Free Games Sometimes, we wonder how computer game companies stay in
business. There are so many great free games out there on the Net,
that one could spend a lifetime and not play all of them. In this
section, we offer a roundup of the Web's best freeware games, free
demos and free online games.
PlayStation Underground
freebies Complete the form to join
PlayStation Underground, (a resource for video game players) and
you may then request free offers, such as playable demos and other
gaming goodies. (U.S. only).
Free
kids' games from Microsoft Here's a
roundup of free educational, fun games for children from
Microsoft. Titles include The Magic School Bus, Escaping Monkey,
Skeleton Puzzle and Meteor Meltdown. (For
Windows).
McGruff comic book Fill out the
form to request a free McGruff comic book. From McGruff.org, a
site devoted to the cartoon crime dog who teaches kids how to be
safe and healthy. (U.S. only).
FreeFunSlots.com Do you enjoy
slot games? This free casino slots site serves up 18 games, which
you can play for a shot at winning monthly cash prizes. New games
are added here weekly. You must be 18 or older to
participate. (U.S. and Canada only; excluding
Quebec).
TournamentGames.com Do you
enjoy playing the solitaire game that came with your computer? Are
you looking for a better challenge, as well as the chance to
compete with others online and win prizes? TournamentGames.Com
offers a free, fun selection of online solitaire games, in which
you can win cash prizes ranging from $7.50 to $150. The games
feature nice graphics and sound. (For
Windows).
TournamentGames.com recently expanded
the selection of games it offers. The site now features
downloadable games, as well as a fun collection of Flash games,
such as Jigsaw, FastMatch and
WordSearch.
Scratch4Cash Play the online
"scratch cards" at this site (it's free) for a shot at winning
cash prizes, which range from 50 cents up to $25,000. Note: you
must have been at least 18 years of age, as of Oct. 1, 2003, to be
eligible to play this game. (U.S. and Canada
only; excluding Quebec).
Jackpot.com Register at this
site to play free games like lotto, progressive slots and bingo
and you can take a shot at winning prizes that include cash,
electronic goodies and vacation trips. Registration here is free
and prizes are awarded daily.
Candystand.com A fun,
family-oriented site that offers an ace collection of original,
free Shockwave games that you can play in your browser. There are
many types of games here: arcade, sports, word games, pinball and
trivia. Many of the games offer prizes you can win, including
videos, Nintendo Game Boys, T-shirts and DVD players. You must have the free Macromedia
Shockwave browser plug-in to play these games.
Gametown
Emulation
Sure, today's cutting-edge multimedia games are fun. But
there's something special about the classics of yesteryear,
like PacMan and Space Invaders. (Perhaps the fact that
they're still so addictive). This site specializes in the
golden oldies of gaming. Using the emulators linked here,
you can play these original arcade titles on your computer,
for free. Be sure to read their disclaimer.
(For PCs and Macs).
DosGames.com
Classic games never die, they just migrate to this fun
site, which rates and reviews various blasts from the
past. DosGames.com features excellent, well-researched
reviews for games in many categories. Although some of the
games here are shareware, many are either freeware or
public domain titles.
Acid-Play
Looking for freeware games? This site is a good place to
start. Acid-Play offers direct downloads for a variety of
free (and legal) games. The listings here include screen
shots, reviews and ratings. Categories include action,
puzzle, sports, RPGs, and more.
Free
Solitaire
(Note: this program is no longer
freeware, but a free trial version is available). A
cutting-edge collection of eight solitaire games that
features large, realistic card graphics. If you're tired
of squinting at the tiny cards in other solitaire games,
then this game is for you. You can even use any image
you'd like as a card back. Games included are Forty
Thieves, Free Cell, Indian Patience, Klondike, Montana,
Pyramid, Sea Towers and Spider. (For
Windows).
Download-Online-Games.com
A good place to go if you're bored, this site serves up a
quality collection of freeware games, as well as free game
demos. This site is refreshingly free of popup ads and you
won't find any annoying spyware here. Software is
available for Windows, Macs and Linux.
Active-Gaming.com
A fun site, Active-Gaming.com serves up a good collection
of free games that you can play in your browser.
Categories include action, arcade, board & puzzle
games, cards, classic titles, and multiplayer games.
Free
Games Zone
Here's a good freeware games directory that lists and
rates games in a variety of categories, including action,
adventure, role playing, simulation, sports and strategy.
Free-Games.as
This easy-to-navigate site offers a treasure trove of
freeware games. It includes reviews, descriptions and
screen shots of each game. Categories include action,
adventure, card games, kids' games, puzzles, sports,
strategy and word games.
Grand
Theft Auto
The original version of this classic "urban crime
game" is now available as a free download from its
developer, Rockstar Games. This version of the game has
been optimized "for play on the latest and greatest
computers." (For Windows).
Virticon
Millennium
Do you enjoy Tetris style games? Here's an entertaining
game in which you aim to line up three blocks of the same
kind in various directions. Lots of cool features,
including chain reactions, real-time rendered background
effects, three difficulty levels and more. (For Windows).
Note: this game is no longer freeware, but a free demo is
available.
Arkanoid
For Win32
Remember the classic game, Breakout? Arkanoid is a new
freeware version that updates the ball-and-paddle game of
yesteryear. Steer your spaceship to destroy the blocks,
collecting power-ups to improve your ship as you move
through increasing levels of difficulty. This newly
released version includes new features, levels and effects
and clears up previous glitches.
(For Windows).
Winter
Scenes Tetris Game
Here's a nifty freeware version of the classic Tetris game
that features the sounds and sights of winter. If you like
the lovely background winter scenes, be sure to also grab
the related Animated Winter Scene free screen saver here.
(For Windows).
#1 MVP's
Command Center
If you're into games, then check out this cool site for
lots of goodies (both freeware and fully playable
shareware). Free games here include such classics as
cribbage, hearts, spades and euchre.
