Cave Story is a game that needs almost no introduction. It's a platformer that any fan of independent and freeware games can not miss. The graphics, sound, story and gameplay mechanics all cohere and mesh into a game that is a masterpiece by any standards. If you didn't catch our Cave Story article the first time, you should take a second look. And then download the game. It's got some serious legs, and it's no wonder that Nintendo ended up picking up the game for re-release on the Wii with new (although still classic!) graphics and music

After another year of reflection, it's safe to say that Cave Story is still as classic and entertaining as before. The kicker is that over this past year, many games have either been in development or finished that pay homage to or act as an improvement upon Cave Story. The Underside is one that comes most rapidly to mind (although it really gets its inspiration from platformers in general, not necessarily Cave Story), but there have also been other games such as Jenka's Nightmare that improve upon the already stellar themes and mechanics present in Cave Story.


More than any other shooter covered in the past year, rRootage captures the style and flair of danmaku shmups with an unmistakable rave-like minimalism. Simple, yet colorful graphics are accentuated by the heavily electronic soundtrack and serene bullet-dodging gameplay. It's also the most varied, with randomized bullet patterns, many levels, and four separate ways to play the game that reflect upon classic shmups of yore. Truly, it is a must-have for any twitch gamer's computer, and is one of the best "on the road" style games to have around.

What made us choose rRootage over the other Kenta Cho games is the fact that it oozes classicism. While Torus Trooper, Gunroar, and TUMIKI Fighters may be more innovative, rRootage has a timeless quality about it that hearkens back to the ancient days of gaming. The days where you would go to the arcade with ten bucks in quarters and stand entranced in front of a flashing arcade screen as your muscles moved with elegant minimalism to maneuver through levels so hard they could cause your mind to explode. It's an arcade game through a through, and it's a surprise that nobody has adapted it into an arcade machine.


Can there ever be a "best of" freeware list that does not include Tarn Adams' fantasy epic Dwarf Fortress? It's more open-ended and feature-filled than 95% of retail games, and the ability to craft your own stories within the game world both as the leader of a fortress and as an interpid adventurer is pure gaming crack. While the interface puts people off to the game itself, those that can push past will find a gameplay experience so satisfying that one must wonder if the need to manage dwarves is a primal urge.

The reason Dwarf Fortress made this list, besides the fact that it is a phenomenal game, is because over this past year it has been updated countless times. It may still be in alpha status, but it is more complete than most games could ever wish to be. Dwarf Fortress is the game that every person thinks about, but only a few people could ever create. Thankfully, Tarn is one of those people, and his continual updates have fixed countless bugs and added new features, and in general expanded Dwarf Fortress so much since it was written about.


What can we say about Dyson that has not already been said. Originally a part of the procedural generation-themed competition at TIGSource, Dyson has evolved into much more than just a simple prototype. As it turns out, people really have an affinity for minimalist-styled strategy games, and the simple mechanics combined with the zen-like visuals and sound help elevate Dyson to the relaxing RTS that anyone can play without much trouble. Colonizing asteroid belts has, and most likely never will be again, this entertaining.

The reason Dyson is on this list is because, over this past year, we here at BigDownload have watched it grow from a game made in a single month into a retail product being released through Steam and garnering critical recognition at the Independent Games Festival. It's rare that one gets to observe this process so closely, and Dyson will always hold a special place in our hearts for being a phenomenal achievement that has grown into something truly magnificent and awe-inspiring.


Minotaur China Shop is a browser game from Flashbang Studios, and arguably their best browser game available through Blurst. It has got it all: snazzy, greek-inspired graphics, an excellent use of sound, some truly entertaining gameplay mechanics, and a measure of just plain fun. While Flashbang Studios has plenty of games covered in the last year, it's truly Minotaur China Shop that stands out above the rest with its humor and accessiblity.

Minotaur China Shop is partially here because all the rest of the games on this list are stand-alone, and partially because it feels like a complete, finished game that I could buy in store. The incredible amount of replayability is phenomenal, especially since it hinges around both an RPG-style upgrade system as well as balancing two very different styles of play. It also has a hilarious story and some of the best graphics available in a browser game. Flashbang Studios really knows how to twist the Unity engine into desirable shapes, and Minotaur China Shop is the best of all of them.

For another look at freeware games, take a peek at Joystiq's Free Game Club weekly feature!