3. Don’t Look Back

Terry Cavanagh is cutting edge and admittedly its a juxtaposition when you call someone cutting edge when they use low-resolution sprites and limited color pallettes to make games, but his classy minimalist aesthetic makes it work.

Minimalism is something that strikes my fancy so when I played Terry’s interactive interpretation of the Orpheus and Eurydice Greek legend, I was nothing short of smiling. Well, as much as one can smile when playing a dark and moody video game based on a Greek tragedy.



2. Canabalt

Most will probably describe Canabalt as the most addicting flash/iPhone/iPod touch game of the year, and I’d have to agree with them. A lot of people are also addicted to Farmville on Facebook, but it’s difficult for me to take Facebook or any of it’s applications seriously. Sorry for the bias Farmville guys, I just really would rather be addicted to a genius monochromatic score-chasing one button platforming game.

‘Nuff said.



1. How to Raise a Dragon

Gregory Weir set out to make a game each month this year and he’s accomplished that feat wonderfully. He even made a table-top RPG game and a piece of interactive fiction that had people believe it was true!

How to Raise a Dragon is my absolute favorite of his games, and it’s not just because his Dragon sprite work is über-cute. The game revolves around raising a dragon with numerous decisions involved that of course affect the outcome of the game. The set-up is genius as Weir creates a faux-Dragon historian to explain the origins of Dragons from birth to death as you play the game.

An absolute joy to play and replay, and thus it is the GGG! Flash Game of the Year.

- Kyle