Free Online Games

Online gaming is becoming massively popular as the internet keeps growing. Girls and boys of all generations are surfing the web for everything nowadays using search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing, from searching for favorite cooking recipes to streaming the latest cute kitty and baby videos gone viral. Television game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud on Game Show Network invite viewers to play along at home by logging on to their websites and getting special codes. Although back in the day PC and Mac video games like The Sims were all the rage and some are still available for purchase today, people have more recently taken to joining the online gaming community to participate in fantasy multiplayer role playing games (rpg) and battle a dragon in games like World of Warcraft and going on a medieval quest in RuneScape, where there's no telling what monster you might run in to next.

Gathering Together to Play and Watch Games has Changed

Back before the internet, way back before the computer, families and friends used to get together and play games in person to pass the time. This helped young children learn to socialize, building friendships and family interaction. Families used to unite for game nights filled with fun activities like putting together a jigsaw puzzle or arrange Dominoes for one chain reaction. Board games like Candyland, Scrabble, Chinese Checkers, and especially Bingo were popular , as well as all sorts of card games like solitaire among the adult generations. Now the net has adopted these card games, so you can play them without even leaving your house. Bridge, Texas Holdem, Freecell, spoons...Vegas is just a click away, the Slotomania capital of the country. Take a trip to the casinos for a tight games of Poker in just seconds. The ultimate classic board game, Chess, is even available online. Though you may be down to your last pawn, you can still use knights and your queen to take over the board and keep your king safe all with mere clicks of a mouse or tap of a screen for free.

Other card games like Phase 10 and Uno are still popular today. People play free online Spider Solitaire all the time, too. Playing card games is a great way to keep your memory in check, especially when you're playing Go Fish or Rummy.

Once upon a time, kids used to go to one another's houses to make Mario and Luigi jump and bounce around on their television screens when Nintendo finally came to be. That's practically unheard of anymore. Now kids of all ages can find entertainment with Mario and Luigi and each other just by going online. The Super Mario Bros games have come a long way over the years. Today's technology allows us to visually and verbally communicate with other people within seconds, no matter how far apart we may be. Young adults even use the XBox to play team games like Call of Duty Black Ops and Blackout, fighting with or against each other, thanks to many gaming systems' online capabilities.

Online communication has improved the chances of couples' long-distance relationships succeeding, has made it possible for a daddy to say good-night to his little girl when he's away on a business trip and she and her mommy are back home; and all these people have the ability to interact and play free online games with each other.

Computer Games at School

Teachers are now pushing children and adolescents to go online for homework assignments after school. Even during class, students are encouraged to play computer games, some online, to improve their skills in subjects like math, spelling, and physics. This ever-expanding form of Education is catching on and is required at schools throughout the world, an empire of online invasion.

Word scrambles and crossword puzzles can both be found for free online and help students improve their spelling and vocabulary. In middle school and high school, teachers test the knowledge of guys and gals on recently completed reading assignments. Elementary school students participate in math trivia on the computer. Kindergarten classes are beginning to adopt computer game learning strategies, too. There are even free online games for preschoolers to learn new things before heading off to primary school. Educational games are available to assist in the learning process for students in any grade to improve their typing, problem-solving, and strategy skills.

Even in preschool, toddlers can practice their ABC's with the help of computer games. Being able to learn the alphabet and the English language is becoming easier with the use of computers and educational media.

Games Inspired by Highly Rated Television Series and Movies

Game designers have designed many addicting online games inspired by today's popular TV shows and movies. Nick Jr.'s website has free online games based off shows like Dora the Explorer and Lalaloopsy and other preschool-friendly games, and Nickelodeon's website has games featuring the always-popular Spongebob Squarepants. Whether they're following a map, catching jellyfish, or just wandering from one place to the next, young kids are sure to have fun playing free online games.

Game of Thrones is a popular mini series on HBO, and if you're a bookworm, you probably already know that each episode of the mini series is based on the books; and I'm sure if you resorted to Google, the search engine is sure to lead you to games relevant to the series. The same goes with the Hunger Games series. The Hunger Games movie and its sequel Catching Fire heated the box office for months.

The Walking Dead is another series that is captivating many viewers and gamers, gathering a massive following that continues to grow. In part because of the episodes of this television show, the zombie obsession of today's culture is at its peak. Plants vs. Zombies has become a very trendy game over the past few years among teenagers and adults alike. Plant flower pots and special seeds that attack oncoming zombies and prevent them from damaging your garden. It's a battle of survival against the undead. The movie Zombieland has also contributed to the thirst kids and young adults have to watch the intense action of a zombie apocalypse against humanity where humans of every age try to escape from the wrath of zombies. The popular Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 are games for a variety of consoles on which people can connect to the internet to join one another in the battle to escape blood thirsty zombies. Many online gaming sites also contain a number of zombie games that aren't hard to find.

