Free Puzzle Games

It’s A Wide Wide World

If you’re into puzzle games, be glad! Free puzzle games are abound, and many of them are high-quality and well-maintained. As you might’ve guessed by the header above, many of these puzzle games are on the world-wide web.

You'll recognize some of the games immediately - classics like chess and checkers are widespread - but others you'll only see on a computer. In fact, some of these puzzle games would be impossible to create without the animation and interactivity of a computer.

Head-to-head

One of the appeals of puzzle games is their value as a social tool. Not only can you play against other like-minded gamers, but you can also play some games against distant friends. You don’t even have to be online at the same time!

Some sample games

Bejeweled

One of the most popular free puzzle games is Bejeweled. It features addictive Tetris-like pattern matching. Every time you link three or more of the same kind of jewel on the shimmering board, they disappear, and larger groups and combos earn you additional bonuses and power gems. Bejeweled now has a sequel, offering timed play and a puzzle mode. It can be enjoyed online, or you can purchase an offline version with more levels and puzzles.

Bookworm

Bookworm is a delightful word game that rewards you for finding complete words in a tapestry of tiled letters. Every time you click on a valid series of tiles and double-click to signal the end of the word, those tiles disappear and the tiles above them shift downward, creating a new situation and a new challenge. You're rewarded for finding longer words, and there are bonus words, bonus tiles, and burning tiles to give you additional incentives.

Scrabble

One of our favorites is the member-supported Scrabble rooms at [www.thepixiepit.co.uk The Pixie Pit]. After you get set up, the site emails you every time your opponent has made a move. It can auto-tabulate your scores as you try possible combinations of letters. Best of all, it can check your words against all the major Scrabble dictionaries with just a click. Now even bad spellers can play good Scrabble.

And good riddance to waiting for your opponent to decide what to play! You just make your move, carry on with your usual activities, and head back to the board whenever you get your email notification. This kind of play-when-you're-ready, email-based gaming is described as "PBEM," or Play By Email.

Where To Go

Shockwave.com

Shockwave.com is one of the oldest and most diverse free gaming sites on the web. Its strength really lies in action games, which tend to be less well-represented on other puzzle game sites. However, it also has a very formidable puzzle game section.

Shockwave.com is owned and operated by Macromedia, the people who make Flash, Director, and (of course) Shockwave. It was originally opened as a showcase of what can be done with Shockwave's impressive web interactivity. As Flash has gained in popularity, more and more of the games are created using that program, but the site's name remains the same.

If you're seeking multiplayer gaming variety, this is the place to go. Other sites have some popular choices, but Shockwave.com has a more diverse and unique selection. For example, their Inklink offering is a virtual Pictionary game played on the web.

Pogo.com

Formerly EA.com, Pogo is a site targeted specifically at casual gamers - people who like their games simple, quick, and without a lot of twitchy action. Pogo tends to be bright and cheery, and encourages repeat gamers who build small communities around their favorite games.

Popcap.com

A successful, whimsical site and a relative newcomer, Popcap mostly features simple but engaging action games like Insanaquarium!, a funny, abnormally-frenetic aquarium-watching experience. Popcap makes some of its revenue by selling more fully-featured versions of its games that you can play either online or off.

Popcap is actually the creator of both Bejeweled and Bookworm, but because of its partnerships - and of course, the popularity of its games - you’ll find those games on Pogo, Shockwave, and Popcap’s own site.

MSN’s Zone

Last but not least, it's hard to ignore Microsoft's puzzle game offerings. Head down to the Zone to check out what they have on tap. It’s constantly changing, although very similar to Pogo.

Free Puzzles Unleashed

As the web changes, and people continue to improve what the web is capable of, expect free puzzle games to evolve and improve too. Soon you'll have even more reasons to procrastinate!