tater03 wrote:Honestly I am not very good at Halo either but I do attempt it. I find it kind of funny when people get all riled up on Live. I mean I just want to shout grow up it is only a game in the end.

Yeah, Tater, I know what you mean. I don't know how they can have any fun they get so bunged up.

It does seem to be a favorite of the college crowd, and I think they like it much better with a little beer aboard, anyhow that seems to be what I hear over the phone when our son calls! Ah, youth...

Some of these look like they would be very fun to play. I will have to check some out. If I hear of any that are not on this list I will definitely let you.

I like to play the games at the forum I go to. I can play the games as many times as I would like and as often as I would like for free. One game I really like it's called the "Bubble Shooter". Like I said, I like the arcade type games.

My son wants one of these. We did get him the DS lite but his younger brother seems to play it the most. I was just wondering if anyone has one on here and if so what do you think about it. Are the games any good and is the selection good? Thanks.

Sounds interesting. I cannot get into these types of games thought only because I could see me becoming addicted to them and playing them all the time.

The free hour trial on Pogo if you don't click off of the game you can play the whole game. But once you click off and your hour is up then you cannot play again. Just thought I would share that with you.

My sons have the rollercoaster tycoon and they love it. I have yet to play it myself but have watched them and this is a game that I know I would enjoy but have to wait until they get bored with it before I get my hands on it.

I just got Roller coaster tycoon 3 today and it was pretty awesome. It's not necessarily a tycoon game, but The Movies is a pretty fun game too.

I also go to sites that let you download games for an hour or so, as a sort of free trial. I usually get tired of the games by that time anyway.

It really is a lot of fun. I had to give up though because it was driving me crazy. I couldn't beat the fifth or six level.

This is VERY cool! I introduced this game to some of my students yesterday at school as well as ass few science teachers. They all loved it! I recommend checking it out.

Has anyone ever played this? I just downloaded it on my PC (I have Second Life on my Mac which is kind of similar but more about money) and are wondering people's opinions. Here is a summation on the game from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entropia_Universe.

Oh yes it seems that a lot of college kids have one and love to play on the Live. I can see why though there are some good games on this system.

You know I have heard of this game before but have never played it yet. Thanks for sharing the free version. I will have to check it out. My husband loves trivia games so he should like this one.

I'm really into Risk II right now although I play quite a few from time to time - ones that stand out are the games I want to keep playing after a few times. I like the converted board games if done well. They are fun to pass time.

So I used to love this game when it worked on my PC. The creators have come up with an online game that is free. You can still buy the other ones as well. I played it this morning and really enjoyed it - funny wit. http://www.youdontknowjack.com/node/520

I go to a forum that has an arcade. They have several, over a hundred, games there. I will spend hours in that arcade. I love arcade games!

The game is just like anything in life. If you set a limit and follow it, then you got it made. As for getting bored, start a new character. Start from level 1 and work your way back up again. You'll know where the traps are and everything but you'll have fun doing it over again.

We did have an Xbox 360 but our son "borrowed" it from us when he went to college, where I am hearing that he and his friends play it all the time.

Well, not very original, but I like the solitaire games. I can play them for hours.

Do you have to use special plastic instruments made for the game for Rock Band too? I guess you would have to...I can imagine that sticks would take a beating pretty quickly.

Proud of you for quitting. It does zap you - I mean, you'll play for like what feels like 10 minutes and look at the clock and it's 3 hours later! I have yet to quit but go in phases with it and it seems to be one of the only things my husband and I can do together when we are broke and the weather is icky outside. It's better than sitting in front of the TV!

Thank Redigit! I pretty much thought that was what they were but I wanted to make sure I wasn't getting it wrong. I have played many games in my life and the indie ones are often the best and most innovative/creative ones I have enjoyed.

In case you are getting sick of WoW, or it's monthly fees, I have compiled a list of over 60 free MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games). If there is one that you think should be here please let me know.

