Antiques Roadshow, drawing inspiration from the television show of the same name, is the story of Julia, a young woman who is such a fan of the show it inspires her to apply for a job at a local antiques shop. Turns out Julia is in for more adventure than she thought, as the owner of the shop sends her across the United States searching for clues to unravel the mystery of an old decoder ring that's been in his family for years. It's a challenging hidden object game that's certain to please fans of the show and casual hidden object fans alike.

Bullet Candy is a frenetically paced shmupper's shmup, a purified genre piece that thrills in its simplicity. Those who can sip their own adrenaline like a twelve year old Pinot wine should definitely consider giving it a try. For fans of the genre, Bullet Candy is a game you can come back to years later.

Rainbow Wars is a retro-style arcade shooter available as a free download for Windows, and it is one of those rare finds that becomes an instant favorite once you see it in action. Sporting similar controls to that of the classic Robotron, in which two joysticks are used to control movement and firing separately, this game captures the essence of a classic arcade experience in a well-developed albeit small package.

American History Lux is a downloadable war strategy game that takes a remarkably boring subject and turns it into a simple but epic game. It's a whittled-down version of Sillysoft's more Lux Delux title, making it perfect for casual world-conquerors. The game plays a lot like Risk with a few extras and is available for Windows, MacOS X and Linux.

For those who enjoyed playing the classic adventure game, Grim Fandango, and for those who simply enjoy listening to the timeless sound of big band instrumentals, do yourselves a favor and head on over to the Grim Fandango Network and download the excellent soundtrack to the game. Although neither the game nor the soundtrack is new, while on the to...

Have you ever met a bear-person questing for color crystals to stabilize the whole of space and time? No? Then the odds are very good that bear-person is you! This indie puzzle platformer is available in your browser, or as a Pay What You Want (including free) indie download!

You're trapped in a dystopian city and the only way out is expensive travel papers. Good thing you're good at your work as an hitman and there is always work to be done if you're still alive after your job. But make sure you're not too good at the work, or you could get a hit on your own head.

It's murder most foul! But was it supernatural, or something even more sinister? In this colourful and captivating hidden-object adventure, you'll encounter more twists and turns than ever before, for a plot that's surprisingly satisfying and clever, and gameplay with lots of variety.

In the newest release by ERS Game Studio, your adorable dog has been abducted by the keeper of an enchanted cemetery and you can only free it if you help three ghosts undo their sins from the past. No big deal, this sort of thing happens to you all the time. So leap into the three portals, travel into different worlds, find your way through puzzles and hidden-object scenes, and save innocent souls from damnation along the way.

When your coworker goes missing after attending a movie showing at a cinema that's supposed to have been shut down for years, probing deeper uncovers a supernatural plot by a malicious entity that promises everything to the creative souls yearning for success even as it exacts a terrible price. An extremely short, though absolutely gorgeous and engaging hidden-object adventure well worth a look.

Vampires, man. They're jerks! But admittedly if you decide to live right underneath the most notorious one of them all, you probably deserve whatever's coming to you. Still, when a pack of demon's abduct Luke's pregnant wife Grace in the middle of the night, he sets out to bring her home in this somewhat clunky but gloriously cheesy and fun classic point-and-click adventure for download or iOS.

With the dead roaming the streets and the living mysteriously aging to dust right before everyone's eyes, this town already has its share of problems, and it all seems to go back to the disappearance of two students from its celebrated musical academy. In this gorgeous and engrossing adventure from ERS Game Studios, you'll have to master life and death itself through music to thwart a plan from beyond the veil and uncover the mysteries and bitterness at its core.

With a name like F.O.L.D. - Fantastic Olfactory Latrine Discoverer, you know something interesting has to be going on. This puzzle platform game by Cosine relies on just two mechanics to fuel its levels: picking up blocks, and folding the screen. By combining those in some seriously head-splitting ways, you get to figure out how to get from one side of the screen to the other, all in the name of making it to a single pristine bathroom fixture!

