This is completely opinionated, but I tried to get what are quite possibly what I feel the 8 best freeware games made + released this year, and put them into 1 topic. You should check all these rad games out!!

Best Original Game:
Mr. Blocko: Super Tournament Edition by PerfectRun

Mr. Blocko is probably the most original game I've seen this year. It's like Tetris but super amazing cool, has rad multiplayer, runs great, can be customized pretty heavily, and was made by some of GamingW's best! Give it a try.

Site: http://www.perfectrun.net/index.php?id=pageget/mrblocko

Best Schmup:
Return to Sector 9 by Pug Fugly Games

R2S9 is an awesome schmup that has tons of unlockables, plays flawlessly, has tons of crazy game modes, ships, etc to unlock. It is awesome, and its very small download too!

Site: http://www.pugfuglygames.com/Game.php?game=10

Best Fighting Game:
Toribash 3.0 by Hampus Söderström

Toribash is innovative in that you fully control how your person fights, by controlling each of his individual body parts. Spin kicks, mid air punches, grabbing your enemy's arm and ripping it off...all possible in Toribash. Check it out!

Site: www.toribash.com

Best Bosses
Banana Nababa by Lazrael

Another amazing game by a GamingW'er, Lazrael's Banana Nababa is a fun game where you kill just bosses...but awesome bosses they are! A fun filled amazing game. Definitely recommended.

Site: http://www.gamingw.net/forums/index.php?topic=63350

Best Asteroids Clone:
Echoes by Binary Zoo Studios

Echoes is like Asteroids of course, except also like Geometry Wars, with a crazy blue, and while its not very complex, it is very cool. There isn't much to unlock, but it is very addictive and hard to put down.

Site: http://www.binaryzoo.com/games/echoes/index.htm

Best RPG:
Last Scenario by SCF

Last Scenario is everything an RPG Maker game should be. Sure, it doesn't have very many fancy custom graphics, or completely "ejaculate-in-your-pants BlindMind style" mapping, but what it does have is an incredible storyline, which is very well told, with a cool completely original mini-game that is fun and gives good rewards, with tons of optional bonus content. A keeper.

EDIT: Also it starts out rather slow, but it picks up.

Site: http://indygamer.blogspot.com/2007/05/last-scenario.html
Download: http://informationhigh.net/moonphase/Last%20Scenario%20v121.rar

Best Strategy Game:
Battleships Forever by WYRDYSM GAMES

Battleships Forever is an RTS that features some cool innovative ability's, all made in Game Maker by 1 guy. It's pretty rad if you like RTS, although there is no multiplayer.

Site: http://www.wyrdysm.com/games.php

Best Puzzle Game:
AcidBomb: Rearmed by Vertigo Games

A basic puzzler, well crafted. Great puzzles, a ticking timer, and an AMAZING soundtrack.

Site: http://www.vertigogaming.net/acidbomb2.htm

These IMO, are all freeware games that really stand above the rest, do their genre justice, and show what a bunch of innovative people can do in their spare time.

Good stuff, you owe it to yourself to check these suckers out!

Doesn't Toribash cost money? As far as I can remember, to get the FULL version, you've got to pay some monnies.

EDIT: Hah, yeah, Toribash isn't infact free. It's also insanely hard.

If you want an example of what you can do in Toribash when you aren't very good or playing online, watch this:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=KV3vnjvzTao

Nevermind, DN is right. It's just painfully hard ;)

Doesn't Toribash cost money? As far as I can remember, to get the FULL version, you've got to pay some monnies.

used to be, its completely free now.

So, where and how do I download Last Scenario?

Ah, didnt notice the SA thread was outdated.

Added a download link.

Thanks!

And for some reason, I'm somewhat surprised that Potato Chaos isn't on that list.

I'm insulted that La-Mulana isn't on here...

This topic needs more Knytt Stories.

Why don't other people post THEIR top (x) so we get lots of variety and more choices for FUN TIMES

I used to play the old version of Toribash, didn't know they had a new one, gonna check it out tomorrow!

I used to play the old one too but I never really bothered to learn how to do cool shit. Now I am actually playing it and it is awesome.

I used to play the old one too but I never really bothered to learn how to do cool shit. Now I am actually playing it and it is awesome.

Feel free to stop by #capcom on the Whahay network to organize Toribash games.

Why don't other people post THEIR top (x) so we get lots of variety and more choices for FUN TIMES

yes!

Actually I'm going to add a couple more right now simply because these games are awesome too.

Kumoon

Kumoon is a third person shooter where you are a duckling with guns. You have to richochet bullets off of walls to knock over red boxes to all become white without getting a negative score.

Site: http://mayoneez.1g.fi/kumoon/

Exception

Exception is...amazing. You rotate your ship, and destroy cubes with a laser/homing missiles. What makes it neat is you get a Force Push ability that builds up as you destroy boxes, which you can unleash on other boxes to throw them into other boxes for HUGE COMBOS. Great bosses too.

Site: http://i-saint.skr.jp/exception/

Controls:
A/S Rotate Ship Left or Right
Z = Laser
X = Hold to home in on all enemy's, shoots homing lasers everywhere
C = FORCE PUSH!!

uh, how do you play exception? nothing is in english so i have no idea what im doing.

nvm, good old hammering the keys worked in the end

Been having some good Toribash games in #capcom lately!!

Also yeah Jester, I'll add the config to the post, sorry about that.

Oh damn, you can rotate the ship in Exception? Probably explains my troubles with stage 2.

Also Toribash is hilarious

Sure, it doesn't have very many fancy custom graphics, or completely "ejaculate-in-your-pants BlindMind style" mapping

If only he could finish a goddamn game and stop showing off pretty screens.

BTW Good list, I have something to play when I'm bored now. 

Sumotori Dreams is a cool little Sumo Wrestler Physics game for One/Two Players. It's a great, short, and simple game to play for as little or as long as you want.

http://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=30237