I’ve babbled on before about the wonderful creative freedom of online Flash games. Because they’re cheap and quick to make, and can be designed by a single individual, they don’t have to fall into the same categories as typical, buy-in-a-box video games like Quake or Half-Life or The Sims. Which is to say, Flash games can exist for a reason that isn’t just about getting you addicted. They can serve another purpose. For example, as I argued last year in Slate, Flash games be harnessed as a form of political commentary — a game you play once or twice to absorb a political argument.

They can also be quite deeply artistic. I’ve recently been playing a bunch of games created by Ferry Halim, an artist in Fresno, Calif. They’re online here, and I urge you with cattle-prod intensity to go visit and play them now. They’re a perfect example of games that aim to be artistic, and not merely addictive. Each game is like a tiny hallucination-dream, done in dreamy pastels — like a children’s book brought to life.

A few of my favorites: “Summer Walk” — which is in the top left-handed corner of Halim’s game grid (sorry, it’s impossible to link to an invidual game.) Or the one that’s one column over and two rows down — illustrated by a kite. This stuff is just beyond superb.