holiday posts

Welcome to Freeware Friday, a weekly column showcasing excellent games that you can play free of charge!

Two years ago, there was a particularly funny and well-made holiday game called Merry Gear Solid. It was short but sweet, and the developer decided to go the distance with the sequel. Merry Gear Solid 2 is the sequel, and it is one of the best parodies of the Metal Gear franchise we've seen yet. Hilarious and fun, it only has a few minor problems that hold it back from being even better than the games it is satirizing. It's a must play, especially during the holiday season when the nature of its absurdity is best conveyed.

As if you really need more justification to play The Sims 3, this video demonstrates ten reasons why it can be much more fun to toy with the lives of a virtual family than having to sit down with the actual one.

Download The Sims 3 Holiday Video (17 MB)
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Santa Claus may be jolly, but he's also nosy and quite vengeful. He makes a list then checks it twice, and definitely spies on you to determine whether you've been naughty or nice. If you've been a pest in 2008, do all the good deeds you can before Christmas to avoid seeing any of these under your tree come December 25.

Christmas morning is not the time to break even. What good are all those gift-wrapped PC games if your machine isn't up to the task of running them efficiently? Instead of tube socks, bubble gum, potato chips, and deodorant, make sure to consult Big Download's Stocking Stuffers 08 Guide if you're shopping for that special PC gamer in your life -- or if someone is shopping for you!