Posted 06/04/09 at 11:30:00 AM by David Murphy

E3!  E3!  E3!  There is seemingly nothing more important right now than checking out the latest iteration of some made-for-14-year-old-girls title at that big LA convention.  Feh.  You know what the worst thing about E3 is?  It's not the lack of awkward-looking hot actors to stare at, nor is it the barrage of press meetings, demonstrations, and pomp and circumstance for less-than-stellar titles.  The worst thing about E3 is that all the games you see there cost money.  That's right.  Cash.  For every neat title you're seeing, there's a price tag attached at the end of the day.  Want new graphics in a hot sequel?  You'll pay for it.  Want to blow up 255 of your closest console friends?  Ask for your allowance early.  Feel like waving your hand around to simulate an activity you can do in real life?  Get a real-life job.

This week, I'm strolling down memory lane and profiling some of the best games from that other gaming conference in California.  You know the one--good ol' GDC, or the Game Developers Conference.  Each year, the Independent Games Festival takes up shop amidst the chaos of this convention and awards a host of independent (and often free) titles awards of various persuasions.  There's a long list of contenders that come to the IGF every year: here's a list of five of the most interesting, enjoyable, and free titles I've found.

Click the jump to check out the cream of the freeware gaming crop!

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