Free Game Downloads for Mac and PC
  For more games visit www.necessarygames.com

Arvoesine is your everyday platformer. In the game you play as a roman soldier who must battle his way through enemies within the time limit. The graphics are rather chunky, but personally that's the way I like them. If your looking for a rather challenging game, this is definitely a go. Attempting to get through the levels alive, but also in the time limit is quite difficult. Try this fun little game out!

The stand-alone expansion to the epic Mount & Blade. Play the expansion to your favorite medieval calvary game. Adds multiplayer battles with up to 64 players, new and improved graphics, combat and single player campaigns. If you enjoyed the original at all, you should definitely grab this one. Loads of epic battle and expansion and upgrade await you just around the corner!

Trine is an exciting game filled with wonders. Play through a fantasy world with beautiful graphics accompanied by an equally beautiful soundtrack. Play as the Wizard, Thief, and Knight and use their unique combination of skills to conquer each challenge. You definitely won't regret spending those bucks on this delightful indie game!

Hail! Ikiki strikes again with an all new installment in his group of naked people games. The music is fun, and so are the wonky graphics. But don't let that fool you, this game is difficult and will require perseverance to master all the moves and different combos. If you liked Ikiki's previous games, such as Nikujin, then you should try this one out. A world of fun is waiting around the corner!

Dofus is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was both developed and published by a French company by the name of Ankama. Dofus is a game of heart and charm, with wonderful 2D graphics and a strategic battle system. You could find that this wonderful little game surpasses your favorite 'big' game company MMOrpgs such as World of Warcraft.

Enter the colorful and alive world of Wallaby Street. Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures is a series of episodes of games based around the characters of Wallace and Gromit. This is a four in one set of adventure games that are worth the buy if you like these type of games.

In Altitude you pilot one of five different planes and battle against opponents in dramatic 2D aerial combat. There are two game modes: Free For All, and Team Base Destruction. You can get more experience points by mowing down planes or bombing the enemy base, you can then use this experience to unlock planes and some other features.

Icy Tower is a fast paced and addicting game where you must continually be going higher and higher up through the tower in order not to die. You try and set highscores by getting as high as you can up the tower, you can also increase your score by doing jumping combos. In the game you can play multiple characters and also watch your replays.

After having a warp dive influenced by aliens, the research station Aegis is pretty much defenseless and stuck in another dimension. You are the only surviving pilot on board, so it's you job to protect the ship and mine materials so that the Aegis can get it's defenses up and try to get home some how. The fate of the Aegis lies in your hands!

One of the best finds on the web is Soldat. Not only is it crazy, multiplayer, shoot 'em up fun, but it's FREE! Choose your arsenal of weapons at the start of each round and then proceed to either play capture the flag with a team at your back, or fight a crazy free-for-all deathmatch, or fight alongside your friends against hordes of zombies!

The long awaited Braid has finally made it over to windows from the Xbox 360. You play as the main character Tim who can rewind and fast forward time in order to solve puzzles and also to stay alive. There are seven worlds in the game, and each one has it's own theme.

Mystic Mine takes simple mechanics and turns them into an amazingly fun and unique experience. Experience over 200 levels of single player gaming or play with up to six players on the same keyboard! If you are looking for a game that gives you pure, carefree fun, then this is it!

65 Million and 1 BC puts you in control of a velociraptor. 65 Million and 1 BC is the sequel to Raptor but this time you are charged with finding the components of a machine which will stop a giant meteor from completely destroying the earth!

Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for "little wheel". In a game of free roulette, players may choose to place bets on either a number, a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even. To determine the winning number and color, a croupier spins a wheel in one direction, then spins a ball in the opposite direction around a tilted circular track running around the circumference of the wheel. The ball eventually loses momentum and falls on to the wheel and into one of 37 (in European roulette) or 38 (in American roulette) colored and numbered pockets on the wheel.

