BOSTON — About 70,000 gamers packed a Boston convention center last weekend for Penny Arcade Expo, and several dozen publishers and indie developers gave crowds a chance to try their games.

When we weren't gawking at cosplayers or hosting well-attended panels, Game|Life editor Chris Kohler and I bounced around the show floor testing games both big and small.

Here are eight of our favorite games from PAX East 2011.

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When I heard about Bastion, my first thought was: "This is going to get old." After all, Supergiant's action-RPG boasts an omnipresent narrator that, if mishandled, could become very grating very quickly. Fortunately, the developer seems to have pulled it off.

Like a broadcaster commentating on a sports match, the narrator adds a unique flavor to the game's Diablo-esque grinding and loot-hunting. It's all set in a cartoony atmosphere that sharply contrasts with the game's morbid storyline. When the 20-minute demo ended, I wanted nothing more than to keep hacking, collecting and listening. —Jason Schreier

Platform: Xbox 360

Release: Summer 2011