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Sedge is a short preview of an unnamed project developed by Bernie, the same person who brought us 'a Game with a Kitty'. The story begins with your character waking up from his sleep and finding a knife stuck in a very uncomfortable place. Unravel the mysteries surrounding his predicament by means of exploration, solving puzzles and conversations with suspicious individuals.

The interface is similar to the ones used in classic Lucasart games. Click on an action and an item on the screen to interact with it. The story and dialogue is well-written, leaving players wanting more by the end of the demo.

Information on other upcoming projects can be found here.

Name: Sedge
Developer: Bernie
Category: Adventure
Type: Demo
Size: 2MB

A Game with a Kitty is an excellent platformer developed by Bernie in two weeks. The premise is simple, guide Kittey on a quest to investigate the mysterious tower that has magically appeared on the outskirts of his hometown.

The cute little protagonist can jump on enemies to eliminate them. Collect coins to unlock special skills and access unexplored areas, while health can be restored at save points.

Name: A Game with a Kitty
Developer: Bernie
Type: Platform
Category: Freeware
Size: 2MB

Academy of Magic is the latest release from Total Eclipse Games, which is another great addition to a line of excellent independently developed word-based puzzlers published this year.

The objective of the game is to make the longest words from a collection of alphabets found on the playing field. Tiles can be selected by left clicking and linking them together. This will eliminate the letters from the board and increase your mana accordingly, which can be used to cast spells for some magical assistance in sticky situations.

Magic gems will appear on the board from time to time based on your performance, and extra points are rewarded for making words using these tiles. An option to watch a demonstration on how to use a spell is available to the player whenever new one is unlocked.

Name: Academy of Magic
Developer: Total Eclipse Games
Category: Puzzle
Type: Demo
Size: 20MB

R.I.P. is the latest release from White Elephant that plays very much like Crimsonland, with some slight differences. Probably the first one that most would notice is that the player now controls a stationary turret instead of a central character that is able to move freely.

The turret has two shot options. A single accurate shot is fired everytime the left mouse button is pressed, and holding down the right button will activate the rapid fire mode. To reload, just tap the middle button.

Enemies will use the landscape and it's surroundings to their advantage, as they hide behind rocks and boulders to avoid your shots. Most obstacles can be blown away, and the playing field is often peppered with highly volatile explosives and barrels containing unstable substances. Some skeletons carry items and destroying them will yield collectible power-ups. The effects usually lasts for a short while, enough time for you to clear the area of hostile units.

Gain experience from kills which can be used to trade for a special upgrade. Health and accumulated experience points are shown on the right side of the screen. Avatar selection will affect the choice of unlockable skill sets, in addition to the basic skills that all characters have access to.

Name: R.I.P.
Developer: White Elephant
Category: Action
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

Flapper is another excellent release by Lazrael that is easy to learn but difficult to master. The objective of the game is to direct a bat to the top of a dark cave by using the arrow keys. Tap the up arrow key repeatedly to stay afloat, else lose altitude and fall down a bottomless pit.

Like most classic arcade titles, there is actually no ending to aim for. Score points by collecting bonus items while you avoid falling rocks. Touching the spikes on these things means game over.

Getting a good score will unlock items that can be used in subsequent sessions. Most sprites have a set of skins that can be selected from the main menu. To go into fullscreen mode, just press the F4 key.

Name: Flapper
Developer: Lazrael
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB

Labels: lazrael

Lost Labyrinth is a freeware RPG that uses a round-based combat system, meaning that your character will trade blows with enemies until one combatant loses all remaining life points. Attacks are initiated by pressing the corresponding arrow key that points to your opponent's direction.

There are plenty of skills that you can choose from the character generation menu. Strangely, experience points are not rewarded for monster kills. Your stats can only be improved by descending levels.

Items are scattered around the dungeon which can be picked up and equipped. Treasure chests can be opened to reveal gold coins or rare objects, but be on the lookout for traps. Health and mana can be restored by either using special items or standing on pentagrams found somewhere in each level.

