea: an episodic puzzle/platforming game that you play in a browser. Interesting enough, but taking control of two separate characters and splitting them up to solve increasingly intricate puzzles is the best thing since Lost Vikings.
Angry Boulders (http://members.gamedev.net/CanGames/index.html)
Insects are pissing you off--what do you do? Get a gang of angry boulders to bash the bugs. Of course, you should make a point of keeping them from bashing you as well.
Flywrench (http://www.messhof.com/games/flywrench.php)
Color matching, high gravity, and the world's most abrasive electronic soundtrack make for a satisfyingly difficult challenge to reflexes and sanity.
Tempo (http://www.igf.com/php-bin/entry2008.php?id=319)
If the X-men taught us anything it's that wheelchair bound psychics are not the people with whom to mess. Telekinesis and astral projection abilities make platforming and puzzle-solving a lot more manageable, if not actually easy. Tempo is more than a little arty, but very polished. A bit of a stand out among 3D independent games, which usually go for extremely stylized and minimalist art, rather than the heavy detail seen here.
Gal Ex: Spacial Delivery (http://www.ruleofthumb-games.co.uk/)
You and your gelatinous buddy, Goup, are in the interstellar delivery business. Problem is, your ship's crash-landed. So, what's a boy to do? Star in a 3D platformer!
City Scrawlaz (http://www.daretobedigital.com/FreeFullDownloadableGames/PlayFreeComputerGames/2004.php)
The world's a little drab. So grab a spray can and go paint the town red. Or blue. Or whatever.
Teh Forum Game (http://www.jonnycomics.com/games.htm)
For those who've wondered what life is like for the Internet thought police, wonder no more. You're a lab rat thrust into the intarwebz and must survive random forum boards.
Punishment (http://www.messhof.com/games/punishment.php)
An aptly named game that might be the first 2D platformer to actually make us nauseous. Which is harder: beating Punishment, or walking in a straight line afterward? Be sure to check out the sequel on the same site.
Kleptocracy (http://www.digipen.edu/GameGallery/websites/Kleptocracy/index.htm)
If you've got sticky fingers and a thing for stealth, here's a good grab. This cartoony action game has you pulling off a series of heists for bragging rights amongst your gang.
Lonely House-Moving (http://nigoro.jp/game/hikkoshi/index.php)
Your girlfriend is moving away, but you just can't let her go that easy. Try to keep up with her truck while avoiding birds, moles, bicyclists and falling luggage.
Bombermania (http://www.gameteam.com/?utm_medium=404)
A small, free Bomberman rip& er, tribute. Y'see, the difference here is that you're driving around in cars. So it's faster.
Run Like Heck (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Run_Like_Heck)
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
ADVENTURE
Sam & Max: Abe Lincoln Must Die (http://telltalegames.com/samandmax/lincolnmustdie)
In case you've never been foolhardy enough to try one of Telltale's episodic adventures, now's your chance. Fair warning, though, you'll soon start coughing up money for the other Sam & Max episodes.
Runesword 2 (http://www.runesword.com/rs2.html)
Remember when RPGs involved a pen and paper, and near as you could tell computer RPGs practically did as well? Welcome back to skills and dice and huge manuals. Best of all, Runesword includes everything you need to construct your own adventures.
Maniac Mansion Mania (http://www.maniac-mansion-mania.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=1&Itemid=61)
If you've missed classic adventuring you should download this ongoing series of fan-made Maniac Mansion episodes. The only possible down side is that about half of them haven't been translated from German yet, but if you're too impatient for the next one you can use the site's Starter pack and make your own! Here's looking forward to all kinds of new critters to microwave.
Passage (http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/)
We hesitate to explain Passage for fear of spoiling the beautifully personal discoveries that can be made while playing. It's the simplest, strongest blow struck for the "games as art" argument in years. Play it a few times and read the author's mission statement afterward. You won't be disappointed.
La Mulana (http://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=lamulana)
La Mulana is like a love letter to the MSX. And a wish-you-were-dead letter to everyone else. Er, but not in a bad way. You're getting an absolutely great exploratory platformer along the lines of Metroid or Castlevania that completely nails the graphical and musical style of an MSX game.
The Desolate Room (http://www.create-games.com/download.asp?id=6822)
As a broken-down robot coffee maker you gather fellow busted robots to investigate what happened to turn your world into such a junkheap. A simple RPG with weirdly unique art direction.
Hasslevania (http://del_duio.sitesled.com/Hasslevania/HasslevaniaHOME.html)
No, this isn't a Castlevania clone of Hasselhoffian proportions, it is, however, a satirical tribute to the 8-bit classic. Help Rovert Bellhump get some sleep by destroying his noisy neighbor, Count Dracula. The Hoff does make a cameo, or at least his head does, appearing in the place of those annoying medusa heads that love to knock you into spikes.
Last Scenario (http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/LastScenario)
RPGMaker games may not have the best overall reputation, but there are a few that manage to impress. Last Scenario is one of those: a surprisingly competent old-school Japanese style RPG that puts a few twists on convention.
Makibishi Comic (http://comic.makibishi.co.jp/)
There are those handful of moments when you pray that something is lost in translation. This is one of them. Man was never meant to see a giant baby wearing a gas mask farting death clouds over people in this Web adventure game. And yet, we do. And we keep playing.
Twilight Heroes (http://www.twilightheroes.com/)
Just like City of Heroes! Well, except it's turn based, mostly textual, and, well, very little like City of Heroes. Actually, think of it like one of those BBS door games only with superheroics instead of just logging in first thing in the morning so you can kill all your friends before they get their turns.
Miestas (http://media.fizzlebot.com/miestas.php)
An almost completely hand-drawn adventure, with a classic jazz soundtrack. Short and sweet, and even though there's no overt plot or goal that you're working towards the journey itself is satisfying.
Dr. Lutz and the Time Travel Machine (http://new.bigbluecup.com/games.php?action=detail&id=877)
It's obvious--even to a blind man--that this game is a tribute to the classics like Day of the Tentacle and Maniac Mansion. Does it sprinkle in enough of the ha ha as you traipse through time? You be the judge.
