Home  My Programs  Freeware  Game Maker  Articles  Links  Misc  Contact

Freeware Menu >> Miscellaneous games


Note: Some games may omit to mention all the game controls, so these are some common game controls, although not all games will use them.
F1 for help, F4 switch between a window and fullscreen, F5 saves game, F6 load a saved game, Esc exit the game.


Vibrant.

Vibrant is a puzzle platformer. To escape the world of Vibrant, you must guide your character (a block with legs) through fifteen varied levels.

I'm not going to describe much of the game features, as it would spoil the game. But the levels are quite logical (even if they don't initially seem to be) and clues are often given in the level comments.
To complete each level, you must touch the purple star, if there is more than one purple star, you need to touch the correct one.

Vibrant lacks any presentation, or help file, but it is a bit different and kept me entertained for ten minutes.

Freeware -- Download size 5.6MB -- Win ME, XP, 2000, Vista

http://www.yoyogames.com/games/launch/42188

Marbles v1.0 by Warren Galyen

Marbles is a variation on Bejeweled, where you must get points by making rows of three, or more marbles, of the same colour. You only have a limited amount of time and must earn more time, by setting off chain reactions of matching marbles.

Some of the marbles have bonus features and when removed will earn you extra time and points, or will remove all marbles of the same colour, or from the same row.
As with Bejeweled it is better to make vertical rows, as when the new marbles drop down, you are more likely to get chain reactions.
You have some bombs, which are very useful if you cant find any possible rows, so don't waste them!

If you enjoyed Bejeweled (but didn't want to pay for it....), you will probably like Marbles, as it is quite similar, although probably more difficult, as you only get extra time for chain reactions.
Marbles is very nicely made, with some slick graphics effects, varied sound effects and a choice of music tracks. A comprehensive help document is included.

Freeware -- Download size 4.07Mb -- Win 95,98,NT4,Me,2000,XP

http://www.wildfiredesign.net/software/marbles/index.html

Simutrans.

This is the best transport sim I have played, the graphics are cute and setting up a transport network is easy.

The beauty of the game is that you can create complex interlinked transport systems and industries, all with beautifully drawn little vehicles and buildings. It is not just trains either, there are buses, trucks and even planes in the newest version.

Although there are computer controlled opponents, the AI is not very good and tends to be annoying, disrupting your neat transport systems, rather than providing any competition, I always turn them off in the options.

The original Simutrans is no longer being developed and has been superseded by a larger graphics version, but both types are still available.

The original small graphics version should run on most computers, but an 8 bit version is also available for those people running very, very old computers. personally I prefer the small graphics version as the graphics are more consistent.
Freeware -- Download size up to 2.2Mb depending on version.
The original Simutrans site: http://www.simutrans.de/


Simutrans 128 has much larger and more detailed graphics and is still being developed, it does use quite a lot of memory, so requires a fairly modern computer to run well and a screen resolution of at least 1024*768.
The game has many more features and options than its smaller cousins, although the controls are not as positive as earlier versions.
Freeware -- Download size 18Mb.
Simutrans 128 site: http://128.simutrans.com/

Both sites have lots of helpful information and tips about playing the game, with online and downloadable manuals.

http://www.simutrans.com/ A Simutrans portal with loads of useful information.

Treasure Dive by the EOCommunity.

Treasure dive is an underwater game, you swim around collecting keys to recover stolen treasure, while avoiding the various creatures of the deep, sharks, stingrays, snakes, pufferfish etc, there's even what look like goldfish swimming around, although they are not particularly dangerous.

The graphics are the most outstanding thing about the game.
There are some very nice effects, I particularly liked the shoals of small fish and the way they moved. The way the shark speeds up if you get too close is a very nice touch and the animation of all the creatures and seaweed is very deftly done.
The movement of the diver was well thought out with a good effect as he turned around, although he was a little wooden compared to the other creatures, perhaps he was scared stiff by the close proximity of so many predators.
I must admit I found the music rather irritating after a few levels and an on/off switch would be a good idea. The sound effects were mainly limited to a few beeps, but there were some nice dolphin and ship horn sounds thrown in to give atmosphere.

