Athenaeum

This one is a bit special, as it's not an actual game. But I found it interesting, so I decided to mention it anyway. Athenaeum is described as a libre replacement for Steam. That is, it is an application where you can download and catalogue games. You can download games to your collection, keep them updated or uninstall them. All downloaded games are displayed in a practical list and there are even screenshots and descriptions. All in all a cool concept that might help you discover new games to play or just make it easier to keep track of them. I should mention this seems to be early in development, but the main functionality is there and it does look really cool!

Pixel Wheels

Another surprise discovery: Pixel Wheels. I really like top-down racers, and this one has a very sleek and polished presentation, several tracks and cars, bonuses to pick up, great handling and even a split-screen multiplayer mode. Highly recommended and more finished that the version number entails.

Flare - 1.08 - 1.09

The action-RPG engine Flare, with its accompanying campaign, has received another two fine updates. While 1.08 mainly brought bug fixes and translation updates, 1.09 has lots of goodies: several interface improvements, new options for mouse movement and a new alchemy system that makes the creation of potions deeper while balancing the game. Again, this is a very polished engine and the Empyrean Campaign is really well made and is well worth a try!

The new alchemy system in Flares Empyrean campaign.

KKnD - Milestone 0.1.0

When I last mentioned OpenRA I also mentioned a recreation of the excellent classic RTS KKnD based on the OpenRA engine. This project has since then put out it's first milestone: 0.1.0. As the developers mention in the release notes, this is an early version focusing on the first KKnD game and multiplayer gameplay. Single-player will have to wait a bit longer. KKnD is also a game that has non-free assets, so you need to own the original game or be content with the demo. Please read the text from the release page above before downloading, and then: have fun!

A big battle between two bases in this KKnD remake!

Unvanquished - 0.51

After several years it seems Unvanquished is still alive and well, and proves this with an enormous new release! In case you missed it, Unvanquished is a tactical shooter with base-building elements where a team of humans fight against a team of aliens. Each team has completely different gameplay styles, creating some very interesting dynamics and variation. It looks really good and plays even better, and this new release has a massive changelog: a new launcher, many gameplay improvements, loads of work on game assets including some new player models, code clean up and performance improvements, lots of work on maps, new and improved sound effects, better bots, etc, etc. It also seems a beta release is near, so this is probably a perfect time to try this excellent and unique shooter!

A new damage indicator is another big improvement in Unvanquished.