Freeware Showoffs

[NumbuhInfinity]

Not all games have to be bought or even professional. I'm sure we've played some good, free games on our PCs. This is where you get to show 'em off. So, this thread shall be for any decent/good freeware game you've seen or played. They can be older or newer, but if they're older be sure to tell us if Windows XP will be able to handle it (some of us Windows XP people are SOL with certain programs). You can also toss in links to sites that contain freeware games.

Your post must contain the game's title and working link; its genre (shooter, RPG, platformer, etc.); its rating (everyone, teen, mature) and probably why it has that rating (e.g. extreme violence); and a short description of the game. A screenshot or two is also helpful. You may also state why you like it.

I'll start with the link to Home of the Underdogs, a site for games that didn't get the appreciation the site owners feel they deserve, and sometimes has "lost" older games. Not all games are Freeware, but there's quite a few of 'em. It hasn't been updated in a while, though.

www.the-underdogs.info/

[numbuheightbitstar]

Well I figure naming off the 5 Days games would be too predictable (and figured you might want to do those yourself), so I'll instead name:

Betrayal at Krondor
Rating: E, I think
Genre: RPG
System Requirements: Recent computers might require DOSbox. Otherwise, DOS with EMS enabled.
Link
A dark elf has betrayed his people in order to warn the good people of Midkemia of a coming invasion. This game's a sort-of sequel to the Riftwar novels of Raymond E. Feist, but you don't have to read them to understand the game. It's a first-person perspective game but has a tactical battle system. Your characters don't "level up" in the traditional sense, however you can set them to train certain skills which improve as you go on.

Besides being downloadable, BaK is also included as a bonus with the hardcover edition of the book Krondor: The Betrayal (which is a novelization of the game).

Nethack
Genre: RPG
Rating: E
System Requirements: Will run on pretty much anything (tested--works on XP!)
Link
The. Best. RPG. Ever. Made. Well okay, maybe not, but it's certainly fun. It's a traditional dungeon-crawler with randomly-generated levels, except that you have so many OPTIONS! Run across a fountain? Drink from it, kick it, yell curse words at it... you may get healed, find yourself poisoned, get turned into a newt, or find that a water nymph who says nothing but "Hello Sailor!" has appeared next to you and is picking your pockets! There are so many situations that can arise in this game, and some of the deaths and failures are just as much fun as winning! Seriously, you haven't played RPGs until you've played Nethack.

[NumbuhInfinity]

^ I think you mentioned Nethack before; from what you're telling me, the creators must have took a loooad of time to put all those kinds of things in there. I gotta give 'em props for that, and I haven't even played the game yet.

I think I wanted to see what BoK was all about, but saw the download size and got scared away. It doesn't help Home of the Underdogs disallows download accelerators (so I can't resume downloads). I'd probably have to get it while I'm at school, which has a fast connection speed.


Since you gave me the honors , I'll give off the links to 5 Days... as well as others.

Title: 5 Days a Stranger
Genre: Point 'n Click adventure
Rating: I'd say Teen due to blood in certain scenes, and mild freakiness
Linkie: www.the-underdogs.info/game.php?id=4589

The only other point 'n click game I've ever played before this were King's Quest V and VI. So this was my third one. And boy, was it worth it. The mystery, the suspense, the plot twistyness, the tearing-my-hair-out-trying-to-find-out-how-to-progress. Must... play...

Title: 7 Days a Skeptic
Genre: Point 'n Click adventure
Rating: Teen
Linkie: www.the-underdogs.info/game.php?id=4986

This is similar to 5 Days a Stranger, however I felt it wasn't as good as the predecessor. It had more chasing scenes than mystery and suspense. And the ending was odd. But it was decent.

Titles: King's Quest I & II Remakes
Genre: Point 'n Click adventure
Rating: I'd say Everyone
Linkie: www.agdinteractive.com/

Those of you who played the originals may be disappointed to know it's point-and-click instead of typing. I don't know how the original games were like, so I can't compare. However, I have enjoyed them both immensely, especially the second game. Like in the other KQ games I've played, there's multiple solutions to some puzzles, as well as humorous messages when you examine certain things or try to do something stupid, and smart-alecky remarks about your... fate. Sometimes I die on purpose just to see what they'll say. Oh, I'm dragging it on too long. Just download them!

Title: King's Quest III Remake
Genre: Point 'n Click adventure
Rating: Everyone, I'd think
Linkie: www.infamous-adventures.com/kq3/index.php?page=home

Now the third game has been remade; and much like the first two, it's been point-and-clickinized, if it will somehow affect your enjoyment if you've played the original (I haven't). I actually found this kinda short, once you know what to do, but longer than KQ I. This may be due to the remakers of KQ II added in extra cutscenes, dialouge, puzzles, and rooms. While I personally found KQ II's Remake the best of the three, and it wasn't quiiiite as clever as the first two (may be because this one was by a different team), this was still enjoyable and challenging, though there's a slight gripe where you won't use certain items for such a long time you end up not using them at all when the time comes when you CAN use them. Still, download it. Now.

Oh, and all three of the remakes contain voice-acting, and they even got the original voice-actor of Graham (Josh Mandel).

EDIT: Typo.

[numbuheightbitstar]

Actually, the reason HOTU's download is so big (for BaK) is because theirs is the CD-ROM version, with all sorts of extras included. I think at some sites you can download the disk version, which is MUCH smaller and is virtually no different from the CD-ROM edition. I'll have to look.

Oh, and you forgot to cover...

Trilby's Notes
Genre: Type-in-your-command adventure
Rating: Teen
Linkie Linkie arabinkie!
The long-awaited third game in the 5 Days series, taking place two years after 5 Days a Stranger, has Trilby having become a paranormal investigator for the British and being sent out to discover the whereabouts of a cursed idol... and things get strange. Honestly, I thought this was BETTER than the previous games! A definite recommendation, but I'd suggest playing 5 and 7 Days first.

[NumbuhInfinity]

Reviving this thread 'cause, come on, surely SOME people have played freeware games before?

[numbuheightbitstar]

Why would they when they can play the massively commercialized and overhyped sequel of the year?

[numbuheightbitstar]

Well I hope you don't mind me bumping this topic, because I just thought of a freeware game that you would have to be crazy (or having technical issues with) NOT to like!

Mean Bean Machine 2000
Genre: Puzzle
Rating: Everyone (or at least, those who want thrills!)
Linkidy Split!
If the title sounds slightly familiar, it's because this game is essentially a remake of the Sega Genesis classic Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (which itself was a remake of Puyo Puyo). The way it plays like this: Pairs of beans drop from the sky, and you have to put them in groups of four to make them disappear.

It's possible to cause "chain reactions" if you make a successful four-bean match and it happens to cause other matches to occur--which is what you want, because you've got an opponent. Every time you get rid of more than four beans at a time or cause a chain reaction, you send "trash" blocks over to your opponent which hurts his progress. If his screen gets too full, he loses. Of course, he's gonna be trying to do the same thing to you.

Honestly, I have never met anyone who didn't play at least one version of this game without getting hopelessly addicted. Bean Machine is just THAT good. Maybe it's the hectic competition. Maybe it's the thrill of making matches against an opponent. Maybe it's the rare SUPER ULTRA MASSIVE COMBOS.

Did I mention the game has a two-player mode?