Christmas Bound

Released two weeks before its namesake holiday, Christmas Bound poses serious danger for those prone to procrastinating on their shopping duties. The gameplay isn't new, but the levels are challenging, the file size is tiny, and the game is completely free. The Christmas edition replaces the covered squares of Bound Around and Frozen Fruits with wrapped presents. You must collect them all by hitting them with a bouncing ball. You can move the ball left and right in midair, or increase its velocity with the Shift key or the spacebar, but you can't move it up or down or stop it. To collect the presents, you must match the ball's color to the color of the wrapping, or use environmental items such as exploding apples or destructive pumpkins to blast all the gifts for you.

Although the developers didn't change the killer pumpkins to something more seasonal, music from The Nutcracker and other holiday favorites play in the background. You can turn off the music and listen to your own tunes. If you're not a fan of the two related games, look elsewhere, but fans of puzzle and arcade games should download Christmas Bound and give the bouncing fun a try.