Game 18: Samorost 2

Samorost 2 is here, the sequel to the amazing and immersive experience of the original Samorost; undeniably one of the greatest casual games ever to have graced the Web. In the first chapter, the main character from the original game loses his puppy when a couple of aliens trespass on his little planet and dognap his pet. Your mission is to rescue the puppy from its captors. The second chapter is a pay-for-play download (€4.00/£3.50/$4.99) that continues at the point of the first chapter's cliffhanger ending. What you receive is a zip archive of the entire game, including both chapters, for a seamless interactive experience. I highly recommend buying this as it is well worth it, though it is also widely available to download for free accross the internet.

By virtue of a "2" in its title, there exist expectations for this sequel, and I am pleased to say the game does not disappoint. The artwork again is both gorgeous and surreal, but where Samorost 2 surpasses its predecessor is in its size and its soundtrack. There are more animated environments to marvel at, more puzzles to solve, and more interactive elements to click. 

All things considered, this second game of the Samorost series lives well up to the huge expectations set by the first. It is altogether a truly exceptional work of interactive art.

Game 2: Space Invaders

Space Invaders is the grandaddy of retro. It's a simple game with simple graphics, but it has one of the most vital assets for any computer game: gameplay.  Modern games have a tendancy to forget this with their fancy graphics and huge budgets.  These little alien blobs are all you need!

The more aliens you shoot, the faster the remaining aliens move.  If they get too close, it's game over — so shoot quick.  And watch out for that flying saucer...

Move left – left arrow key       Pause game – P

Move right – right arrow key    Quit game – Q

Fire laser – spacebar              Mute sound – M