Jam's Pick of the Week

I love Flash games. I love Flash games because you don't have to pay for them. I love Flash games because you don't have to pay for them and sometimes you find a gem from a very creative programmer that's so good you want to hit somebody for not making it a fleshed out console game packed with content and HD graphics. I'd say for fans of tabletop games and action RPGs, you'll dig this week's pick: SteamBirds.



SteamBirds is a simplistic, top down, turn-based action game based around planes and aerial dogfights. You control a plane (or many planes!) that constantly moves forward, and during each of your turns you can direct your plane to fly along a curve (up to 90 degrees depending on the plane). When you have an enemy in your field of vision and in your line of sight, you can unleash gunfire on them and try to bring them down. Do it fast enough and without taking damage, and you get a nice shiny reward of four gold stars! Any achievement hound will have their hands full getting a level completed just right.

Right off the bat, which is to say the second level, the game starts to give you more options. Not so many as to bog you down, but useful alternatives than just flying in a curve, such as putting shields up to prevent damage from being done to you (at the cost of not being able to shoot that turn), doing quick turnabouts, and other things. Playing the game reminded me of a tabletop/card hybird game I used to play called Pirates of the Cursed Seas (a physical variant of Pirates of the Burning Sea, which itself is also a good game). If you used to play that game with a friend, you'll definitely dig this. I'd recommend this game if you want a way to spend your time instead of wasting it. Or if you just really like gold stars. :) See you soon to bring you more and more things to keep you from doing work. :D

This post brought to you by Magical Trevor.

- Jam