I Wanna Be The Guy (http://kayin.pyoko.org/iwbtg/)
IWBTG hates us, and we love it for all the clever ways it finds to show us just how much. You'll die a thousand deaths and know you deserved every one of them. All the NES references, like the hundred foot tall fire breathing Mike Tyson, are just icing on the killing-the-hell-out-of-us cake.
Stranded II (http://www.unrealsoftware.de/game_stranded2.php)
You're stranded on a desert island with nothing but your own wits. No, not even a damn volleyball. Can you fashion your own weapons, hunt food, build shelter, and make fire?
Lyle in Cube Sector (http://www.sitesled.com/members/bogo/lyle.html)
There's just no way we can improve on the description featured on the game's homepage: "OHNO! LYLE'S KITTY HAS BEEN STOLENED AND NOW HE MUST JOURNEY THROUGH THE WONKED OUT LANDS OF THE CUBESECTOR TO RETRIEVE HIS MEOWMEOW COMPANION!"
Rorschach (http://www.collectingsmiles.com/rorschach/)
There's lots of style oozing out of this black-and-white noir adventure. The art style is strangely cute for a murder mystery set in an insane asylum, but all the more disorientingly dark for it. Plus, you can take it with you if you have a homebrew-ready PSP.
A Tale of Two Kingdoms (http://crystalshard.net/atotk.php)
This is a no-joke, no-holds-barred homage to classic Sierra and Lucasarts adventure games. If you have any love in your heart, download this.
Freddy Pharkas, Frontier Pharmacist (http://www.freddypharkas.com/get.php)
One of the unsung heroes of the west (and the ol' glory days of Sierra's graphic adventures) is technically free. Well, you might have to cough up $2 for the cost of postage and CDs, but it's worth it, ya cheapo.
ARCADE
Death Worm (http://gmc.yoyogames.com/?showtopic=215286)
It's Tremors minus Kevin Bacon and you get to be the worm. Plus some radtacular physics allowing you to launch yourself from the sand to snatch birds out of midair before crashing into a camel. Who could ask for more?
Super Hamster Air Combat (http://www.zixiao.info/games/index.htm)
Somewhere near the top of our list of greatest passions you'll find "Cute Things Hurting Each Other." You just can't go wrong with hamsters, rocket packs, and lazers.
Ball Revamped (http://jmtb02.com/flash/brfive.htm)
Maneuver a fragile bubble through a maze without popping against the sides. Sounds simple, but gravity, inertia, and powerups that are just as often a hindrance as a help make for infuriating fun.
Twister (http://www.yoyogames.com/games/show/16107)
Life's not exactly easy being a tornado. Then again, it's a lot harder being everyone else. So go on, tear up the town in this quick action game where you're in control of a force of nature.
5 Minutes to Kill Yourself (http://www.adultswim.com/games/game/index.html?game=fiveMinutes)
Your office job has become unbearable, but who ever thought dying would be so hard? Paper shredders, microwaves, and angry weasels will help you on your way.
Twitch-Dash (http://planetfreeplay.com/game/TwitchdashDash/?pfp=0ccaaee9834f2968fa7673da1a17aa4c)
It's you against an 8-bit army of evil. Your weapon of choice: Burps. Belch on, brave warrior!
Doomed Planet (http://blanko1324.googlepages.com/)
You're piloting a olde fashioned flying saucer. Your goal: abduct people and not get blown out of the 8-bit sky.
Splinter Source (http://www.zixiao.info/games/index.htm)
A cutesy stealth platformer that could just be renamed Tom Clancy's Elevator Action--Splinter Cell edition.
MotoCross Challenge (http://wyrdlife.com/dhggames/?menu=download)
Excitebike was an a classic NES game, no doubt. Well, someone created a tribute for the GBA which unfortunately never saw shelves. More happily, the developers happen to be awesome and released the ROM for free.
Madhouse (http://www.madhousegame.com/)
Gun-toting psychos. Pissed off Zombies. Killer Clowns. Sounds like just another day at the office for us. Or possibly one of the coolest gauntlet-like shooters around.
Fluffy Puff Rampage (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Fluffy_Puff_Rampage)
Guns are for the weak. Martial arts are for wussies. Pillow fights? Now we're talkin! Battle bad dreams and help a nightmare-riddled kid wake up.
Four Second Frenzy (http://jmtb02.com/flash/foursecondfrenzy.htm)
Wario Ware without the flatulent fat guy. Play a rapidfire succession of extremely short flash games as quickly as possible. The trick is comprehending instructions and controls as quickly as possible. Actually, it's a pretty fair simulation of what it's like to write this article.
Chase HQ2 Evo (http://www.chasehq.net/frame.asp?Dir=ChaseHQ2Evo)
Obviously, someone played a little too much Sega Rally. Now you can get your 3D racing fix as well. (Note for non squiggle readers: download link is at the bottom.
FIGHTING
Sumotori Dreams (http://web.t-online.hu/archee83/sumotori/)
Barely a game, really, the true joy of Sumotori Dreams lies in watching a pair of stumbling polygonal Sumos stagger and trip around the ring like drunken toddlers. You'll laugh. Promise.
Beats of Rage (http://www.senileteam.com/games.php)
A classic tale of mash punch button, mash kick button. This old tribute to the Sega side-scroller, Streets of Rage, has hung around the freeware scene for ages. We just wanted to bring it back and let people know it's out there, and now playable on just about every platform known to man.
DragonBall Vs. Street Fighter (http://planetfreeplay.com/game/DragonBall-vs-Street-Fighter/?pfp=0ccaaee9834f2968fa7673da1a17aa4c)
Who is better in a battle? Ryu or some crazy magical dude with baby arms? Anime fanboys are at peace tonight with this 2D brawling mash-up.
Bible Fight (http://www.adultswim.com/games/game/index.html?game=biblefight)
Moses vs. Eve. Satan vs. Jesus. Adult Swim's Web site takes on street fights of biblical proportions.
