And I thought that spam filters worked on an algorithmic basis. I thought that the sheer number of spam e-mails being sent made it impossible to check them all individually; according to PanComOS, I was wrong. You play as a new employee checking outgoing mail. Legitimate mail is dragged to the "send" icon and spam is tossed in the trash; it's like "Papers, Please," but with a lighter tone and actual aliens instead of illegal aliens.

Whereas "Papers, Please" was set on a desktop, "PanComOS" is set on a desktop, with a nice retro and fictional operating system to spy on and a digital store to buy themes and backgrounds. You can also purchase themes and backgrounds in the digital store. The game repeats itself with additional malicious emails, scam emails from aliens, and other things to check. It's a bit disappointing to see the same messages over and over again. Unless triggered by a mysterious email that seems to be written in code, there is no ending in sight.

Before you run out of steam, this is a lot of fun. It's funny, sweet, and, in its own way, full of little moral choices. One begins to wonder if it might be better for this (legitimate) message to go in the trash in order to protect the sender. Such choices never produce anything, but half a good game is better than none. Right?

For more great free experiences, see our summary of the best free PC games.