Zompocalypse is a side-scrolling shooter in which you must face hordes of zombies. As you battle along you can upgrade your weapon and save girls to increase your health. Multiplayer is featured in the game and there are two modes, story and survival (although unfortunately at this time only survival is supported).

Slay is a game that is simple to learn yet hard to master and is a game of strategy and cunning that is set in medieval times. You are on an island that is divided between 6 players, and you must battle the other players, while linking your lands and combining troops into stronger ones. Make sure you don't make to many expensive troops though, or you might go bankrupt!

Professor Fizziwizzle and the Molten Mystery is a standalone expansion to it's precedent Professor Fizziwizzle. It is a puzzle-platformer which offers even more gadgets and enemies to interact with than it's prequel. Also includes a level-editor!

Magi is a strategy/RPG in which you are a wizard on the path of searching for immortality. You must gain it by eventually defeating the ultimate boss, but before you get to that point you must battle wizard after wizard, slowly gaining more and more power after each battle. As you gain experience you can level up the power of you're old spells as well as gaining new spells.

Quite Soulless is a 3D, adventure game. Quite Soulless contains as the author's very own words state: "1000 pictures, 100 movies, and 8 hours of gameplay." If you like this genre, especially the rather bizarre ones belonging to it, you should probably try this game out.

Oasis is a puzzle-strategy game set in ancient, mythical Egypt. You play as the Scarab King, you must uncover cities, and garner followers, and then deploy them against the barbarian hordes who threaten to overwhelm you. The game is simple enough that you can get into it fast, but advanced enough, that to win the game you must have good planning, and knowledge of mechanics of the game, and of course some luck!

Mr. Robot is a 3D platform game with rpg elements in which you play as Asimov, a "lowly service droid". You start upon a spaceship know as The Eidolon which is headed towards a distant colony when many things start to go wrong. It is now up to you to save the precious cargo of humans that are still in cryosleep!

Jasper's cat has been stolen by a bad witch who wants to use him for her incredibly wicked potion! Playing as Jasper you must make your way through a world of magic and monsters to finally reach the castle belonging to the witch and save Orlando your cat. Jasper's Journeys offers to you a mix of exploration, jumps, and monster but-kicking action.

Multiwinia is the multiplayer version of the popular Darwinia. Multiwinia features 6 different game modes, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, Domination, Assault, Rocket Riot, and Blitzkrieg. If you were a fan of Darwinia and wished that you could play with your friends, well here is the chance!

Imperishable Night is the eight game in the Japanese Touhou series of manic shoot 'em ups. In the game, you pick between 4 teams, each has a human character and a ghost. The two characters can have different attacks, and certain enemies are more vulnerable to one of the characters or the other.

Fren-ze is a a vertical shooter with fast gameplay that will have you playing for a good while. You must doge endless amounts of bullets while firing back thousands more! Collect power ups, defeat bosses, and blow up baddies in this fun little game!

Take on the role of a base commander on a far far away space colony. Use five different building types to expand and defend your base. Build power plants, harvest minerals, and erect defense towers and then make sure you have enough energy to fend off hordes and hordes of evil aliens that wish to destroy you.

Eschalon : Book I is the first game in what is scheduled to be a trilogy set in the magical world of Eschalon. It's a turned based role-playing game with a non-linear story line. The world contains hundreds of unique items and monsters. Definitely a game that must at least be tried out.

Emerald City Confidential is a rather casual point and click adventure game which takes place in the magical world of Oz. It stars Petra a private eye who lives in Oz. If you were ever a fan of the Wizard of Oz you should try this game out!

Crayon Physics Deluxe is an interesting game in which you get to experience what it would be like if your drawings were transformed into real physical objects. You get to solve puzzles with your inner artistic vision that everyone has and using creative physics. This game was originally based on a 7-day prototype game, called, Crayon Physics.

If you are looking for a 3d third person action game Caster is the one for you! As a Caster you can dash along walls and perform super jumps! Also collect 6 unique attacks which you can then deform the terrain with and can also help you defeat the insect-like Flanx. Your powers can be upgraded between levels by collecting energy.