I don't know about you, but every now and then I get bored with all the paranormal mysteries and long for something smothered in fairy dust and happily ever afters. Luckily for anyone with the same desires Elephant Games has found that star we all wished on and made Detective Quest: The Crystal Slipper, an enchanting hidden object puzzle adventure game that will bring that Disney themed twinkle to your eye. Sadly, you won't be the princess in this tale, but instead a Detective trying to help that silly Prince Charming get his lady love.

Everyone remember Boulder Dash? Back in 1984, a little developer called First Star Software released a puzzle game for Atari 8-bit computers that featured a treasure-hungry character named Rockford who spent his time digging through dirt looking for gems the size of himself. Turns out that activity worked out quite well for him, and it worked out well for us players, too, as the game thrived over the decades with a number of sequels and ports to other systems. Now, almost 30 years later, the hunt goes in in Boulder Dash-XL, a re-imagined and updated version of the classic game that has finally made its way to mobile devices. And you know what? It's still a pretty good time!

Have you ever stopped to think about the little cubes of sugar you put in your tea? Like, maybe they don't really appreciate being dropped into scalding hot liquid? Sugar Cube: Bittersweet Factory is a creative puzzle platform game from TurtleCream that tells the story of one little sugar cube that wasn't too keen on the idea of being put into baked goods. Eyeing a method of escaping the factory, he hops from the conveyor belt and begins his escape, one stage at a time.

Hey, you there! You blocked my pixel in with your car. Wanna back up so I can get this thing outta here? What's that? You can't back up? Fine, let's just restart the puzzle and try not to be so daft this time, shall we? So goes the conversation (or something like it) you'll have with your self over and over again with Pixel Blocked, a rotation-based block firing puzzle game that has cute and casual written all over it.

Take one color-coded multipurpose vehicle, add a variety of shapes scattered all about, then throw in the ability to mess with gravity in just about every way possible. The result? Colour Bind, a brand new physics-based indie puzzle game from Finn Morgan. Controlling a simple little car (two wheels on a chasis, basically), you have the pleasure of working through dozens of levels as you flip switches and change gravity so you can reach the exit. Best of all, Colour Bind was built with old school sensibilities in mind, meaning you'll be rewarded for exploration and challenged with difficult levels from beginning to end. Hooray!

Twisted Lands: Origins starts with a bang, and it never lets up. The third game in the Twisted Lands series, the story goes back to the beginning and tells the tale of the terror that stormed the island of Tormente. It's an intense casual adventure whose focus is strongly centered on story and hidden object scenes, creating an interesting sort of action/puzzle duality that keeps you moving along at a rapid pace.

Who doesn't love climbing mountains? Clamoring across stone, breathing in the pristine air from high above the land, defying all sensible concepts of human strength and endurance so you can grab bags of gold floating in the sky. Sure, our experience with climbing real mountains might be limited, but we're pretty convinced ROCKMAN (no, not that Rock Man) from TwO Bros. Games is a realistic simulation of the sport. If it's not, well, we'll want a full refund on that CD box set of square dancing music we just ordered.

Miniature Golf: The Tranquility Course isn't a game you probably pictured yourself playing. On the surface, it's a simply-made 3D mini-golf game with nine basic holes to run through and an easy, intuitive interface. Just beyond the thin film of golfing, though, you'll find a game world that presents you with more than enough reasons to run around and explore.

Time to get your Sokoban-like on with Tom 7's puzzle game, Escape. The built-in tutorial levels start you off with a good challenge, but it's the thousands of user-made levels (and a great sorting system for them) that will heap on the entertainment and have you playing for hours. Try your hand at creating a level of your own to share with the public to see if they can succeed to escape.

You, are the hunter. The yeti, is your prey. In this snowy world of trees and, well, more snow and trees, it's just you and your gun versus the ever-elusive hairy beast. Trudge through the land in this 3D game as you scour the distant background for signs of the yeti. When you see him, aim and shoot, and hope you're good with a gun. A surprisingly haunting and chilling game from Vlambeer (with a great musical score from Kozilek), especially when it turns into night.