The games controls and aims are very easy to become accustomed to and the first level has a few help bubbles, it was nice to see that the help just appeared as you swam up to the bubbles and you didnt have to click on anything.
Your on screen display consists of depth and oxygen gauges, you need to keep an eye on your oxygen, as if it runs out you have to start the level again. You can replenish your air supply by either swimming to the surface, (Which also saves the game.) or swimming into one of the bubble streams coming from the sea bed, you need to swim right down to the base of the bubble stream to get a refill.

As you swim about collecting keys and finding the correct chests to open, you need to avoid various dangerous creatures, colliding with some, like the shark, will kill you instantly, but others, like the jellyfish, will only rob you of some oxygen, providing the contact is brief.
There aren't an awful lot of levels and not much in the way of surprises after the first few levels, and the last level was a big disappointment , I was expecting a monster or something, but instead the last level was one of the easiest.
I also thought there might be some hidden caverns or tunnels, but I never found anything.

The presentation can't be faulted, the zip file contains a comprehensive Wordpad help file and the game also includes a custom made help file.
The title graphics are very polished and the menu is intuitive, in fact the whole game come across as being of a professional standard.
Quite an enjoyable game, very well made, with some excellent features, on the downside, it is too easy and will not have enough levels, or variety for most players.
Overall while the game will not be challenging enough for older players, they will appreciate its good looks, but younger children should find the game enchanting.

Freeware -- Download size 4.17Mb -- Win 98,ME,XP,NT4,2000

http://eocommunity.co.uk/playprofile.php?id=1

Go Go by Darthlupi.

While trying the games entered in the GM challenge, Go Go caught my eye, it wasn't for its outstanding graphics, which as you can see from the screen shot are quite simple and only black and white and it wasn't for an original idea, as I'm certain I have seen a similar game before.
What made it shine was that the gameplay was challenging, while not being impossible, it has that elusive something that makes you want to play it more than once.

The idea of the game is to destroy the descending blocks by firing a matching symbol at them, this destroys the block and any blocks touching it that have the same symbol.
Destroying blocks adds to your doom meter, which once full transports you to the next level, however if you let blocks drop out of the playing area your doom meter falls and if it reaches empty you lose a life, you also lose a life if a block drops off the screen and you are in the way.
There are three types of powerups, a speed increase for your man, a doom meter increase and the best, one doom shots, which take out any type of block.

As I mentioned earlier, graphically the game is quite simple and it suits the game well, the only fly in the ointment being the pseudo 3D reflections of the players shots, I found them a bit annoying and distracting and the game would be improved by their removal.
The sound effects in game are very good and the music is nicely understated, but a serious omission for some users will be the lack of a music off switch.
The game also lacked a save feature of any sort, which would have been a useful addition, on the plus side a good help file is included.

So overall a well made little game that will keep lovers of tetris and similar games entertained for a time.

Freeware -- Download size 800k -- Win 98,ME,XP,NT4,2000

http://darthlupi.com/?page_id=4

PirkO from Claret Games.

This nicely made mini game is very simple just hit the small green balls with your large red ball and they disappear, once they are all gone you move to the next level, but while doing this you must avoid the large balls, as each time you hit one you lose a life.

The controls are the arrow keys and the ball moves with a realistic acceleration motion, that is easy to control quite precisely after a little practice.
After the first levels an extra life is available if you hit the small ball with the cross on it, the number of large balls also increases.

It would have been nice to have some powerups, such as invulnerability for a short period, but I have only managed to get to level four so perhaps there are some later?
It is best to save your game (F5) at the end of each level, otherwise you have to go back to the start when you are killed.
The graphics are quite simple, but suit the game well and the author has used particle effects to give that extra bit of polish to the game.
The background music is quite nice (Madness, I like driving in my car. I'm showing my age!), but it would have been nice to have had the option to turn it off.
I would also have liked to have had the level number displayed, so that I know how well I am doing.

Overall a very pleasant mini game, nicely made, with no bugs that I could find, it has a moderate addictive quality that makes you think just one more go.

Freeware -- Download size 760k -- Win 98,ME,XP,NT4,2000

http://claret.atspace.com/games03.html

Crazytris by Benoit Quimper (Quimp).