Hard Time is a 3rd person simulation game in which you play as a prisoner that has just arrived at Southtown Correctional Facility. You have to put up with the continual abuse from officers and other inmates. You can make alliances, while doing workouts and taking drugs. Also engage in rather bloody combat in which you can dismember your opponents with various objects and weapons. Hard Time also includes a small amount of customization, at start you can change how your character looks and also choose his crime.

Cute Knight is a dungeon simulation exploration gain. You have to train in jobs and classes to raise your skills, make friends, and find romance - then you must use those skills to conquer and kill the monsters of the dungeon. You also have to design and garb your character to then lead her on to one of the many story book endings.

Gang Garrison is multiplayer platformer "demake" of Valve's Team Fortress 2. It features all nine classes and many TF2 inspired maps. It is fast-paced, team-based, craziness that will have you playing hour after hour. Admittedly the graphics aren't amazing, but the speed and fun of the game make up for it. Everyone should try this delightful little game out.

Clonk Rage is a game in the long running series of Clonk and it is the sequel to Clonk Endeavor. It is very similar in gameplay to Clonk Endeavor, but adds among other things, faster network, additional network options, full screen graphical menus, and a new control scheme that lets you move with the keyboard arrow keys.

In this mystic and intoxicating RPG you must travel into the strange and unknown underworld of Avernum. Avernum is a land full of unknown creatures and fantastic monsters. You must hunt the villain who tried to kill your empress, just make sure he doesn't assassinate you first!

The sequel to Aveyond improves upon the original with better graphics and gameplay. You must stop an evil queen from turning the world to ice, capture a dragon and ride the winds to ancient lands, unite the kingdoms and discover your destiny! If you were a fan of the original then definantly get this one!

Aeyond is a solid fantasy RPG that is highly reminiscent of old games such as the Final Fantasy series. This is a real treasure for the lovers of this genre, it was good characters and an excellent storyline. I would urge everyone to at least give this great game's demo a try.

Little Fighter 2 is an action beat 'em up in which you use a combo of keys to unleash devastating attacks; this game will have you playing for ages. The graphics are 2d and rather pixelly but they fit the game well. The game has several modes including a stage mode which you play as a team against a lot of weak enemies, and a versus mode in which you can either play free-for-all or with teams verse bots, or human players hotseat, or against human players LAN. This is a free game that everyone should take advantage of!

Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space is the sequel to Strange Adventures in Infinite Space. It is a casual space exploration game in which players explore a fictional region of the Milky Way called "The Purple Void". Like its prequel, Weird Worlds creates a new map each time the game is played. Stars, planets, aliens and many other things are randomized for each game session.

Liero is an old classic that me and my friends would play for hours growing up. In Liero two worms fight each other to the death for frags. You get a choice of five weapons out of forty. Most of the terrain (besides rocks) can be dug out or blown up. In addition to his weapons each worm has a ninja rope which can be used to get to higher ground or to soar through the map faster. If you are a fan of old retro games then this is for you!

The sequel to Acidbomb and Acidbomb 2 : Rearmed delivers a unique mind-bending puzzle experience. This game had been described as a cross between Minesweeper and Picross. Shellblast offers something most puzzle games lack, a unique experience. The objective of Shellblast is simple, you are given tools and you must defuse the bomb. Of course the farther you get, the harder the bombs get to defuse...

The aim of this game is to get Armadillo, a yellow basketball-like object (a stylized representation of a rolled-up armadillo) to the blue goal by creating a structure using various materials that, when activated, will get Armadillo to the goal while keeping within a sometimes strict budget. The gameplay can be described as a mix of Bridge Builder and The Incredible Machine, and is certainly inspired by Rube Goldberg.

RocketBowl Plus puts a fun and entertaining twist on the usual bowling experience. You get to use special rocket powered bowling balls to curve, hop and boost your way over hills through winding chutes, around water traps and across bridges. By knocking over dollar pins, collecting bonus coins and wagering on matches against local pros you can earn money and buy more advanced bowling balls!

