Crates and Barrels is a single-player "minigame" mod for Half-Life 2. It is a unique mod for several reasons, most notably for what it is not: it isn't a shooter (first or third person) - it isn't an RPG, strategy, or adventure game - and it doesn't use the Source game engine. What it is, though, is a collection of mini-games which use the Half-Life 2 characters, objects, and textures in several simple and classic video games that are intended for a few moments of comic relief. Written entirely in Visual Basic 2008 and using Managed DirectX 1.1, it is a first for Half-Life 2 mods. You will need Half-Life 2 installed in order to play this mod, as all game content is loaded as needed during gameplay from the Half-Life 2 GCF files.