Mortal Kombat is another action game where players are battling to win each round. It was released as a video game franchise in 1992. It made its first film debut in 1995. If you like horror games, check out the new Slender Man game.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a popular title today, as well, also based on a book series and has inspired a few online games itself. Some other media titles that have a large following and have influenced game designers across the world include Power Rangers, Legends of the Hidden Temple (where players must compete in a maze and reach the finish line without getting caught), Klondike, the anime series Beyblade (adapted from the manga illustrated novels), Naruto (another Japanese manga series), Dragonball Z, Pokemon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT), and Yugioh. The Twilight saga has also increased today's society's interest in vampires, so many more vampire games can be found online now. Also, the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse series on the Disney Channel has kids swarming to the computer to play interactive games with Mickey and his friends, and everyone's favorite childhood education television series Sesame St. and the beloved Elmo are now online for toddlers and other young ones.

Trading cards have also been created based on Pokemon, Dragonball Z, and Yugioh.

Online Sports Games

Most modern gaming consoles are capable of connecting to the internet, so people are able to play all sorts of games together, even sports, while staying comfortable in their own homes. Playing on HD televisions seriously enhances your gaming experience, as well. However, old school consoles like the Sega Genesis are not online-compatible. If you have the means, participate in an exciting game of baseball to gear up for preseason training for an MLB team, a beloved American pastime, and play as your favorite team player on the league. Pitch curve balls, whack the ball out of the park (Hope the umpire doesn't declare you out), race from base to base to score home runs and win against the opposing team. Or you can be a part of the NBA and put your basketball skills to work, shooting basket after basket, passing the ball to your teammates across the floor. If baseball and basketball are not your thing, there's always football (go,Ohio State!). This season, join the online NFL to make a playoff game and then win your own big Superbowl game. Playing online sports games is so much better than if you were to stream live sports coverage. Who wants to watch college basketball or football if you can actually be a part of the game in your own room? Streaming a real game may slow your internet connection, and you'll pay a pretty high price if you were to watch from the stands...event ticket prices and parking can be expensive. Even if you were to avoid traffic by riding the train to the city, it won't be cheap. Golf is also a sport you can play online to avoid high expenses. And if you don't like being in the game, some games allow you to fill a coaching position instead.

If you like to hunt, there are plenty of free sporty hunting games available to play online, too. Practice your virtual target shooting. Take down elk or whitetail deer with guns or bow, see who can get the biggest buck in the woods or go duck hunting online. Even go wild turkey hunting in the woods. Pick a game where you can travel through the jungle to take down a bear or a tiger or any other jungle animal. Don't like to hunt? That's fine. Go fishing online and become a pro fisher! Or if golfing is more your fancy, putt your golf ball across the green online for free in your own PGA golf tournament. Free online bowling and soccer games exist, as well.

Barbie Doll Fashion Activities

Barbie has come a long way since her creation into the world of child play things in 1959. She's experienced many a makeover to keep up with the Joneses, so to speak, melting the hearts of little girls around the world with her delicate frame and flawless, plastic-coated skin. Since the early 1960s, girls have been playing dress up with their Barbie dolls, but now young girls everywhere can do so much more. Barbie now has an entire collection of movies available for purchase, and in turn, tons of online computer games have been created to enhance young girls' experiences with the doll that forever changed the world of child play things. There is a Barbie doll for nearly every theme imaginable. The veterinarian Barbie takes care of nearly any pet, from a dog and cats to horses. Waitress Barbie can run from table to miniature table at her make pretend restaurant, collecting imaginary money in tips. What better way to attract a young girl to the world wide web than to add a childhood favorite toy to the world of virtual games? Dolls are becoming more rare as the years progress, many retiring as collectible toys. Barbie has her own collection of cartoon movies, too. If Barbie thought the actual Ken doll was a stud, boy was she surprised to see his online physique! They'll be kissing on their second date.

Playing Dress Up

For decades, playing dress up has nearly always made young girls happy. Hand-me-down dresses that have been out of style for years, shoes that are too big for their tiny little feet, their faces decorated with their mama's makeup. Carting baby dolls around from room to room...the simple pleasures of being young. The child's imagination is a fascinating realm in an of itself. Some little girls love hosting their own tea parties, bringing stuffed animals and Barbie dolls to the table, using fingernail polish to paint their tiny nails, starting their own hair salons...such grand gestures of creativity. Now, however, things are changing. Now instead of pretending to be a Disney Princess on the run, they're logging on to the computer to go jumping around in cyber worlds where they can control their favorite princess right before their eyes. Even Polly Pocket is joining the ever-growing online world.

