I hate to say it, but this is a section I could write for 23 things. Pirate Puzzle and second life? really? Pirate Puzzle I get, but second life isn't really a game. It is more of a virtual world with virtual real estate. (read Snowcrash and weep at how accurate Neal Stephenson portrays the internet from the perspective of someone who published in 1992)
Not all of these games are RPG but they do represnt a very small margin of what is out on the web.
Below are a series of on-line games that range from puzzles, shoot-up-up, strategy, real-life, fun, funny, adventure and tragic and combinations of the above:
Starcontrol and Starcontrol II :
These harken back to when games were simple. They are SCII based games.
ImpactGames has figured out a way to combine my old D&D love with my obsession with the news via the community web game, Play the News. The premise is that news stories allow you to choose a role defined by the story and then present your choice for what that newsmaker should do going forward. As stories develop, you’re shown what your actions were contrasted with what actually happened.
There are also ways to predict future headlines and events, further pitting your geo-political prowess against the world.
Typeracer Beta, which pits you against other online visitors in a Java-based race to type out passages from famous books and films.
The biggest stumbling block to me was trying to keep from reading ahead (which is how I normally type from another text) and just focusing on the word at hand. Anyone with a fairly comprehensive media knowledge might glean an advantage, as you can tear right through a race if you know the passage in question.
You know, I wondered how long it would take for someone to apply the Line Rider mechanics to a rollercoaster game, and whaddayaknow? Rollercoaster Creator does exactly that. It is fun, takes physics into play and its free! Unlike Valley Fair.
Discovery Channel’s Future Weapons site goes decidedly old school for the NLOS (No Line of Sight) Cannon Challenge game by aping the Scorched Earth game method. As it stand, it’s a fun little time-waster, though a decidedly easy one. Just adjust your angle and velocity and then pound away at unsuspecting targets
Of course, if you really want to go the distance, you can revisit the classic Scorched Earth via this Java based port (Scorched 2000), or you can just full one old school it and download the classic DOS based Scorched Earth 1.5. There’s a reason this is called ‘The Mother of All Games’, folks. Trash talking tanks, a bevy of inventive (and destructive) weaponry, and the kind of graphics that make you long for the glow of your 14 inch VGA monitor.
Mixing RPG, multiplayer, and puzzle games, this turn based puzzle fighter actually taxes your strategy skills at the same time as it’s beating up your cognitive logic lobes.
This is were you have to play a displaced darfuian and try to survive. First you have to make it to a refugee camp. If you survive then you have to try and navigate the camp. Great lessons abound.
Yes you too can play the the Christian soldiers berring down on the Iberian Penisula. Or you can play the Muslims defending their hold on Spain. You could also play the Jews who are getting devistated and mutilated by both groups. Heck you could even play the Gnostics if you want. Go ahead and pretend its the crusades.
This simulation ratcheted up the social context by putting players in the shoes of political dissidents and refugees, while never once shying away from the horrors (both visceral and seemingly innocuous) that displaced persons face every day on this planet. In addition to a strong lesson, Against All Odds just happened to be a well-designed game, albeit one that will leave you a little less chipper than when you started.
I think that is enough for now. Whew! If you want more let me know.
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