Quest Fighter II (http://crystalshard.net/index.php?p=5)
Put Guybrush Threepwood and Larry Laffer in the Octogon and who wins? Time to decide in the Super Smash Brothers of graphic adventure games!
Lemmingball Z (http://planetfreeplay.com/game/Lemmingball-Z/?pfp=0ccaaee9834f2968fa7673da1a17aa4c)
Lemmings get tired of running off cliffs at some point. The ultimate proof, this bloody fun kumite!
Toribash 3.0 (http://www.toribash.com/)
A new build of the now-classic dot brawler is better, bloodier and ready for combat. For the uninitiated, Toribash is a 3D, turn-based, one-on-one physics-crazy limb-ripping good time. Really, it must be tried to be believed.
Open Mortal (http://apocalypse.rulez.org/~upi/Mortal/)
Ever thought you'd make a better Mortal Kombatant than some wet blanket ninja? Happen to have a camera and an old pair of pajamas kicking around? Then live your dream! Or you can just giggle at the pack-in characters. Our personal favorite: Guy Wearing a Rubber Glove On His Crotch.
PUZZLE
Splume (http://splume.flashbangstudios.com/)
Featuring basic gameplay made famous by games like Bust-A-Move, Snood, and pretty much half the puzzle games we've ever played. Splume has a couple extra things going for it, though. First, its presentation is fantastic. Second, applying physics to the falling balls adds a whole extra layer of strategy.
Hickbilly Bride (http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/HickbillyBride)
Ah, rednecks. The one minority it's still somewhat socially acceptable to openly mock. Political correctness issues aside for a second here, is it wrong to say that we enjoyed playing this side-scrolling white-trashy shooter/puzzler? (Actually, we just earnestly love banjos. Shhh.)
Crayon Physics (http://www.kloonigames.com/blog/games/crayon)
We ran this in the magazine a while back, but it remains a personal favorite and it's even grown since then. The game is mod-able and the community has created a slew of stuff for download, including some retro-NES themed levels. The Deluxe version, which promises a lot more versatility, might be out in time for the next issue.
The Simpsons Jeopardy (http://simpsonsjeopardy.bizhat.com/)
Hey Mr. Pop Culture Know-It-All? Think you've memorized every bit of Simpsons trivia? Time to test yourself.
Abstractica 3 (http://www.abstractica.mjkgames.com/)
Over 500 random puzzles are lurking inside this freeware bundle. Brace yourself for headaches.
Detox (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2005#Detox)
Every wonder what life is like on a petri dish? Yeah, same here. Well, this 2D puzzler is the answer. Spin the dish to align enzymes to combat toxins. Really, it's more fun than it sounds.
Bollen (http://www.daikenkai.com/monokey/?page_id=17)
A platformer/puzzler that leaves you in control of a ball with the awe-inspiring power to roll either left or right. You'll have to take advantage of the environment and the critters in it before you can accomplish much.
P.H.L.O.P. (http://www.digipen.edu/GameGallery/websites/PHLOP/)
The PHLOP? It's just a ball. It'll roll wherever physics dictates. Your goal: get said PHLOP to said exit while sqaushing said enemies with all sorts of widgets.
Excit (http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/411130)
Spreadsheets are fun! We can tell you need some proof. See how much time you spend trying to guide the cursor through spreadsheet puzzles.
Interactive Fiction Competition (http://ifcomp.org/comp07/download.html)
Back in a time when controls consisted of typing Go East, text-only games ruled the roost. Technically, you can count this link as over 20 games. It is a zipped collection of the entries for the 2007 IF Competition.
Perplexed (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Perplexed)
It's just like those interlocking 3D wooden block puzzles I get in my stocking every year. Except Perplexed has fifty different puzzles to keep you busy, instead of one lame one I'll finish in thirty seconds and forget about.
Nitrome Games (http://www.nitrome.com/)
If, somehow, you can get past the bright pink website and Zwinky adverts without growing an ovary (or a new one if you already have some,) you'll find some alternately enthralling and infuriating games where you blow hot air balloons through a spike filled level with a fan. Spying over cubicle walls has revealed that if there's a reason nothing gets done around here, it's probably this damn balloon game.
Introspect (http://digitalcandygames.com/index.html)
Blow the dust off that copy of UT 2004 for this arty mod. Trading Link Guns for MC Escher-ish adventuring, you'll stop and enjoy the scenery.
Mondo Medicals (http://www.cactus-soft.co.nr/)
An head-scratching puzzle game with and FPS point-of-view? It's no Portal, but it's certainly weird enough.
SIMULATIONS
LinCity (http://lincity-ng.berlios.de/wiki/index.php/Main_Page)
Got that craving to play a game a lot like Sim City? Same here. This tribute game keeps classic simple gameplay and updates it with some great graphics.
Dark Cut 2: Bivuoac (http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/406657)
You know those cutesy console games where you're cutting up patients? This ain't it. You're a civil war doctor trying to patch people up with a scalpel and bottle of whiskey. Pretty hardcore for a Web game.
Stunt Playground (http://walaber.com/index.php?action=showitem&id=7)
Kids used to lay out hot wheels tracks and shoot diecast metal cars through 'em. Fortunately, we've got PCs now. Build tracks with the in-game editor and let loose.
Baseball Mogul 2006 (http://www.gamershell.com/download_14174.shtml)
For the hardcore baseball nut that always dreamed of managing in the big time, here??s your chance. This now-free game packs stats from players between 1901 and 2005. All those numbers and statistics sure are fun!
Slaves to Armok: God of Blood - Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress (http://www.gamershell.com/download_21832.shtml)
When you think of old-school, hardcore gaming nerds, this is their game. A celebration of all things dorky, imagine a detailed game with addictive RPG elements and city management, composed entirely of ASCII art.