FlyFF (Fly For Fun)


Rappelz


Corum


Shot Online (MMORPG Golf Game)


Angels Oline


Wonderland Online


Tales of Pirates


Myth War


Zu Online


Voyage Century


Maple Story


RuneScape


Trickster Online


DOFUS


Knight Online


Scions of Fate


Fiesta


Secret of the Solstice


Dungeon Runners


Anarchy Online


Rose Online


Silkroad Online


Perfect World


Age of Armor


Last Chaos


Hero Online


Sword of the New World


9Dragons


2Moons


Ragnarok Online


Archlord


Cabal Online


Conquer Online


Dream of Mirror


ELF Online


Endless Online


Dark and Light


Dark Ages


Entropia Universe


Eudemons Online


Pedang Setiawan Online


Goonzu Online


Gekkeiju Online


Lunia


MagiKnights


Martial Heroes


Metin2


Monster and Me


Nexus, the Kingdom of the Winds


The World of OZ


Rakion


Regnum Online


RF Online


Roma Victor


Rubies of Eventide


Shadowbane


Shaiya


Talisman Online


Tantra


Thang Online


Apocalypse Online


Cronous


Drift City (Racing MMO)


Fishing Champ (Fishing MMO)


Holic Online


Illutia


Project Torque (Racing MMO)

I haven't heard about the instruments falling apart, but I can see it happening. I haven't had the problem with Guitar Hero either, fortunately.

Oh, that is prime. My daughter was a killer Zelda player. She's always checking out Ebay, I should let her know about the watch!

Here's a site that is chock-a-block with cute, funny cats. Cat people should really check it out: http://www.photobucket.com. search for "funny cats", double click on the first picture, and enjoy! Just remember, you heard it here, in sandbox!!

I had no idea that there was a Zelda one. That looks pretty cool. I haven't played that game in years.

Yes, we have it for the DS Lite and you do basically cook things. It turned out a lot better then I thought it was going to be.

This is the first time I have heard of this game. I will have to check it out. It sounds different and fun. Thanks for sharing it.

I have heard that Rockband is also a fun game but that the instruments fall apart really easily. Has any one else had that problem?

Thanks for telling me about this game! I am so hooked on it right now! I'm definitely not getting any sleep tonight - I'm going to be playing this.

Rock Band looks interesting, but I think it's just too expensive for me right now, and since I haven't even mastered Guitar Hero yet, I just don't have the time for that yet.

I play tons of free games online. The majority of them I just find randomly through Stumble Upon, but I do play a lot of games on Pogo. They have a section of free games that is really awesome.

jazzgrrl wrote:

jewel wrote:What really draws me in is the fact that the game is so open-ended, especially if you get expansion packs. You can create any family you want, create their personality, and basically allow them to lead the life that you wish you could live. It all depends on what you do with the game. There are tons of ways to get creative with it.

What draws you in to the game specifically? I am just curious. ANd you say they can lead the life you wish... do you run them through activities? Conversations? Is it virtual make-believe/dress up?

What draws me in is just the endless possibilities that the game gives you. Other than that, I'm not quite sure exactly what you're asking. You basically control their lives through giving them orders.

I have actually never heard of it. It sounds like some type of cooking game, but who knows these days. I'll have to check it out.

Magic Pen is a flash version of a downloadable PC game called Crayon Physics. This is one of the most unique games I have seen in a while. You draw shapes that are affected by gravity, friction, and inertia. The goal of the game is to move the red ball into all the flags on the screen. In order to do so you will have to draw objects that will assist in getting it there. You can create ramps, catapults, and many other things. It is pretty addicting for a few hours. I definitely recommend you to give it a try.



Magic Pen @ teh GAMEZ

Abandonware is a term for a game/program that is so old that you can download it for free. You should be able to just download and unzip it to a folder somewhere and run ALONE.EXE. The sound probably won't work because it was made for older hardware, but the game is still playable. If you want sound, you can download and install a program called VDMS. And when you are ready to play right click ALONE.EXE and click 'Run with VDMS.'

I think you can download it at http://happyweed.com/hw12/index.html. I'm on a PC, so I couldn't tell you if it works or not.

