Five smart, different, creative indie browser games

While preparing the script for the next Gamamoto game I have been researching for interesting, creative browser games. I present here some results of the search, plus a shameless self promotion at the end. The games here listed are small production that IMHO have the conceptual (in story and design) depth that often AAA games lack.

1. 1899 Steam & Spirit

The game has an original and interesting plot and is filled with puzzles cleverly put together – moreover the steampunk design makes fills my heart of love and compassion.

Play here: Winston

What is quite amazing is the fact that this game is a pure HTML + JavaScript game, which means that you can happily play it pretty anywhere.

The authors: this is the author’s blog:

How to like it: The game’s first page has a link to PayPal for donations.

2. Bela Kovacs and The Trail of Blood

A “Film Noire investigation in Eastern-Europe”, the illustrations are beautiful, and the characters interesting.

Play here: Bela Kovacs

The author: these clever Hungarian fellows can be found here.

How to like it: If you play the game through Kongregate (which is nice for resuming it) you can “tip” (donate) to the game.

3. Alone in the park

A very originally written search game.

Play here: Alone in the park

This is how this intriguing adventure is described by the author, Miss Katharine Neil:

Alone in the Park is a hybrid text/graphic adventure. In a few hours of gameplay you will encounter the worst that 21st century humanity has to offer (they may not be violent but they are extremely annoying) and with any luck you will complete loads of quests and find the treasure hidden somewhere in the park.

The adventure as game mechanics go is hardly original, but the writing is funny and well-written, e.g. getting to the scene in the picture ‘the rock wall in front … definitely not for climbing, except by people of low intelligence’, and so on:

Anyway, the design and music, feels good just to walk around this game.

The author: can be found here http://kippersmightypen.blogspot.com/

How to like it: I haven’t found a way for players to donate financially; probably for the moment the best you can do is to like the app Facebook page.

4. Rizzoli & Isles – The Masterpiece Murders

This is an investigation game, cleverly illustrated – like all Pastel games.

Play here on Kongregate.

There is also a free iPad version here.

The authors: Pastel Games.

How to like it: If you play the game through Kongregate (which is nice for resuming it) you can “tip” (donate) to the game.

P.S. Try also this other Pastel game, Aurora, and then tell me how to find her.

5. Adslife

Last but not least, the HTML game created by ourselves, Adslife: “Hunt for customers on the web and duel with other agencies. Live the life of a talented and cursed visionary creative.”

Play here: Adslife

The authors: Gamamoto games.

How to like it: The game first part is free, you will need to do a purchase on Paypal to keep playing.

Players have created the most amazing ads in the game, some are shown in the Adslife Museum of Contemporary Advertising:

More…

Let’s take a look at some more games that don’t have the conceptual richness of the ones above but are still quite creative.

“MFA Prep Course”: Café

I really, really liked this non-game by Ludogenesis. You’re simply wasting time, maybe relaxing – maybe.

Play here: http://ludogenesis.org/games/cafe/

Here is one of the authors on the game:

I have a strained relationship with the word “game.” On the one hand MFA Prep Course is a game because it is made in flash, and you play it on a computer, and you can interact with it, and c’mon, just look at it. On the other hand, it has no goal or challenge, no win or lose conditions, no progress. It has a score, but the only reason for it to exist is to drive people who want it to be a game crazy.

The authors: this is the author’s blog: http://www.ludogenesis.org/blog/?p=150

How to like it: No idea; maybe you can ask at marek.kapolka (at) gmail (dot) com.

Hungry Sumo

This beautiful, absurd and totally addictive; the music is brilliant too.

Play here: http://ninjakiwi.com/Games/Arcade/Play/Hungry-Sumo.html

How to like it: There are ads everywhere – so the best way to help is just to spread the link.

The Secret of Grisly Manor

This is a story/puzzle game, not particularly intriguing, but the sound is nicely managed, and it is all in HTML.

Play here: Grisly Manor

The authors: Fire Maple Games.

By the way, anyone can suggest more HTML5 games that are “interesting”? Mean like have a good story, quality design & do not have neither zombies nor cities / farms to maintain…

Finale

The last link is just a video, as the online game I found does not seem to work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOB8U1ESvfw

The pompous soundtrack and the wild contents… just too funny – please please tell me how to play this.

Please send suggestions for a “second part” of this post to info@gamamoto.com.

Here all the links of this post in a nice booklet provided by Licorize.

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