Spelunky

I Didn't Realise that I loved a two-dimensional Rogue-like, an Spelunky until I died, restarted, and adventure platformer in every sense found that the first level of the cave of the words. Your tiny character is I was exploring had changed so fragile, and his surroundings.

Levels in Spelunky are randomly dangerous, that every inch deeper is generated, which in my eyes makes it felt like a deep and gratifying lungful of air. The tools you're given are so useful, rather than outwardly powerful, that the mere act of thinking about having to use them makes you feel worryingly clever. Almost every object you encounter can be grabbed, carried and thrown. Carry a damsel in distress to the exit for mega bonus points, or when needs must, chuck her down a chasm to trigger a poison dart trap. Grab a ancient totem and you'll be chased by a boulder, in an Indiana Jones style.

Throw that totem at a snake to kill it, then whip a caveman in the head to stun him while you set up an escape rope. These are the things you do in Spekmky, and they're the reason its easily one of my favourite freeware games of all time.

In fact I find Spelunky infinitely more enjoyable than Empire: Total War, a game which perplexes and confounds me at every possible juncture. Play it now, play it, play it, play it.