It's not to bad, I played it a little bit. It reminded my of Wario Ware, except it was all cooking.

I could say the same. Actually trying to be efficient by making them work and keeping up with all their needs got monotonous rather quick. So I spent most of the time finding ways to make them suffer. My favorite trick was to get my neighbors in a swimming pool and remove the ladder. They would swim around for hours before they got tired and drowned. I'm so cruel.

That game is way to addictive and time consuming. It wasted a good 3 months of my life (actual play time) playing that game. Luckily I don't play anymore. I just got my epic flying mount and ran out of things to do, I quit the next day.

Way back in the day I had a Zelda Game Watch. I used to think it was the coolest thing. I might still have it around my house somewhere.
Now that you brought it up, I think I might have to put some batteries in it and see if it still works.

Indie is slang for independent. Independent games are created by a small number of developers who don't work for a company and don't have a publisher backing them (a lot like indie music and indie movies). These games are usually lacking the funds that the big production games have, like Bioshock and Oblivion. They can't afford to pay for the latest graphics and the more expensive game engines. This might sound like they are not as good, but they make up for it with innovation. Indie game makers take a lot of risks that the big corporations won't, which means unique game play. They are usually a lot cheaper, and most of the time they are free.

I like WoW. It gives me a chance to get rid of all my stress and frustrations. I also wish it didn't cost to play. I might be willing to buy it if it didn't cost too much.

Hello all,

I'm new to the board. I like all types of arcade type games, board games, card games and (what I call) shoot-em up games.

The only game I ever play online that I actually pay for is WoW. Otherwise, I try out all sorts of random free games, from card games to random meaningless games, I think I've tried almost all of it, it seems, lol.

I don't play it any more. Actually, I guess I never truly 'played it' anyway because I used to just like playing around with all the features like building houses and seeing if what horrible things I could do to my SIMS.

I absolutely love WoW. Okay, so it's easy to hate at times, too, especially when I don't have time to do what I want there or things aren't going my way, but otherwise, I'm hooked....

This is such an addictive game. My little sister has become particularly obsessed and even got my mom to playing it the last time I visited home. So much fun!

Can someone please define an "indie" game for me please? Does this mean they are not copyrighted or not owned by a company? Thanks!

Anybody played the next series - Rock Band I think it is called? I think it includes the entire rhythm section. I had a friend run out and but drum sticks the other day.

I love Space Invaders - just makes me feel all nostalgic and stuff. I never was super great at it (much better at Frogger and Pac-Man) but I have dedicated many hours to this game back in the day. Thanks for the link!

My hubby used to play Age of Empire all the time. I remember he bought it, though. Long time ago!

I don't know that I know exactly what abandonware is. Could someone help me with this?

jazzgrrl wrote:I have to admit, I have a love-hate relationship with this game. I hate loving it! It can be very time consuming but I also find that it is a lot of fun and a way for me and my husband to communicate with family members back in the states in a fun way while living overseas. I go in phases - sometimes I play a lot and then not at all for a month. It's a great game - expansive. There is something for everyone here...and it never ends!

I used to play WOW, but now a days i hardly get time to play this game as it is very time consuming.

Thanks...

I am also a game freak and enjoy playing all type of games...

chocoguy wrote:I'm just a newbie here who wants to share and also discover some great games out there. I would also like to know if this forum is also about those games like Diablo 2, Warcraft and the likes.

I am with you...

Hello,A warm welcome...Thanks...

We had a game that was basically a Pac Man rip off, only it was cats and mice. I never really played PacMan myself.

I remember Breakout; if you played it long enough it seemed you were really getting somewhere. Cooking Mama I don't remember at all; was it really about cooking?

There was a game I used to play in college that was like pac-man but was called Happyweed. Has anyone ever heard of this or know where I could get a copy that would run on OSX? Thanks!

jewel wrote:What really draws me in is the fact that the game is so open-ended, especially if you get expansion packs. You can create any family you want, create their personality, and basically allow them to lead the life that you wish you could live. It all depends on what you do with the game. There are tons of ways to get creative with it.

