Installment #55 - Free Online Games (Again!)

Have you ever played a game online?

Sure, you have! Who hasn't?

Young, old, male, female - online games are big!

However, the popularity of these websites makes them targets for millions of "cyber creeps!" After playing for years at certain popular, successful social online game websites, suddenly there are worms, viruses, spam, browser exploits. What was safe yesterday or today may not be safe tomorrow! Stay alert!

After noticing issues with my computer, I recently discovered that three of the four game sites I was visiting quite often have now become off limits: Bigfishgames, Miniclip, and Gamefools - just makes me so mad and sad!

I checked up on 22 of these online game websites and here are my results:

BAD:

• Bigfishgames.com
• Miniclip.com
• Gamefools
• iwin.com
• myaddictinggames.com
• box10.com
• mofunzone.com
• gamezone.com
• arcadetown.com
• doublegames.com

GOOD:

• zapak.com
• gamezhero.com
• gamemile.com
• playgamesclub.com
• pbmcube.com
• iplay.com
• ht83.com
• playrelax.com
• gamesgames.com
• quickflashgames.com
• smileygames.com
• onlinegames.net

Now, I can't testify as to whether or not they're any good yet, but I'll let you know!

Installment #37 - Free Online Game Communities

I am still on the hunt for a safe community to play games and meet people who share common interests AND where there is none of the riff-raff found on other social websites like MySpace and Facebook.

I loved Gamerival and Grab before they changed ownership and got greedy! I had been playing games and socializing at those 2 sites since 2005 - having met the most wonderful, friendly people, many of whom I am still close to today, even though I avoid those two websites completely.

But, I still love playing "my" games almost daily - it is such a great stress reliever! Yet, I have not found the type of website to my liking that allows me to send challenges or play along with others. I have been playing at Bigfishgames, Freearcade, and Miniclips and love them - but I miss the camaraderie.

Recently, still hoping, I checked into 22 sites (some I probably checked before, but it doesn't hurt to double check!) - I found only 11 to be so-called safe.

Here are those results:

BAD: (in addition to Gamerival and Grab)

• gaiaonline.com
• pogo.com
• slingo.com
• gamesgames.com
• shockwave.com
• steampowered.com
• spawnpoint.com
• gamesville.com
• aeriagames.com
• king.com
• littlewoodsbingo.com

GOOD:

• bigfishgames.com
• cafe.com
• playfirst.com
• flyordie.com
• casualgems.com
• gamegum.com
• shockplay.com
• fumbbl.com
• spogg.com
• arcadedude.com
• bigpoint.com

Now, it remains to be seen whether these sites are any good or not. I tried out bigpoint.com and didn't care for the selection of games - too young boy-ish! Arcadedude.com was fairly decent as far as the games go ( I loved "Get Groovy" - another name for the old "Super Groovy" game), but it lacks the community strength I'm looking for.


Eventually I will try out each one in my desperate search for the ideal game community. If you happen to know of a good site similar to that which I've described above, please, by all means, let me know. I'm at my wit's end! (Hmmm - perhaps I ought to start my own????)

Installment #9 - Free Online Games

Folks, this set of results has made me so sad - I tested 25 games websites; five were my personal favorites (the last 5 listed) and they're all bad! Bummer! (I found 5 others too.)

Here are the results for free online games:

BAD:

• freeonlinegames.com
• net-games.biz
• miniclip.com
• teenfreearcade.com
• youdagames.com
• iwin.com
• pogo.com
• freearcade.com
• bigfishgames.com
• skipout.com

GOOD:

• onlineflashgames.org
• playedonline.com
• gamenode.com
• rattgames.com
• frooga.com
• famousarcade.com
• gamefrat.com
• fishflashgames.com
• arcadetemple.com
• farfarfar.com
• grandmatrix.com
• efreegame.com

and these are so new that testing is not complete:

• online-games-zone.com
• gamesoid.com
• freegames.fm

As usual, I checked these by using experience, word-of-mouth, and SiteAdvisor and Firefox's WOT. If yours aren't on either list, I suggest checking them manually with either or both of these links here.

Installment #3 - Free online Games Sites

SEARCH FOR ‘FREE ONLINE GAMES’

Out of 46 search results for ‘free online games’ over half were deemed unacceptable. What’s so bad about these is that the majority of Internet users going to these free sites are relatively inexperienced, both young and old, novices and are basically clueless as to what may lurk within. And you can best believe the creeps designing the malware know this and are capitalizing on it! It's just not right!

Here are my results:

BAD

Shockwave.com
flasharcade.com
realarcade.com
Terragames.com
wildgames.com
Saburtalo.com
gamefools.com
Jiji.com
Slingo.com
Gaiaonline.com
Arcadedude.com
Gamesville.com
Grab.com
Won.net
Onlinerealgames.com
Net-games.biz
Freeonlinegames.com
Miniclip.com
Urgames.com
bumarcade.com
smashingames.com
Gamezhero.com
gamegecko.com


GOOD

Flyordie.com
Ezone.com
Thediamondgames.com
reclinergames.com
spinchat.com
Kongregate.com
wellgames.com
Games.com (AOL)
Egglad.com
gamenode.com
Onlineflashgames.org
famousarcade.com
whogets.com
playedonline.com
Teenfreearcade.com
gamefrat.com
rattgames.com
Frooga.com
grandmatrix.com
ifungames.com
efreegame.com
arcadetemple.com


Again, I referenced SiteAdvisor and Firefox's WOT.