Possibly inspired by Valve's Portal, You Have to Burn the Rope is an extremely short game that features good pixel art and sound production using DrPetter's sfxr tool. There is only one solution to the problem, though the credits will be remembered long after you've managed to beat the final boss.

Name: You Have to Burn the Rope
Developer: Kian Bashiri
Category: Action
Type: Browser
Soundtrack: Available

Super Smashed Bros is essentially a remake of at least ten arcade and console classics from Nintendo's impressive back catalogue. The game sports amateur art but the humour is spot on, conveyed by the cutscenes which preludes every new level.

Press the T key, then click on the cross to configure your preferred control settings. Use the left alt and enter key to switch between full screen and windowed mode. Press the F2 key to restart at any time. Previously sold as shareware on the author's web site. (more gorgeous screenshots in the extended)

Name: Super Smashed Bros
Developer: Tatsusoft (Tim Winsky)
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 20MB
Direct download link: Click here

FIG (Floating Islands -Game) is a new puzzle game by Arvi Teikari, also known as Hempuli in Nifflas' forums. Described as Lemmings crossed with Hapland, players are given two sets of objectives to achieve in each level. The first one is a prerequisite, that is to collect all yellow stars before arriving at the goal flag. The second task is a tad more difficult, in which players have to find the blue star carefully hidden by the author, revealed only when you've found out the exact method to uncover these rarities.

Interaction is only possible with certain objects on screen, usually indicated when the cursor turns into a pointing hand. Your challenge is to figure out the order in which to click on each object, and clear the path for the protagonist to reach his destination. The basics of gameplay is explained in a short tutorial accessible from the main menu.

FIG has been in production for over half a year now, and is scheduled for a release this summer. The full version will feature thirty-five stages in total. (this demo has five)

Name: FIG
Developer: Arvi Teikari
Category: Puzzle
Type: Demo
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

What sets OECake apart from other physics simulation tool is that it can load any sort of image from your computer into the application as the surface for an object or fluid of your choice, then watching them interact with the surroundings based on the law of physics that you've selected. Drag and drop a file on to the application window to experiment with this feature. Also available for the Mac.

Name: OECake
Developer: Prometech Software, Inc.
Category: Application
Type: Demo
Size: 5MB

Welcome to the new IndieGames.com Game of the Month pick! Every month, we will highlight a special pay-to-download indie game worthy of your attention. Selections are based on the quality of each game and the fun factor they offer.

More importantly, these games are the ones that stand out in the crowded space of commercial indie releases - the crème de la crème, so to speak.

Our inaugural pick is Data Realms' title Cortex Command - the indie team-based PC combat game with neat pixel graphics and physics used to simulate every character, particle, and explosion in extreme detail.

Although still a work in progress, Cortex Command features two main gameplay modes and support for up to four players in splitscreen mode. It is sure not to disappoint fans of action-packed battles in the style of Soldat and Worms! Click through for more info on key game features.

[NOTE: If you buy Cortex Command from the IndieGames.com Game Of The Month page, you are supporting both its developer Data Realms, and also supporting IndieGames.com, allowing us to continue bringing you the latest news on independent games. This is at no higher price to you!]

Here is the Feature Page, take a look!

NES Quest - The 8BIT Journey is a 2D adventure game developed by Yolt and Mr. T using Chris Jones' AGS engine. Making the mistake of lending your 8-bit console to your cousins, you find that the NES was returned in a sorry state and hence set out on a journey to get it fixed.

The game is of decent length and has good art for characters and backgrounds. There are roughly nine rooms to explore in total, but be prepared to do some pixel hunt exercise to find one or two items in this quest. (more screenshots in the extended)

Name: NES Quest
Developer: KCD Games
Category: Adventure
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB
Walkthrough: Available
Direct download link: Click here

Jonatan Söderström was recently interviewed by IGN for their Independent View feature, but an IGN Insider account is required to access the article. Also, Complete Indie Gamers talks to cactus and Ville Krumlinde about their upcoming releases. Finally, Jonatan had posted some advice on development using the Game Maker engine in his forums. (last thread)

Independent View: Clean Asia's Jonatan Söderström
Complete Indie Gamers - A word from Cactus and Ville

The Unity engine, used for games such as Flashbang Studios' Off-Road Velociraptor Safari and the upcoming Jetpack Brontosaurus (due out later this month), will soon include support for the iPhone platform. From the press release:

"Unity Technologies, a 3D game development tool provider for creating console-quality games for the desktop and Web, today announced that the company will support game development for the popular iPhone platform."

"The Unity engine is the core technology that facilitates visually rich, engaging 3D game play, whether it's on a traditional desktop, or on the Web at major gaming sites like shockwave.com, or now on the world's leading mobile device - the iPhone."