Uplink is a simulation game in which you take on the role of a hacker in the year 2010 who begins working for the Uplink Corporation which is a world-wide company that provides work for hackers. As the player you amass money, software, Gateway hardware and skill during the course of performing jobs for various clients, hacking servers of global corporations for profit.

World of Goo is a physics-based puzzle game based on a seven day experimental game called Tower of Goo. The basic idea is to build structures using balls of goo. The goal of each level is to get enough of the balls of goo to a specified exit. The game has five chapters with several levels each, the game follows a storyline involving the mysterious World of Goo corporation.

Despite what it looks like, Lugaru is not some cartoony game that is over the top with twisted violence. While the characters in the game are in fact rabbits, they are neither cute nor cartoony. Strange as it sounds this game seems to employ some level of gritty realism. This might seem like a contradiction, but in fact it's true. Lugaru is a third person action game starring a anthropomorphic rabbit. The game features a unique combat system that allows you to fight with all sorts of weapons including your hands and feet!

Penumbra: Overture is a first person horror-adventure-puzzle type game which focuses on story, and immersion, and lots of puzzles. The game has a very advanced physics system which allows a never before seen environment interaction. The player can open drawers, pull levers, pick up objects and more using natural mouse movements.

There is not much you can say to tell you about this game except that it is a psychedelic 3d shoot 'em up that is aesthetically similar to the arcade game Tempest, but features new game mechanics.

Cloudphobia is a gorgeous horizontally-scrolling shoot 'em up that contains five three minute levels. You must use your boost wisely to reach and defeat each boss within the time limit of the level, while also protecting your mothership by destroying as many enemies as you can. There are two types of ships to choose from: the PLG-90, that's armed with a gun and the NúllPunktur, that's armed with a vibroblade.

Trials 2 is a physics-based motorbike game that takes you back to the days of the classic Elasto Mania. The goal of each level is to make your way across the room. In between you'll be jumping gaps, doing loop-de-loops, popping wheelies and most likely smashing your poor rider into every obstacle that comes your way! Loads of fun await those who try this game out.

The year is 2288. The city is protected by an organization that call themselves The Peacekeepers League, everything is going just fine when one day the city is attacked by a robot army lead by professor Darnacus Damnation. Enjoy more of the mindless action from the prequel as you play as Xoda Rap and fight for the future of the city!

In Paradroid, players controlled an “Influence Device,” an otherwise weak droid with a special ability, it could control and command droids after beating them in a logic-based circuit game. Droid Assault eschews this mini-game and lets you transfer to a droid as long as you have enough transfer points. Also, once a droid has been transferred, it joins your team and can be controlled at any time (or when your current droid is blown up). If you are a fan of Paradroid you should definitely try this out.

Qwak is a cute and fast-paced platformer that will having you playing non-stop till you finish. The goal of the game is to on each level collect all the keys then head for the exit. There are a large variety of power-ups and collectibles on each level. These include potions, umbrellas and fruit. At the end of each level the fruit you have collected turns into eggs which can be used against your enemies.

The Spirit Engine 2 is a side-scrolling rpg with good graphics and an amazing soundtrack. An extensive plot accompanies the game featuring nine distinct characters. Three citizens that find their paths crossing one dark night in an act of charity find themselves burdened with not only defending the nation but whether or not to save civilization as they know it.

Depths of Peril is a single player RPG with strategy elements. You play as a faction leader protecting the barbarian city of Jorvik from evil monsters. At the same time you must fight rivaling barbarian factions for leadership of the city, you must also complete quests to make yourself stronger. Barbarian leaders get chosen by fighting to the death! Will you be able to defeat the other faction leaders, or will you die in a fierce battle? This is your chance to find out!