What draws you in to the game specifically? I am just curious. ANd you say they can lead the life you wish... do you run them through activities? Conversations? Is it virtual make-believe/dress up?

Wow I installed Oblivion last week, 42 square km of world to go through is a lot but now I have run out of lockpicks!

Cooking Mama is the one people always think I am weird at playing but I have really enjoyed playing it. I loved breakout. Haven't played it in years though.

I am sure that it doesn't translate to real guitar playing but I just enjoy playing the game. I haven't even checked out Expert yet. I am afraid to actually.

I know a lot of people might find this game weird but I am loving it. My niece had this game for the DS. I tried hers and now I have bought one for ours. Actually the DS is my sons but you wouldn't know it by how much I have been using it to play this game lately. So does anyone else on here happen to like this game?

For some reason I have never gotten into any of the Sims games. I have friends that play them all the time and love it . I will have to try them sometime.

I play a lot of the free card games online. I generally play those at Pogo. Haven't played in a few though.

"Raining Blood" was the hardest for me to get through on the Medium level. I really like it now, it's my favorite to play besides "The Metal" by Tenacious D. I struggle with hard, but I'm getting through it.

I have it on Playstation 2 by the way (the third game).

What really draws me in is the fact that the game is so open-ended, especially if you get expansion packs. You can create any family you want, create their personality, and basically allow them to lead the life that you wish you could live. It all depends on what you do with the game. There are tons of ways to get creative with it.

The games that I play are usually free games that I find online. Anyone else? What do you like to play online?

Ok, the one I play that I would never admit that I play is ....breakout.Why do I play it? It's similar to Pong, the first game I every played. We got an Atari for Christmas in the early 70's. It is really so cheesy, you just hit the little little ball with your paddle.

Thanks! Actually that is exactly what I was looking for! I appreciate your knowledge and am checking out the games currently.

As a musician and music teacher, I have mixed feelings about this game but down deep I really enjoy playing it! It has also gotten people interested in playing guitar although I don;'t really think that the skills learned transfer to really playing...

chocoguy wrote:This is a great game but the only thing that I don't like about it is that you have to pay for the subscription. I think that I will never pay just to plat play a game. They should be free!

You know, I agree with you...and part of why I joined this forum is I really like gaming and was hoping someone would help me to find some free games that are as good as the ones you pay for. We all pay for games-we pay for the hardware it comes on and often software to play it or the internet connection to download it (BTW as a side note).

I remember these. That takes me back to a long time ago. I personally never owned one myself. But I did love this game. One of my faves.

This game looks pretty good. I will check it out. I love the idea of a mafia type game. I will sign up and let you know how it goes. Thanks for sharing.

Honestly I am not very good at Halo either but I do attempt it. I find it kind of funny when people get all riled up on Live. I mean I just want to shout grow up it is only a game in the end.

I play it on Medium on the Xbox. We have guitar hero 3. I have beat all the songs on Medium except for the "Raining Blood" song. I cannot seem to get that one for the life of me.

This may sound weird but my favorite console game as of today are the mario games. I could play these for hours on end.

You might be surprised to know that my favourite game is minesweeper that is an inbuilt game and comes with windows.
I used to play whole night this game in my college days
but i love to play age of empire too...

hmmm.. The theme of this game seems to be interesting. I might give it a try..Thanks for sharing.

I would be happy to play this kind of game, as i dont need to give hours and hours to those games which are long lasting.thanks for sharing it...--Thanks

Your game seems to be interesting, I have signed up. I am going to play...Thanks for sharing the link.Thanks...

As i am also new here but still i welcome you on behalf of all members of this forum.

Thanks...

Hello,I am POM.I love playing games.Thanks...

Hello,I am also new here, lets see if i find something interesting here.Thanks...

My favorite console game is Street Fighter. I guess that I'm a bit violent because I love to see people who fight until they can't stand anymore.

This is a great game but the only thing that I don't like about it is that you have to pay for the subscription. I think that I will never pay just to plat play a game. They should be free!

