What better way to start a week than to be greeted with shiny armor by your bedside, dragons in your garage and sacred scrolls at your desktop? Fantasy, after all, has been a theme in games since time immemorial, so let’s keep that tradition going with these lovely picks:

Archmage by 300AD
“The Great Mages who protect the peaceful Lake Shire have grown weak and an evil Demon overlord and his hordes of monsters have emerged from the Underworld and invaded the Shire.” Um, it’s like I have heard all of these words before, but they seem to be in a different order this time… But who are we kidding, every fantasy writer since the 70’s have ripped off Tolkien, so who are we to judge? The game? Is it the most amazing scrolling shooter we have ever seen? Well, actually, no. But this is another game with some heart, and a couple neat features that make it worth a look. I have to give a special mention for the interesting rune-spell-mixing system between levels. Unfortunately some points have to be taken off for pretty bland special effects and a not-very-surprising list of specials and pickups. It does have boss levels though, and that’s some old school gaming we’d like to see a lot more of.

Azgard Defence by More Games Entertainment
We like a good tower-defense game as much as the next gamer, but we especially like ones that are beautifully rendered, well balanced, and full of great features. Azgard Defence is that game. Not so much original as it is all inclusive, Azgard Defence lets you do pretty much everything you could imagine doing in a tower-defense game, plus some new stuff you haven’t likely seen before. No less than 15 towers and 30 creatures, including Demons, Ogres, Ghosts, Dragons, Knights, and more. There is even a little level editor to let you build your own levels, and a great save/load feature to let you stop any game at any tie and come back to it – something sadly lacking in just about every Flash-based version of the dynamic. A god-solid indie game with all you need to get your defense on. Go give it a try.

Avernium 5 by Spiderweb Software
In the latest game in the Avernium series, you can “Travel into the strange underworld of Avernum, a land full of misfits, bandits, and barely civilized monsters.” You know, nothing gets my goat more than an uncivilized monster. In all seriousness, this is another great installment in a classic indie series that just keeps getting better. The gameplay is classic isometric RPG, with all of the things you might expect. Special bonus points for beautiful story-book-like story screens, great character/party setup options, and very engaging old school turn based combat. However, you’ll have to overlook the pretty bland graphics and sound. In a first game we’d be more forgiving, but this being the fifth game by Spiderweb gives every right to expect a little more polish by now. But perhaps the lacking visuals were intentional – to prevent spoiling their indie street cred. The funny part is, they’re probably right.