by Pam Hair

Created on: December 29, 2008   Last Updated: January 07, 2012

Online games are attractive: your computer, mouse, keyboard and online access are the only things you need to play hundreds of free games. There are games of skill, speed, strategy, and logic. You can choose from traditional board games, card games, puzzles, arcade games, action games anything imagineable. So how do you choose the most enjoyable games?

The title is always a good starting point. Does the name sound interesting? If so, then read the description. If it still seems interesting, take a look at the game itself. The graphics can make or break the game. For some, the adorable little Chuzzles or the stuffed toys in Teddy Factory sell a game. For others, Clash N Slash may be more appealing.

After deciding on a game, simplicity is a key factor. As with anything new, you expect to have to read some instructions to learn how to play the game. You also expect to get better with practice. But if the game too complex or the levels are too difficult to maneuver, why bother with that game when you have a hundreds of others you could play?

For any game to be enjoyable, success (at least at some level) has to be attainable. No one wants to play a game that cannot be won. On the other hand, if a game is too easy and you always win, it soon ceases to be fun. Even if a high score or a win is elusive, many games will have coins to collect, trophies to win, or other interim additional goals. These tokens of achievement can help maintain interest in a game.

One of the last components of a favorite game are tricks, tips and/or strategies to help increase the odds of winning. Most online games include some degree of chance: how the cards are played, what letters you have to work with, how often items of one color show up in a row so they can be cleared out, etc. Many online games are also played against the clock. Additionally, there may be the chance to play a wild card or get a hint. Now you have choices: Do you get more points if you wait longer to clear more items or if you have time left on the clock? Are you better off playing the wild card to clear the board while still having cards in the stack, or does it cost more to play the wild card than to run through all the cards? Using a hint will save time, but will it cost more points than you gain if I just take your time? Just discovering these gaming nuances can enhance the fun, and applying them often leads to greater and more frequent successes.

Even in games where speed is everything, there are tricks to the trade. It might be if you hold off just a little bit and allow more blocks or pieces to accumulate, you can get a block of color or a special piece that will clear the field more quickly. You have to be careful, though, not to reach a point of no return where you seal your fate.

If a game looks appealing and the developers have spent some time incorporating ways to beat the system, it's a game will be played time after time, day after day, and enjoyed every time.

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