Gang, I love your lettering. It kind of says it all, very dramatic! I'm going to show this to my hubby and I think we'll have some bloody fun!

Tater, thanks for the suggestion. If it's basic it has my name on it. Cheers!

A friend of mine had a pac-man watch that he used to play constantly and got quite good, as pac man goes. Anybody else have a game watch?

Our son used to play that Indiana Jones game all the time. He finally figured it out and really gave his sister the business about it.

i have been working on producing a top class mafia game for some time,The game is free to play and no downloads required play directly from your browser and also progessive jackpots

The game is real fun and has a great community of players who are allways ready to help new players.
check thee link below

http://www.ganglandmafia.com

new member here looking to find new games etc

Well if we are talking about the 2600, I used to love Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark. But my all time fave game would have to be Secret of Mana or Final Fantasy IV.

Welcome!

Yes, I am an ex-addict. I miss the good times when it first came out. It was so easy to get a good kill/death ratio. But now only the hardcore still play it and I spend most of the time dead watching the rest of my team play.

I have it for the Wii. It's a lot of fun, but I'm not very good at it. I tried to play online once, but that was a mistake. I got owned. The highest I can play on is medium. There are to many good songs on it and I haven't unlocked all of them so I can't really say which one is my favorite.

Welcome to the forums! I hope you enjoy your stay.

Zelda Classic is very Zelda-like game. It is a single-player game that has the original maps for the NES version of Zelda. You can even download player made "quests." This game can be a lot of fun, depending on which quest you get.






If you are looking for a multiplayer online game then check out Maple Story. It is a FREE MMORPG(Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game). This one is quite unique because it is a 2d sidescroller, somewhat like Castlevania. It is fun for a good while, but to some people it may get repetitive after 4 or 5 hours.





And then of course is Graal Online. This game actually started out is a Zelda clone that could be played online, but it evolved into a whole new game.





If you just want a free MMORPG then I would recommend FlyFF (Fly For Fun). The are several classes to choose from, and when you get to level 16 you get the ability to fly. You can even fight monsters while flying.





I hope this helps.

hello people

Any suggestions? I can't find anything really cool out there unless it has a subscription. Something Zelda-like would be cool.

I love this game for the playstation and the Wii. I am also a huge fan of the game rock band as well.

Roller coaster Tycoon is pretty fun if you like designing stuff. I have some students that really enjoyed it and their one of their teachers incorporated it in the classroom.

Hey,Any other Counter-Strike Source gamers out there? This is one of my favorite games to date.

Hi,I am new here and just wanted to say hi to everyone.

You know, I keep wanting to get into the Sims. I own Sims 2 and have played around with it a few times but just never get really hooked. What is the big draw of this game? Millions play it and I am curious to see what draws them in.

Are there any Guitar Hero fans here? What console do you play GH on, and which version of the game do you play? What are your favorite songs to play, and which level do you like to play on?

Does anybody play any of the Tycoon games - Rollercoaster Tycoon, etc.? I really liked the one where you have to build a school. I also like Zoo Tycoon, but Rollercoaster Tycoon is definitely my favorite.

Does anybody play The Sims anymore? I play The Sims 2, and I have a couple of the expansion packs. I really like making my own family modeled after my real life one, and then playing it out to see how it works out. Anybody else?

OK, I've asked what is your favorite game; now I want to know what game is your guilty fave? The game you play by yourself and wouldn't admit to your friends you (still) play? I promise I won't tell...

Way back in the dawn of time, we bought an Atari 2600 for our kid's Xmas present. One of the games was Mousetrap, and I really enjoyed playing it! I would have to say that that was my all-time favorite game. What are yours?

An evolution game definitely sounds like a few hours of fun. How long have you played it, and does it keep your interest?

I thought that was what it was! Thank you for my first lesson in gamerspeak. I will have to ask the people down the road that have a "sattalite" business if they also do games as well.

I have to admit, I have a love-hate relationship with this game. I hate loving it! It can be very time consuming but I also find that it is a lot of fun and a way for me and my husband to communicate with family members back in the states in a fun way while living overseas. I go in phases - sometimes I play a lot and then not at all for a month. It's a great game - expansive. There is something for everyone here...and it never ends!