Name: Lost Labyrinth
Developer: Markus Doebele
Category: RPG
Type: Freeware
Size: 3MB

A7Xpg is another gem among many by Kenta Cho, although the gameplay would surprise a few people because technically it's not a shooter. The objective of the game is to collect all the gold bullions found in each level and avoid crashing into any of the enemies. The task could have been carried out at a leisurely pace if it wasn't for the fact that you have to complete the stage before the allocated time runs out. A timer is shown on the top right of the screen that will count down the number of seconds left.

Your ship is equipped with a boost function that can be used repeatedly, although this may work against you especially when the playing field is overcrowded with hostile units.

Like other ABA titles this is one to add to your collection.

Name: A7Xpg
Developer: Kenta Cho
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Bone: Out from Boneville is a faithful videogame adaptation of the original book series by Jeff Smith. It follows the tale of Fone Bone and his two cousins, Smiley and Phoney, as they try to find a way back to Boneville.

A mouse interface has been implemented for just about all of the actions that the player can carry out. Right-click to cycle through the available options and left-click to execute it. Inventory is easily accessible by moving the mouse pointer to the lower left of the screen. There's a hint feature to help players out should they get stuck in certain parts of the game.

The game itself is beautifully rendered and animated, especially the main characters. Fone, Smiley and Phoney are a joy to watch as they speak, argue, bicker, cajole, persuade and interact with each other. Jeff Smith would approve, and probably did. The adventure portion contains some puzzles which most veterans shouldn't have much difficulty with, and there are several mini-games to relay the action that the graphic novel potrays.

Fans of the original source material will not be disappointed with this effort. It offers long-time readers a chance to experience Fone's adventures from a different perspective. Also, there's nothing to worry about if you have not read Jeff's book. The story is retold from the very beginning and you won't feel like you've missed out on anything at all.

There's a lot of bonus stuff made available on the site as well. Particularly noteworthy is the free download of the entire soundtrack and a 'making of' video found here.

Name: Bone: Out from Boneville
Developer: Telltale Games
Category: Adventure
Type: Demo
Size: 60MB

In Pozzo - Jello Crusade, you play the role of a janitor named Pozzo who works for a jello restaurant. He dreams of saving up enough for a well-deserved vacation on some tropical island paradise. Unfortunately, his manager has found out that the local health inspector is dropping by for an unscheduled check.

You're given the task of cleaning up the entire premise ridden with rotten jellos before the law enforcer finds them. Fail and Pozzo can kiss his planned holiday goodbye. A lousy job indeed, compounded by the fact that Pozzo is stuck with no limbs and has to eat all the jellos that he finds.

With the story out of the way, let's get straight to the actual game. As mentioned earlier, most levels require the player to eat a lot of jellos before being allowed access to the exit. Pozzo cannot retrace his steps once he has eaten jellos off a tile. Not a very innovative concept, but Lazrael has managed to craft a superb puzzler that showcases imaginative use of tile design and graphical effects.

New tiles are introduced from time to time, which include a variety of colored blocks, switches, teleport pads and many more. Later levels provide tougher challenges as you need to plan ahead every move your protagonist has to make.

One drawback is that it uses ripped music, only because the developer could not get hold of an original music composer. The game features forty levels and two unlockable endings based on your score.

Name: Pozzo - Jello Crusade
Developer: Lazrael
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB

Labels: lazrael

Curator Defense is an excellent freeware title coded entirely by one person, which is already an amazing feat by itself. Think of it as a modern day Dungeon Keeper that offers a new take on real-time strategy.

As the website states, the player must defend a museum from being invaded by modern art, implanted with some sort of device that allows them to be remotely controlled. Install sufficient defensive structures to destroy the offending art items before they reach the storeroom and ending up on your museum's walls.

Weapon placement is an important element of the game. By locating them on strategic points, you will be able to fend off waves of modern art with ease. New enemies will be introduced as you progress, forcing a strategy rethink from time to time. With some proper planning, a maze-like construction can cause enemies to slow down considerably and allow for more pot shots.

