Piranhas get a bad rap. Contrary to popular belief, they're not actually all that interested in devouring human flesh – a misconception that renders the entirety of Piranha 3DD, and that bit in that one James Bond film, obsolete. You'll find that and more deceptive things in this week's Free Webgame Round-Up, which also features "Tim Schafer" (yeah, right) and a so-called "honest rogue". Enjoy!
Piranha Pop by This Is Pop
So this is Angry Birds, but with piranhas and disco balls instead of fat little avians and explosive pig things. The goal in each stage is to fling the carnivorous sea-monsters at a glittering party globe, because, as everyone knows, piranhas hate disco almost as much as they love the work of avant-garde composer John Cage. Piranha Pop differs from Angry Birds in that it's a game of endurance; how long can you survive on your quest to eradicate an entire musical genre from history?
Host Master Deux: Quest For Identity by Major Bueno
A belated sequel to the 2009 game that cast you as Double Fine's Tim Schafer, prior to his GDC appearance of the same year. Host Master Deux sees Tim being rudely denied entry to the event, by a bouncer who doesn't believe he's the guy that invented adventure games and kickstarter and beards. So begins a funny, old-fashioned adventure game created by Major Bueno. You know, Major Bueno – who brought the world, and this column, the wonderful Caesar's Day Off and Drop a Beat, Giuseppe! (Via IndieGames )
Chaotic by amidos2006
A multidirectional shooter inspired by Super Hexagon – but with little in common when it comes to the actual game. Chaotic more closely resembles Geometry Wars and the like, with wave upon wave of enemy shapes encroaching on your personal space. You, by the way, are some sort of randomly generated doodad, and one which gradually evolves and devolves in effectiveness throughout the game. There appears to be quite a bit of roguelikey randomness going on here, so your every go on this simple little shooter will be slightly different, as if you've restarted in a subtle parallel dimension. (Via Free Indie Games )
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A False Saint, An Honest Rogue by humbit
humbit's survivalist roguelike should be made mandatory in schools – the way our climate's going – along with the likes of Unreal World and Don't Starve. You're a little naked dude in the snow (and in the game), and because you're a little naked dude in the snow your first port of call should be to bag yourself an outfit, from the tattered scraps that have been mysteriously scattered over the frozen earth.
As this is a roguelike, and a hard one, you probably won't get too much further than that, particularly if (like me) you insist on wading through every freezing-cold puddle you come across. Still, this is an accomplished survival experience, and a more complex simulation than you might first realise – should you get lost, have a think about which way the shadows are facing. (Via Free Indie Games )
Tom loves exploring in games, whether it’s going the wrong way in a platformer or burgling an apartment in Deus Ex. His favourite game worlds—Stalker, Dark Souls, Thief—have an atmosphere you could wallop with a blackjack. He enjoys horror, adventure, puzzle games and RPGs, and played the Japanese version of Final Fantasy VIII with a translated script he printed off from the internet. Tom has been writing about free games for PC Gamer since 2012. If he were packing for a desert island, he’d take his giant Columbo boxset and a laptop stuffed with PuzzleScript games.