Just for the record, I do like indie games but don't know a lot about them currently although I have played some great ones in the past. That's one of the reasons I joined this forum!

Well there is Frozen Bubble. It is a puzzle game where you launch bubbles and try to match up the colors.



Super Tux is a jump and run game similar to Super Mario Bros.



If you want adventure, there is remake of King's Quest 3, a classic point and click adventure game.



And there is Within A Deep Forest, a platform adventure game where you play as a ball. There are different forms & powers that can be learned as well.



All of these are pretty fun, and free. I hope this help with what you are looking for.

I guess not everyone shares my enthusiasm for indie games . I went ahead and made a new forum category for mainstream PC and console games.

"Teh" is a common typo when you are trying to spell "the." It's something that happens so frequently that some people do it on purpose. So teh GAMEZ would be gamerspeak for The Games.
(that and thegames.com was taken)

Not having alot of success here. Other than card-type games,Are there any games that don't feature shooting, warfare, or car racing? Oh, and are engaging and/or exciting?

Probably a silly question but I have to ask it: what does teh mean? I am highly curious.

My husband and I do as well as old school X Box live - we have more games for that. He really enjoys Halo - I'm not really good at first person shooter type games.

I'd like to know that as well because I enjoy all of the games you mentioned and wouldn't mind talking about them here as well!

So does anyone on here play the xbox 360? We have been playing Halo 3 lately. Haven't been on Live in awhile thought for some reason.

I am loving the ones on gamers enterprise right now. A lot are just basic games but there are some great ones.

I'm just a newbie here who wants to share and also discover some great games out there. I would also like to know if this forum is also about those games like Diablo 2, Warcraft and the likes.

I think that my favorite flash game is the final Fight. It is really hilarious because the drawing are just stick.

Well there is the classic, Alone in the Dark. Although the graphics are dated, it was a great game back in the day. It is considered abandonware now, so it's free.


(bad things happen in that room)

There is also Penumbra. It looks rather impressive, but I haven't gotten around to playing it yet.



That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Well, I scored a meager 440 points on it but it seemed to work all right for me, I'm just not the fastest gun in the west. But that's really the kind of game I enjoy, something I can play for a minute and a half, be done with it and get back to work

Hi there, I'm mollyL and I'm not a huge gamer, I really enjoy short graphic games and strategy/card type games. I confess that I still enjoy Solitaire and the likes from earlier Windows, though I think the version that came with Vista is okay. I've recently started checking out a few of the freeware games from Tucows and places like that. I hope that being here I'll be introduced to some great games!

I live in a family of gamers. We are usually either online playing or we have the Xbox 360 or Playstation 2 going.

Well I will give it a go and let you know how it is. I used to love space invaders. Would play it for hours on end.

Hi! I am new to this but I like games a lot and I especially like finding good ones for free online - I enjoy quest/adventure games both solo and with the greater world. I have played WOW and enjoyed it but like to think/be outside the box (referring mentally and the computer).

I really enjoyed this game - graphics are ok for free and the length is great compared to most other freeware finds. I second the vote - check it out!

There's lots of them out there, and some of them are better than others. Some are well known, and some you have to hunt for. Where have you found your favorite games, or the most half-way decent ones?

I was wondering if anybody has seen any good open source or free ware horror games. I love the horror genre, and I have come across some pretty good flash horror games, but I haven't seen anything good in the open source arena.If anybody can direct me in a direction, that would be pretty sweet.

Hey, it’s Lauren with http://sweeps.zonealarm.com and I want to let you know that you can win prizes (Xbox 360 + $250 Cash; $3,000 Visa Gift Certificate; $50 Gift Cards) by playing our version of Space invaders. Hope you like it, and good luck.
~Lauren

If you like tower defense games then check out our sister site Defend the Towers. So far we have over 20 of the most popular tower defense games that can be played online for free.

