Silent sword-slingers, stoic space marines, and catsuit-clad spies already get a whole lot of attention in the gaming world, so in this week's Vault we're going to take a peek at some of the more... unusual protagonists to be found in our favourite games. From a blue pachyderm whose only goal is to cavort endlessly for your own sense of digital accomplishment to a dour hermit who can quite literally give himself a leg up on any obstacle, there are a whole lot of gaming stars out there you probably aren't going to cross paths with on the street anytime soon.

• Achievement Unlocked - Being forced to caper, leap, throw yourself on beds of spikes and perform other stunts all for a reward you'll never be able to touch might sound a bit crazy, but jmtb02 knows that for a lot of gamers achievements are next to godliness. Your task is to try to figure out how to unlock the game's whopping 100 achievements by controlling a little blue elephant and trying everything you can think of, from sitting idle to dying as many deaths as possible and much more. It might sound a bit mindless and silly, but in its way Achievement Unlocked is almost more of a puzzle than anything else, and wrapped up in jmtb02's signature glorious style for one addictive package. If you haven't already found out why players love it and its other installments, get ready to kiss your productivity goodbye for digital gratification.
• Little Wheel - You don't have to be big or challenging to make an impact, and One Click Dogs' point-and-click adventure is ample proof. As the sole functioning robot in a silent mechanical metropolis, our hero Little Wheel has his work cut out for him when he finds himself reactivated after a chance lighting strike and sets out to revive his civilization. While extremely short, and definitely easy owing to a hand-holding gameplay style, Little Wheel still succeeds and makes an enormous impact because of how thoroughly engrossing it is. Its sense of style and artful storytelling is superb, and the perfect sized "make you smile" adventure to set your day on the right track.
• The Company of Myself - Some people are party animals and social butterflies, while others prefer to hang out one on one or with a good book. Still, when most of us say we like our alone time, we don't hold a candle to the star of Eli Piilonen's puzzle-platformer. He says he doesn't need anyone, and maybe it's true, since he can create phantasmal copies of himself to help him get back obstacles. More than just a simple brain teaser, however, The Company of Myself manages to tell a thoughtful, creative story that may not be particularly cheerful, but is certainly impacting. It's the sort of thing that can make you a little introspective, and if you want to know even more, you can continue the story in its companion piece/prequel Fixation.

While we welcome any comments about this weekly feature here, we do ask that if you need any help with the individual games, please post your questions on that game's review page. Well, what are you waiting for? Get out there and rediscover some awesome!