A reproduction of the classic game Tetris. The graphics set this game apart from other Tetris clones, with extensive use of transparency effects in the interfaces, the cursor can be set to slowly fade away when not in use, to save distraction.
The background music is fairly inoffensive, but can be turned off if you find it irritating, it only played once and stopped on my computer anyway.

The game plays well, with all the standard Tetris features. I did find the initial levels rather too slow, but you can alter the starting level in the options and if you need even more of a challenge, you can start the game with a chosen number of blocks already present.

Presentation is of a professional standard, exceeding the quality of many paid for games. All the screens are custom made and blend together well, giving an integrated feel to the game.
The only lacking area was in the help file, where there is no description of the aim of Crazytris, for anyone who has never seen Tetris before.
The highscore table is the slickest I have seen and an online highscore feature is also available.

If you like Tetris, Crazytris will not disappoint, offering all the fun of the standard game, but with a super cool appearance and online scoring to give it a competitive edge.

Freeware -- Download size 1.7Mb -- Win 98,ME,XP,NT4,2000

http://www.quimp.net/creations/crazytris

RunMan's Monster Fracas by CoolMoose.

Another game in the CoolMoose, RunMan series, this time RunMan is trying to escape a giant monster, by running through a randomly generated landscape, jumping various obstacles and ravines.

The controls are simple, using the arrow keys, right to run and left to slow down. Up makes RunMan jump and down makes him slide down slopes, giving a boost to his speed, down also allows him to duck below hazards.

Any one who has played previous RunMan games, will know that the graphics are rather unique, they don't try to be realistic, but almost every object has a character, I thought the cactus was particularly well drawn and liked how RunMan did several different types of somersaults.
Most of the music and sound is homemade, with some very nice effects, the music appears to speed up as the game progresses, adding to the effect of being chased. You can turn off either the music, or the effects, if you find them irritating, but I thought they added a lot to the game.

The gameplay was excellent, I lost count of the number of times I played the game, trying to get my score high enough to submit to the online scoring, but I could never get past about seventy, before usually falling down a ravine. 

Presentation is good, with a custom loading screen and slightly animated title screen, with some excellent introductory banjo music! ( Never thought I would say that! ). The help file gives all the necessary information and it is nice to see credits given.
Overall, a fun little game, online scoring gives the game a competitive feel, that many other games lack. I couldn't find anything negative to say about the game, it is fun and addictive, with some very cute little touches, I recommend it.

Freeware -- Download size 3.7Mb -- Win 98,ME,XP,NT4,2000

http://coolmoose.net/

Photon by Psyco Jelly.

Photon is an original game, similar in some ways to Tetris. Different colour blocks fall down the screen, your job is to click on combinations of adjacent blocks of the same colour, destroying them and thus preventing the blocks from reaching the top of the screen.

Just clicking on blocks would be too simple, you also have to maintain your energy level. You gain one energy point for each block you destroy and can store up to twelve energy points, however the amount of energy needed to destroy a combination of blocks rises throughout the game and when you no longer have sufficient energy, you cannot destroy anymore blocks.

The game graphics are quite appealing, nicely shaded, with just the right balance of particle affects when blocks are destroyed. If you have a very slow computer the particle effects can be turned off in the options.
The game music is okay and I quite liked the simple sound effects, both can be turned off in the options.

The game is deceptively simple when you first play it, you only need two energy points to destroy a combination of blocks, so you can't lose at first.
However as the amount of energy needed increases, you need to find larger and larger combinations to maintain your energy levels, this is not too hard towards the center of the playing area, but the outermost columns are difficult to keep under control.
I found the best tactic was to keep a reasonable amount of blocks on the board, maximising your chances of a larger combination and also during the earlier stages of the game try to create a large combination that you can hold in reserve at the bottom of the board.

The game is presented simply, with a custom loading bar, but no icon, the menu screen is quite nice, with the mouse controlling everything. Although the options screen is very welcome, the control buttons lack any feedback and it is not immediately apparent if you are turning anything on, or off.
There is a good help file, accessible from both the menu and in-game via F1.
Quite a challenging game, needing both quick thinking and strategy to achieve a high score, I would like to see a version that allows you to set the maximum energy level that you can store, which would increase the length of the game and allow more strategy.

Freeware -- Download size 1.7Mb -- Win 98,ME,XP,NT4,2000

http://clockworkgames.tripod.com/games.html

Home