Maps and lists pinball machines in many North American cities. See if you can figure out where I took this shot.

Ah, something to use up all that annoying free time, the side-scrolling shooter/melee/puzzle Flash game, Cactus McCoy. Knock out bad guys with banjos, lanterns, cherry bombs, chainsaws, lots of little optional puzzles and goals each level, nicely animated characters. Forgiving, basically-ok for kids (if you’re alright with enemies being hit with some of the aforementioned things–no blood). Pretty fun.

Cactus McCoy

Cactus McCoy 2

Discussion and spoilers/walkthroughs: one, two

[via Jayisgames]

The journal Cultic Studies has just published a paper that has finally cleared us all.

The evidence is not consistent with the hypothesis that fantasy role-playing games are precursors to satanic practices.

Phew.

A fun side scrolling Flash game by Ant Korlov. I like the art style.

It’s not that hard, an you have to anticipate jumps a bit, but it’s a good waste of an hour. You can set up massive chains of zombie/robot explosions. And careful with the grenade gun.

Whoa! Yes, zoom in. Inscrutable to some, dusty neuron firing for others.

Via this article on Tor.com

See also David Williams fine articles on Expedition to the Barrier Peaks and Gamma World.

Data obtained by NASA’s Kepler mission has been put up with a nice, simple interface. And you, yes you, can aid in the ongoing search for extrasolar planets. With a short learning curve, it has already become my favorite ‘wind down’ activity. It seems it may have eclipsed Angry Birds….

A short atmospheric game about exploring.

via JayIsGames.

Hooray, a new Flash-based time waster! A mix of real-time-strategy and tower defense, you mine asteroids and defend against space pirates. If you take a look and decide its boring that’s probably for the best. Take it from me, I bet my house and my cat and now live in a cardboard box with my laptop and my precious Space Game.

Don’t Look Back, a free online game that allegedly tells the story of Orpheus. Except you have a gun and there are spiders and snakes.

A walkthrough video will show the impatient the whole game. And no, nothing to do with this.

“Treasure of Cutlass Reef” is a flash-based naval pirate game, with sailing ships and cannons and all that. The earlier version had wind which was a fun element, this later version lacks the wind but lets you move across the whole screen.

I ain’t saying this is a realistic masterpiece, but it’s fun.

Update: OK, there’s a sequel, Cursed Wind, and it’s better (although there are extra smartbomb-like weapons that are kind of silly).

New addictive non-violent game. Just what I needed.

Sure, you’ve got to remember to turn off the annoying music. And yes, I agree, the page design seems like it’s purposefully trying to detract from the meditative quality of the game. But nevertheless, Boomshine is brilliant.

For the perfectionist, a chart of items and upgrades.