Gamertell

There’s nothing sweeter than finding fun on the cheap - or better - for free, especially when it comes to videogames. Now that everyone is weary about spending (yes, the economy is ruining everything, and no one is immune), finding good, free web-based games has become a hobby for many. I’m here to point you in the direction of two that are particularly compelling - for entirely different reasons.

The first, I have to admit, is something I stumbled on while reading Kotaku. ScaryGirl, as it’s called is a robust, gorgeous platformer/adventure game that looks and plays as if Psychonauts had a baby with Super Mario Brothers and the old Beetlejuice cartoon was somehow involved. It’s as full-featured (and beautifully animated) as a good full-priced game, so the fact that you can play it for free - and in your browser - is pretty fantastic.

On the other end of the spectrum is the juvenile, hilarious Don’t Sh*t Your Pants, which is a text-based adventure game (though the creators have dubbed it “survival horror”). It centers on a very simple - and nasty - premise (don’t do number two in your pants) and stars a crudely drawn dude who looks like he started out life in MS Paint, but no matter - the fact that there are about nine “achievements” to earn will have you playing until you figure them all out. I seriously could not stop playing this last night - though I’m not sure what that says about me.

I dare you to try these games and not feel gratified - and if you hate them, well, it didn’t cost you a penny.

Play [ScaryGirl] Play [Don’t Sh*t Your Pants]