Cottage of Doom (http://planetfreeplay.com/game/Cottage-of-Doom/?pfp=b08d48aa1b517c9cc9cb4b92f3a3feaa)
Cottage of Doom was the winner of the B-Game competition, and given how many zombie survival games out there that's something of an accomplishment. One house. Waves of zombies. How long can you survive? The ability to board up doors and make barricades out of furniture adds some strategy to the carnage.
TrackMania Nations (http://trackmania.filefront.com/)
A little while back, race freaks coughed up money for this track-building arcadey racer. Now, it's all online (mods and all) and free for the taking.
SHOOTERS
Fortress Forever (http://www.fortress-forever.com/)
Is TF2 too much change for you? The Fortress Forever mod for Half-Life 2 is calling with the siren song of classic classes, grenades and bunny hopping.
Synaesthete (https://typo3.digipen.edu/index.php?id=986)
Part shooter, part rhythm game, and all kinds of awesome. The trance soundtrack is great even without such a fun game built around it. Synaesthete's unique aesthetics just earned it a nomination from the Independent Games Festival for "Excellence in Visual Art," which is a fair indicator that the visual art might be excellent.
Cosmic Armageddon (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Cosmic_Armageddon)
Like a fast-paced Battlezone. This 3D shooter starts off simple enough, but increasingly dense waves of enemies quickly threaten to overwhelm. Primitive, but addicting.
B-Intruders (http://www.bgames.org/)
For every Invaders clone out there that manages to be kind of engaging there are ten more that bore my crap right out. B-Intruders, however, in addition to some pretty graphics and a snazzy soundtrack, features one thing I absolutely love in shooters and encounter all too rarely: absolute, instantaneous control over your ship using the mouse.
Empyreal Noctourne (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Empyreal_Nocturne)
Almost more strategy than shooter, you guide a flock of darts against enormous, drifting, jellyfish-like bosses and disassemble them bit by bit. It's almost, but not quite, relaxing.
Trash Gordon (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Trash_Gordon)
As a space garbage truck it's your job to junk little spaceships with lazers, then gather up the bits into a self-orbiting ring of lethal crap to fling back at your enemies. Very simple, but definitely fun for a few minutes.
Luminara (http://jmtb02.com/flash/luminara.htm)
Maybe there are a few too many two-stick Robotron-ish shooters out there. Then again, maybe that'll start bugging us when they stop being so damn much zen inducing fun. Luminara packs in some genuinely interesting new enemies for a simple flash game.
Copic Fighter (http://mentisworks.blogspot.com/search/label/Copic%20Fighter)
The pen is mightier than& what the hell is this game even about? You're a sharpie shooting irate eyeballs? Man, don't ask. Just shoot. Kind of a work in progress, though. At present you'll probably play through it in about two minutes. Just long enough to draw weird looks and impossible questions from anyone looking on.
Protoganda (http://www.cactus-soft.co.nr/)
The inevitable truth of this game: You're going to die. You've got three minutes to blast round after round of gouraud-shaded polygon collections with weird Russian names while seeking a safe path through their hellstorm of bullets. Kill more, live longer. Live longer, kill more.
Bloody Zombie (http://www.kloonigames.com/blog/games/bloody)
Its creator claims, this may be the goriest game in 128 x 96 resolution. We're in the middle of Web-wide search to see if this claim is accurate.
Warsow (http://warsow.net/?page=home) A cel-shaded multiplayer extra-terrestial first person shooter where you fry porcine humanoids. Piiiiiigs innnnnn Space!
Boss in a Box (http://www.digipen.edu/GameGallery/websites/BossInABox/index.html)
Most shooters make you fight through waves of useless drones until you reach the big bad at the end. Who needs that kind of button-jammed foreplay? You're in for a firefight against the big baddies here.
Force Majeure (http://www.daikenkai.com/monokey/?page_id=17)
We love our plane-upgrading side-scrolling shooters as much as the next guy. We love the digitzed busty pilots even more. See? Everybody wins!
Copic Fighter (http://mentisworks.blogspot.com/search/label/Copic%20Fighter)
The pen is mightier than& what the hell is this game even about? You're a sharpie shooting irate eyeballs? Man, don't ask. Just shoot. Kind of a work in progress, though. At present you'll probably play through it in about two minutes. Just long enough to draw weird looks and impossible questions from anyone looking on.
Claustrosphere (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Claustrosphere)
You're trapped in an ever-shrinking multifaceted sphere with a bunch of polygons. Shoot everything until you're crushed. It's like trigonometric Thunderdome. Two thousand platonic solids enter: one platonic solid leaves.
STRATEGY
Command & Conquer Gold (http://files.filefront.com/Command+and+Conquer+Gold+Freeware/;8468950;/fileinfo.html)
You may have heard of this little game called Command and Conquer, no? Yeah, well EA is coughing up the goods, giving away the one that started it all.
Battlefield Pirates 2 (http://www.bfpirates.com/)
This BF2 mod mashes up two favorites: Pirates and the undead as they battle for control of the high-seas. If only they included ninjas and monkeys, bilge drinking mother scuppers.
Tactics 100 Live (http://www.gamebrew.com/game/tactics-100-live/play)
It's a little bit Archon, a little bit Ultima III. Minus the roleplaying and the action. All right, so it's essentially a Web-based fantasy chess game you can play solo or head-to-head.
Glest (http://www.glest.org/)
Think Rise of Legends, but free. Magic squares off against tech in this 3D RTS. The backstory is about a billionty pages long, but the essentials: There're wizards and dragons and guys with swords and you can make them kill each other. All around excellence.
Wormux (http://www.wormux.org/wiki/en/index.php)
If you can't puzzle out the portmanteau, Wormux is essentially Worms, starring a cast of favorite open source software mascots. If you've ever wondered if the FreeBSD devil could take out Tux the Penguin& well, you're the biggest dork on earth. Also, this is your game.
Gridiron Tactics (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Gridiron_Tactics)
Adorable, bigheaded teams of jocks knock each other around over a bit of dead pig. Like those classic console football games you used to play, but with strategy and RPG elements to make it all new again.
