Following Freeware: August 2010 new releases

As part of the site’s renewed commitment to covering independent adventures, we’re launching a new initiative to let you know what is going on in the wonderful world of free gaming. In this, the first of a planned monthly series of articles, we’ll present a brief roundup of recent releases. Don’t have the cash for a commercial release or simply looking for something different? Does your head spin when confronted by huge catalogues of games? Then cast your eyes over the list below and you might find just what you are looking for.

The Journey Down: Episode 1 – Over the Edge

Bwana and his sidekick, Kito, just want to run their gas station and make ends meet. Unfortunately, fate has other things in store for them. A mysterious woman arrives with cash in hand, though it isn’t gas she seeks but something left in their attic. This seems like the answer to all their problems, but nothing is ever that simple. Others are pursuing the same thing, and the pair soon find themselves caught up in a web of corruption.

Made with a jazzy reggae soundtrack and laid-back characters to match, The Journey Down’s look and feel is reminiscent of the 1990s output from LucasArts, with a distinctive tribal mask motif for character heads. This is the first of a proposed four-part series by Skygoblin and can be downloaded from the developer’s website.