Ever wonder what it would be like to create your own world? The Sims computer game allows you to do just that. The Sims 2 and Sims 3 are much better quality and you have many more options when creating your Sim a world of its own. You choose what they wear, dressing them like a sophisticated businessman or barefoot and pregnant. Build a hotel and houses. Give them a public swimming pool. You could play God and instruct them on how to live, or you can sit back and let them interact with one another completely on their own. The main difference of previous editions of the game (The Sims) are that they are less complex, but with the Sims 3, you can watch your characters go through the phases of pregnancy, watch the babies grow into their teenage years, a terrible phase many caring parents are all too familiar with, even have them cook meals. If you're really good with technology, you may even be able to get the game's resolution from 2D to 3D. If a relationship goes wrong, your Sim may seek revenge on another, throwing logic completely out the window. See that they're headed in the right direction, or watch them fall from grace. Give them a tattoo. Get your Sim a job...apply for a firefighter position to place your character outside of his safety zone. If you're in to management games, check out Tycoon and other cool flash games online.

You can even use an online photo simulator to create a cartoon version of yourself for some massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG games) or online dating sites to practically clone yourself

Now instead of pretending to watch plants grow, kids can witness their own free online virtual gardens to raise crops and flowers and other unique plants sprout right on the computer screen. If you like farming, you should enjoy having your own personal online farm. Keep track of your horses and be sure to clean the stables for each horse. Go for a scavenger hunt to find crops that are ready for harvesting.

In an Online Game Room

Specific websites offer special online game rooms with seemingly countless free games. The website www.msn.com has a game room filled with all sorts of games, from a list of puzzle and strategic games to action packed adventure games. Some of the games included are Text Twist, Mahjong, and Collapse. In order to submit your high sore in an online game room, registration to the website is usually required. After you register and create an account, you can log in and find the link to the game you're looking for and start playing. Once you've played a game, there's no limit to how many times you can replay the game. Almost every online game room keeps track of how many times you replay the game, whether it's 12 times or over 100 times, the website will count and record the number of times you play.

It's no secret that Bejeweled Blitz is one of the top most popular online puzzle games. Not only is it in MSN's game room, but there are Bejeweled Blitz apps for the Android and iPhone. It's even on Facebook. Bejeweled Blitz is a matching game, and the object of the game is to make as many jewel matches as possible in one minute. You do this when you match at least three of the same color jewel, whether it be a red ruby cluster, a bunch of emerald jewels, white diamonds, or other available jewels. In Candy Crush Saga, you're matching candies. Facebook, one of the best ranking social media sites ever to enter the online world, is loaded with tons of free online game apps. One of the biggest rages ever to hit online gaming is Candy Crush, very similar to Bejeweled Blitz but for the fact that Candy Crush Saga contains levels that get harder as you progress across the board. Bejeweled Blitz has no varying level of difficulty but you can purchase any available power up with the coins you've earned from completing each game. In Candy Crush, you're limited to five lives, but the number of times you can play Bejeweled Blitz is unlimited. Another recent favorite is Words with Friends, a word puzzle very similar to Scrabble only with different tile values and a different board layout. It's a strategic word scramble sort of game, where you rearrange your tiles to create words to place on the board, your limits of course being the dictionary and space alloted on the board for each word. Sudoku has gained popularity over the past few years, too. Games that force the mind to think are the best online games you can play.

Angry Birds has recently been decreasing in popularity, but that's not to say it's over. There is now a Star Wars version of the game, where each type of bird is dressed up as character from the Star Wars saga. The birds go to war against the evil pigs, destroying everything in their path. There is also a LEGO Star Wars game compatible for the computer and a variety of gaming consoles.

Head to the casino section of an online game room to hit the slots. Some people really do invest money in each online slot machine, but do be careful. Slot machines can be very scary. You could win some mega cash prizes or go completely bankrupt. It's very easy to get sucked in to online gambling.