Platform: The Game (http://www.platformthegame.com/index.html)
Here's a novel idea: an episodic puzzle/platforming game that you play in a browser. Interesting enough, but taking control of two separate characters and splitting them up to solve increasingly intricate puzzles is the best thing since Lost Vikings.
Angry Boulders (http://members.gamedev.net/CanGames/index.html)
Insects are pissing you off--what do you do? Get a gang of angry boulders to bash the bugs. Of course, you should make a point of keeping them from bashing you as well.
Flywrench (http://www.messhof.com/games/flywrench.php)
Color matching, high gravity, and the world's most abrasive electronic soundtrack make for a satisfyingly difficult challenge to reflexes and sanity.
Tempo (http://www.igf.com/php-bin/entry2008.php?id=319)
If the X-men taught us anything it's that wheelchair bound psychics are not the people with whom to mess. Telekinesis and astral projection abilities make platforming and puzzle-solving a lot more manageable, if not actually easy. Tempo is more than a little arty, but very polished. A bit of a stand out among 3D independent games, which usually go for extremely stylized and minimalist art, rather than the heavy detail seen here.
Gal Ex: Spacial Delivery (http://www.ruleofthumb-games.co.uk/)
You and your gelatinous buddy, Goup, are in the interstellar delivery business. Problem is, your ship's crash-landed. So, what's a boy to do? Star in a 3D platformer!
City Scrawlaz (http://www.daretobedigital.com/FreeFullDownloadableGames/PlayFreeComputerGames/2004.php)
The world's a little drab. So grab a spray can and go paint the town red. Or blue. Or whatever.
Teh Forum Game (http://www.jonnycomics.com/games.htm)
For those who've wondered what life is like for the Internet thought police, wonder no more. You're a lab rat thrust into the intarwebz and must survive random forum boards.
Punishment (http://www.messhof.com/games/punishment.php)
An aptly named game that might be the first 2D platformer to actually make us nauseous. Which is harder: beating Punishment, or walking in a straight line afterward? Be sure to check out the sequel on the same site.
Kleptocracy (http://www.digipen.edu/GameGallery/websites/Kleptocracy/index.htm)
If you've got sticky fingers and a thing for stealth, here's a good grab. This cartoony action game has you pulling off a series of heists for bragging rights amongst your gang.
Lonely House-Moving (http://nigoro.jp/game/hikkoshi/index.php)
Your girlfriend is moving away, but you just can't let her go that easy. Try to keep up with her truck while avoiding birds, moles, bicyclists and falling luggage.
Bombermania (http://www.gameteam.com/?utm_medium=404)
A small, free Bomberman rip& er, tribute. Y'see, the difference here is that you're driving around in cars. So it's faster.
Run Like Heck (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Run_Like_Heck)
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
ADVENTURE
Sam & Max: Abe Lincoln Must Die (http://telltalegames.com/samandmax/lincolnmustdie)
In case you've never been foolhardy enough to try one of Telltale's episodic adventures, now's your chance. Fair warning, though, you'll soon start coughing up money for the other Sam & Max episodes.
Runesword 2 (http://www.runesword.com/rs2.html)
Remember when RPGs involved a pen and paper, and near as you could tell computer RPGs practically did as well? Welcome back to skills and dice and huge manuals. Best of all, Runesword includes everything you need to construct your own adventures.
Maniac Mansion Mania (http://www.maniac-mansion-mania.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=1&Itemid=61)
If you've missed classic adventuring you should download this ongoing series of fan-made Maniac Mansion episodes. The only possible down side is that about half of them haven't been translated from German yet, but if you're too impatient for the next one you can use the site's Starter pack and make your own! Here's looking forward to all kinds of new critters to microwave.
Passage (http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/)
We hesitate to explain Passage for fear of spoiling the beautifully personal discoveries that can be made while playing. It's the simplest, strongest blow struck for the "games as art" argument in years. Play it a few times and read the author's mission statement afterward. You won't be disappointed.
La Mulana (http://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=lamulana)
La Mulana is like a love letter to the MSX. And a wish-you-were-dead letter to everyone else. Er, but not in a bad way. You're getting an absolutely great exploratory platformer along the lines of Metroid or Castlevania that completely nails the graphical and musical style of an MSX game.
The Desolate Room (http://www.create-games.com/download.asp?id=6822)
As a broken-down robot coffee maker you gather fellow busted robots to investigate what happened to turn your world into such a junkheap. A simple RPG with weirdly unique art direction.
Hasslevania (http://del_duio.sitesled.com/Hasslevania/HasslevaniaHOME.html)
No, this isn't a Castlevania clone of Hasselhoffian proportions, it is, however, a satirical tribute to the 8-bit classic. Help Rovert Bellhump get some sleep by destroying his noisy neighbor, Count Dracula. The Hoff does make a cameo, or at least his head does, appearing in the place of those annoying medusa heads that love to knock you into spikes.
Last Scenario (http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/LastScenario)
RPGMaker games may not have the best overall reputation, but there are a few that manage to impress. Last Scenario is one of those: a surprisingly competent old-school Japanese style RPG that puts a few twists on convention.
Makibishi Comic (http://comic.makibishi.co.jp/)
There are those handful of moments when you pray that something is lost in translation. This is one of them. Man was never meant to see a giant baby wearing a gas mask farting death clouds over people in this Web adventure game. And yet, we do. And we keep playing.
Twilight Heroes (http://www.twilightheroes.com/)
Just like City of Heroes! Well, except it's turn based, mostly textual, and, well, very little like City of Heroes. Actually, think of it like one of those BBS door games only with superheroics instead of just logging in first thing in the morning so you can kill all your friends before they get their turns.
Miestas (http://media.fizzlebot.com/miestas.php)
An almost completely hand-drawn adventure, with a classic jazz soundtrack. Short and sweet, and even though there's no overt plot or goal that you're working towards the journey itself is satisfying.
Dr. Lutz and the Time Travel Machine (http://new.bigbluecup.com/games.php?action=detail&id=877)
It's obvious--even to a blind man--that this game is a tribute to the classics like Day of the Tentacle and Maniac Mansion. Does it sprinkle in enough of the ha ha as you traipse through time? You be the judge.
