Game 71: Hedgehog Launch

Like the little prickly wonders in the Beatrix Potter books, this hedgehog is cute. Unlike them he is not safety conscious, quite the opposite in fact. The ultimate aim to launch him into space but he is going to crash to earth a good few times before you succeed. In order to gather the right skills and equipment (including funky goggles) to get your chap into space you need to pick up coins and buy upgrades with them. The final achievement is worth it though: so beautiful, so vast.

Use the mouse to drag and release the hedgehog and then use the left and right arrow keys to power the left and right boosters and, once you've got them, the up arrow to fire yourself higher, and the down arrow to release your parachute.

Game 65: Scarygirl

Scarygirl is the sort of game that we dream about. It is enormous. It is hours long. It is at least five games rolled seamlessly into one (and that's before you take into account the eight classic console games you can unlock!). It has amazing graphics. It has an incredible intro. It is easy. It is difficult. It has replayability. It is innovative.

This is a platformer, in which you play the scarygirl of the title. You must jump about the pretty cartoon worlds picking up gems and fish, and beating enemies. You have to find your friends and gather information, build a motorbike, drive it around and all this in some of the most fabulous surroundings you can imagine. Think about if Tim Burton made a game... then make it better - then you have this. Astounding.

Game 57: The Blue Beanie

The Blue Beanie; A Samorostian, headwear-saving adventure from a new kid on the block.

Daphne Lim has made this adventure game with such a lovely mix of care, delicacy and humour that it's difficult not to fall for it. The plot begins with a happy family of white blob people living in a tree and washing their clothes.

Then the youngest has his beanie hat stolen by a big bird and so begins a quest with some nice interfaces, simple puzzles, cute music and pretty settings. If you liked Samorost, you'll like this. So help the little guy out won't ya?

Game 53: Dolphin Olympics 2

Here we have Dolphin Olympics 2, a sequel with some great new features. Firstly, other sea creatures will now interact with you. In fact, you can earn more points by getting other fish to follow your lead and jump out of the water. Magic rings both above and below the water give you a quick speed boost and can help you reach the dizzy heights of outer-space (complete with 1950's sci-fi-movie-style music). There are some new tricks and secrets to discover as you try to swim, leap and tail-slide yourself onto the high score board. I was a big fan of the original Dolphin Olympics and the sequel does not disappoint. Although the mechanics and aim of the game are pretty much the same, this has a slightly different look to it, with significantly more detail added to the sea bed and background. Once again, the challenge is in chaining together strings of successive tricks to boost your multiplier and amass some massive scores. And the trick to that is ensuring that your re-entry to the water is perfect every time.

Whilst this is a great way to spend your five minute coffee break, this game will reward replay with new moves and ever higher places to explore. I'll leave you to discover most of the secrets that are hidden in this game, but if you run the game at different times of day or night, you will be pleasantly surprised (change your system clock and re-load the page if you don't believe me).

Game 35: Shadez - The Black Operations

In this real time strategy game you are "the General of a mercenary force hired by the governments around the world to fight the wars they don't want to fight." Excited yet?!

Rather than the A-Team you control a beautifully rendered army of soldiers with an increasingly powerful arsenal of weaponry. As you choose your troops and artillery wisely, they stream from left to right across the misty, Vietnam-esque landscape battling whatever approaches from right to left. With enough scope to keep you involved for hours on end, this could be another job-destroyer. Don't blame me.

Have your clicking finger at the ready and unleash hell. Click on the various options across the bottom to pick troops, arrange air strikes, roll in the artillery and more. All in the name of death... War is an expensive business!

Plan for the future... just having missiles doesn't mean you have to use them... but as long as you have them, then you can use them if things get hairy. Don't think the opponents are gonna hold back!

Game 27: Climate Chaos

Rabbits are blue and red, seals enjoy sea shells, and foxes make successful hotel owners. Those are just a few of the lessons we learn from Climate Chaos, an adventure game set on a group of small islands. The main character is Blue Rabbit, who, like your average rabbit, equipped with a digital camera, sets out on a quest to help the natives of the various islands to solve their problems with the local weather. Upon your arrival on the island, you are greeted by the island's hotel's owner, who advises you to check in. You can take that advice, or you can talk to the locals first, to get a feel for the game. Some people will only appear after you have checked in, so don't forget to do that. From there, it's up to you to follow the storyline. 