Curator Defense may be a little difficult to grasp at first, but with some perseverance the player will be rewarded with innovative gameplay and quality to match many commercial titles.

Name: Curator Defense
Developer: dbh studios
Category: Strategy
Type: Freeware
Size: 50MB

In Yum Yum, you control a creature named yum that just happens to be at the beginning of the universe. The objective of the game is to keep this particular species alive throughout ten levels of play. Face all manner of enemies in your quest to be one of the dominant species in a new world.

Controls will take some effort to learn. Two choices are made available to the player, although in my opinion the second control setting will probably suit most players best. A crosshair will determine the yum's movement direction and speed based on the distance. To attack other species, launch a projectile by clicking the left mouse button. Right clicking is basically a reload function. To restart a level, just press the middle mouse button.

Enemies appear in all shapes and sizes. The introduction of bosses add variety to the game, and bonuses in the form of extra lives can be collected to prolong the yum's existence.

Name: Yum Yum
Developer: Derby
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 7MB

Originally CCI: Huntsville, the objective of Mystery Case Files: Huntsville is to solve a string of crimes by searching for a list of items in a number of locations. Find enough clues to initiate the second part of the game, in which you're required to assemble a picture of the culprit by swapping jigsaw pieces and piecing together the evidence.

Treasure hunt enthusiasts will have a blast with this. Watch out for the Yahoo Toolbar prompt during installation if you have no intentions of having it on your desktop.

Name: Mystery Case Files: Huntsville
Developer: Big Fish Games
Category: Puzzle
Type: Demo
Size: 15MB

The Winter Rose is an excellent adventure game by Alex van der Wijst that was released recently after spending a year and a half in development. The story is about Rose, a young archer on a quest to save her father and rid the land of the evil ice-dragon.

For an amateur effort, the game does showcase excellent use of limited resources. Backgrounds are hand-painted, and a lot of nice touches have been added to create the right atmosphere. The animation is great, snowflakes are beautifully animated, and throwing in footprints is genius.

But what is most impressive about the game is the writing. Every item has a description based on your actions, a feat rarely seen in other AGS titles. You will be rewarded with quite a few chuckles if you attempt to click on everything you see, because of the witty script.

Verdict? Fans of classic adventure games won't be disappointed with this one.

Name: The Winter Rose
Developer: Alex van der Wijst
Category: Adventure
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB

Akatsuki BK is a title from Japan that pays homage to SNK's fighting game series. The demo only showcases one character, but as evident from this character sheet there are quite a number of moves available.

It also has a complex fighting system to rival many of the classic arcade fighting games, and the 2D graphics and animation is just as impressive. Well worth a look.

Key configuration is a little messed up though. The numeric keypad controls character movements. Light, medium and heavy attacks are mapped to the J, K and L keys.

A trial version can be downloaded from this page.

Name: Akatsuki BK
Developer: Subtle Style
Category: Action
Type: Demo
Size: 15MB

GameDev.net's Four Elements IV Contest results are out, with 'Ninja Loves Pirate' bagging the top prize. The contest itself is a great concept that features entries with an assortment of robots, pirates, ninjas and zombies.

Ninja Loves Pirate is a platformer that shows plenty of promise. You can alternate between two playable characters anytime during play, using their respective strengths to tackle murderous and flesh-craving zombies. Graphics are pure eye-candy, much like sprites from the Metal Slug series.

4E4 results can be found here, and all entries are listed on this page, available for download. Congratulations to all the winners!

Name: Ninja Loves Pirate
Developer: Greasebeat Games
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 30MB

Big Kahuna Words is the latest release from Reflexive Entertainment, a puzzler that retains most of the addictive qualities of the prequel with a few gameplay changes. For one, the objective of the game does not involve making matches of three but creating words from alphabets instead. You accomplish this by selecting letters and submitting valid words to remove them from the playing field.

More elements are introduced as you play. Later stages require you to break certain background tiles, some alphabets can only be used as the first letter of the word, and you can swap tiles to make longer words as well. Other features include mouse party multiplayer mode, level editor, and a fish screen to view your sea life collection.

