The best part of the browser game as a medium is that it has become such a fertile platform for new concepts. Even if they're just little variations on long-standing ideas, the quirks that make some modern games stand out among the countless others released at the same time can be very refreshing. The most impressive games from November 2009 can best be described as clever first and foremost. They aren't enduring like some games and I doubt I'll go back to them for my own leisure entertainment, but they were great for their time.
Designer David Schute put together this intriguing electronic contraption for the sixth Casual Gameplay Design Competition at JayisGames. Small Worlds barely qualifies as a game, strictly speaking, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining. Players start out in an incredibly zoomed-in collection of pixels surrounded by darkness. As the sprite moves farther from the start, the world around it gets larger and more detailed, effectively zooming out to reveal a surreal 2D landscape. With enough exploration the player can access new worlds, each approaching the same central conceit in a different way. Some involve platforming, others test the claustrophobic limits of the character design. There is no dying or losing in this game, so it's really more of an experience than a challenge.
Japanese designer Noa created and maintains a roguelike RPG called Elona from a minimalistic website that has steadily gained popularity since 2008. Elona Shooter is a companion defense game featuring characters and art from Elona. What sets Elona Shooter apart from the scads of "defend the house" games out there is its strong RPG elements. Players don't simply upgrade their weapons and augment the castle's arsenal of automated contraptions, they level up their characters and give them skills to help in the fight. Everything from increased weapon proficiency to special buffs and bonuses are available. The learning curve can be steep, especially for those looking to optimize the different character classes, but mastering Elona Shooter's intuitive system is often more rewarding than frustrating. I also enjoy the disconnect between the cute sprites and the not-so-cute violence of the premise.
Fire Boy and Water Girl in The Forest Temple
Joliner's platforming puzzle game may have a nonsensical premise, but it's still a delightful little distraction that seems to have been designed with care. Players simultaneously control the two title characters in a series of lighthearted maps trying to collect gems and avoid traps. Fire Boy naturally can't touch the pools of water laying around and he can't collect blue gems, while Water Girl will evaporate if she sets foot in the pools of lava and isn't capable of gathering red gems. The puzzles are never too difficult and none of the traps are cruel. The experience of controlling two characters at once isn't nearly as cumbersome as it would seem, especially because the game rarely ever requires players to move them both at the exact same time. The Forest Temple is clever enough to justify its premise and its 16-bit heart definitely hits all the right notes of nostalgia without being too much of a throwback.
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