If you are looking for a casual hack and slash game look no further! In Kivi's underworld you play as the young lumen warrior called Kivi who must make his way through the mysterious underworld. You must face your enemies with either the fury of the berserker, the fire spells of the dangerous fire mage, or confound your enemies with the sneaky scout, or play as one of the other numerous classes. In Kivi's underworld it is up to you to save the lumen people from the dangerous dark elves.

Cortex Command is a crazy base defence game which has a large list of features which keeps getting bigger (as the game is still being developed). Well designed physics aspect allows you to blast off body parts or crush your opponents with ships. Cortex Command is a well designed game that any gamer should try.

After nearly a century the resources at the place you call home are nearly depleted and it is time to look for a new place to move too. You are placed in control of the people of Greensville, you must lead them to new life and prosperity by working hard and flourishing. An excellent game that all should play.

In Mount & Blade you are a character who wanders around a dynamic world going on quests, gaining fame, and killing things. Notable for realistic Calvary combat (which is lacking in most games), open-ended gameplay, and the detail of the world. If you are a fan simulation/role-playing games then you should definitely try this one out!

A rather insane, 3D, abstract, scrolling, shoot 'em up game. The goal of the game is to progress through levels and to not run out of time, you lose time when you die, and gain time when you destroy small "bosses" and when you pass a level. A highly addicting game. I swear if you play long enough you will begin to see through the spinning track and shooting graphics!

Arcade Lines is an addictive puzzle game, with decent graphics, fun music and a good variety of game modes. It does not require fast reflexes but has enough strategy to keep you playing for hour after hour. Arcade Lines has a simple objective : to stop the board filling up by getting five pieces of the same color in a row. Sounds too easy? Well as the board fills up and good moves become scarce the game gets gradually harder. Staying alive as long as possible is a challenge for all players.

In Democracy you're in control of a modern country. The goal of the game is to stay in office as long as possible by winning elections every four years, this is accomplished by enacting policies that appear to different groups of voters. You need careful consideration to not ruin the whole country. Democracy is a must have if you find politics interesting, but even if you aren't a die-hard politics fan you should still try this game out.

Darwinia is an abstract, real time strategy which takes place inside a computer network that is populated by an evolving life form called the Darwinians. Your job is to destroy a computer virus that has grown out of control, and save the Darwinians. Darwinia was the winner of the IGF Game of the Year award in 2006. Everyone should try out this unique, amazing game.

Treasure Treasure is a team-work, puzzle game. You play as Trixie and Troy who must explore a castle together to find the 20 treasure chests hidden throughout. This game is best played cooperatively but it is also possible to play it by yourself by alternating between the two characters, but where is the fun in that?!

Friendly-Strike 3 is a fast paced, 2d, multiplayer, shoot 'em up fest! This game leads to some fun times either playing with up to 4 people on one computer, or playing online vs others, or playing against AI. In this game you play by rounds, only getting one life in each round. You get more money based on how many people you kill, and whether or not you are the last man standing. The more money you have, the better weapons you are able to buy. The graphics are nothing exceptional but they work for this highly entertaining game!

FLaiL is a puzzle-type game along the lines of N. If you enjoyed N i strongly recommend you try this game out. In each of 80 stages the goal is to get to the beam of light this requires exact timing and calculation. FLaiL will require perseverance to get all the way through, but if you like this type of game it will fly by. A Co-op mode also exists for those who like to play with a friend.

For all you guitar hero fans, here it is at last on computer, in the form of Frets on Fire! FoF is essentially guitar hero, you hold your keyboard like a guitar and in no time you will be playing along to the music like a pro. It's hard to get the hang of, but once mastered, you'll be rockin n rollin like elvis and all your favorite stars! A boat load of fun awaits those who try this game out.

From the maker of Nikujin comes Tekkyuuman. The graphics are similar, the men are naked like in most Ikiki's games, however, in Tekkyuuman you play as a knight with a mace on an elastic chain for a weapon. You use your mace to kill enemies, smash stuff, and anything else you can think of! You must play Tekkyuuman through from start to finish, this makes the game rather challenging, but you should no let that stop you from playing this entertaining game!