Name: Big Kahuna Words
Developer: Reflexive Entertainment
Category: Puzzle
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

BreakQuest from Nurium Games is an excellent Breakout clone that introduces many new gameplay elements, most notably in it's level design. Each stage is built around a certain theme and offers it's own set of challenges for you to overcome. Expect to encounter bricks in all sorts of variety, shape and sizes.

Gravity plays an important role in the game. You can use it to influence the trajectory of the ball, and it comes in handy when you're left with only a few bricks to bust. There are numerous power-ups that'll grant you missiles, multi-balls, mines and guns, among other things.

Name: BreakQuest
Developer: Nurium Games
Category: Breakout
Type: Demo
Size: 20MB

Blossom is an interesting little game by Snowbeat that will probably be commended for the visual style rather than it's simplistic gameplay. The game encourages cooperative play but if you choose to go at it alone, you'll be required to play both characters one at a time.

The objective is to restore color to the drab world you're in by destroying enemies with seeds that you grab from trees. This is achieved by planting seeds of opposing colors for unsuspecting creatures to walk over.

Name: Blossom
Developer: Snowbeat
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 40MB

Wonderlines from Nevosoft is an excellent remake of Color Lines with plenty of shiny new features that will keep you hooked to this puzzler for a long time.

Here's how the game works. For each turn, you are only allowed to move one ball. Line up at least three balls of the same color in a straight line to remove them from the playing field, and preventing new balls from appearing for at least another turn. Balls can only be moved to a desired location if a clear path to the free spot exists.

There's a quota to achieve in every stage which is represented by a bar on the left side of the screen. Fill up this gauge to progress to the next level. Some balls are infused with magical properties, such as the ability to take on any color or even removing all balls of the same color from the playing field. Special items such as hammers can be used to remove any ball. Some balls will be locked in position, forcing you to make matches around them.

Three game modes will keep you busy for a long time, although adventure mode is probably the meat of the game. You have to match balls around colored tiles to complete each stage in puzzle mode. Make matches to fill up the gauge in the shortest time possible in action mode.

Graphics and sound production value in this game is excellent. Reducing the number of balls from five to three for a valid match could perhaps be the best decision in making this title accessible to a wider audience. I'm not a big fan of the original game but this is one puzzler I'd highly recommend, to hardcore puzzle fans and casual gamers alike.

Name: Wonderlines
Developer: NevoSoft
Category: Puzzle
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

Tank-o-Box is actually a remake of a very old arcade tank battle game. You only need five keys to play this update, since the tank's movement is limited to four directions (must be the tracks). Of course, simplifying tank controls actually makes the game much more accessible and fun.

You start off each level on a field that is often heavily populated by enemy tanks, and to put it quite simply your task is to eliminate all of them. Position your tank in the right direction and fire away, while avoiding enemy fire at the same time.

The game's 3D graphics are excellent. Tanks blow up satisfyingly, the screen shudders with every explosion, and some of the objects in the environment are destructible as well. Destroying certain enemy tanks will yield collectibles, which can be picked up to give your own vehicle a mobility or firepower upgrade.

Two gameplay modes can be selected from the main menu. Arcade Mode features fifty-five mission-based levels, while Extra Mode sets you loose on the battlefield to dish out more mayhem while maintaining your tank in one piece. There's also the added value of cooperative two-player mode.

Name: Tank-o-Box
Developer: Exclusive Games
Category: Action
Type: Demo
Size: 5MB

Family Feud is a party game that is actually based on a TV show, in which you have to guess the most popular answers to survey questions. Points ranging from one to hundred are awarded depending on the popularity of the answer. You're only allowed three wrong guesses for each round.

The announcer's voice is great although having a skip option might have been preferable at times. Production value is excellent and the game does accept guesses which are similar to the actual answer. For example, a player would answer glass and it would be accepted as a correct guess even though the exact word is cup.

Probably the best part of the game is multiplayer mode using the same keyboard. The left and right shift keys are assigned as buzzers for each player. Family Feud boasts over two thousand questions, although the demo version only allows for a thirty minute time trial.

