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Glum Buster

Ethereal indie platforming/puzzling/adventuring ahoy, in this strangely, sedately beautiful thing. It's a game of exploration, occasionally stating necessary controls but never your objectives - those you work out for yourself. Every once in a while, it'll throw in an elegant curveball, totally altering your abilities, your obstacles, your environments and whether or not you're riding on the back of a giant grasshopper.

What's it about? It's about busting glum. And, er, flying and castles and stuff. There is perhaps something a little anodyne, a little show-for-show's sake, about it, but it's a dream-like and charming experience, and a testament to the astonishing amount of prettiness you can squeeze out of just a few pixels and colours.

It's also so-called Charityware. The game's free, but you can donate if you like it. If you do so, 51% of your payment goes the Starlight Children's Foundation, and the rest to Glum Buster's one-man creator, Justin Leingang aka Cosmind. As the donations increase in number, the percentage of them that goes to charity increases, until it hits 99%. A lovely idea - and while no doubt most players will hit and run, hopefully it'll earn a few banknotes for both Cosmind and Starlight. Grab the game from here - the donation link's on that page too.

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