In this unofficial star wars game you play as the son of princess Leia. Granted the graphics are pretty crappy, and so is the English due to it being made by a German, but what is so awesome about this game and makes it worth playing is the lightsaber. Controlling the lightsaber is difficult, but once you get the hang of it you will feel just like a jedi from the movies, deflecting bullets flying through the air, performing great leaping and swinging combos. If you are a fan of lightsabers, then this game is defiantly worth your time.

Knytt Stories stars Juni, a character who appears in Knytt myths and stories. In the game, the player plays through these stories (also called levels or worlds) as Juni. Knytt Stories is a loveable, nonviolent, adventure game. Won Game of the Week at create-games.com as soon as it came out. The two levels that come with the game are fairly short but you can get a lot more levels at the games original site.

Teeworlds is a multiplayer-only 2d platform game that features FPS-style controls and deathmatch and capture-the-flag modes. Take the weapons from Quake, the gameplay of Unreal Tournament and Soldat, and the character of Kirby, mix them together and you get Teeworlds! The graphics are simple 2d but the overall result is a nice, cute, cartoon world. The gameplay is fast and addicting. This game will have you playing everytime you have a minute to spare.

In Destructivator the player is armed with a power gun and must clear 20 levels full of enemies to win. The gameplay is faster than anything you've seen before; once adapted to it, this game will have you playing over and over until you complete it, and leave you wishing for more. The graphics aren't far ahead of stick men but that doesn't degrade much from this highly-addicting game.

In Iji you play as one of the last human survivors after an alien race known as the Tasen invade earth. Your brother Dan guides you over the speaker system as you make your way through a facility trying to find a way to save the last remnants of the human race. The graphics hardly blow you away but they do what they do, and the solid gameplay sure makes up for it. The game also changes depending on what upgrades you get, allowing you to either brute force your way through, or take a more pacifistic approach and sneak around cracking systems.

If you want to be the ninja look no further: this wonderful, incredibly difficult platformer will have you climbing up walls, hanging from ceilings, flipping and slashing in no time. The goal of the game is to progress through a ninja fortress using cunning and skill. The graphics are sparse, and the gameplay difficult, but perseverance is rewarded. Hail the naked ninja!

Mutant storm is a Robotron inspired arcade shoot 'em up explosion fest. One hand controls fire direction with the mouse, while the other controls your ship's movement as you progress through 89 beasty-filled arenas. The gameplay is fast, psychedelic, and a lot of fun. As PCGamer said, "Mutant Storm is arcade genius that you simply have to play, again and again and again."

An extremely polished and beautiful underwater adventure game in the tradition of Metroid and Castlevania. Explore dark caves, colorful coral reefs, sunlit oases, and more as you play Naija, a lone water dweller in search of her family. The mouse–driven controls are wonderfully intuitive, the world is massive and teaming with secrets, the graphics and sound are gorgeous... it's little wonder that this game won the Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival, and was rated 9/10 by Wired Magazine.

The first game I ever made, Unga Bunga is a multiplayer platform/deathmatch hybrid for 2 to 3 players, in which the players run around as club-wielding cavemen in exotic habitats, kill moose and bears to gain technology (which allows them to use better weapons, including spears, traps, firesticks, coals, bow and arrow, sword), fend off invading philistines, and ultimately compete with each other for various objectives (depending on the game type). An amateur effort, but still a lot of fun. Note: this is a multiplayer-on-one-keyboard game only; no single player mode exists.

A wonderful tribute to the old classic, Marble Madness, Hamsterball lets you use your mouse or keyboard to race a hamster through one twisted, loopy level after another. Incredibly addictive and fun to play, it's little wonder that this game was awarded "Downloadable Game of the Year" by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. The game features a nice multiplayer mode as well.

One of my all-time favorite indie creations, N is a brilliant, minimalistic take on Lode Runner, and other classic platformers. Superb controls, a great physics engine, wonderful level design, and pure ninja goodness combine to make this one a true classic.