Name: Family Feud
Developer: iWin
Category: Puzzle
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

Imagine this. You're an elite member of the US Coast Guard on a patrol just like any other day. On the deck with your rear parked on a comfy chair, sipping aromatic coffee and watching the sun rise on a beautiful morning.

Cue scream for help. You spill hot liquid on your pants, soiling it and wondering why you hadn't worn the brown pair today. Quickly you rush to the rudder and steer your ship to save the drowning man. But wait, what's that you hear? Another desperate cry for assistance?

Lighthouse Rescue is a game made by mrfun for the Ludum Dare 48 hour competition. In it, you steer a ship using the arrow keys to save drowning victims. It gets dark after a while and you have to depend on the shining beacon of the lighthouse to find your way around.

Save a number of people and you will get some sweet upgrades. Survive six days to win the game. Will probably interest you for about one afternoon, it is made in two days after all.

Name: Lighthouse Rescue
Developer: mrfun
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

ZombieBall is actually the name of the projectile you'll be bouncing off your shield in the latest game from WildSnake Software. Charming in it's own way, this Breakout clone plays a little differently than the rest.

The objective for each stage is to either kill all the enemies, or bring them salvation by catching them with your shield. A nice twist, considering that you're not required to destroy every single brick.

Name: ZombieBall
Developer: WildSnake Software
Category: Breakout
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

Cute Knight is probably the best Princess Maker remake available for the PC. Play the role of a young maiden as you exert some sort of influence over most of her daily decisions in life.

Send the young 'un for some training, work to earn her keep, and spend lavishly on all sorts of useless stuff. Yuppies call this strange behavior 'shopping'.

Choose a career path, engage in relationships with total strangers, even send her to the dungeons just because you feel like it! To do battle with shady characters after her own loot, of course.

With over fifty endings, you'll be playing this one for quite some time.

Name: Cute Knight
Developer: Hanako Games
Category: Simulation
Type: Demo
Size: 5MB

Psychoballs is basically a remake of Logical, an old Rainbow Arts puzzler. The objective of the game is to arrange four balls of the same color in spinners to activate them. Repeat for all spinners found in each stage to progress from one level to the next.

Full version features fifty levels.

Name: Psychoballs
Developer: Intermediaware
Category: Puzzle
Type: Demo
Size: 5MB

PaperBall is a BreakOut clone that has a certain distinctive style probably best described as 'hand-drawn'. Graphics may look like it was done by an amateur but I assure you it is not. Sprite animation is smooth, which isn't evident from the screenshots.

Like in any other paddle game, the objective of PaperBall is to bounce a ball off your bat and keep it away from the bottom edge of the screen. Use the ball to destroy all the bricks in each level to progress to the next.

All sorts of collectibles can be found by busting certain bricks. Power-ups include those that will expand or shrink the paddle, guns, homing missiles, and multi-balls. There is also a power-up that draws a line for each of your ball's trajectory.

Choosing a higher difficulty level presents several new challenges, such as a shorter paddle, faster ball speed and more undesirable collectibles.

The game does have some drawbacks. Some levels can be finished in a matter of seconds, although it happens less frequently on higher difficulty levels.

To it's credit, the developer has implemented a feature not seen in most games. You can skip any level should you choose to do so by selecting the skip feature from the pause menu. E-giraffa should also be commended for providing a demo on the site that does not expire, although you can only play eleven levels. A welcome change, indeed.

Another undocumented feature of the game is the ability to switch tracks at any time by pressing the 'M' key. There are four tracks to select from. The full version features 120 levels categorized into eight themes but both includes a level editor.

Verdict? Yes, it is fun. And no, it won't provide much of a challenge. But the demo is not time-trial based, so you have nothing to lose by trying it out.

Name: PaperBall
Developer: e-giraffa
Category: Breakout
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

Wildlife Tycoon: Venture Africa is the new 3D simulator from Pocketwatch Games that provides you with a contained ecosystem in which you are free to explore the intricate details and impacts of all your decisions.

