I have posted numerous times about my love for browser-based games. I enjoy playing them and the look of the games just hits all the nostalgia spots on my brain and soul.
I grew up with console games and have owned just about every generation, but my first true love was computer games. I’m not talking about the games where you need the highest-of-high-end graphics cards and all the RAM available in your county to play. I love simple games like Solitaire, Mahjong and games of that ilk.
This past weekend, I was searching the interwebs for some fun browser-based games. I found a few sites that had a handful of games, but I came across Plays.org, which had an epic amount of games. Their category list is massive and filled with fun games. They were even adding new games as I was browsing the list.
I used to play a lot of browser-based games in-between studying for an exam or at the tail-end of a workday while I was waiting to leave work. Sudoku was usually my go-to game to waste a few minutes.
Browser-based games are free and can run on basically any computer. You don’t need an expensive gaming computer, which is a huge bonus. They are even cross-platformed, so you can play on your phone.
Many people believe that gaming has no benefits. They think that gaming a lot will mean a decline in eyesight, weight gain, and many other health issues. Good news for those who enjoy gaming: this isn’t true! While too much of anything can be a bad thing, regular gaming practice could actually be good for your health. Here’s an idea of how moderate gaming could be good for your health:
Improved Cognitive Skills
Gaming has been closely linked to improved cognitive skills. When gaming, you need to think about your strategy and what you’re going to do next, which can lead to improved problem solving skills. It can also help you to concentrate and focus better in other activities outside of gaming. Many people also find that their hand eye coordination and reaction times improve with regular gaming.
As your child develops, they’ll start to learn how to use their vision to process information that they react to with their hands. This sounds complicated but it’s actually something that we all learn at one point in our lives. For example, when you pick up a fork and see food, we understand how to move the fork and pierce the food so we can eat it. Children don’t understand this from an early age and it takes a bit of practice for them to build up that muscle memory that helps them use a fork.
This hand-eye coordination can take a while to train up, but there is a couple of fun and entertaining ways to help your child improve their hand-eye coordination. Since it takes a lot of practice to master, we suggest trying to get your child to practice this as soon as they can.
There are all kinds of things that rewire your brain. Education. Therapy. The stick in Men in Black that makes you forget you ever saw aliens.
But now you can add gaming to that illustrious list.
Brain Plasticity
Our brains have a remarkable capacity to reorganize themselves in response to new stimuli. If you practice the guitar for six months straight, you’ll develop new pathways that help you play it better. Similarly, if you keep hammering away at French, you’ll eventually learn the language.
There are lots of reasons to love video games, and if you’re a gamer, you probably don’t need us to tell you why. Still, here are a few reasons why video games give us so much joy.
However, despite the many highs that video games can give us, there are a few guaranteed annoyances that only we, as video gamers, will fully understand. They can take us out of the game, give us reason to grate our teeth, and quite possibly make us throw our gamepads across the room too! Here are just a few of them.
As a bona fide sports fan, you love the rough and tumble of watching and playing real sports. There’s nothing like getting the guys together and shouting at the TV, or trying to put new knowledge into practice. So, the idea of esports might not strike a chord. Isn’t it a load of nerds playing video games? Although it started that way, the industry has morphed into something much bigger, something that is rivaling the world of traditional sports.
Here are the reasons behind its rise. Get ready to see a lot more of them in the future because these The Motley Fool stats don’t lie.
They’re Not Elitist
The mobile phone. What once was a giant brick, with the capability to make bad phone calls, and cost a fortune, is now a handheld computer. They are, in fact, faster than the atari from back in the day. So it is little wonder that the mobile gaming market has been racing along the rainbow road of the gaming market – and leaving consoles in the dust.
The global gaming market, as a whole, is worth more than $120 billion. Mind-boggling – but what is even more of an achievement is the mobile gaming market accounts for $55 billion.
Big numbers.
I’m a big fan of time-wasting casual games to play on my phone and tablet. I’m probably ‘too much’ of a fan as I’m usually playing five or six games at a time throughout the day. I’m usually only playing them for a few minutes at a time, but I’m often nose-first in my phone while watching television.
Since I play so many of these games, I feel like I am a good judge of quality of these time wasters. Many games have came and went off my Samsung devices, so these are five games that I’ve been playing for awhile and don’t see future uninstall in the near future.
These games can be found on Google Play (and possibly the Apple App Store). I’m not an iPhone or iPad guy, so I can’t comment if the releases are different on that platform. I enjoy these games on my Android devices and think the developers really knocked it out of the park with these mobile games.
A long weekend in front of your computer is much better than an evening with Netflix, isn’t it? It’s you, and the elements. While most of us consider the PC to be the stalwart of the gaming experience, there’s a lot to be said for the Mac. And there’s a lot to be said for staying in, shutting the curtains, and getting engrossed in a fantastic game. Yes, there are those who are uninitiated in the ways of the weekend indoors, and for those people, here are the best Mac games to get stuck into on a long weekend…
Portal 2
If there is one debate in gaming, it is the age old PC vs. console argument. Each of these gaming platforms has their pros, as well as their cons. Each also has its own league of fans behind it. The truth of the matter is that when it comes to whether PCs or consoles are best for gaming, it depends on personal preference, like many things in life.
The fact is that when it comes to ease of use, games consoles tend to be easier to use because they allow you to relax on the sofa while you game. Whereas PC gaming requires you to sit at a desk, using a computer, but that doesn’t mean that consoles are better than PCs, because it’s not just about ease, it’s also about the quality of the gaming and the complexity of it, too.
When it comes to keeping fit, there are many ways you can think outside of the box, rather than rely on the tried and trusted methods of going to the gym. We have compiled a list of some great activities you can get involved in, giving you a boost to your exercise routine while having loads of fun at the same time.
Take a moment to look at the ideas below.
Go for a hike with your mates
Want to escape from the stresses of your life? Take a hike up a mountain or through an area of natural beauty. There is nothing wrong in going for a good walk alone, but having your mates along will give you people to share the experience with.
Head out on your bike
Whether you take the freedom of the open road or go off road, biking can be an exhilarating experience, especially when going downhill. You will need your cycling essentials to keep you safe on your ride, as well as plenty of water to keep you hydrated. Hammering away at those bike pedals are a great way to get your blood pumping and building up your leg muscles, so if walking is too much for you, take the two-wheeled option.
Rock climbing
There are loads of great indoor climbing walls, but for the ultimate experience, you need to head outdoors and find a place to climb near you. Make like Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible 2, but remember that was a Hollywood movie, so you need the right climbing gear. Remember, you can still look like a badass despite wearing a helmet on your head.
Play video games
Do we ever need an excuse to play more video games? Nintendo and Xbox have some great motion control games, allowing you to use your entire body rather than the traditional games pad. From playing soccer to battling zombies, there are some great games that will keep you fit, without ever having to leave the house.
Dancing
We aren’t talking about taking a dance class here, although there is no shame in doing so. Instead, hit the dance floor at your local club and bust a few moves! You will be sweating and burning off those calories in no time, while possibly impressing the ladies with your awesome dance skills.
Play with your kids
If you have a family, you will know how much kids like to play. Get out there and play, whether it’s something sporty or rolling around in the yard with them. You were young once, so you don’t need to let kids have all the fun, and you will suddenly become the coolest dad in the world.
Wield a sword
Okay, so take a moment before you wield an actual sword. What we are talking about here is Larping (live action role playing ), where you can reenact your Game of Thrones fantasy in a safe way. There is bound to be a group near you, so take a look online, and buy yourself an awesome fantasy costume, so you look totally awesome on the battlefield.
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