Although it's little more than a stunning map to walk around in, Andrew Yoder's Hubris is a surprisingly atmospheric experience that attempts to invoke emotion and set your imagination running around in a world void of conflict or interaction. Simply put, all you do in Hubris is march around and take in the view. There's a staircase, a small tower, plenty of intricate wall work with shadows and small openings, and a door waiting at the top. Despite (or, more likely, because of) the emptiness, you'll quickly become enamored with this small little game.

Everybody likes flinging around barrels full of toxic waste, right? Toss, tumble.... Oops. Well, perhaps not in a real environment, unless you are a law-breaking factory owner with questionable ethics. But, when tossed across a gorgeous fantasy landscape, lined with carefully placed adjustable platforms and forces, it isn't so bad. When you get to clear the way with dynamite, and watch things explode... now we're talking.

In February, Jay comprehensively reviewed a finalist in the 2006 Independent Games Festival (IGF). The demo form of Dodge That Anvil walked away with the AdultSwim.com award and has now been further developed into an enjoyable downloadable game for both PC and Mac OS X platforms

Plasma Worm is a free (until September 15th) downloadable arcade action game for Windows, and it is an evolution of the traditional snake-eats-the-pellet games that have existed since time began. The game pays homage to Douglas Adams, and the storyline (such as it is) involves the piloting of a plasma worm through a tank within the Improbability Drive, eating stray probabilities that could gum up the engine.

In The Pit is a well-executed, unique and original game that is innovative in its approach to gameplay, and it was an entry in the recent "consume" game design contest presented by the Experimental Gameplay Project. You play a very hungry monster that must track down its victims by using only audible and tactile clues.

In this short but tantalizing free prologue for an upcoming indie horror adventure visual novel series, Jorgen is a new walkerman, someone who braves the dark to deal with the creatures that stalk it and the strange rules that govern them using the odd tools of his trade, but when he gets lost on his way to the troubled city of Midgard, his fledgling abilities are put to the test in the darkness of the trees.

InFlux from Impromptu Games is a puzzle adventure game starring a shiny little orb-like protagonist. This orb has but a few basic powers at its disposal, but somehow it manages to solve all sorts of puzzles as it makes its way across forest and through puzzle rooms. InFlux is a straightforward third person puzzle game. No strange pretenses, no strange gimmicks, just some genuinely challenging puzzles that will get your head churning.

In the mood for something challenging and aesthetically pleasing? From the imagination of Pawel Mogila springs a new physics-based puzzle adventure game, Grimind. Pawel chose to give Grimind a horror twist, but forget the standard rattling chains, apparitions out of the corner of your eye, and overused scream clichés, this is a beautifully-colored adventure game with a physics engine serving up the puzzles.

When her husband is stabbed and blown up (a bit of an overreaction no matter what your motives), Gabriela Sanchez calls you, a well-known psychic detective, to solve the case. Together with your useless assistant Aidan and much less useless tag-a-long fennec fox, you'll discover a plot of lies, passion, revenge, and jealousy in this short but well-balanced hidden-object adventure from ERS Game Studios.

If you're a Gratuitous Space Battles nut then chances are you've got the various expansions already and are likely to do the same with this one. If you haven't tried the game yet, The Outcasts is a good starter DLC once you've exhausted the base content; the Outcasts' unique modules and ship aesthetics add a bit more unique flavor.

What is the most romantic, and at the same time, most tragic story in Western literature? No doubt about it, the answer is the story of Romeo and Juliet which, since it was first staged in the 16th century, has spawned countless adaptations in theaters, movies, television, ballet, operas, and now casual games. Despite the ominous sounding title, Death Pages: Ghost Library, the latest adventure hybrid from Elephant Games, is less about ghosts and death and more about living vicariously through one of William Shakespeare's most well known works.

Gateways, an exploration-based platform game from Smudget Cat Games, can be quickly summarized by saying it's like Portal, but in 2D. That's leaving a lot out of the equation, though, as Gateways goes to great lengths to provide a different kind of experience, one more akin to a metroidvania-type game than that other portal-making adventure. You'll realize that as soon as you start to explore the chunky pixel laboratory, smashing the glass domes over monkey's heads and wondering how on Earth you're supposed to climb over the next ledge.

