Freeware Garden: Super Slalom

Freeware Garden searches the corners of the internet to highlight one free game every day.

It may seem like a relatively easy thing to do, but designing an original puzzle mechanic that is actually engaging and fun is a staggeringly difficult thing to pull off. Even more so when said mechanic has to carry a whole game and fit a theme like, say, skiing, which frankly isn't everyone's premiere choice for a puzzler.

Impressively, browser-game Super Slalom does exactly that and is thus absolutely worthy of your time.

Looking for more free games? Check out our round up of the best free PC games that you can download and play right now.

It is indeed an original, engaging and fun puzzler in which you'll get to ski downhill, and only downhill, through forested slopes that seem to have been lifted straight from the Atari 2600 era. As just gently rolling down a hill would be quite the boring endeavor, you'll also have to avoid trees (always a great idea) and perfectly slalom around blue and red flags. Specifically, you'll have to pass to the right of red flags and to the left of blue ones and eventually make your way to the finish line without missing a single flag.

Sounds straightforward, doesn't it? Well, initially it is and despite being restricted to moving left, right and down and not being allowed to cross the same space twice, Super Slalom starts gently. It's only after the gradual introduction of glaciers, ski jumps, water hazards, grindable rails, packs of wolves and more complex levels that things get properly tough and it's only during the final couple of levels that the teasing of the brain reaches maddening levels.

Happily, pressing z to undo your latest move and r to restart a level are a great help and ensure things never get frustrating, hence allowing the excellent design of the game to shine.

Super Slalom is a clever, taxing, but also fair game. If you take your time to think the level you are playing through, you'll most probably beat it and pat yourself on the back. And, when you finally finish the whole thing, you'll wish it could have lasted longer.