Chalk is an original, freeware variant on the side-scrolling shoot-em genre. Make your way through enemy territory while dodging bullets, objects, and hostiles, all the while using your trusty … chalk … as a weapon. “Chalk” employs innovative game dynamics based on performing on-screen gesture drawings in order to interact with the game environment (and puts it all together brilliantly, I might add).

This is a very fun and extremely original game that employs some innovative game dynamics. You move your character with the A/S/D/W buttons and use your chalk with the mouse. A chalk gesture has a small “half life”, if you will, in that it only lasts for a short time from beginning to end. There are 3 things you can do with a chalk gesture, as follows:

1. Connect the dots: most objects/hostiles have patterns of “dots” on them. If you are able to quickly draw a line that connects all of these you destroy the bad guy. Bonus points are granted for connecting multiple dots on multiple objects/bad guys in a single stroke.
2. Connect bullets to bad guys: some of the bad guys will shoot bullets at you; use your chalk to connect the flying bullet back to enemy ships and you will turn the tables and zap them instead.
3. Draw a shield: if it gets too hectic, use your chalk to draw shields or barriers that will trap some objects such as hostile ships behind them.

The verdict: the console-style graphics and sound serve to add to the atmosphere, and despite it’s “uniqueness” it is extremely easy to learn and get to grips with. Watch the video below, then download and play this very interesting game.

A video of this game in action:

Compatibility: WinAll.

Go to the game page to download the latest version (approx 3.86 megs).