By If you’re a gamer and you’re cash strapped for the latest games, despair not – the last few years have seen a boom in the free games department. To help you cut through the clutter, we’ve compiled a list of popular free online games, sorted by genre. You’ll have to explore a bit to find out a game (and community) you like and can return to on a regular basis, but you’ll probably have lots of fun doing it.
Magazine's empty, wallet still full
First Person Shooters – here, the action-oriented Quake Live reigns supreme, both when it comes to sheer number of users and gameplay-wise (plus it runs in your browser). However, if you’re looking for a more tactical experience, try the excellent Crossfire or Combat Arms, or even Tremulous if sci-fi is your thing. Also, there are several other promising MMOFPSs in development so do that Google search every once in a while – there are a quite a few delicious-looking titles slated for release next year.
- QuakeLive
- Blackshot
- Sudden Attack
- Soldier Front
- Crossfire
- Combat Arms
- Tremulous
- Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Now, where was that Super Kill-O-Zapper Photon Phaser Laser Cannon?
MMORPGs – ahh, slicing dragons open, saving damsels in distress and robbing unsuspecting souls of their hard-earned lvl 96 loot – what could be more satisfying? Not paying for it of course! In the free MMORPG arena Runescape boasts the largest number of subscribers, while Anarchy Online and Entropia offer you the basic experience for free. Entropia’s even got a real money economy, so you can look at your game time as an investment – spend a few years to make a 5000 USD character and sell it off for profit !
Every morning, i make my serfs wear chicken costumes. Because I CAN !
Browser Games – Possibly the most productivity-destroying of the bunch, these are usually some sort of strategy/economic simulation, and a few hit just the right note between great rewards and tedium. Whether growing your medieval village, tending to your spaceship or colonizing a planet, these are seriously addictive and they’ll probably leave you thinking about expanding your fledgling empire night and day.
Bonus! We’ve saved 3 links for last: Flash game sites. These are the most casual of them all, perfect for quick 5-10 minute sessions, which explains their popularity with office-dwelling creatures everywhere. Don’t let your boss catch you browsing one of these sites – send him an anonymous e-mail with the links instead. The huge variety of games on these sites is sure to keep him busy (and out of your hair) for hours.