Three name-your-own-price indie game bundles
Pay a little for a few games or a little more for a whole boatload of them. Most are for Windows, but some cover all platforms -- including Android!
Game bundles are kind of a dime a dozen these days, but that doesn't mean they're not worth checking out.
Indeed, as evidenced by the three new bundles I've rounded up today, there's a lot of good gaming to be had for cheap. Really, really cheap.
1. Bundle Stars 'Fire and Ice'
Bundle Stars' latest gives you two games for $1.26, or eight games if you pay at least $4.97. The latter option includes two additional mystery titles that will unlock in the future.
They're all Windows titles, with the exception of Tiny Troopers, which is available for Mac as well. Interestingly, some of the games unlock via Steam, while others require Desura. That's kind of a hassle, in my humble opinion.
But putting up with that bit of hassle saves you $125, which is what you'd pay for these games separately. In addition to Tiny Troopers, a really fun action-strategy outing, you get two highly rated horror adventures, two highly rated non-horror adventures, a fire-fighting sim, and a sci-fi strategy game. They're absolutely worth 5 bucks, if you ask me.
Also, if you're feeling extra-generous, the company donates a flat 5 percent of all proceeds to the charity SpecialEffect.
2. The Humble Bundle with Android 5
Don't let the title fool you. The Humble Bundle with Android 5 includes four indie games for whatever price you choose to pay, but you can unlock two more if you hit the average (currently $6.64). I highly recommend that option, as one of those unlockables is the very awesome Dungeon Defenders.
What really makes the Humble Bundle unique is that it's entirely cross-platform: the games are compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, and, as you might have guessed, Android. In fact, some of them are making their Android debut here.
And it's a nice mix overall, with Beat Hazard Ultra, Solar 2, and Super Hexagon among the highlights. You also get game soundtracks, if you're into that kind of thing. Total value of the whole shebang: $110.
As with past Humble Bundles, this one lets you divvy up your donation among the developers, the bundlers, and a couple of charities.
Finally, we come to the Indie Gala Flash, which works very much like the Humble Bundle.
To wit: pay at least $1 to get three games, or beat $5.38 to get six, with a seventh unlocking in a few days. Most of these are for Windows only, but a couple run on Macs as well.
Once again, some really good stuff here, from spooky adventures to guns-blazing strategy games and shooters. They'd cost you around $75 if purchased separately. And you can do that whole you-decide-who-gets-what thing, too, with whatever you decide to pay.
Which bundle would I pick? I'm hard-pressed to pick a winner; they're all good. And they're all running for anywhere from five days to two weeks, so you've got time to scrape together some extra pennies.
My big problem: finding time to play all these games.