This Week's Waste of Time

I know game journalists should respect all genres, but I hate point-and-click adventure games. There, I said it. Suck on that blogosphere. And by "that" I mean my opinions on video games. You can metaphorically suck on those. An exception to that rule is the work of Amanita Design. They don't need to suck on anything but their own greatness. Metaphorically.

What sets Amanita apart from the usual stodgy clicking games is its art design. Hell, if Nike – who spends millions of dollars on their "looking cool" department – wants you to make a game, you must be doing something right. In general they utilize a combination of steampunk realism and off-the-wall surrealism to make a pretty magical end product. Amanita's only full length game, Machinarium is their most fully realized product of this aesthetic and should be purchased for your computer or iPad.

But this column isn't about paying for games. It's about mooching off of legitimate artists. So let's talk about Amanita's free offerings.

Samorost is completely free to play and involves redirecting a tree-trunk spaceship hurtling toward your home. The sequel (of which, the first chapter is the only free portion) has the player rescuing a dog from alien kidnappers. Both games are relatively quick experiences so you might want to take some time and enjoy the heavily detailed backgrounds.

Most recently Amanita created an interactive music video called "Osada." The "game" replaces the usual robots with a who's-who of tex-mex stereotypes. The tone of the entire video is silly making the stereotypes less offensive than engaging and endearing, even if they are only on the screen for a few fleeting seconds (depending on how quickly you can solve the puzzles).

All of the above-mentioned games involve recognizing patterns and useful items in the game world and clicking in just the right order to achieve your goals. I'll admit I get stumped sometimes and click randomly around the screen. Sometimes the in-game logic can be a reach, so a few fortuitous clicks can be just what players need in a pinch.

Point, click, and play, right here.