But now, with a newly refurbished laptop with some actual power, I decided to get back into PC gaming.

Yet I'm not going to focus on the superhyped games we always hear about -- I'll get my recommended monthly fill of those on the consoles. Instead I'm going to focus on the more unique avenue of indie games. I've been hearing about these home-brewed creations on various podcasts recently, and so I tried a few out and dug what I found: a refreshing simplicity that typically focused on one catchy gameplay concept or one character-based hook.

So over the next year, every two weeks, I'll be taking an indie game from A to Z and exploring it, talking about my impressions before opening up a discussion with all of you. Also, since you can figure out where I'll be headed in future columns, please feel free offer up suggestions.

First up, a couple A's.

A:

I initially tried a few games that just didn't hook me. Armadillo Run (PC) was my first stab, a game that instantly threw me for a loop when I realized it wasn't some sort of platformer starring a fleet-footed edentate. It's actually a physics-based puzzle game that, when you piece together a Rube Goldberg-esque contraption to get your armadillo-cum-ball to the exit, can be satisfying. It can also be depressing when you don't latch a rope to the correct node, and your whole concoction falls limp -- or apart -- when you hit the physics-enabling Play button. Interesting, but I like a little more game in my games.

Next up I gave Aquaria (PC) a shot. This mellow adventure game (think Ecco the Dolphin) soothes with its underwater setting and singing-based gameplay -- yep, you unlock powers and make progress through the power of song. Head home to your underwater lair and you can even mix up recipes. While this strange premise takes place in an obviously well-crafted world, its slow-moving nonviolent ways just weren't for me.

The game that struck me was Ainevoltas 2 (PC, free), an adventure game in the spirit of Castlevania. Your main goal is to discover why a castle has been overrun with monsters and then set it right. To achieve this, you kill enemies and level up, which allows you to boost your stats and progress. The charm, though, is finding out what secrets the game has buried.

For example, take a leap of faith and get a little off the beaten path, and you'll discover a guild that offers you various side missions, such as telling some poor chump to heal his severed leg, which he promptly does. Or, after talking to the right person, you can win a lass' heart, which triggers this gripping narrative:

You: I will marry you now.

Her: Yes we are married now.

Her: Oh Justin, you are so lovely.

Return a moment later, and you have a son, who, if you so choose, will follow you religiously, jumping and swinging a weapon just a step a bit behind you, helping you clear out enemies like any good summon. Rarely has building a family been so succinct and rewarding.

It's this added layer of depth that should keep you absorbed for the adventure's roughly hour-and-a-half length. Find a few gems and you can activate their embedded powers. "Insects," for example, unleashes a swarm of bees around you, damaging any enemies they hit. It's the type of power you never knew you always wanted.

Do a little searching and you'll find bonus stat points in tucked-away corners or additional characters who offer up conversations as intense as the one you had with your wife. Dig deeper and you even come across a bored Richter Belmont, completing the homage.

The combat offers nothing special, as you simply swing your sword and pray, since you won't find much in the way of dodging or blocking. The platforming, though, works well (and you'll likely want to upgrade your jump first), complemented by the game's simple, pixelly graphics that are charming in that retro old-school way.

Ainevoltas 2 ends abruptly and immediately erases your saved game, but at least restarting gives you a bonus that tickled my console-gaming heart. And as a way to wrap up my initial foray into this column, it seemed wholly appropriate.

Have any of you played this one? If not, give it a shot and let me know what you think.