Being rich is not enough. Being richer is not enough. It's time to Be Richest! In the third installment of the time management building series, it's up to you rebuild the city which has been left penniless by corrupt leaders. Watch out for thiefs, rats, and even yetis as you rebuild homes and help businesses get back on their feet. Build your empire and discover just how rich you can become!

The master of short-form adventure games, Ben Chandler, creator of Annie Android, Eternally Us, brings us another bite-sized retro game that has, perhaps, the most unusual name we've seen for a release we've seen in months. ˆ_ˆ is the story of Julian who is, apparently, the father of the were-bunny race, but he's not so happy about that role. Your job, then, is to help transform him back into a human being, using a combination of biting and headbutting! Not as smart or meaningful as Ben's other releases, perhaps, but it more than makes up for it with wackiness.

Torus Games from Jeff Weeks and Geometrygames.org is the name of a free downloadable set of 8 simple games for Windows and Mac that, rather than being played on a 2-D plane, are played on the surface of a torus. Here you will find a twist on classic games like tic-tac-toe, pool, Minesweeper (called Apples here), and even a bizarre version of chess.

Travelogue 360: Rome is the second in a series of 3D hidden-object games by Big Fish Games (the first was set in Paris), and it is a great introduction to the genre. If you're already a hidden-object expert, you may find the search a tad easy, but the visuals are exceptional and worth the virtual trip to Rome.

Created as part of the Experimental Gameplay Project under the theme of "violate", Troy was designed and built in one week as a Web-based augmented reality game. In it, the player explores the topic of invasion of privacy and... well, if I told you any more then I'd be spoiling the game.

While on the subject of Pacman, several months ago there was a posting on Slashdot games about a Japanese programmer who re-created Pacman entirely in an Excel spreadsheet. Upon reading the story I was both amazed and curious, so I downloaded the zip file from the site linked-to in the story. And it really was Pacman, right down to the cut scenes b...

Lily loves to dream, and one night she finds herself pulled into a magical world she never knew existed. But when her guardians get impatient waiting for her to await, they decide to take her along on their adventure in this turn-based surreal indie RPG.

From Dumb and Fat Games, creator of Phantasmaburbia, Sling It! is a quick-fire arcade game perfectly suited for satisfying your urge to break things while ridding the world of smoke-belching machines. It uses a simple-style difficulty progression that throws enemy after enemy in your face, challenging you to chip their metallic bodies apart and use the debris as a weapon. A bit of poetic justice, maybe?

Necro Gaia is a short arcade defense game from Lazy Brain Games, creator of a few other freeware indie games such as Mecha Spider Island and Infernal Edge. This intense little release puts you in control of a small blue planet called Terra, a lovely little Earth-like rock orbiting a sun that is traveling to another galaxy. You have to stay along for the ride, but the trouble is, all sorts of dangerous things are floating in the blackness of space. By changing your orbital position as well as summoning some temporary planetary friends, you can help Terra survive her journey to her new home, defeating the all-consuming Necro Gaia in the process!

A puzzle platform game where your goal is to carry a heavy key to the keyhole by jumping and tossing it across the stage. Thrown keys travel in a horizontal line until hitting a solid object, then they fall straight down. Unburdened by the key, you can jump a little higher, allowing you to work your way through each stage using a combination of platforming and careful key tossing. A very well-designed game with some great levels to complete! (Note: You need to click the link marked 'Keylugger' after visiting the link above to download the game.)

If games weren't challenging, we wouldn't bother with them, right? Games create a set of rules that cause certain actions to be difficult, then you, the player, must try to perform those actions. It's a narrow definition, to be sure, but challenge on any level is something that sits at the core of gaming. Each of the games below throws challenges at you in a different way, whether it's via enemies, puzzles, restrictive physics, or a combination of all three. Sometimes you have to form a strategy, but sometimes it's about fighting with the game itself to make it all work. Either way, it's fun.

