Online Browser Games: Fun, Unique and Casual

If you need something to distract you from the humdrum of everyday life, or just to pick up your mental energy a bit after lunchtime, take a look at these free games that can be played in your web browser. From the bizarre to the humorous, these games can be played in short sessions and each of them made Jay Is Games' 2008 Best Of Casual Gameplay list.

Music Catch - This is a short, casual game that's more like a webtoy than an actual game. It has a beautiful soundtrack which only a jaded music appreciation student could hate. In Music Catch you simply catch the coloured bits with your mouse pointer. It's the music, in my opinion, that makes the game: a beautiful (the mere word does not do it justice) piano piece that's delicate and moving. It's possible to use your own mp3s if you download the game, but I like the supplied music just fine. Replay value is low, but it's a nice calming thing to play now and again, just to let you take a bit of a breath and perhaps a break from your busy and/or stressful day.

9:05 - This is an Interactive Fiction game, in the style of the old Infocom games from the eighties. It's short, has a few different ending possibilities, and is fairly straightforward (provided you know how to use interactive fiction that has no graphics! Kids today...). It took me less than ten minutes to play to the first ending, and somewhat longer to work through all the possibilities in the game. Those who persist in investigating everything in sight may gain insight I didn't, because the first ending I got to startled me! Worth your time.

Coil - Coil is the most unique game I have ever encountered. Like Music Catch, it's more of a webtoy than an actual game. It concerns the development of an alien embryo. Its controls are simple, but the instructions are very subtle. Someone on Jay Is Games described it as more of an 'interactive poem'. Some claim it has disturbing subject matter, primarily due to the biological nature of the game and partly due to the words that display between rounds. I found it odd but very interesting, and also a bit creepy. The commenters on Jay Is Games' website offer advice for those who struggle at certain points in the game. What do you do with those coloured balls? What do they want? Why do they mock me? Take a look at Coil, unless the idea of developing alien embryos freaks you out.

Bubble Tanks 2 - Bubble Tanks 2 is a fun arcade-style game. You control a little tank made from bubbles and shoot down other bubble tanks (and bubble ... things ... that don't try to kill you) and claim their bubbles for your own, using them to build your own tank into a bigger and badder bubble-shooting machine! The round, soft nature of the bubbles takes the edge off this fighting game. It's fairly relaxing, at least until you reach the higher levels and more dangerous and frustrating enemies. When your tank is sufficiently damaged (i.e. loses enough bubbles) it reverts to the previous tank level. When you regain enough bubbles, you'll go back up a level. I wish the player were afforded the choice of tank evolution when re-evolving; there are a lot of different tank types to experiment with.

Mastermind: World Conqueror - A humorous simulation game, Mastermind: World Conqueror puts you at the helm of an evil organisation bent on world domination. You manage your minions and patsies, defend your bases, and devise fiendish plots to increase your power. Mastermind isn't a difficult game, but there are many ways to reach the final goal: the destruction of the entire planet. The cutscenes that display to show you the result of your plots are not widely varied and get old quickly, but they are amusing to watch. The goons - er, well-trained and loyal minions - of the mastermind aren't the brightest crayons in the box, but they mean well. You can hire patsies to increase the success of certain kinds of missions, and, perhaps best of all, execute them in classic cartoon overlord style when they get uppity or fail in their tasks once too often. Muahahaha! Ahem. So what will you do when the Earth is destroyed? Don't ask foolish questions! Get over to Mastermind and learn what it is to be a world conqueror!

Whether you want a truly unique gaming experience or just need to wreak a little bit of virtual havoc, these games will help pass the time in a fun and entertaining manner.