Oh, it's zombies, I thought, disappointed. Then I played the stylish platformer Shot in the Dark. Sure, it's zombies at the beginning, but it doesn't take long for the enemy designs to get more and more inventive.

You play as a lone gunman in a moody version of a western. Black and white with a splash of (blood) red, shadows concealing platforms and, quite often, enemies. Fortunately, you are adept with a revolver; you aim with the mouse, click, and fire. You have to reload after each shot, so you have to time your shots quite precisely. If you hit even one shot, you have to start over from that area.

In this demo of the still-unfinished "Shot in the Dark," I was hit when the rival gunmen appeared. Yes, [we've foreshadowed to hide our surprise] it wasn't just zombies and ghostly creatures. Eventually, you will fight other shooters, and as you hunt them down, their crosshairs will slowly close in on you. Shoot first and your life will be spared. It's tense, it's quick, and it feels like a real gunfight, even though it takes place in two noir-inspired dimensions.

For more great free experiences, check out our roundup of the best free PC games.