It's a platforming fest on this edition of Weekend Download! We've traveled to the far away land of Platformia to find awesome run-and-jump-and-shoot games for you to play. Our expedition resulted in a backpack full of treasures, the best of which are below!

Recently, TIGSource held a competition centered around procedural generation, games that create their content on the fly rather than presenting pre-made areas crafted by the programmer. This gives the player a new experience each time he or she plays, opening the doors of replayability and creating some unpredictable situations. Below are the top five entries as determined by player votes. More than 60 games were submitted, so feel free to peruse the competition page for more procedurally generated goodness!

Weekend Download is here! Caution: Weekend Download may suddenly accelerate to dangerous speeds. Weekend Download contains a liquid core which, if exposed due to rupture should not be touched, inhaled, or looked at. If Weekend Download begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and cover head. Weekend Download may stick to certain types of skin. When not in use, Weekend Download should be returned to its special container and kept under refrigeration. Do not taunt Weekend Download.

Mythic Marbles is an action puzzle game of skill that is very simple to pick-up and play. It offers an engaging and rewarding experience to anyone that can appreciate the simple and subtle strategy of a good game of marbles. And even if you've never played marbles before, you're in for a treat. :)

Yet another excellent free shmup from the inimitable Kenta Cho, Titanion (Windows) is a new take on the classic arcade game Galaga. Cho has seriously sped up the pace and intensity, but was considerate enough to leave the player a gift: the dreaded tractor beam is now in your hands.

Wings of Megaira is an official entry of the 2005 Independent Games Festival in the student showcase, and I couldn't be happier to report that the game was designed and built by four (4) esteemed colleagues here at RIT. The made-for-Windows game is a classically styled top-down shooter in which you control a fighter ship against fast-moving waves ...

Today marks the day that the Spring quarter is officially over for me. This evening our group, for Andy Phelps' 3D Graphics Programming class, presented the game we've been working on all quarter: BattleLaX, a battle lacrosse game for the Windows platform, coded in C++ using Microsoft's DirectX (V9.0b) advanced graphics API. Our game kicked virt...

This week on the free indie games of Weekend Download! A visual novel about waking up undead and really, really hungry. Golfing that you might actually watch since it involves post-apocalyptic hazards. And a Zelda-tastic retro adventure about a young girl out to save the world.

This week on your Weekend Download... a young college student still mourning the loss of her sister finds herself in a surreal world where she must make an impossible choice. A troll who keeps pushing every would-be suitor away longs for true love. And a little girl with an aquatic bestie and a whole lot of lettuce.

A car ride on an alien world filled with storms and obstacles... a dark and abandoned building filled with Gameboy Color-themed survival horror... and a lost man in a village with a big secret he won't want to find out. All this in your Weekend Download!

A girl detective with a formidable set of lockpicks. A pink pug with a bad attitude and seemingly impossibly high standards. And an inn in the dead of night with only your lantern to light the way. These are the free indie games of your Weekend Download!

A dark night where you wake to find you calling yourself an imposter... wait, what? A little girl who's whisked away to a world of dolls that isn't as carefree as it seems. And a deep cavern filled with monsters where only your arrows can light the way. These are your free indie games on this week's Weekend Download!

We're baaaaaaaaaack. The first installment of Weekend Download in over a year brings a Phoenix Wright inspired visual novel, a platformer about love and loss, and a hunt for a relic that can free you from a dead body that isn't yours... all for free!

Hide your kids, hide your 'fraidy-cats, 'cause we're spoopin' everybody! This week, three more free indie games to celebrate the freaky season, from a cute and romantic visual novel set in a very unique Halloween party, to a sidescrolling psychological action adventure, and a classic monster tale made by a very talented escape game developer.

On this installment of Spoopy Saturday, we post three more freaky and free indie horror games to celebrate this most SPOOPY of months. This week, you get more than you bargained for on the late shift, a girl has nowhere to hide in the house she inherited, and you can't escape the house you find yourself trapped in until you figure out what you're supposed to remember...

