[GameSetLinks is GameSetWatch's semi-regular link round-up post, culling from hundreds of weblogs and outlets to compile the most interesting longform writing, links, and criticism on the art and culture of video games.]

As we wander into the weekend, here's another of the slightly less seldom GameSetLinks, rounding up some neat stuff we ran into over the last few days about video games that you might not have seen - starting with an interesting Boing Boing essay on Venezuela and violent games.

Also in here - a look at hardcore sim RailWorks, the making of classic bar game Tapper, a catchy song by a colleague, SomethingAwful goofs wonderfully on those darn indie games, and rather more besides.

Up up:

Venezuela bans violent video games: a first-person guest essay - Boing Boing
An odd act, and a moving response.

Pretend you are an IGF judge: Part 1 | SavyGamer
Going through this year's IGF entries alphabetically and finding demos, extra info, brief single-line descriptions - useful. Also see a compilation of IGF entry videos by the Tale Of Tales folks.

Gamers will inherit the virtual earth | Ed Stern | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
A nice defence from Splash Damage's Stern: 'Games generate social experiences, often hilariously surreal, and are mainly played in more imaginative and ironic ways than their genre suggests.'

Interview: Paul Jackson On RailWorks | Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Awesome niche interview - excellent work, RPS, in mainstreaming things like this.

What the Alternative Press Expo Taught Me About Games - Offworld/Boing Boing
Intriguing Boyer post about how indie media interact.

The Making Of: Tapper | Edge Online
Extremely interesting retrospective on the classic title.

YouTube - Space Asshole
Our own Chris Remo's song about Red Faction: Guerrilla, as showcased on the (now kinda over, aw!) Idle Thumbs podcast. Super cute.

SomethingAwful: 2010's Most Promising Bullshit Indie Games
Hah. AWESOME.