N (obviously staring a ninja), is a 2d platform game. The goal is to get to the exit of each level within a time limit. Sounds like another boring jumping game, but it's not. You control a ninja who can run up, cling to, and jump off walls. Plus he wears all black!

The flash game has 100 levels and is good for a slow day at work.



N @ teh GAMEZ

The goal of this game is to get your cursor to the 16th floor of a building. You get 10 cursors and most cooperate with yourself to overcome the various obstacles on your way. You use one cursor at a time for a few seconds before you are off to your next cursor. The catch is that all your previous cursors are moving around with you. For example the cursor you used in the last round to keep a staircase open is now in this round allowing your current cursor to use the stairs.


(Bonus points for originality.)

Cursor*10 @ teh GAMEZ

As with all the other tower defense games, the monsters are trying to get from point A to point B. Your job is to blow them to bits. Desktop Tower Defense is different from the rest of them because you actually get to design the maze, with your towers. There are a multitude of game modes, such as the 100, survivor, and 10k gold start.

There are 9 towers that either do direct damage, AOE, stun, or slow the monsters. There are also many different types of monsters and bosses.



Desktop Tower Defense @ Defend the Towers

If you haven't heard of tower defense games then you are due in for a promotion at work. They are the funnest and most addictive genre of flash games that I have played in a a while. Vector TD is one of them that sticks out the most to me.

The goal of Vector TD is to prevent oncoming waves of polygon monsters from getting to the end of a maze. You build towers on the walls that do various types of attacks and snares to kill them off before they can reach the exit.

Vector TD has 11 different tower types and 4 different bonuses that you can use to your advantage. The earlier part of the game is pretty simple, the polygons are weak and are easily destroyed. Much later in the game the polygons get tougher and you don't get nearly as much money to spend on building your defenses.

The game has 9 levels ranging from easy to hard, and it will require a lot of strategy to beat all of them. After many hours of my life wasted playing this game I still have not beaten any of the hard levels, if that's even possible.



Vector TD @ Defend the Towers

Aquaria is a game about a creature named Naija who has the gift of the Verse. She sings songs to cast spells, change forms, and attack the creatures of the sea.

The gameplay is similar to the old 2D shoot 'em up adventure games like Metroid. Their are multiple forms in the game that you can discover, all with their own specific purpose. There is the combat form that lets Naija shoot sparks at her enemies, and a form that turns her into a fish so she can move through small caves, and swim about the ocean much faster.

Aquaria has an impressive recipe system as well. Much of her enemies drop items that can be mixed together to create useful foods that can heal her or give her some nice buffs. Some items are rarer then others, and can make the boss battles much easier.

Aquaria is a very polished game that features fantastic artwork and musical score. It boasts a massive world that will take hours to explore, and every corner is filled with secrets. I recommend anyone who loved the old 2d adventure games like Castlevania and Metroid to order a copy if you haven't already.


(That's five stars, count 'em)

Aquaria Website

Darwinia is a game about virtual life forms known as Darwinians. They live in a computer world that has just fallen under attack by a computer virus. You play the part of a hacker that just broke into the system to find everything in anarchy and the man behind it enlists your aid to help the Darwinians.

The gameplay is close to a real time strategy, and even lemmings to a degree, but it is still pretty original. You can command scouts, engineers, and indirectly the Darwinians. The scouts can be directly controlled or will remain stationary and fire on their own if you are doing something else. They can shoot lasers and have several other different weapons that can be discovered throughout the game.

There are many different upgrades that can be earned during the game, such as more scouts and better weapons for the scouts and Darwinians, just to name a few.

The graphics have a retro look that works out nicely with the game, and the music suits the atmosphere as well.

Darwinia can be purchased from Steam in a bundle with Defcon and Uplink from Introversion.



Official Darwinia Website

Cave story is a freeware game that is similar in gameplay to the Metroid series. You are a robot soldier with no memory of your past that awakens alone in a cave with a massive world to discover.

Don't let the retro graphics scare you off, they suit the game very well. The gameplay is very good, with many secrets, items, and weapons to discover. The weapons are pretty well designed and are fun to play with, such as the fireball and bubble gun to name a few. Eventually you will even get access to a jet pack.