Welcome to Spoopy Saturdays, where we'll be posting some fine, freaky, and free indie horror games leading up to Halloween! This week, a survival sim in a hostile word, a past best left forgotten, and a game where the scares are provided by you!

Weekend Download: the only day of the week where cats can go on dates with their owners, pirates demand their captives play football, and ninjas actually get trapped in castles.

This edition of Weekend Download is out to mess with you. A serious art game. A game about clubbing baby seals. A game that might as well be made by a troll. Go ahead, download and play. Seriously. Go for it.

Game time! Grab some mom-approved snacks (apple wedges? celery? raisins?) and beverages (water? ugh...) and settle in for a good time. We've got cyborgs and evil angels and crazy alien beaming games ready to keep you entertained!

A savage in a savage land, a broken colony of bees, and a game that reminds you how terrible you are at games. Such a wild emotional ride could only be the result of a Weekend Download!

Games, like chocolate glazed donuts, don't just appear in the world fully formed and ready to be devoured. They have to be crafted one ingredient at a time, working their way from concept to prototype to playable alpha and eventually full release. This week's games are all early versions of games that are still baking in the oven. Not that you actually bake donuts or games, but you get the picture.

Hey there. Last Weekend Download of the year. Are you scared? What if all the free games disappear in 2014? There could be a massive plot to stop making them, you know. It's just so secret that nobody knows about it, so they go on and make freeware releases anyway. Now that's top secret.

Because it's December and everybody likes Christmas stuff (I SAID EVERYBODY!), we've got a couple of holiday-themed games to get you in the cheer. Or to make you even grumpier, it's your choice!

Big-time happy party theme! Even if there's a murder, a party's a party, right? It just might be a little more grim than usual. Plus, everyone's wearing black, but that's a thing, isn't it? A thing hip, cool people that ride skateboards do.

On this, a brand new edition of Weekend Download, Mario goes on a crazy eclipse adventure, a witch named Potluck throws a potluck supper, and Mr. Red is all out of balls.

Saving the world from zombies? Yeah, we've done that (but we never mind doing it again). Saving the world (including cats, they're in the world, too) from fires? Bring it on!

That's it. Stay calm. It's just a handful of free games to keep you entertained for the weekend. It's not like someone's going to run at you with a knife in the kitchen or a ninja will leap out at you from behind a tree.

Time travel (not really), doppelgangers and scary worm-shadow monsters dominate this edition of Weekend Download. We promise they won't band together and sit beside your bed at night.Don't turn the lights on, just in case.

Where will you be after the future happens? Probably wandering around like a vagabond, zapping enemies and hoping you don't get eaten. Serendipitously.

Set aside some time this weekend for a few games that might make you think! No promises, though...

When robots need psychiatrists, you know we've got a robot apocalypse looming in the near future. Fortunately we have games that help us practice both our conversational skills as well as shooting abilities, so we should be fine. Mostly fine, anyway.

We're really arting up the place this weekend. Three games, three themes, and countless ways to interpret each of them (well, except maybe our stoat friend). Not for the faint at heart or the lazy of mind, unless you just want to wander around surreal worlds with no idea what's going on.

The weekends are for escaping reality. Why worry about taxes or homework or that leaky pipe in the kitchen that's causing mold to grow across the floor when you can run away to be a postal delivery person, Indiana Jones, or a bumbling kid in a crazy person's basement?

Indie game creators are apparently trying to make us go mad. Evidence pointing to this can be found in a number of horror/surreal games rolling onto the internet on a weekly basis, twisting our reality so we're never really sure what we're playing. Was this thing fun, or did I just dream it?

We've really flipped our lids this week. One game to make you go insane, one to make you do math, and one you might have played instead of doing math. If you play them in the right order, maybe you'll go Super Saiyan?

Nothing like a little nostalgia to start the weekend! Be warned, though. This nostalgia comes with a price. That price is your sanity. Because the games are difficult. But that's good. Go play.

Everyone can relax, Friday the 13th has ended. But then again, you probably weren't worried about it, were you? Didn't think so. Either way, here's a reward for surviving the allegedly unlucky day: three awesome freeware games!

