101 Free games from the December issue of Computer Gaming World. All of the descriptions are from the article and can be thought of as in quotes. Game mods will follow tomorrow (hopefully).
Freeware
Abuse 2
The side-scrolling action-game extraordinaire is back.
America's Army: Operations
This online multiplayer game offers terrorist-busting action that in some ways surpasses the Rainbow Six series. It gives a deeper appreciation for the exacting training, preparation, and teamwork needed in the real world.
Ancient Domains of Mystery
Yes, it's ASCII. And yes, it's arguably better than Nethack.
Beneath a Steel Sky
A cyberpunk adventure in the adventure genre.
Blip & Blop: Balls of Steel
Blast Pokemon, Care Bears, Smurfs, and other icons to smithereens while you wait for the inevitable lawsuit.
Colossus
Free Java version of the boardgame Titans, a fantasy wargame featuring mythical creatures.
Falcon's Eye
Adventure game that turns Nethack's ASCII symbols into isometric graphics.
GeneRally
A top-down racing game that includes a physics engine with enough detail to keep things interesting. There's a varied selection of cars and if you can't find someone to race against, you can also whup your ghost car.
Grand Theft Auto
Hidden away on Rockstar Games' website is a free complete version. Downloading this is a serious commitment - 328 MB - and Rockstar is limiting the number of concurrent connections to keep its servers from crashing.
Little Fighter 2
You're little. You fight. You're a little fighter.
Notrium
Use Crimsonland-like (a game in Shareware) controls to solve puzzles and escape a hostile planet.
Orbiter
Space shuttle flight simulator that can handle everything from the surface of the Earth to the far reaches of the solar system. Lots of add-ons and high-res textures and the next installment promises particle effects and other goodies.
Pekka Kana 2
Side-scrolling action at its finest and free-est.
Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Lets up to 32 players battle through an entire campaign, leveling up their skills and abilities in the process. It also introduces several new character classes essential to the kind of teamwork this game requires.
Stair Dismount and Truck Dismount
The objective? Do the most possible damage to a crash-test dummy by booting him down the stairs or putting him in, on, or in front of a speeding truck.
Steel Panthers: World at War
An old DOS game updated to work in Windows and offers enough scenarios to keep any WWII buff occupied indefinitely.
Stick Soldiers 2
Even its simplistic graphics can't bring down the gameplay.
The Ardennes Offensive
This Korsun Pocket predecessor is a fantastic strategy game with a great interface.
Vantage Masters Online
Not the greatest game ever, but where else will you find a free online RPG?
Wazzal
This top-down action-adventure game plays out like pirates in outer space.
Shareware
Avernum 3
Huge, open-ended hardcore turn-based RPG that hearken back to the glory days of Ultima.
Base Golf
Bizarre blend of golf and baseball that's more challenging than its cartoony graphics and weird subject matter would imply.
Bookworm
Rack up a big score by hunting out words snaking through the jumble of Scrabble-style tiles while making sure to use up buring tiles before they hit the bottom of the screen and end the game.
Bridge Construction Set
No-frills civil engineering sim is way more fun than it should be.
Crimsonland
Third-person shooter that features fast paced "one man against the swarming hordes" gameplay. Has loads of unique power-ups and a very cool experience-point system for buying crucial character-improving perks.
Doom
Good old-school first person shooter still available (Win95 version recommended)
Hollywood Mogul
Little more than a spreadsheet program, but if you suspend disbelief, you can produce all of your dream movie projects, from assigning writers and hiring talent to determining advertising and production budgets, and even pimping your films for awards.
Kyodai Mahjongg
Fancy-pants cross between Concentration and solitaire, with an international flair.
Laser Squad Nemesis
From the makers of X-Com but multiplayer in focus, this is a squad-based play-by-e-mail alien-hunting strategy game which includes a tutorial, three actual e-mail matches, and unlimited hotseat play.
Mutant Storm
A psycho candy-colored cross of Robotron and Asteroids, this arcade shooter is packed with 89 furious levels of pandemonium.
Pure Pinball
Shareware version of Excessive Speed, a glitzy racing-themes table with more ramps than the US freeway system.
Ricochet Xtreme
An Arkanoid-style arcade game that delivers a slew of cool power-ups, frenzied multiple-ball-bouncing mayhem, and a seemingly endless number of incredibly clever and challenging levels.
Rings of Magi
Object of this puzzle game is to line up rows of colored rings to clear them from the screen - very tough at higher levels.
Rocket Mania Deluxe
From the creator of Bejeweled and Bookworm, here you need to connect fuses to set off fireworks.
Samurai
Looks more than a little hex-based Risk board, but it's a brilliant land-grab strategy game for up to four players.
Snood
Connect three or more heads to make them disappear.
Starscape
Features resource collection and management, research, galactic exploration and navigation, ship design and customized ship creation, cool art direction, and fun Asteroids style space combat.
Starters Orders
Sports-strategy hybrid that lets you train and race your own Thoroughbreds.
