I thought I'd start a thread about free games that you highly recommend that you have enjoyed but that maybe haven't quite received the attention they deserve. With your game recommendation leave a link to the official download page for the free game.

Remember it has to currently be officially free and not a temporary free game, bonus gift from something you purchased or from a promotion, also not a free GoG game we have on this site.

Hope I'm not breaking any GoG TOS here for posting these games and links, if so please just let me know.

I'll go first with these, I think the 1st one definitely deserves a look:

Perspective: Puzzle/ platforming game where you will swap between 2d and 3d planes to reach the goal - http://games.digipen.edu/games/perspective#.Vr-tSuaGN3w

Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden: An RPG about B-Ball and yes, Mr Charles Barkley - http://www.talesofgames.com/related_game/barkley-shut-up-jam-gaiden/

N v2 : This one you may know, N+, the indie puzzle game from XB360 and PS3, this version is practically the same but officially free on PC - http://www.thewayoftheninja.org/n_downloads.html

Anyway feel free to recommend some decent officially free games.

then 'abandonware' games cannot be included.

there was also a thread on this somewhere...

I enjoy <span class="bold">10 Minute Space Strategy</span>, which is basically a short form turn-based 4X game, although it is usually more like 30 minutes than 10.

This one?

Also check out Megazell's website about free &amp; legal PC games.

God of Thunder
Teenagent
Bio Menace

abandonware can be defined as piracy where the right-holders don't care enough to enforce their rights. Cheers, yes that one. a bit of a mess, though...

or confusion in a dangerous situation

on topic... or almost....

I always feel it is a shame the tiggit launcher (http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/tiggit-open-source-indie-game-downloader-launcher-for-windows/) never took off, it was an interesting project that never got very little recognition.

"Abandonware" is what all the old games were usually called before they were re-released on GOG, when there was no way to officially purchase them anymore (except for the second-hand market). It's basically warez but with the mission to keep the heritage of old games from being forgotten, when the market didn't seem to care about them anymore. It's not legal, but preventing piracy of old games was probably a low priority with the license owners, if they're even known or aware of the transgression. Some abandonware sites have a certain "code of honor" and only offer the games as long as they're not available for purchase and take them down once they get re-released on GOG. Others seem to have dropped the "noble" mission and act like they actually want those games to be forgotten and abandoned, just so they can distribute them for free ... (like the people accusing GOG of selling "abandonware")

So, freeware is software explicitly made to be shared for free, while the so-called abandonware is commercial software that's not sold anymore, is claimed to be abandoned by its owners and is therefor offered for free on the internet by random people who don't hold the license for it, just so the public can still enjoy it (illegally).

The term "abandonware" was really just made up by enthusiasts on the web who started sites to distribute old games that were not available for purchase anymore, outside of the second-hand market, perhaps. The rationale was that the original creators ceased to care about these products, "abandoning" them to be forgotten.
In a legal sense, it's simply copyright infringement.

The Make and Play edition of VVVVVV is freeware. It doesn't contain the official campaign, but all the user created levels and the tools to create your own ones. Although you should really just buy the whole game, if you don't own it yet and have any interest in it.

And everyone should play Iji!

Gun Girl 2 isn't bad either.

There's this one game (can't remember for the life of me whether it was a browser game or a downloadable) where your task is to get more people to buy shit from your hot dog / kebab / whatever stand rather than your rival's. Between days you can purchase more appealing signs for your kiosk and the goal is to get more customers than the douchebags right next to you. Maybe someone remembers the name of the game I'm talking about? There's a good free game you can enjoy for an hour.

I forgot the name of a free game... I think it is another game from digipen students, but not sure. it is not their website. It is a sort of a racer, but more like race the sun i.e. you do not race anyone. Your character is on a hoverboard thingy, and you get speed from stunts and wall running and so on. There is some sort of story, which is kind of given via twitter on the phone. It was quite good.

edit - never mind, I found it: Zineth. and it was roller-blades, not hoverboard.

trailer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCr5twS6xc8