Free games of the week - August 11th 2018

Another week packed full of new releases and interesting games, all placed on the internet for free! You can play a story-driven puzzle platformer, where you and your trusty cube must figure out what is going on in a spaceship. You could attempt to be a rhythmic orc, dancing through a dungeon and taking selfies along the way. If neon worlds without characters are something you like, we've a game that challenges your reflexes. Or, on more serious notes, you can explore a depressed mind or follow a journey through a visual representation of a break up...

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

Shellflower by Hayden McCraw

Become an adorable young girl named Bec as she tries to fix the continuum reactor inside a massive space station. Shellflower is a puzzle platformer where you are harshly awoken by an alarm. Bec’s pretty unphased by this at first - these happen all the time, because it turns out that the machine that maintains the fabric of time and space is quite temperamental.

But then things get interesting. It turns out that not only is the continuum reactor throwing a fit, but there’s also is an unknown, possibly hostile entity somewhere on the ship. Bec suddenly has to kick into hyperdrive, solving puzzles quickly with a little cube mate. These floating geometric friends each have their own personality, but no matter which one you get to pal around with you’ll be shooting lasers, picking up blocks, and solving puzzles with them by your side. Your cube can even bend gravity. Hopefully, with your trusty companion in tow, you can make it through all of the puzzles in the station.

Dungeon & Dancers by Impressive Entertainment

Following the beat of the music in a disco dungeon, where you take on the role of an extremely fashionable orc in Dungeons & Dancers - a short but fun rhythm-based dungeon crawler. You must move around the dungeon in time with the beat, taking each step precisely when you need to, in order to avoid traps and enemies. As you jive to the rhythm, you can collect various music notes to help improve your score.

Music notes and smiley faces on the floor are the good things in this dungeon. (Smiley faces allow you to take an all important selfie, giving you a nice checkpoint if you happen to die.) If you dance flawlessly, you should be able to avoid the pitfalls, but sometimes mistakes are made. You also have a time limit before the music and the dungeon expire, so you need to constantly move towards the door. There are only a few levels so far, but Dungeon & Dancers is well worth a go.

Hyperloop Escape by Stray Cat Studios

If you’re confident in your reflexes then Hyperloop Escape will test that confidence. Currently in beta, Hyperloop Escape sends you flying through a neon world, and you have to avoid the solid objects coming towards you. As you move constantly forwards you collect orbs and shoot through rings of electricity, all while avoid anything that looks like it could kill you. Part endless runner with a bit of the flavour of “rhythm violence” game Thumper, you’ll definitely figure out what you’re supposed to do in a single play of Hyperloop Escape. Doing it is a bit harder.

The controls are simple: you’re able to tap a button to start moving up, and tap it again to move down. You can also turn left and right, trying to avoid whatever is in your way. The further you go, the faster the world gets, especially if you start moving through these rings of electricity.

Soon, the colors will start to melt together, and you have to make very quick decisions. Your goal is to get the highest possible score. If you are up for the challenge, take on the bright world of Hyperloop.

This is Reality by ScribbleScape

For something a little more serious, This is Reality is a unique and stylish platformer where you play as Ryan - a man who’s being dumped. On the way to meet your love for what you think is a date, it comes as a shock to learn things haven’t worked out. Suddenly the earth drops from under your feet, and reasons fall from the sky trying to crush you down. You can try to outrun them, but there is only so far people can run.

Once you get to the end, it seems like the only thing you can do is be crushed. Hopefully you can somehow find good in all of this and make your way out and back to reality. There’s only one way to go, really. This is Reality is a very touching platformer full of meaning, and though it’s currently a short demo made for Castle Jam 2018, the creators are hoping to make it into a full game.

T R A P P E D by bphillips

Following on the subject of relationships, T R A P P E D explores emotions from a much more abstract angle, but is described as being a “representation of what it is like to feel guilty, detached, depressed, and suicidal.”. You get to experience a bunch of different worlds, each one representing how a feeling. From sturdy platforms falling to blank homes, it’s your choice to move forward and explore. In between each area, you must take some time to contemplate within an elevator, before being delivered to the new level.

Although there are only a few different scenes to explore, each one is both well made and interesting. Take your time exploring them, understanding what you think is going on, and deciding when you are ready to move on. Each is meant to be fully experienced before you rush onto the next scene. Why not see what T R A P P E D means to you?

Disclosure: Jupiter Hadley is an apprentice games wizard at Armor Games, helping them to find released free games to sign.