There is a new Flash based game on the web called Desktop Tower Defense. It is a puzzle / strategy game where you have to protect your desktop from invaders (aka creeps) from crossing to the other side by spending money on attacking pieces (towers with various abilities) and building a maze for them to follow. Strangely addictive yet stress relieving in round about way because it creates it's stress, but it is fun stress. The game is a little more involved than Tetris or Bejeweled, but not so much so that it can be easily picked up. The genius behind the game is the different levels and scenarios and comparing your score against others. You can also see the maps that they created and get inspiration for your next round where you know you can do better.
In an age of 3D games, it is nice to see a 2D game that stresses creativity and versatility. The graphics are very basic, thus the reason for the url of the web site: handdrawngames.com. Paul Preece, the designer, has quit his day job and has gone into the game design business full time. Desktop Tower Defense currently ranks at just over 6,000 on Alexa. According to a report at Gigaom the game had 4 million unique visitors on 20 million page views in April. Those are pretty impressive stats.
Players have posted numerous videos on Youtube of their various matches. It is a great way to learn new maze patterns and tactics. Here is one of my favorites: