The road to magical greatness is difficult, littered with dragons, enchantments, adventure... not to mention test scores, rival students, detentions, and trying to keep your ghostly familiar in check. This incredibly ambitious text adventure from Black Chicken Studios is one part life simulator, one part fantasy RPG, and a whole lot of fun if you have the patience to let yourself become immersed in the tale of the making of the greatest mage of all time... you.

Daniel wakes up on the floor of an ancient castle, unable to remember anything but his name... unfortunate for him since his past might be out to get them. Frictional Games delivers one of the most tense and frightening horror titles in a long time, using superb atmosphere and physics controls to plunge you into a story you won't soon forget... assuming you survive.

A quick ten-minute roguelike designed with casual players in mind. Move through the dungeon screen uncovering bits of the map and finding monsters, treasures, shops and more as you go. Fight enemies to move through more passageways, and before you engage in battle, Desktop Dungeons tells you the result of the first exchange of blows. Gameplay is entirely mouse-driven, and all the information you would ever need is right there in front of you. It's the perfect casual-friendly dungeon crawler that will easily quench your roguelike thirst

A wonderful piece of interactive fiction that plays as if you were using a computer back in 1988. Once you log in to your new system, check your messages and see what's going on. Looks like Mr. Wong sent you instructions on how to dial in to a local BBS. Why not check it out, see what's going on? Soon, a tiny mystery starts to unveil itself, wrapping ribbons of intrigue as you continue playing the game. Very well-written, emotionally touching, and utterly charming thanks to its nostalgic interface.

Dungeon crawling for the masses! Stone Soup puts a friendly face on one of the most daunting genres for non-fans: the dungeon crawler RPG. For starters, a graphical (a.k.a. non-ASCII) interface is readily available, and instead of keyboard commands, you can use the mouse to interact with the game. Even though it's newbie friendly, Stone Soup is filled with all the nuances any respectable dungeon crawler would have, such as an avalanche of items, plenty of floors to explore, and character customization possibilities that border on the endless. You can even play online and compare your stats to the rest of the community as well as participate in tournaments!

Escape from the Underworld is a short exploration platformer that shares some design elements with some of the most successful indie games in recent history: Knytt, Iji, Seiklus, Cave Story, and, well, we could probably go on. In short, Escape from Underworld is a Metroidvania and it's really, really good.

Two years after your victory in the first game, Eschalon Book II finds you living a quiet life... perhaps too quiet, since your skills are beginning to erode, and you find yourself forgetting important details, but troubled by strange dreams. When you awake to find a note on your doorstep from a stranger who claims to know who you really are, you find that the adventure has only just begun in this turn-based isometric RPG featuring open world gameplay.

Inspired by games such as Cave Story and The Underside, EverEternal WinterWorld 2 is a platform adventure with crisp pixel artwork and a lovely set of ability upgrades stashed throughout the game. You're about to build a Winter Machine when suddenly your plan is foiled by former pal Companion Pot. Yes, a piece of ceramics is your nemesis. Expect about a three to five hour adventure with this game, with an average level of challenge and an above-average level of humor.

Galcon Fusion is the latest in the growing line of casual strategy games from Phil Hassey. Following Galcon Classic, the original desktop version of the series, and borrowing a ton of tricks from the iPhone incarnations Galcon and Galcon Labs, Fusion pits you against the rest of the galaxy as you fight for dominance. Featuring high-definition visuals, loads of interesting modes of play, and several fun bells and whistles, Galcon Fusion is a respectable successor in the Galcon line and a captivating casual Risk-like strategy game.

Immortal Souls puts you in the role of John Turner, a street racer-turned vampire who out to protect New Haven from the forces of darkness. This comic-book like, turn-based RPG has detailed art and animation to go with its numerous epic battles. Can you help the forces of light overcome the forces of darkness?

Gaius James Rover is really having a bad day; first the ship he was escorting to the governor was captured by pirates, and when he finally manages to escape he finds out that not everything is on the up-and-up. Also, he's a dog. Jolly Rover is a weird and funny point-and-click adventure with some of the scurviest dogs and cheekiest humour you could ever hope to see.

A beautiful and atmospheric exploration game created by Boss Baddie. It will remind you of Knytt in more ways than one. You play a dark little character trying to get back to the moon. You can't die in this game, only explore, solve a few puzzles, and explore some more. The music and sound effects create the perfect ambience, and some of the visual effects are beyond gorgeous. Unfortunately there's no demo, but the extremely small price tag is as friendly as can be.

Strap on your point-and-click shoes, because these robots are assembled and ready for adventure! In this latest from Wadjet Eye games take control of a group of newly invented miniature robots with unconventional abilities who unwittingly cause trouble for their human creators when they stumble across a villain's strange secret. Fun, funny, and cheerful, Puzzle Bots is a quality adventure that, while short, is great for everyone.