Eets has been described as "a succulent combination of Lemmings and the Incredible Machine." If you've played either of those classic games you know how promising that sounds. And this game delivers: outstanding artwork and production, fun, creative puzzles, and a dash of straight out funkiness. There are a good number of boring puzzle game clones out there; this is not one of them. Give it a try.

An abstract, story-driven tower defense game set in a dimension "beyond hyperspace." The basic idea is to defend your "path" by setting up various "towers," each with their own strengths and weaknesses. With 26 different enemy types, 11 tower types, and 100 levels in 6 campaigns, this game will keep you busy for a while. Fast-paced, addicting, strategic, and fun.

You begin as a rather ugly man named "Beethro" who travels deep beneath the ground. There are other people down there too, citizens of a mysterious "Rooted Empire", that are carving tunnels and building things. Beethro just wants to know why, but it's hard to get a useful answer. He was always fond of saying "there is no problem that can't be solved with a really big sword," but upon arriving at the underground capital, Beethro is startled to find that nobody seems interested in attacking him. No, for some reason, they would rather persuade him to stand in a very long line. This is a must-try puzzle game!

One of the best platformers ever released for the PC. In Gish, you play a 12-pound ball of tar in search of true love. Become slippery to slide through small places, sticky to climb up walls and ceilings, and rock hard to force your way through barriers. The game's physics engine, along with all of its production values make this one a real pleasure to play.

Be forewarned: this game takes time and dedication to appreciate. However, if you take that time, you will find in Dwarf Fortress one of the most amazing and complex simulation games that you will ever play. Combining aspects of roguelike, strategy, and "god" games, Dwarf Fortress has two modes of play: Fortress, where you oversee a dwarven civilization, and Adventure Mode, which plays like a typical roguelike game. To date I find Dwarf Fortress to be one of the most amazing games ever made, including all commercial offerings, but like I said: be warned that the game is not easily accessible! For help, look to the wiki. Also, try out Mike Mayday's Graphics Edition of the game.

Among the best independent games released in the last ten years, Cave Story is a traditional action adventure in the vein of old classics such as Metroid and Castlevania. It was five years in the making, and every detail shows off the love and care that went into its production. If you only play one indie game this year, make it this one.

Probably the best side scrolling shoot 'em up on the market today. The levels are very well designed, the graphics are beautiful, and the game play will have you knee-deep in explosions in no time. The sound is also outstanding, with a 60-minute original heavy metal soundtrack from Swedish band Machinae Supremacy. Warning: blood and violence.

Neko Puzzle is a wonderfully fast, fun little puzzle game that makes your brain feel really good! Guide your flying kitty in a course through each level solitaire-style, before the time runs out, or compete in real-time against another human opponent. The puzzles are different every time you play, so whenever your brain is in need of that "massaged" feel, pop open this game, and your good to go!

If you are looking for a beautiful, minimalistic puzzle game reeking of Eastern aesthetics, that will make you want to scream and pull your hair out... this is it! Devilishly difficult, Zen Puzzle Garden keeps me coming back again and again in an attempt to prove my puzzle solving prowess. If you're tired of all those easy puzzle games, and want something hard, look no further. A Game Tunnel Independent Game of the Year finalist.

A sliding block puzzle game that is very fun and original, Chocolate Castle is one of my favorite indie titles in this genre. The challenge of the puzzles is to rearrange large blocks of different kinds of chocolate into connected regions that can be consumed by four hungry, cute little animals. If you ever manage to finish the 120 puzzles that the game comes with you can use the built-in editor to design your own. Different difficulty levels mean that there's something for everyone here. Highly recommended.

A phenomenal game of world conquest. This game single handedly destroyed 10 years of MacRisk loyalty for me. I tried to resist at first, but it was no use: the game is just too good. Wonderfully fast to play, fantastic AI, a huge assortment of maps to choose from and create, and a dedicated base of online players. What more could you want? Beautiful graphics? You’ve got it!