Trolls and kittens and robots HOORAY! It's like an internet geek's paradise in this edition of Mobile Monday. If only we could have worked in some meme references, too. But, you know, ain't nobody got time for that.

This week, we wanted to have a theme where every game had a number in its title. One game fits that rule, another one can be sorta stretched to fit it, and the third, well, that's when we decided rules are dumb and ate some nutella instead.

Got your ears turned on? Sound Blaster plugged in? Hearing aid charged and ready to go? This edition of Weekend Download is mostly about sound. Songs and music, perhaps, or a machine voice that spits back insults as you type at it. Either way, crank up the volume and get ready to go!

It's easy to tell what's on our mind this weekend: sleep, abstract experiences, and butler. The former because sleep is good. The middle one because rhubarb pie. The latter because Mr. Belvedere was a fantastic television show.

Crack open your weekend with three games that should give everyone something to "weekend" about. If that doesn't work, you can stay up all night trying to figure out why we used weekend as a verb. Or writing us angry letters!

It's the first weekend of August! That should be something special, but it probably isn't. One thing can help make it interesting, though: a game designed by Knytt creator Nifflas! And a fan-made Mario game! And a real-life postal service delivery simulator!!!

Since it's the weekend, why not download some stuff? Come on, it's not like you were actually going to clean the kitchen or cut the lawn or finish that book on quantum physics you've been leafing through in the bathroom.

Weekend Download is back! Because there's always one more game we'd like to share, our weekly indie freeware round-up (well, mostly freeware) has returned, supplying you with more options than the usual "cut the lawn" or "spend time with your family"!

2012 is wrapping up, but don't put it away in the attic just yet! Big Fish Games is celebrating with their Customer Favorites Awards sale, over 60 games chosen by customer votes to satisfy your taste for great games... on a budget! From now until January 3rd, enter code WINNER at checkout for any one (or more!) of these great games to get it for $4.99USD (excluding Collector's Editions.)

This week's Vault goes free... freeware, that is! We showcase some more of our favourite free download titles made by indie developers with a whole lot of talent. From an unsettling point-and-click adventure series about untold horror to classic, engaging Metroidvania action adventure, it's a veritable feast of free gaming.

MAKE READY YOUR HARD DRIVES, YOUNG SQUIRE. This week's Vault mixes it up and highlights three popular free download games and then recommends three more you might not have heard of. Solve a mystery, travel to another world, prove you're the fastest in the land, or uncover a wealth of secrets... all without paying a dime!

Forget bundles, the real good stuff now comes in batches! Summerbatch: Volume One is a collection of indie adventure games from developers who have a habit of creating and releasing free games. Name your own price for this nice collection, scoring five adventure games for yourself (four and an action game, technically) and sending some monetary thanks to these very fine developers. And for every £500 raised, £50 goes to charity! As if you needed another excuse to grab the batch.

As you've no doubt noticed, indie game bundles are the new "it" thing, sort of like the modern equivalent of slap bracelets or the musical stylings of Harvey Danger. How long this trend will last we're not sure, but in the meantime, everyone with a bunch of string and connections in the indie gaming market are gathering games together for new and exciting bundles. Here's a look at a few of the big bundles currently running.

One of the cornerstones of indie game development is, if you'll allow us a moment on our soapbox, freedom. The freedom to make the game you want exactly how you want to make it. While this doesn't always pan out to be as glamorous as it may seem, creating and releasing indie games is an art mixed with a science tempered by the cold hard realities of business. And in a world where distributing your game across multiple platforms is commonplace, there's some very real competition to tangle with out there.

There are games you love, games you hate, games you love to hate, and games you love to love. Why aren't there any games you love to hate to love or hate to love to hate? Or, is that where the Build-a-lot series goes? *rimshot*

Choose your own introductory paragraph! A) I'd rather have something short and informative, but please make at least one joke about cheese. B) I don't have time to read this, I have too many games to play! C) I can't find the parser input line. Help!