Free games of the week

This week, I bring you a bunch of strange games to explore and think about during your weekend. In my bag of games, I have a super colorful, yet very challenging game about gaining souls and throwing creatures against much stronger creatures in hopes of destroying them. I have a game about being lost in a childlike mind - stuck in a world where you are forgetting yourself, trying to escape against the wishes of your old friends. A cool car racing game, where a giant decorated skull challenges you, and guides you through intense courses and even through space. A game following the thoughts of a serial killer, and another inside the mind of a detective that can’t quite solve a case… Plenty of new adventures and worlds for you to dive right into.

Looking for more free games? Check out our round up of the best free PC games that you can download and play right now.

Woodfarer by Eva Baginska, Karina Pankov, Mohammad Sadegh H Boroomand, & Yasaman Farazan

In an extremely bright and colorful post-apocalyptic world, you can become a bird who collects spirits, fights strange monsters, and solves little puzzles along the way. Woodfarer is an open world, forest-crawling game where you get the chance to explore a large cursed forest, gathering spirits to lead them to the exit of this world. Each time you come to this cursed forest, the world around you will have changed. Luckily you have your own compass and the ability to map out the world using little drawings on your very own map. Your compass will point to important things around you, begging to be explored.

As you explore, you will find helper spirits that look like small shapes. These tiny creatures will follow you around and willfully allow you to throw them at enemies. If you destroy an enemy, you can gain more spirits which will help you get closer to the exit. Most of the enemies take a lot of hits before they die, so having more than one helper creature is the best idea. You can also throw your helpers at statues and various things within the world to break the objects. Woodfarer has a lot to be discovered, if you can last long enough against the strange creatures that lurk about…

Garden of Oblivion by Helia, Eolyus, Melow, Orties, Roganis, Keul, & Xian

This cute looking point and click adventure holds some dark aspects, as you find yourself in a place called paradise - yet you are unable to leave. You have suddenly awoken in a strange but beautiful world, full of creatures that seem to know you. You don’t know them, despite everyone mentioning you should. Walls surround this place - a closed door that is locked - no one wants you to leave.

But, you know this isn’t your life. You know there is something you should be remembering, so you try to escape. Each time, however, you end up back in bed after a foggy, black dream. Hopefully you can figure out what is going on in this cute looking world. Otherwise, you are going to be trapped forever.

Yucatan by Joe Bain

A giant skull is telling you how to drive a neon car, through strange tracks that sometimes abruptly end. You must drive this car quickly through various tracks - listening to metal music and dodging bombs as you go. As you race swiftly around, you can move over pink objects to gain even more speed. Whipping around corners, gliding across the track, and smashing into small plants and mushrooms all feel amazing. Soon ramps start to appear - and you will need to be going fast if you hope to make it across them. The road ends - just space between you and the next bit of track - so you need to speed towards the jump and make it to the other side.

There is just something about Yucatan - the strange skull, the music pounding in your ears, the explosions from bombs or falling deep into space - that meant I couldn't put it down. Even the description on the game page shows the perplexing yet wonderous game. Yucatan can be played with a keyboard, but is best played with a controller in my opinion.

A Day in the Lie by Jordan Browne & Brian Samuels

Ever wonder what it is like inside the mind of a serial killer? A Day in the Lie sees you listen to a killers thoughts, while watching a day in his life. Everything is normal, or so it seems - just a business person getting ready and going to a normal day at their job. That’s all this really is - the super normal life of someone doing their job. As you move through different scenes, exploring aspects of a very normal day, you listen to the killer talk about how they see things.

He feels like lives are set in stone, following a path, and he is just following his. He is not haunted by his craft and instead looks at it as a skill he has gained. It sometimes bores him. Hearing the story of this man, watching this normal seeming life, makes for an interesting and well presented experience up until the very end.

Philip Marlowe Doesn't Understand The Mystery by The Sand Gardeners

Taking you to another slightly strange narrative, Philip Marlowe Doesn’t Understand The Mystery shows you a window into the life of a detective that just isn’t understanding their case. The clues, the information they have, none of it adds up.

This is what is going on in your head, as you drive down the road, searching for answers and attempting to put together puzzles pieces that just won’t fit. Your notes from the case just don’t make sense - there doesn’t seem to be any answers. You can choose some of the reactions to this frustrating situation, and see what happens to the detective. Things might make sense - or, more likely, you might just try to find answers in things that aren’t even talking to you. Whatever you end up doing, there is another day of work waiting for you tomorrow...