Is your child already telling you that they’re bored of the expensive handful of games that they got for their Switch? It’s absolutely maddening isn’t it! To be fair to your little one though, if you were playing the same few games or watching the same few shows constantly, you might fancy a little variety too. Of course, it’s beneficial for them to play outside and with other toys, but sometimes only a video game will scratch that particular itch.
So just how do you make sure that they’re entertained without spending a small fortune on new games?
The answer is under your nose (or literally in front of it if you’re reading on a computer).
That’s right! There’s an almost endless amount of free games available on your web browser. It’s the sort of digital utopia that I could’ve only dreamed about when I was a kid.
Actually, scratch that: it’s still a digital utopia for me now! Can you imagine how hard it is to get my head down and write a blog post while I have a gargantuan library of free games at my fingertips? This post has already taken me twice as long to write as normal!
While your productivity may take a hit, these free games are perfect for whiling away a few moments when you get chance. Kids will especially love them, as there’s absolutely hundreds to discover. The best thing about most web browser games is that, unlike games on your mobile, they’re not overrun with dodgy adverts every couple of minutes. We’ve had a couple of instance wherein my son has spotted unsuitable ads on innocuous games aimed at kids. Take a look at some of these absolute shockers.
With such a large amount of games it can be hard to know where to start. Luckily for you, I’ve picked out a few gems to try out. Unluckily for me, my wife is going to go spare when she find that I’ve been playing all of these instead of doing the dishes. All three of these have been plucked from plays.org, one such web game site which uploads new games all the time.
Super Spice Dash
This one’s ideal for kids 4+. The story here is…well, there is no story. You’re a chicken nugget hurtling down a lane, trying to pick up crunchy breadcrumbs whilst avoiding obstacles. If you’re after an epic tale full of twists and revelations, then you’ve come to the wrong place.
In fact, Super Spice Dash’s simplicity is one of its main draws. This truly is a pick-up-and-play game. As soon as the funky background music starts and your nugget starts rolling, you’re instantly absorbed into the bright fast-moving world.
Reminiscent of old-school arcade games in its feel, you’ll enjoy this if you liked the 3D bonus levels on the old Sonic games.
Find Super Spice Dash here.
Tetra Blocks
We all love a Tetris clone. Young or old, nobody can resist trying to line up those falling shapes in neat little lines. It must be something primal within us that the original creators tapped into.
Not all of these type of games are born equal though, get the difficulty level wrong, and it can become a source of frustration rather than a pleasant distraction. In this aspect, Tetra Blocks is perfect. It has a more forgiving pace than many similar games, making it great for youngsters to cut their teeth with their first block-aligning adventures.
That’s not to say that there still isn’t plenty here to challenge the more experienced gamer. Tetra Blocks introduces a new mechanic which sees players trying to line up starred squares alongside the normal task of fitting blocks together. This one’s probably better for slightly older kids, perhaps 6+.
Find Tetra Blocks here.
Water the Village
Moving up an age range again, Water the Village is the type of puzzler that I can spend hours on (well, at least until I get stuck, which I did. Often!).I love a good old brain teaser, but if your kids are the type to upturn a table and throw a tantrum, you might be best to leave this game till they’re a little older.
The premise is that you need to hook up a village’s water supply to its houses, whilst ensuring that their waste sewage gets taken care of in a similar way. It sounds simple, but with only a limited amount of piping available, things soon become tricky. Did I mention that there’s an unforgiving countdown timer ticking down before they turn the water on too? Yep, you’ve got to think quickly in this game.
As the levels progress, new challenges present themselves in the form of water purifiers, hot and cold water, and more obstacles. You wouldn’t believe how many goes it to took me to get the hot and cold water on the picture below flowing at the same rate. It may look simple but it’s far from it! The game holds your hand through the first few level whilst you get used to it, but soon ramps up the difficulty for those willing to scratch their heads over directionless sewage pipes.
Find Water the Village here.
These three really are just the tip of the iceberg though. There’s years’ worth of free content online just begging to be played, and with most requiring only the most basic computing power, there really is something for everyone regardless of their computer setup. I’m just glad that I wasn’t aware of these whilst I was employed in an office. I’d have never got anything done (apart from plumbing a whole village, perhaps!).