A Christmas favorite is an activity where you can virtually kick Santa Claus with a reindeer. Just how far can you make him fly? Or picture yourself a pirate battling for treasure, a spy on the run, or a great detective in the next online mystery game! Act as a bouncing dinosaur, jumping over obstacles in an endless race against time. Look out for Sonic the Hedgehog online games, too. Comic book characters like Spiderman and Batman are also in online games. Sometimes you may even encounter games based on celebrity figures. Take free online quizzes to find out if you're the next Nicki Minaj or if your celeb soul mate is Justin Bieber. Choose your dream wedding. Quizzes don't typically require skill, just specific answers to multiple choice questions. There are also tons of political polls and quizzes scattered throughout the net. Some online game rooms also have old school arcade games like Pong and Pacman, favorites of today's older generations. Who needs to go to the local arcade when you can play skeet ball online? Note that many games in an online game room are single player only. Online game rooms are great places to go when you don't want to download the full version of a game to play offline, like Text Twist. Game rooms often refer to the downloaded games as Deluxe versions and the online game is just a demo. Downloading games takes forever, and downloads take up space on your computer, so playing free online games is a great way to save time and space. Transform into the ultimate master of online gaming when you nail all the games in the game room. Once you're in, there's no hope of escaping.

Racing Games

Like NASCAR? Or do you just like racing? Either way, you're in luck. The internet is full of competitive racing games to occupy you for hours on end. It's a race lover's dream come true. Gaming websites welcome you with open arms and a wide variety of driving games. Many feature race cars, dirt bikes, motorcycles, even police chases. Skateboarding fans and BMX lovers will fit in just fine here, too. If you're a Grand Theft Auto fan, there are many free online games that can cure your longing for that edgy racing game. They may not be anything like the latest edition of GTA, but you'll fix that need for speed almost instantly. There's no doubt that if you replay these racing games and practice your hardest, you'll be the next Lightning McQueen in no time!

It's common knowledge in today's society that sex sells. That's why gaming companies that create games like Grand Theft Auto (first released in October 1997, of which now there are 11 versions) get paid to spend so much time customizing secondary female characters who are implied to work the prostitution and porn industry. They run the drivers off the road, crashing to a halt, as they stroll the street corners looking for what they imply will be a good time. And because of the secondary female characters, these games need to be rated at a more mature level, specifically for 18-year-olds and older. Race away from the police academy and escape jail and the government, drive your way to freedom. Legal management is no matter when it's just you and an online racing game.

Many racing games display buildings that tower over the streets, especially when drag racing, which can be really distracting when you're trying to stay on the road in front of you. Sometimes when the scenery is incredibly detailed or keeps changing, it can throw the driver off, making your eyes drift and you lose control of the car or truck. Other times when you're racing a dirt bike, go-kart, or motorcycle, the obstacles on the dirt roads can be distracting. Hitting too many obstacles is sure to put you in last place. However, many games contain objects that will give you an extra point or two or even bonuses. It's important to realize, however, that these games are just games. If you were to attempt such stunts in real life, you'd risk the need of a surgeon performing some sort of surgery so some part of your body.

Racing games don't just include vehicles that travel on the ground. Some online game rooms have games in which you can be a pilot, flying your airplane to see if you can reach your destination in time. But don't crash, because then you're stuck replaying the game (again). It's an addictive process. Try to direct a successful flight the first time around. If you fly well enough, you might just get to play a bonus round.

Online Shooter Games

Call of Duty is a particularly popular military first (1st) person shooter (fps) game. Avoid starting another civil war, and just plow through the fields. Be a silent and sneaky sniper about to shoot out an entire fleet. Use an automatic firearm and unload endless rounds on your enemies while trying to stay out of sight. You're a killing machine, fighting along side your friends online as you fight for your country and fight for survival. You can do some major damage as a part of an online army, a band of brothers always watching one another's backs.

Free Games on Forms of Advanced Technology

With each passing year, companies are designing and searching for ways to improve ways we communicate and what we can do with technology. Online game apps are all the rage on the latest Android phone and iPhone, as well as on the iPad and tablets. And it's not just telecommunication. Nearly all of the revolutionary eReader companies are now creating eReaders with gaming capabilities. There are at least three types of the Kindle released now, including the Kindle Fire, offered by Amazon online. Many online game apps are now compatible for Nooks, as well. The eReader is no longer just for reading books, and your mobile phone is no longer just to make phone calls. They are technologies capable of providing you with multiple forms of entertainment.

Online Gaming Websites

It's impossible not to find a gaming website anymore. For example, sites like www.agame.com and www.slingo.com and even www.gamesgames.com have multiple game rooms you can browse for fast game fixes. You can also go to www.friv.com and www.pbs.org for free fun crafts and games. If you're bored with an hour wait for the season finale of your favorite television show, head right over to a free game site like PopCap Games to kill some time. They're easy to spot, no experience needed. Beginners welcome.