I Wanna Be The Guy (http://kayin.pyoko.org/iwbtg/)
IWBTG hates us, and we love it for all the clever ways it finds to show us just how much. You'll die a thousand deaths and know you deserved every one of them. All the NES references, like the hundred foot tall fire breathing Mike Tyson, are just icing on the killing-the-hell-out-of-us cake.
Stranded II (http://www.unrealsoftware.de/game_stranded2.php)
You're stranded on a desert island with nothing but your own wits. No, not even a damn volleyball. Can you fashion your own weapons, hunt food, build shelter, and make fire?
Lyle in Cube Sector (http://www.sitesled.com/members/bogo/lyle.html)
There's just no way we can improve on the description featured on the game's homepage: "OHNO! LYLE'S KITTY HAS BEEN STOLENED AND NOW HE MUST JOURNEY THROUGH THE WONKED OUT LANDS OF THE CUBESECTOR TO RETRIEVE HIS MEOWMEOW COMPANION!"
Rorschach (http://www.collectingsmiles.com/rorschach/)
There's lots of style oozing out of this black-and-white noir adventure. The art style is strangely cute for a murder mystery set in an insane asylum, but all the more disorientingly dark for it. Plus, you can take it with you if you have a homebrew-ready PSP.
A Tale of Two Kingdoms (http://crystalshard.net/atotk.php)
This is a no-joke, no-holds-barred homage to classic Sierra and Lucasarts adventure games. If you have any love in your heart, download this.
Freddy Pharkas, Frontier Pharmacist (http://www.freddypharkas.com/get.php)
One of the unsung heroes of the west (and the ol' glory days of Sierra's graphic adventures) is technically free. Well, you might have to cough up $2 for the cost of postage and CDs, but it's worth it, ya cheapo.
ARCADE
Death Worm (http://gmc.yoyogames.com/?showtopic=215286)
It's Tremors minus Kevin Bacon and you get to be the worm. Plus some radtacular physics allowing you to launch yourself from the sand to snatch birds out of midair before crashing into a camel. Who could ask for more?
Super Hamster Air Combat (http://www.zixiao.info/games/index.htm)
Somewhere near the top of our list of greatest passions you'll find "Cute Things Hurting Each Other." You just can't go wrong with hamsters, rocket packs, and lazers.
Ball Revamped (http://jmtb02.com/flash/brfive.htm)
Maneuver a fragile bubble through a maze without popping against the sides. Sounds simple, but gravity, inertia, and powerups that are just as often a hindrance as a help make for infuriating fun.
Twister (http://www.yoyogames.com/games/show/16107)
Life's not exactly easy being a tornado. Then again, it's a lot harder being everyone else. So go on, tear up the town in this quick action game where you're in control of a force of nature.
5 Minutes to Kill Yourself (http://www.adultswim.com/games/game/index.html?game=fiveMinutes)
Your office job has become unbearable, but who ever thought dying would be so hard? Paper shredders, microwaves, and angry weasels will help you on your way.
Twitch-Dash (http://planetfreeplay.com/game/TwitchdashDash/?pfp=0ccaaee9834f2968fa7673da1a17aa4c)
It's you against an 8-bit army of evil. Your weapon of choice: Burps. Belch on, brave warrior!
Doomed Planet (http://blanko1324.googlepages.com/)
You're piloting a olde fashioned flying saucer. Your goal: abduct people and not get blown out of the 8-bit sky.
Splinter Source (http://www.zixiao.info/games/index.htm)
A cutesy stealth platformer that could just be renamed Tom Clancy's Elevator Action--Splinter Cell edition.
MotoCross Challenge (http://wyrdlife.com/dhggames/?menu=download)
Excitebike was an a classic NES game, no doubt. Well, someone created a tribute for the GBA which unfortunately never saw shelves. More happily, the developers happen to be awesome and released the ROM for free.
Madhouse (http://www.madhousegame.com/)
Gun-toting psychos. Pissed off Zombies. Killer Clowns. Sounds like just another day at the office for us. Or possibly one of the coolest gauntlet-like shooters around.
Fluffy Puff Rampage (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Fluffy_Puff_Rampage)
Guns are for the weak. Martial arts are for wussies. Pillow fights? Now we're talkin! Battle bad dreams and help a nightmare-riddled kid wake up.
Four Second Frenzy (http://jmtb02.com/flash/foursecondfrenzy.htm)
Wario Ware without the flatulent fat guy. Play a rapidfire succession of extremely short flash games as quickly as possible. The trick is comprehending instructions and controls as quickly as possible. Actually, it's a pretty fair simulation of what it's like to write this article.
Chase HQ2 Evo (http://www.chasehq.net/frame.asp?Dir=ChaseHQ2Evo)
Obviously, someone played a little too much Sega Rally. Now you can get your 3D racing fix as well. (Note for non squiggle readers: download link is at the bottom.
FIGHTING
Sumotori Dreams (http://web.t-online.hu/archee83/sumotori/)
Barely a game, really, the true joy of Sumotori Dreams lies in watching a pair of stumbling polygonal Sumos stagger and trip around the ring like drunken toddlers. You'll laugh. Promise.
Beats of Rage (http://www.senileteam.com/games.php)
A classic tale of mash punch button, mash kick button. This old tribute to the Sega side-scroller, Streets of Rage, has hung around the freeware scene for ages. We just wanted to bring it back and let people know it's out there, and now playable on just about every platform known to man.
DragonBall Vs. Street Fighter (http://planetfreeplay.com/game/DragonBall-vs-Street-Fighter/?pfp=0ccaaee9834f2968fa7673da1a17aa4c)
Who is better in a battle? Ryu or some crazy magical dude with baby arms? Anime fanboys are at peace tonight with this 2D brawling mash-up.
Bible Fight (http://www.adultswim.com/games/game/index.html?game=biblefight)
Moses vs. Eve. Satan vs. Jesus. Adult Swim's Web site takes on street fights of biblical proportions.
