Sometimes, we prefer to bring you pointed game industry insight and analysis. Others, a moment’s mindless relief in a world of buzzing Blackberries and shrieking significant others. Case in point: Our recent column on CNN.com highlighting today’s top sites for free online games. That’s right: Literally thousands of games in all genres from action and arcade to sports, racing, role-playing and adventure are playable immediately in your Web browser – all of which cost zilch to enjoy.
One of gaming’s most exciting trends in our opinion, these titles may not approach the depth or graphical fidelity of their counterparts for high-end desktop systems or dedicated home consoles. But you can’t beat the price, and they’re designed to run on all manner of both Macintosh and PC computers – even low-end models, including netbooks. As such, social networks from Facebook to MySpace and Hi5 (go FarmVille, Mafia Wars and Restaurant City!) as well as sites like Newgrounds and Armor Games now host countless diversions that make killing time at home or work easy, and cost-effective. Of the thousands of selections they host, many continue to become more advanced with each passing day, adding digitized speech samples, 3D graphics and online head-to-head options that are helping close the gap between these offerings and traditional titles as well.
You can even find dozens of professionally-made, free massively multiplayer online (MMO) games out there from Runescape to Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited, Free Realms and MapleStory that are readily on-par with those with subscription costs attached. Check out the Top 5 Websites for Free Video Games for an in-depth look at several, or simply skim our list below for a look in brief at the best options currently available for those moments when you absolutely, positively have to kill 15 minutes or go insane:
- Newgrounds
- AddictingGames
- Kongregate
- Shockwave
- Miniclip
- ArmorGames
- Candystand
- NinjaKiwi
- Pogo
Loading ...
Scott Steinberg is the CEO of video game consulting firm TechSavvy Global, and founder of GameExec magazine and Game Industry TV. Hailed as a top technology and video game expert by dozens of publications from USA Today to Forbes and NPR, he’s covered the field for 400+ outlets from Playboy to Rolling Stone. A frequent on-air analyst for networks like ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, he’s also the author of Video Game Marketing and PR.