Zillions of Games 2.0
Collection of puzzle-based board games that can easily be minimized in a window.
Freeware
Abuse 2
The side-scrolling action-game extraordinaire is back.
America's Army: Operations
This online multiplayer game offers terrorist-busting action that in some ways surpasses the Rainbow Six series. It gives a deeper appreciation for the exacting training, preparation, and teamwork needed in the real world.
Ancient Domains of Mystery
Yes, it's ASCII. And yes, it's arguably better than Nethack.
Beneath a Steel Sky
A cyberpunk adventure in the adventure genre.
Blip & Blop: Balls of Steel
Blast Pokemon, Care Bears, Smurfs, and other icons to smithereens while you wait for the inevitable lawsuit.
Colossus
Free Java version of the boardgame Titans, a fantasy wargame featuring mythical creatures.
Falcon's Eye
Adventure game that turns Nethack's ASCII symbols into isometric graphics.
GeneRally
A top-down racing game that includes a physics engine with enough detail to keep things interesting. There's a varied selection of cars and if you can't find someone to race against, you can also whup your ghost car.
Grand Theft Auto
Hidden away on Rockstar Games' website is a free complete version. Downloading this is a serious commitment - 328 MB - and Rockstar is limiting the number of concurrent connections to keep its servers from crashing.
Little Fighter 2
You're little. You fight. You're a little fighter.
Notrium
Use Crimsonland-like (a game in Shareware) controls to solve puzzles and escape a hostile planet.
Orbiter
Space shuttle flight simulator that can handle everything from the surface of the Earth to the far reaches of the solar system. Lots of add-ons and high-res textures and the next installment promises particle effects and other goodies.
Pekka Kana 2
Side-scrolling action at its finest and free-est.
Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Lets up to 32 players battle through an entire campaign, leveling up their skills and abilities in the process. It also introduces several new character classes essential to the kind of teamwork this game requires.
Stair Dismount and Truck Dismount
The objective? Do the most possible damage to a crash-test dummy by booting him down the stairs or putting him in, on, or in front of a speeding truck.
Steel Panthers: World at War
An old DOS game updated to work in Windows and offers enough scenarios to keep any WWII buff occupied indefinitely.
Stick Soldiers 2
Even its simplistic graphics can't bring down the gameplay.
The Ardennes Offensive
This Korsun Pocket predecessor is a fantastic strategy game with a great interface.
Vantage Masters Online
Not the greatest game ever, but where else will you find a free online RPG?
Wazzal
This top-down action-adventure game plays out like pirates in outer space.
Shareware
Avernum 3
Huge, open-ended hardcore turn-based RPG that hearken back to the glory days of Ultima.
Base Golf
Bizarre blend of golf and baseball that's more challenging than its cartoony graphics and weird subject matter would imply.
Bookworm
Rack up a big score by hunting out words snaking through the jumble of Scrabble-style tiles while making sure to use up buring tiles before they hit the bottom of the screen and end the game.
Bridge Construction Set
No-frills civil engineering sim is way more fun than it should be.
Crimsonland
Third-person shooter that features fast paced "one man against the swarming hordes" gameplay. Has loads of unique power-ups and a very cool experience-point system for buying crucial character-improving perks.
Doom
Good old-school first person shooter still available (Win95 version recommended)
Hollywood Mogul
Little more than a spreadsheet program, but if you suspend disbelief, you can produce all of your dream movie projects, from assigning writers and hiring talent to determining advertising and production budgets, and even pimping your films for awards.
Kyodai Mahjongg
Fancy-pants cross between Concentration and solitaire, with an international flair.
Laser Squad Nemesis
From the makers of X-Com but multiplayer in focus, this is a squad-based play-by-e-mail alien-hunting strategy game which includes a tutorial, three actual e-mail matches, and unlimited hotseat play.
Mutant Storm
A psycho candy-colored cross of Robotron and Asteroids, this arcade shooter is packed with 89 furious levels of pandemonium.
Pure Pinball
Shareware version of Excessive Speed, a glitzy racing-themes table with more ramps than the US freeway system.
Ricochet Xtreme
An Arkanoid-style arcade game that delivers a slew of cool power-ups, frenzied multiple-ball-bouncing mayhem, and a seemingly endless number of incredibly clever and challenging levels.
Rings of Magi
Object of this puzzle game is to line up rows of colored rings to clear them from the screen - very tough at higher levels.
Rocket Mania Deluxe
From the creator of Bejeweled and Bookworm, here you need to connect fuses to set off fireworks.
Samurai
Looks more than a little hex-based Risk board, but it's a brilliant land-grab strategy game for up to four players.
Snood
Connect three or more heads to make them disappear.
Starscape
Features resource collection and management, research, galactic exploration and navigation, ship design and customized ship creation, cool art direction, and fun Asteroids style space combat.
Starters Orders
Sports-strategy hybrid that lets you train and race your own Thoroughbreds.
Zillions of Games 2.0
Collection of puzzle-based board games that can easily be minimized in a window.
