Remember the days when you had nothing to do but sit around and play video games? No school, no work, no taxes, no neighbor blowing leaves out of his yard even though autumn was months ago. Just maybe, if you close the windows and call in sick, you can grab the games below and pretend this weekend is one of those times. Just... maybe...

Bit of War (Windows, 97MB, free) - Familiar with the especially epic (and especially gore-filled) God of War series? Well, how about a sidescrolling 8-bit version of that? This demake (re-imagining, actually) is exactly what you would expect, putting you in the oh-so tortured shoes of Kratos as he hacks his way around ancient Greece. It's a very different sort of game from the source material, but there's enough in it that should please both fans and non-fans alike. Made by the same team that created the too-cute iPhone game Hurdle Turtle. (Alternate download.)

Deharmonized (Windows, 4MB, free) - A very curious one button game where your only goal is to move from room to room, bouncing off of walls in a seemingly random way. By pressing the [spacebar] you can change your movement to circular, allowing you to switch directions to actually get around each area. It's not as easy as it sounds, though, and you'll encounter plenty of devious obstacles that are there to make your day a rough one. The environment is very chill, and the music rounds out the atmosphere perfectly.

Impulse (Windows, 97MB, free) - An exercise in arcade physics and sheer brutality, this punishing game will test your patience, your reflexes, and your ability to persist even though you've never been so frustrated in your life. All you need to do is guide your craft to the exit of each level, using the mouse to fire a jet blast that shoves you in the opposite direction. Stages are short and are absolutely packed with obstacles, most of which you can't run into. If you think it's a simple avoidance game, you're wrong, as Impulse gets creative with level layouts and aims to delight you while it, you know, makes you scream from frustration. Still, it's hard to play this game without getting hooked.

Note: All games have been confirmed to run under Windows 7 and are virus-free. Mac users should try Boot Camp, Parallels, or CrossOver Games to play Windows titles, Linux users can use Wine. If you know of a great game we should feature, use the Submit link above to send it in!