Friday Skive

Let's face facts: if you're here reading this page, you're clearly not doing whatever you're supposed to be getting on with. You're already reading about games, so why not take the next logical step and actually play one? Each week we'll pick out a handful of games we've stumbled across, so all you have to do is make your choice and click. Just remember to keep an eye out for your boss...

Die Hipster - sofake

(Play it here, via newgrounds)

My biggest problem with Die Hipster is that the main character - a skinny-jean-wearing puppet with an arm full of starry tattoos - isn't actually all that much of a hipster. I'd lump him in with those gloomy emos, actually. Anyway, the rather sombre concept behind Die Hipster is to help this fashion conscious oik kill himself. This takes the form of a rudimentary platformer, but it's more the weird visuals and quirky humour that are likely to draw players to the game. As you clamber up buildings, you'll see couples having sex through the windows, and a rather seedy looking puppet (with his wang out) taking a picture of a naked woman. This more than makes up for the terrible controls.

Slow Death - cumSum

(Play it here, via newgrounds)

In the incredibly emotional Slow Death, you bounce a little white ball into a pink pair of lungs using a cigarette. The white ball represents the damage that smoking has on a pair of lungs. The longer you play (smoke), the more of the lungs you will gradually destroy. Just like real life. It takes a long time to do big damage, of course, but the message comes through clear all the same. A percentage counter in the corner tracks your process. Admittedly I've yet to get past 3% without getting bored, but I found the game to be interesting enough to warrant a mention nonetheless.

Sushi Cat 2 - Armor Games

(Play it here, via newgrounds)

Sushi Cat 2 is a game that involves feeding a cat with as much sushi as felinely possibly so that he grows fat (and tall) enough to rescue his friend (or is it lover?) from the clutches of an evil dog. It's a slightly perplexing concept, but the gameplay itself is no more complex than dropping a spherical cat down a series of maze-like courses. The idea is to plan where you drop your cat so that you collect as much sushi as possible before hitting the bottom. There's not a whole lot to it, but cutesy sounds and a disgustingly cute aesthetic make this a strangely engaging experience.