Best Of Indie Games: Falling Head Over Heels For Art Games

[Every week, IndieGames.com: The Weblog editor Tim W. rounds up some of the week's top free-to-download and commercial indie games, plus notable features from his sister 'state of indie' weblog.] This week on 'Best Of Indie Games', we take a look at some of the top independent PC Flash/downloadable titles released over this last week. The delights in this edition include a puzzle platformer about an alien and a moon, a remake of Skyroads, a physics-based platform game with a tippy protagonist, and a vertical shooter where you play the role of a bad guy. Other highlights include a couple of art games, a nifty block-removal puzzler, and an arcade game that'll get you dizzy in no time. Game Pick: 'Lunnye Devitsy' (Boss Baddie!, commercial indie - demo available) "A puzzle platformer concerning a small alien who has fallen off the moon and is now trying to make his way back up there. Your little extra terrestrial must find six different ways to get back to the moon, so having to traverse such an elegant land to find them makes it all worthwhile. This is an experience all about exploration and if that's your kind of thing, Lunnye Devitsy is bound to please immensely." Game Pick: 'Tasty Static' (Leo Alterman, freeware) "Tasty Static is a brilliant remake of Bluemoon Interactive's Skyroads. Players career along what start off as simple pathways, eventually taking on much more difficult obstacles and challenges. Jumps must be timed perfectly, speed must be altered to land exactly where you need to be and the perfect path must be found. The presentation is spot-on, and while it can be incredibly frustrating, there's a ton of fun to be had. Available for Windows, OS X and Linux." Game Pick: 'FallOver' (Arvi Teikari, freeware) "FallOver is Hempuli's physics-based platformer that feels broken at first, but then becomes rather fun after spending a couple of minutes coming to gripes with an unbalanced protagonist and the floaty control scheme. You play as a gentleman who has to collect coins and reach the white flag safely, as he is prone to fall over with the slightest touch of any bump on the landscape." Game Pick: 'You Only Live Once' (Raitendo, browser) "If you played Free Will, you'll be able to guess the general gist of what's going on here. You Only Live Once is a literal title, and there are no second chances so it's worth making sure you don't die. It's a very silly take on Mario that will probably last you around two minutes. Once you are dead, though, clicking Continue several times will progress the story post-kicking-the-bucket." Game Pick: 'The Competitor' (Joey Betz, browser) "Your regular shmup usually involves one heroic ship going it alone against a horde of baddies, winning against the odds. The Competitor turns all that around, giving you the chance to be the horde against the one. The rogue ship approaching from the bottom of the screen is constantly firing upwards and it's your job to tactically (and constantly) place down your squadron to stop him in his tracks." Game Pick: 'Isabelle Poppy And Bling' (Andy Wallace, browser) "Isabelle Poppy And Bling - art game, or just plain weird? There are three different minigames which revolve around music and some very strange characters. The whole game is controlled via the mouse and lasts around five minutes. If you're partial to the occasional twisted gaming experience, this will be right up your alley." Game Pick: 'Pixus' (Ideaworks, browser) "Time for some good old puzzlin' in the form of Pixus. The idea is to draw lines of paint across the screen which float upwards, destroying similarly coloured blocks until the level is cleared. Some blocks are concealed behind other colours, so you'll need to eliminate them in order. It's definitely worth a try, especially as there is a nifty level editor to have a play with too." Game Pick: 'Roll Roll Pirate' (DevilishGames, browser) "Roll Roll Pirate is incredibly fiddly, not at all original... and yet so addictive. Roll Pirate's treasure has been scattered across the land, so it's your job to roll him around and claim it all back again. The control scheme feels pretty odd at first, and you'll point out all of the game's flaws to yourself... yet you'll carry on playing. It's just one of those games." Game Pick: 'The Beggar' (Scott Brodie, freeware) "The Beggar has been thrown out of the castle and now it's your job to help him beg his way back in. Our unwashed hero can beg in the hope that passers by will dig deep and help him out. This money can then be used to buy food or saved up to buy a pass back into the castle. There are four different endings to find, with gold to collect and people to befriend."