Quest Fighter II (http://crystalshard.net/index.php?p=5)
Put Guybrush Threepwood and Larry Laffer in the Octogon and who wins? Time to decide in the Super Smash Brothers of graphic adventure games!
Lemmingball Z (http://planetfreeplay.com/game/Lemmingball-Z/?pfp=0ccaaee9834f2968fa7673da1a17aa4c)
Lemmings get tired of running off cliffs at some point. The ultimate proof, this bloody fun kumite!
Toribash 3.0 (http://www.toribash.com/)
A new build of the now-classic dot brawler is better, bloodier and ready for combat. For the uninitiated, Toribash is a 3D, turn-based, one-on-one physics-crazy limb-ripping good time. Really, it must be tried to be believed.
Open Mortal (http://apocalypse.rulez.org/~upi/Mortal/)
Ever thought you'd make a better Mortal Kombatant than some wet blanket ninja? Happen to have a camera and an old pair of pajamas kicking around? Then live your dream! Or you can just giggle at the pack-in characters. Our personal favorite: Guy Wearing a Rubber Glove On His Crotch.
PUZZLE
Splume (http://splume.flashbangstudios.com/)
Featuring basic gameplay made famous by games like Bust-A-Move, Snood, and pretty much half the puzzle games we've ever played. Splume has a couple extra things going for it, though. First, its presentation is fantastic. Second, applying physics to the falling balls adds a whole extra layer of strategy.
Hickbilly Bride (http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/HickbillyBride)
Ah, rednecks. The one minority it's still somewhat socially acceptable to openly mock. Political correctness issues aside for a second here, is it wrong to say that we enjoyed playing this side-scrolling white-trashy shooter/puzzler? (Actually, we just earnestly love banjos. Shhh.)
Crayon Physics (http://www.kloonigames.com/blog/games/crayon)
We ran this in the magazine a while back, but it remains a personal favorite and it's even grown since then. The game is mod-able and the community has created a slew of stuff for download, including some retro-NES themed levels. The Deluxe version, which promises a lot more versatility, might be out in time for the next issue.
The Simpsons Jeopardy (http://simpsonsjeopardy.bizhat.com/)
Hey Mr. Pop Culture Know-It-All? Think you've memorized every bit of Simpsons trivia? Time to test yourself.
Abstractica 3 (http://www.abstractica.mjkgames.com/)
Over 500 random puzzles are lurking inside this freeware bundle. Brace yourself for headaches.
Detox (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2005#Detox)
Every wonder what life is like on a petri dish? Yeah, same here. Well, this 2D puzzler is the answer. Spin the dish to align enzymes to combat toxins. Really, it's more fun than it sounds.
Bollen (http://www.daikenkai.com/monokey/?page_id=17)
A platformer/puzzler that leaves you in control of a ball with the awe-inspiring power to roll either left or right. You'll have to take advantage of the environment and the critters in it before you can accomplish much.
P.H.L.O.P. (http://www.digipen.edu/GameGallery/websites/PHLOP/)
The PHLOP? It's just a ball. It'll roll wherever physics dictates. Your goal: get said PHLOP to said exit while sqaushing said enemies with all sorts of widgets.
Excit (http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/411130)
Spreadsheets are fun! We can tell you need some proof. See how much time you spend trying to guide the cursor through spreadsheet puzzles.
Interactive Fiction Competition (http://ifcomp.org/comp07/download.html)
Back in a time when controls consisted of typing Go East, text-only games ruled the roost. Technically, you can count this link as over 20 games. It is a zipped collection of the entries for the 2007 IF Competition.
Perplexed (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Perplexed)
It's just like those interlocking 3D wooden block puzzles I get in my stocking every year. Except Perplexed has fifty different puzzles to keep you busy, instead of one lame one I'll finish in thirty seconds and forget about.
Nitrome Games (http://www.nitrome.com/)
If, somehow, you can get past the bright pink website and Zwinky adverts without growing an ovary (or a new one if you already have some,) you'll find some alternately enthralling and infuriating games where you blow hot air balloons through a spike filled level with a fan. Spying over cubicle walls has revealed that if there's a reason nothing gets done around here, it's probably this damn balloon game.
Introspect (http://digitalcandygames.com/index.html)
Blow the dust off that copy of UT 2004 for this arty mod. Trading Link Guns for MC Escher-ish adventuring, you'll stop and enjoy the scenery.
Mondo Medicals (http://www.cactus-soft.co.nr/)
An head-scratching puzzle game with and FPS point-of-view? It's no Portal, but it's certainly weird enough.
SIMULATIONS
LinCity (http://lincity-ng.berlios.de/wiki/index.php/Main_Page)
Got that craving to play a game a lot like Sim City? Same here. This tribute game keeps classic simple gameplay and updates it with some great graphics.
Dark Cut 2: Bivuoac (http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/406657)
You know those cutesy console games where you're cutting up patients? This ain't it. You're a civil war doctor trying to patch people up with a scalpel and bottle of whiskey. Pretty hardcore for a Web game.
Stunt Playground (http://walaber.com/index.php?action=showitem&id=7)
Kids used to lay out hot wheels tracks and shoot diecast metal cars through 'em. Fortunately, we've got PCs now. Build tracks with the in-game editor and let loose.
Baseball Mogul 2006 (http://www.gamershell.com/download_14174.shtml)
For the hardcore baseball nut that always dreamed of managing in the big time, here??s your chance. This now-free game packs stats from players between 1901 and 2005. All those numbers and statistics sure are fun!
Slaves to Armok: God of Blood - Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress (http://www.gamershell.com/download_21832.shtml)
When you think of old-school, hardcore gaming nerds, this is their game. A celebration of all things dorky, imagine a detailed game with addictive RPG elements and city management, composed entirely of ASCII art.
