The Nokia Lumia 710 is an excellent portable gaming system, but it's a shame you have to pay for all the best games, right? Wrong! There are loads of brilliantly playable games that can be had for completely free - and some of them even have Xbox Live achievements to unlock. Here are 10 of our favourites.
The latest game from Windows Phone indie game ace Elbert Perez (who also features elsewhere on this list) is arguably his most involving, most polished and downright best yet. Paradox Exit is an old school explore-em-up that sees you traveling through vast alien caverns, mining resources and searching for the exit. This is one massive game, with a laid back pace and a compelling upgrade system. Read our review here.
Bug Village is the first freemium game on the Windows Phone platform - which means it's completely free to download, but it can be enhanced through lots of little in-game purchases. Don't worry, though - you can get plenty of enjoyment out of this gentle world-building game without spending a penny. Construct your 3D bug village and give it that personal touch with upgrades, while fending off unwanted visitors.
The second Xbox Live game on this list, Breeze is an addictive yet incredibly simple experience. Guide your floating flower around each mazy level either by tilting your phone or touching to 'blow' it in the required direction. It's a bit like those ball mazes you used to get in cereal packets, only far more intricate and fun. That you can also unlock achievements only adds to the charm.
Don't be fooled by its sedate, unassuming looks. Blocked In Free is a fiendish brain-melter of a puzzle game that will make your brain hurt. If that sounds like your idea of heaven, then read on. The idea is you slide a coloured block to each level's exit, but you must first clear a path that's obstructed by other plain-coloured blocks. Sounds simple? It isn't.
The second game on this list from Elbert Perez couldn't be any more different from Paradox Exit. The only similarities are an impeccably well realised gameplay and an irresistible upgrade path. Guide your armoured through heavy traffic and other, more outlandish obstacles. You'll die pretty quickly at the start, but the more you play the more money you get and the more upgrades you can afford. Compelling stuff.
You know the score with Jewel³ if you've played any gem-swapping puzzle game on any device over the past five years. Just like Bejeweled and co. you must clear a screen full of jewels by matching rows of three and more of a single colour. This is done by swiping the screen to swap two gems around. Cue chain reactions, special bomb blocks, and hours of lost time.
Crisp, polished and addictive, LineBirds (like many of the games on this list) really has no business being free. You guide your little flapping bird on its perpetual journey from left to right, avoiding obstacles by touching the screen to gain height and letting go to dive. It's the weighty feel of this core system that keeps you coming back for more - well, that and the obligatory high score system.
Imagine LineBirds grounded, its controls reversed, and the instant-death obstacles removed in favour of a swooping time-based challenge and you more or less have Penguin. Your titular flightless bird slides along undulating slopes, and it's up to you to build up momentum through rhythmic play. Pressing the screen causes you to stick to the ground (handy on downward slopes) while releasing at the right time will send you pinging into the air. Thrilling stuff.
Very much a Doodle Jump clone, Funny Bounce stands out from its obvious influence by being available for free. Guide your little... yellow... thing on its ceaseless ascent, bouncing off suspended platforms, avoiding broken ones and trying not to drop below the current screen. This is a decent approximation of a modern classic.
An intriguing mixture of Angry Birds and Fragger, Snowball Assault has the fresh touches and decent presentation to stand on its own two flippers. You play an angry walrus who must take out a bunch of aggressive penguins with your supply of snowballs. The key difference from the aforementioned games: the penguins can fight back. Top fun.
Have we missed any of your favourite free Windows Phone games? Do share in the Comments section.