The game's story is very involving, and the game's characters are unique as well. Everything about this game is just well put together and polished. The controls are smooth with the ability to aim in more then two directions, which helps with some of the bigger fire fights.

The weapons can all be leveled up by collecting the boosts that are dropped from fallen enemies, but you can lose those levels by taking damage from the various monsters. It's not as bad as it sounds, since it is fairly easy to max out a gun's level.

The game is pretty lengthy for a freeware game. Your first time through could take between 6 and 8 hours to complete. I would definitely recommend downloading this game if you have never played it before.



Official Site (In Japanese)
Tribute Site with English Version

Evolites is an evolution simulation game. The game play is rather simple, evolites need to eat, sleep, poop, and reproduce. The evolite will mutate and evolve over time. The weak ones will either starve or be eaten by predators, leaving the strong ones to reproduce and evolve again. The game is a simulation so you do have direct control of them if you chose. You can spawn new life forms, drop food, add some radiation to induce evolution, and even put predators into the field.

This game is good for a few hours of fun. The idea behind it is something I would like to see picked up in a more advanced game, but until Spore comes out this is a good glimpse at the fun that could be had with evolution games.



Evolites Homepage

To actually try to explain everything this game is would require a lot more then just a single post. Needless to say Dwarf Fortress is a complex game, and can be somewhat overwhelming at first. The play style of this game is somewhat similar to Dungeon Keeper, in a simplistic way.

The first step when you start playing this game is to generate your world, and depending on how fast your computer is it could take up to 15 minutes. The world that gets created is very detailed. It has it's own history and legends. Every person and every region that is generated has it's own name.

After the world generation is complete, you can select and customize 7 starting dwarves and pick the region you want to settle in. Once your dwarves arrive it's time to get to work. Dig a fortress out of the mountains and under the ground, build traps to protect it from invading kobalds and goblins, and have your craftdwarves create masterpiece furniture and treasure to line the halls.

Your dwarves all have their own personalities and fears. They have combat skills and trade skills that increase as they fight and make goods. After a year you will get immigrants and eventually you can have up to 200 dwarves in your fortress. When you dig to deep and let loose the balrog, just remember, “Losing is fun!”

One of the things that makes this game so fun is it's random nature. Check out the epic legacy of Boatmurdered for a glimpse of the hilarious things that could happen in this game. This game can be somewhat difficult to learn so it might not be a bad idea to look at the Dwarf Fortress wiki as well.

If you can't handle the ASCII graphics there are also several graphics packs that can be used with Dwarf Fortress.



Dwarf Fortress Official Site
Dwarf Fortress Wiki
May Green Graphics Pack

Liquid War is one of the most original games I have ever played. You control an army of liquid and must convert the other armies to your color. Your pixel army takes the closest path to your cursor, and you convert the other pixels coming into contact with them.

Liquid War supports up to 6 players, either AI or multiplayer. You can set teams for either one on one matches or 6 player free for all, being my preferred game type. The game has lots of customization, if you feel like taking the time to tweak.

This is one of the games that usually gets broken out when I have buddies over, and not surprisingly it makes a great game to play while drinking. The tactics that I have had the best success with is to spread out as much as possible and try to surround the other pixilized liquid armies.

The current version is Liquid War 5, but the 6th update is supposedly coming out this year.



Liquid War Homepage

Armagetron Advanced is a 3d clone of the Light Cycle game from the movie Tron. It is very similar to the all those snake
games, except the goal isn't to eat the apples. Instead you are stuck in an arena with several other players and
you must force them to crash into one of the cycle's trails or a wall.

Armagetron is alright when played by yourself, but the real fun comes out when you are playing against a friend
or doing a co-op match against the games AI. The game supports 2 players via split screen or you can play
multiplayer on a LAN or through the Internet.

One of the best tactics in the game is to pick up speed against your opponent and either cut them off, or box
them in. The closer you ride to your opponents trail the faster you go, and generally the faster cycle wins the
skirmish.



Armagetron Advanced Site