Cottage of Doom (http://planetfreeplay.com/game/Cottage-of-Doom/?pfp=b08d48aa1b517c9cc9cb4b92f3a3feaa)
Cottage of Doom was the winner of the B-Game competition, and given how many zombie survival games out there that's something of an accomplishment. One house. Waves of zombies. How long can you survive? The ability to board up doors and make barricades out of furniture adds some strategy to the carnage.
TrackMania Nations (http://trackmania.filefront.com/)
A little while back, race freaks coughed up money for this track-building arcadey racer. Now, it's all online (mods and all) and free for the taking.
SHOOTERS
Fortress Forever (http://www.fortress-forever.com/)
Is TF2 too much change for you? The Fortress Forever mod for Half-Life 2 is calling with the siren song of classic classes, grenades and bunny hopping.
Synaesthete (https://typo3.digipen.edu/index.php?id=986)
Part shooter, part rhythm game, and all kinds of awesome. The trance soundtrack is great even without such a fun game built around it. Synaesthete's unique aesthetics just earned it a nomination from the Independent Games Festival for "Excellence in Visual Art," which is a fair indicator that the visual art might be excellent.
Cosmic Armageddon (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Cosmic_Armageddon)
Like a fast-paced Battlezone. This 3D shooter starts off simple enough, but increasingly dense waves of enemies quickly threaten to overwhelm. Primitive, but addicting.
B-Intruders (http://www.bgames.org/)
For every Invaders clone out there that manages to be kind of engaging there are ten more that bore my crap right out. B-Intruders, however, in addition to some pretty graphics and a snazzy soundtrack, features one thing I absolutely love in shooters and encounter all too rarely: absolute, instantaneous control over your ship using the mouse.
Empyreal Noctourne (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Empyreal_Nocturne)
Almost more strategy than shooter, you guide a flock of darts against enormous, drifting, jellyfish-like bosses and disassemble them bit by bit. It's almost, but not quite, relaxing.
Trash Gordon (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Trash_Gordon)
As a space garbage truck it's your job to junk little spaceships with lazers, then gather up the bits into a self-orbiting ring of lethal crap to fling back at your enemies. Very simple, but definitely fun for a few minutes.
Luminara (http://jmtb02.com/flash/luminara.htm)
Maybe there are a few too many two-stick Robotron-ish shooters out there. Then again, maybe that'll start bugging us when they stop being so damn much zen inducing fun. Luminara packs in some genuinely interesting new enemies for a simple flash game.
Copic Fighter (http://mentisworks.blogspot.com/search/label/Copic%20Fighter)
The pen is mightier than& what the hell is this game even about? You're a sharpie shooting irate eyeballs? Man, don't ask. Just shoot. Kind of a work in progress, though. At present you'll probably play through it in about two minutes. Just long enough to draw weird looks and impossible questions from anyone looking on.
Protoganda (http://www.cactus-soft.co.nr/)
The inevitable truth of this game: You're going to die. You've got three minutes to blast round after round of gouraud-shaded polygon collections with weird Russian names while seeking a safe path through their hellstorm of bullets. Kill more, live longer. Live longer, kill more.
Bloody Zombie (http://www.kloonigames.com/blog/games/bloody)
Its creator claims, this may be the goriest game in 128 x 96 resolution. We're in the middle of Web-wide search to see if this claim is accurate.
Warsow (http://warsow.net/?page=home) A cel-shaded multiplayer extra-terrestial first person shooter where you fry porcine humanoids. Piiiiiigs innnnnn Space!
Boss in a Box (http://www.digipen.edu/GameGallery/websites/BossInABox/index.html)
Most shooters make you fight through waves of useless drones until you reach the big bad at the end. Who needs that kind of button-jammed foreplay? You're in for a firefight against the big baddies here.
Force Majeure (http://www.daikenkai.com/monokey/?page_id=17)
We love our plane-upgrading side-scrolling shooters as much as the next guy. We love the digitzed busty pilots even more. See? Everybody wins!
Copic Fighter (http://mentisworks.blogspot.com/search/label/Copic%20Fighter)
The pen is mightier than& what the hell is this game even about? You're a sharpie shooting irate eyeballs? Man, don't ask. Just shoot. Kind of a work in progress, though. At present you'll probably play through it in about two minutes. Just long enough to draw weird looks and impossible questions from anyone looking on.
Claustrosphere (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Claustrosphere)
You're trapped in an ever-shrinking multifaceted sphere with a bunch of polygons. Shoot everything until you're crushed. It's like trigonometric Thunderdome. Two thousand platonic solids enter: one platonic solid leaves.
STRATEGY
Command & Conquer Gold (http://files.filefront.com/Command+and+Conquer+Gold+Freeware/;8468950;/fileinfo.html)
You may have heard of this little game called Command and Conquer, no? Yeah, well EA is coughing up the goods, giving away the one that started it all.
Battlefield Pirates 2 (http://www.bfpirates.com/)
This BF2 mod mashes up two favorites: Pirates and the undead as they battle for control of the high-seas. If only they included ninjas and monkeys, bilge drinking mother scuppers.
Tactics 100 Live (http://www.gamebrew.com/game/tactics-100-live/play)
It's a little bit Archon, a little bit Ultima III. Minus the roleplaying and the action. All right, so it's essentially a Web-based fantasy chess game you can play solo or head-to-head.
Glest (http://www.glest.org/)
Think Rise of Legends, but free. Magic squares off against tech in this 3D RTS. The backstory is about a billionty pages long, but the essentials: There're wizards and dragons and guys with swords and you can make them kill each other. All around excellence.
Wormux (http://www.wormux.org/wiki/en/index.php)
If you can't puzzle out the portmanteau, Wormux is essentially Worms, starring a cast of favorite open source software mascots. If you've ever wondered if the FreeBSD devil could take out Tux the Penguin& well, you're the biggest dork on earth. Also, this is your game.
Gridiron Tactics (http://www.digipen.edu/main/Gallery_Games_2006#Gridiron_Tactics)
Adorable, bigheaded teams of jocks knock each other around over a bit of dead pig. Like those classic console football games you used to play, but with strategy and RPG elements to make it all new again.