A brief tutorial at the beginning introduces you to the intuitive controls as well as to the nicely done symbolic language that is used throughout the game. With just 3 icons, Dancing Seal tells you that he loves the sea. The system is vaguely reminiscent of Tork, though it aims to make communication easy as opposed to making it part of the riddles. Give it a go, I'll bet you enjoy it!

Game 25: Haluz

Haluz is a game of the point-and-click variety that contains several scenes and a variety of simple puzzles that must be solved to advance.

What do you do when a very large bird makes off with your rooftop satellite dish? Well, use the resources around you to your best advantage and get it back of course.

Haluz is a beautiful game within its class and the closest I've seen come to the stunning imagery seen in Samorost, which is without a doubt the inspiration behind this game. Although similar in appearance, the puzzles here are sometimes more awkward and confusing than in Samorost. Still, if you love games like this you will definately enjoy Haluz, too. 

Game 23: Fancy Pants Adventures: World Two

The second chapter in Brad Borne's epic tale of a man with righteous pants is here, and it is spectacular. Fancy Pants Adventure: World Two is a platform game focused on high-speed acrobatics, like a hand-drawn Sonic the Hedgehog. Twice the size of the original, World 2 is one of the most ambitious flash games out there, bursting with thrills, imagination, and whimsy. It even comes with its own motto — "Be fancy" — and that is probably the best advice you'll get from a video game this year.

Easy to play, difficult to master. The controls are simple; Move left and right with the arrow keys and press [S] to jump. Press [down] to slide mid-run or roll down hills. You will encounter big black spiders and snails, and these can be dispatched by bouncing on their heads or sliding into them. But enemies are rare. Most of your time will be spent charging around in a gleeful trance, exploring the exaggerated physics of the Fancy Pants universe. So go on, have a go, and enjoy playing the Zaphod Beeblebrox of stick figures!

Game 22: Questionaut

Step into another surreal world created by Amanita Design (creators of Samorost). Commissioned for BBC's Bitesize series, with eight totally separate environments, Questionaut feels like stepping into a story book and becoming one of its characters. And thanks to Questionaut's powerful imagery, it feels like a living universe that continues to exist even after you've shut down your browser. Just delightful.
I know what you're thinking. "Oh no, not another game where your friend's hat gets carried away by a bubble, and you have to chase after it in your hot air balloon fueled by pure knowledge! When will game designers come up with some new ideas?" I understand. I'm sympathetic. But give it a chance, as despite the fact that the target audience for Questionaut is primary school students, there is enough wonder and imagination here for gamers of all ages. As usual, Amanita has loaded its game with soothing mossy textures and rickety mechanical systems. Each level is a self-contained environment floating in the sky, with its own placid inhabitants, surreal logic, and gorgeously quirky music. 

So... Enjoy.

Game 21: Tipping Point

You've been looking for some kind of escape — a vacation to paradise, maybe, but you'd probably just settle for a nap. So, here, you now find yourself sitting in front of this screen once again. But why are you wearing those pale green socks?

Welcome to Tipping Point, a point-and-click adventure with serene, highly detailed graphics and soft music, this game is a break away from the ordinary. 

In the first chapter, you'll find yourself stuck in front of the TV, with nothing better to do than channel surf. This will soon change, as you begin to be followed by great blue herons and answer a call for help. In the second chapter, you'll be scrambling for clues along a deserted beach. Well, deserted except for the herons. They must like you. The third chapter whisks you away to a tropical rain forest with exotic birds and bugs buzzing all around. There is even a treehouse to explore.

Tipping Point is slightly strange, moderately challenging, and intensely beautiful. While the storyline is little odd and surreal, the puzzles are straightforward and logical; most can be solved just by exploring and clicking around, so don't be afraid to do a little hunt-and-clicking. As soon as the game starts to seem too simple though, you may suddenly find yourself stuck, and pushing towards your own Tipping Point!

Game 8: Flash Element TD

The aim of this great little Warcraft-themed, tower defense game is to kill everything that moves, from sheep to evil bosses (aka. Creeps) before they reach the end of the maze. You do this by building attacking towers on the grass around the maze. At the beginning you can build only basic towers, to build advanced ones you have to do some research using wood, you receive one wood after every 7 waves of Creeps.
Flash Element TD is yet another addictive little game, one which I have spent far too long playing, so now it's time to pass it on to you guys... Good luck!

Place the cursor over the different options in-game for more detailed information.