I Dare You to be Depressed After Playing RunMan

RunMan: Race Around the World may be a silly indie game that's available to play for free, but it's also made from concentrated cheerfulness (just add water).

Go watch the little trailer above, and then try to tell me that you don't have a smile on your face - even a little one. RunMan is an indie game featuring bright, crudely-drawn graphics that look like they come straight out of MS Paint, a classic ragtime-esque soundtrack, and pure unbridled happiness.

The game, made by developer pair Tom Sennett and Matt Thorson, is simply based around the principle of going really, really fast - bouncing off walls, through explosive blocks, and every other platformer trope in the book. The site excitedly proclaims that "You can't die!" in the game, though the trailer clearly shows our star-shaped hero coming to a singed halt after skimming the top of a lava lake. Go figure.

RunMan, which can be downloaded here, uses the RadioHead model for pricing: Pay what you think the game is worth. If you want to give the indie dev duo $50 for their little ray of gamer sunshine, go right ahead. If you're feeling cheap and want to snag it for free, you can do that too, but I hope you feel bad about it.

Not RunMan, though. He doesn't want you to feel bad about it. He'll just smile at you warmly as you download his game, and then happily run along his way. Congratulations, RunMan - you're a better man than I.

(Via MTV Multiplayer)