Instead of playing the usual part of "hero who saves the world", Recettear fits you in behind the scenes as shopkeeper, the thankless job of providing an endless supply of items. You'll haggle with customers, make smart purchases as the guild, and even hire adventurers to strike out on your own, looting dungeons in true action/RPG form!

A short adventure game with a whole lot of dark comedy, drinking, and possibly a guy who refuses to leave the loo. You start off more than a bit tipsy at the bar, unable to buy another drink, and believe it or not, things go south from there as you discover a murder plot. Four acts to play through, filled with hallucinations, surreal events, and a lot of mystery. This is one weird game. Also note: this isn't exactly the best sort of game for the younger crowd, in case the description above didn't quite convey that!

In the mood for a seriously intense turn-based strategy game? Solium Infernum is about as non-casual as you can get, featuring no in-game tutorial and a 30+ page instruction manual. But it rewards players with superb open-ended gameplay that has as many paths to victory as you can conjure.

The Journey Down: Over the Edge is a classic-style point and click adventure game released by SkyGoblin. Bwana and Kito, longtime friends and mechanics in Kingsport Bay, are having a bit of a cash problem. The all-powerful and evil electric company is demanding massive payments from everyone, and to top it off, they've made it a punishable offense to visit the area known as "The Edge". Couple that with a woman loaded with cash who's asking questions about Bwana's missing friend, and you've got a great start to what is guaranteed to be a strange and intriguing adventure!

From Bento Smile, creator of Tanaka's Friendly Adventure, comes a short visual novel with multiple endings. You're a member of a game development team putting together the latest crime-centric shoot fest. You're not that in to all the blood and gore, however, and at certain points in the conversation, you have a few different choices to make. Depending on your decisions, you'll nab one of the endings. The game is short but charming, and it's cute enough to warrant a playthrough or two.

The Oil Blue is a clever mixture of a time management game and a tycoon simulation where you lead a crew of workers who strike out into the sea to discover new locations to drill for oil. Each island you reclaim opens the way for your employer, United Oil of Oceania, to establish a permanent operation there. All you have to do is manage the drills, sell the oil, and do everything as efficiently as you can.

The Silver Lining is a fan-created King's Quest adventure game that got the unlikeliest support: the backing of publishing giant Activision. This ten-year old project has nearly been shut down twice by lawyers, but it has finally seen the light of day in the form of its first episode, What Is Decreed Must Be. But is it what fans of the series wanted? And what about people who never donned Graham's cap?

All it takes is one stranger on the road on one dark night to unwittingly set in motion a chain of events that could change the world. Choose your party members from nine distinct personalities and set off on a side-scrolling free RPG adventure through lush environments full of strange characters. Featuring nine chapters, a complex battle scheme, and more, it's a stunning linear adventure that will delight fans of the genre.

Nabbing the largest majority of the votes, Farmergnome's sandbox-style 2D survival game combines a great atmosphere with a strong do-it-yourself philosophy. Out in the cold wilderness, it's your job to travel back and forth searching for firewood, food, and other items of interest. You can use the mouse to arrange some parts of the environment, both for decoration and to help you reach certain areas of the wilderness. Nature will do its best to toy with your intentions, and the pervading theme of loneliness is quite bleak, but the game is solid and gives back a great experience if you take some time to get into it.

What Makes You Tick: A Stitch in Time is a handsome, evocative adventure game from Lassie Games. It features an excellent presentation, puzzles that are solid and never illogical, and a rich storyline. I continue to be entranced by the world of Ravenhallow and vicinity. One novel feature of A Stitch in Time is the ability to play every scene in both day and night. The differences between Ravenhallow in the day and nighttime are not only crucial to solving certain puzzles, but give you nearly twice as much game to explore. Ravenhallow becomes an entirely different world at night.

From Mike Inel, creator of Why, comes Which, a short 3D game. This time around, you're exploring a small house trying to find keys to open locked doors. Look along the walls for clues on how to control your character, and try poking your nose in every corner and suspicious space you can find. The atmosphere is brilliant and the visual style a treat to experience. Got a pair of 3D glasses stuffed in a drawer somewhere? Which has a nice treat for you...

Winter Voices: Avalanche is a quiet, slow-paced, and very different kind of tactical role playing game. You play a young girl living in a snowy village whose father has just passed away. Dealing with the emotions that follow is difficult, and the mysteries surrounding her father's past makes it even more challenging. Avalanche is the first in a series of episodes telling the story of Winter Voices, and if you're looking for a game that's heavy on emotion, character, and storytelling, this one won't disappoint.