Plot the type of additions to your safari, make sweeping changes to your landscape, even take total control over some of the animals should you desire to do so.

The complete version features 11 animals, 25 campaign maps, 3 levels of difficulty, and two gameplay modes.

Name: Wildlife Tycoon: Venture Africa
Developer: Pocketwatch Games
Category: Simulation
Type: Demo
Size: 20MB

Atomixer is a new matching game that introduces the use of a hexagonal board and a slightly different atom-swapping gameplay element as you embark on a quest to undo the mistakes of a certain Dr. Boson.

Features two play modes, three arcade skill levels and all sorts of collectible powerups.

Name: Atomixer
Developer: Sharkbait Games
Category: Puzzle
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

Bonbon Quest is a platform game where you guide a lone hero on a candy collection adventure. There's a Halloween theme going on here, and a Mario stomp can be used to eliminate the enemies that you will encounter during your adventures.

Nice graphics but gameplay may be a little too simplistic for us fogeys. I suppose the game is great for the kids, though.

Name: Bonbon Quest
Developer: Oliver Pearl
Category: Platform
Type: Demo
Size: 5MB

Lumixed 4E4 is possibly the closest thing that you can find for the PC besides owning the original title if you want to rotate some blocks and form a combination of squares to the beat of the accompanying music.

The beta version comes with two stages but the game is highly moddable without any programming knowledge at all. Tweak the XML files a bit, add your own graphics plus tracks in either MP3, WAV or OGG format (even URL to internet radio feeds!), and you have a brand new skin to play with.

Expect some tutorials to be added to the site in the near future, and tons of downloadable stages as soon as people start making their own levels for the game.

Made using Matt's excellent M-engine, written for C++ users and free to use.

Name: Lumixed 4E4
Developer: Steven Bisson and Matt Bennett
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB

TriJinx is a great Collapse clone that boast some amazing production values. The squares have been replaced with triangles, and clicking on groups of 3 or more matching triangles will clear them from the board.

Rotate the the playing field by clicking on the arrow buttons or using the arrow keys on the keyboard. Objectives vary, from finding certain shapes on the board to filling urns with triangles of a certain color.

Name: TriJinx
Developer: PlayFirst
Category: Puzzle
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

Uplighter is an interesting puzzler that was made by Jolle for the Ludum Dare 48 hour competition.

Gameplay basically involves lighting up as much of each level as possible. Achieve the objective by moving your 'Uplighter' around using the arrow keys, and placing a limited number of light emitters around the playing area by pressing the Left Alt button.

Name: Uplighter
Developer: Jolle
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB

Sensible Soccer and Football Manager. A potent mix, but New Star Soccer 3 has managed to do it by combining the best elements from a classic and the current football simulation champion.

Take control of your own superstar, starting off his career by going through a trial at your selected club. After completing several tasks you will be drafted into the first team right away, where you have to earn your place every week with some sort of consistent performance. The manager will not hesitate to drop average players and if that happens to you, be prepared to warm the bench for some time.

A very interesting addition to the game is the call for ball feature. By pressing SPACE when you're not in possession of the ball, your teammate will attempt a pass to you. Now you don't have to run around the field like a headless chicken.

Just like Sensible Soccer, you can put a spin to all your shots. This is assuming that you have allocated some points to improve your flair and shooting skills. Real player names are used, and the roster is as updated as it can be. You can play alongside your favourite European stars, and will probably play against most of them if you do well for your club.

Train your player every chance you get. You will need him in top condition in preparation for the Goal of the Month competition, in which you can showcase your footballing skills and win some prizes in the process!

Name: New Star Soccer 3
Developer: Si Read
Category: Sports
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB

InnerBody is a freeware title by RT Soft, the developer of Dungeon Scroll. Originally a Ludum Dare 48 hour competition entry, it plays a little like the turntable scratching portion of the Beatmania series.

In each level, your ship will travel alongside two parallel lines. Your mission is to change the red parts of the line from red to green, by pressing the left or right arrow key at the right moment.

Name: InnerBody
Developer: RT Soft
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB

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