This Week's Waste of Time

So, as you may have noticed, there was no free online game recommendation last week. Even bloggers have to take a vacation once and a while. This week we have another game from Edmund McMillen, the maker of our last weekly waste of time and all-around free-gaming god. This week is the Little Prince inspired Aether.

And like the Little Prince the game is for children but has an edge that keeps it interesting for adults.

In addition to McMillen, fellow game developer and kindred spirit Tyler Glaiel helped create the airy and quirky landscape of Aether. Check out Glaiel's many addictive games (if you don't have much time on your hands I recommend the meta-gaming exercise Pilgrimage).

Together they create a much more family friendly experience than McMillen's most recent Time Fcuk. A young boy stumbles across a creature who's tongue can latch on to clouds and asteroids (depending on how far you are from any given planet) and use it to swing to escape a planet's gravitational pull and explore other worlds. Each planet you explore has a problem to solve. Solve them all, return home, and see what you've learned.

Click here to play Aether.

Quick tip: don't just use left and right to swing, up and down will help you get the momentum you need to really fly.

Enjoy.