Switchball

Normally a game that pisses you off as much as Switchball would be something to avoid. But after all the “No no no!” and “Oh [bleep]!” moments, you’ll usually find yourself laughing your ass off and having a good time. Switchball has just enough charm to pull it off, and the balance between logical puzzle-solving and tight manual dexterity feels very equal.

In Switchball, you navigate a small ball through floating platforms, each requiring you to solve a physics-based puzzle to get through. You can switch your ball between different types, each with different properties that are affected by the environment: For example, the heavy metal ball won’t be blown off-course by a fan, but the air-filled ball can climb steeper surfaces because it’s lighter. You get five whimsically designed worlds to explore (each with several maps), plus some pretty decent multiplayer options, including competitive races and a fun co-op mode where you have to work together to conquer courses. This is the kind of game Xbox Live Arcade was made for.