The Humble Bundle, updated several times a year, is perhaps the ultimate sale on cross-platform games. Most Humble Bundle games (the Humble THQ Bundle being the only real exception) work on Mac, Linux and Windows PCs. And instead of the games being discounted in a "percent off" sale, you can name your own price, and even decide how much of it goes to the developers and how much goes to charity.
The current Humble Bundle is of the "with Android" variety, which means the games will run on your Android smartphone or tablet as well. Just yesterday, it added three more games which were featured in previous Humble Bundles, along with their soundtracks. It'll only be open for the next week or so, however, and the "beat the average" price -- which unlocks five of the nine games -- keeps fluctuating.
I thought you could name your own price?
You can, although if you try to pay less than a dollar it'll ask you to fill out a reCAPTCHA form to "prove that you are really human." It also won't let you redeem the games on Steam, Valve's popular digital distribution service and social network, unless you pay at least $1. (Note that not all of the games can be redeemed for Linux PCs on Steam, even though you can download Linux versions of them from the Humble Bundle website.) Finally, you only get five of the nine games and their soundtracks if you beat the average price.
How much should I pay, then?
Any price is enough to unlock the games Beat Hazard Ultra, Dynamite Jack, Solar 2, and Nightsky HD, plus their soundtracks (except Dynamite Jack's). Gamers who beat the average price others pay (currently $6.78) unlock five additional games and their soundtracks: Splice, Super Hexagon, Dungeon Defenders, Crayon Physics Deluxe, and Superbrothers: Sword & Sorcery EP. The tower defense/fantasy MMO Dungeon Defenders comes with all of its DLC, or downloadable content (add-ons usually sold separately).
What charities will the sale benefit?
The Humble Bundle benefits the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit activist group which fights "to protect privacy and free expression online," as well as the Child's Play Charity, which works to get video game consoles to sick children in hospitals. You can choose what percent of your purchase price goes to each charity, to each game's developers, or to the Humble Bundle staff.
Can you redeem the Android games on Google Play?
No. You download the Android games through the Humble Bundle app, which also keeps them updated for you. You can download the Humble Bundle app from its website once you buy the bundle. Unfortunately, this means Kindle Fire and Nook owners are left out, as these color e-readers can't install apps from outside their own stores.
Dungeon Defenders is not currently available on Google Play, making the Humble Bundle the only place to get it for Android devices.
Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.
