_FEAR Single Player Demo_. Very seldomly does a game create an exquisitely macabre atmosphere. _Doom 3_ failed in this regard IMHO, because it overrelied on haunted house gimmicks. But FEAR employs creepily intelligent enemies, stark shadows, and scripted events carefully constructed to make you want to cry for your mommy. Unfortunately, it made my poor 9800 Pro cry too: I had to run it at 800×600.
_Mexican Motor Mafia_ Demo. A small shareware game that is basically a sped-up version of the “crossing the T” type of combat that makes _Pirates!_ so gratifying but with tequila, muscle cars and sawed-off shotguns instead of rum, frigates and grapeshot. Check out the description of your player character on the website: “You smoke and wear shirts with cobras on them. You are bad ass.” What could be better than that?
_Zombie Horde_. It’s a Counter-strike: Source server plugin that pits CTs and Ts to fight off an onslaught of knife-wielding zombies. Oh, and did I mention that the zombies have 500 hitpoints, will spontaneously combust, and can only be harmed by precise gunshots to the head? Just join a CS:S server with the ZH plugin activated for some ghoulish fun. Side effect: Makes for great aiming practice!