"With iPhone support, Unity is poised to become the single source for game developers who want to create best-of-breed, 3D-quality games that can be easily and quickly ported to all platforms, including consoles, devices, PC/Mac, and now, the iPhone," said David Helgason, CEO of Unity Technologies. "Specifically, Unity's support of iPhone addresses the developer's need to create more and better mobile/portable games that support the consumers 'on-the-go' lifestyle."

Unity is Coming to iPhone

MoonPod's isometric action game Mr. Robot is now available as a free download from GameTap. Those who are not keen on installing the GameTap client can still purchase the full game from Moonpod's web site.

Name: Mr. Robot
Developer: MoonPod
Category: Action

X-Out is working on a 3D version of Gravitron. (forum thread)

According to the sidebar on GameTap's Free Games page, it seems that MoonPod's Mr. Robot (no. 1 in GameTunnel's Top 100 Independent Games feature) will be added to the GameTap service as a free download in the near future (usually within one week).

The GameTap Free service requires no registration for free games which aren't rated mature. A 32 MB download is all that's needed to access free stuff like Sam and Max Season One: Episode 4, Blast Miner and Psychonauts.

MoonPod's Mr. Robot: Free on GameTap

Loose Pixels POW is Jph's interpretation of an arcade classic, developed with the same ZGameEditor cactus plans to use for some of his releases in the near future. Use the cursor keys to move, and hold the Z key to shoot. Destroy red objects to produce collectible green items.

Name: Loose Pixels POW
Developer: Jph Wacheski
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB
Direct download link: Click here

A special Kotaku feature, in which Brian Ashcraft attempts to find out how life is treating IGF winners and finalists. Big questions such as distribution deals and future plans are asked; we discover what the developers of Crayon Physics Deluxe, Synaesthete, Fez, Iron Dukes and World of Goo have in the works.

A couple of excerpts from said article:

"The first commercial game I worked on was an urban Sims game at EA, and we learned that putting 3D versions of the Black Eyed Peas into a game might not necessarily increase the funk," says World of Goo creator Kyle Gabler. "On the other hand, it has recently been discovered that putting dinosaurs into a game will increase the funk every time."

"I was a little surprised that actually winning an award didn't help us much on the business end of things," says Carmel. "But overall, the IGF really helped us get the word out. In my opinion there's nothing else out there that is doing as much good for the indie game scene as the IGF."

Kotaku Feature: You Just Won IGF! That Means?

Articles on some of the best indie games available on the net today, courtesy of bit-tech.net, GameTunnel and Thank You For Playing. (source: GameSetWatch)

bit-tech.net - Indie and Experimental Games Round-up
Game Tunnel - What's New in Indie (March Edition)
The Indie Gaming Primer

Nifflas interviewed by Thank You For Playing, Jay Barnson (of Rampant Games) talks to RPGWatch; Kim Swift and Erik Wolpaw interviewed by Brandon Sheffield for a Gamasutra article.

Interview with Nifflas - Creator of Knytt Stories
RPGWatch - Frayed Knights Interview
Gamasutra - Valve's Wolpaw, Swift Talk Portal

Lab 14 is a freeware platformer with puzzle elements, in which players have to figure out the correct method of revealing and reaching the exit with the help of cryptic clues written on the white walls.

Use the cursor keys to move, and press the up arrow key to jump. The game isn't as clever as the author seems to suggest though. Twenty stages only.

Name: Lab 14
Developer: CaseySoft
Category: Platformer
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Walkthrough: Available
Direct download link: Click here

Mekuri Master is a new flash game by Nigoro in which players have to lift schoolgirls' skirts by moving the mouse cursor in an upwards motion repeatedly. Grades will be awarded based on the placement of your cursor, and the Mekuri meter shown at the top left of the screen will rise accordingly.

The game has five normal stages and two bonus levels. (instructional video in the extended)

Name: Mekuri Master
Developer: Nigoro
Category: Action
Type: Browser

Dire Haven is a platformer created by Radnom over the period of one weekend, in which players get to control naked people as they attempt to escape from an unidentified location filled with deadly traps and obstacles.

Use the cursor keys to move. Press the Z or up arrow key to jump. The game has a proper ending.

Name: Dire Haven
Developer: Radnom
Category: Platformer
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here (mirror)

Demonstration of a stage created using Blast Works' Level Editor. Blast Works (Wii port of Kenta Cho's Tumiki Fighters) will be released on May 1st of 2008. Unlockable goodies include rRootage, Gunroar, Torus Trooper and the original Tumiki Fighters.

Thomas Grip and Jens Nilsson interviewed about their latest release, Penumbra: Black Plague.

Penumbra Black Plague - Developer Interview