The Free Webgame Round-up

Happy End of the World!

Happy End of the World! At least, that's what I assume happened today - the Mayans have never steered me wrong before. If you're wondering, I'm typing this from a lead-lined vault deep underground, which I escaped to last night; one of the other Vault-Dwellers has been stealing water, but apart from that everything is fine. *Sobs*. Assuming there's still an Earth left, I'm guessing you've been transformed into some sort of hideous mutant, so I hope you have enough fingers to play a selection of the week's best webgames. Most of them aren't particularly Christmassy, so I suggest you Xmas them up a bit by wearing a santa hat and drinking a glass of mulled wine seasoned with a couple of sprouts. Oh and make these games last - I won't be leaving the vault until next year. Merry everyone!

Moonlight by Jonas Kyratzes

A beautifully written, moving, and clearly personal story from the Dreamweaver himself Jonas Kyratzes, who you may know from The Sea Will Claim Everything. It's a story that will take you everywhere, from a party to the moon to a deep dark hole, accompanied (for much of it) by Stephen Fry.

Tyranoforce by Blob and Xewlupus

Courtesy of IndieGamescomes TYRANOFORCE, a shmup where you play as the bad guy, spawning ships (by holding Space) to try and take down a particularly wily hero in just 60 seconds. It was created for Ludum Dare 25- theme: You are the Villain - so it is a little rough around the edges. However, it's also hugely creative, and bastard-hard - I haven't managed to destroy the hero yet.

Atomic Creep Spawner! by Sebastien Benard

Stopping the hero is the theme of Atomic Creep Spawner!, as well, probably because it was also made for LD25. It's Dungeon Keeper, basically, but as a simple browser game; depositing monsters is as easy as clicking on the ground. As you hurl things in his path, the hero mutters funny little sentences, for example insulting your dungeon-running prowess by calling you a "noob". That's your cue to prove him wrong. (Thanks, Free Indie Games.)

Sole Gunner by Sinclair Strange

Sole Gunner starts with a warning to resize the window or download the game if you're short on CPU, and true to that promise it ran like a melted snowman on my PC. Despite that, this tribute to games like Gunstar Heroes is worth a play - well, it is if you like games like Gunstar Heroes. (Again, thanks to Free Indie Games.)

Holly Jolly Pyromaniac by UndergroundPixel

Ho ho ho! Finally, a bona fide Christmas game - spotted by the good folk at IndieGames. As Santa Claus, bring Christmas cheer to the masses by blowing them up and - oh, it's another Ludum Dare game. You're a bad santa (no, not that Bad Santa); instead of dropping presents in the living rooms of innocent children, you're dropping bombs on the heads of rebellious elves. Holly Jolly Pyromaniac is a very simple one-button action game, but it kept me amused for a few minutes, and isn't that what Christmas is all about? No, I'm really asking - I have no idea.