Being a part of the daily rat race can be highly stressful at times, not to mention exhausting. It doesn't matter whether you are working full time or retired, life can get hectic and worrisome and often times one just needs to step back, take a break from it all and just relax.
It used to be that relaxing would take the form of a gentle stroll in the garden or park, or perhaps just a nice cup of tea. Lately, though, in these days of technology and internet, many have turned to a new source of relaxation -- computer games.
You may wonder how one could refer to a computer game as relaxing, but there are some really fun games out there that are not only free, but also quite therapeutic. In fact, you may find yourself getting hooked after just a few minutes.
It's been said that playing computer games can be helpful in promoting cognitive function as well as allowing one to integrate socially with other players in group games or challenges. It can also be a means of helping non-digital natives become more accustomed, or comfortable, around using the computer, as well as helping them develop a new skill.
Whereas before one might have taken a gentle walk in the park with a friend or enjoyed a nice cup of tea with a group of friends to relax and de-stress, in the aftermath of the pandemic many of us have found ourselves driven to finding other ways to unwind and de-stress -- namely enjoying an online game with friends or even by ourselves.
1. Tetris
Created in 1984, this addictive and fun puzzle game allows you to forget the stress of the world around you for a while and simply focus on taking it each piece at a time. No matter one's age, Tetris has become the go to for any who are looking to create order out of chaos.
This game starts out slow and easy but rapidly becomes complete mayhem for the player if one doesn't rotate and place the falling blocks quickly enough. As the levels are cleared the blocks begin to fall faster and faster and soon it becomes a mighty struggle between player and falling blocks. Once the blocks reach the top of the screen, its game over and you get to start again.
2. Candy Crush
It might sound like a silly game, but once you get started on this one it really is hard to stop. Candy Crush Saga has become one of the most popular games since its release all the way back in 2012 and has been downloaded more than 2.7 billion times. The game starts out by requiring you to link three candies of the same type and color to clear them from the board. As you clear candies, more candies drop from above.
Each level becomes harder and has new and challenging puzzles that you need to complete. With hundreds of different levels, you can be sure of never running out of something to do in your off time. The bright visuals and magnanimous colors provide a pleasing sensory experience and will become highly addictive as you continue to each new level.
There are even different versions of this fun game, with Candy Crush Saga, Soda Saga and even Jelly Saga available for download. You're even able to play with friends and help one another out on difficult levels.
3. Mahjong Tiles
This has to be one of the most instantly addictive games out there ...
No matter your age, this matching game has the ability to get you hooked quicker than you can say Mahjong. Originating from China, Mahjong Tiles is a game that requires the player to eliminate all the tiles on the board by matching them up in pairs.
There are many different boards to choose from with different layouts, the tiles are all based on Chinese characters and there is even relaxing background music whilst you play. The pieces are randomly placed so that you are able to play the same puzzle more than once and the pieces will be in a different place each time.
4. Jigsaw Puzzles
If you didn't know about online jigsaw puzzles then you're missing out. No more need for big tables and lots of space, all you need is your computer and some time on your hands and you have the makings of hours (yes, we said hours because once you start it is hard to stop) of enjoyment.
One of the best places to find the biggest collection of jigsaw puzzles for all occasions is a website called The Jigsaw Puzzles. With thousands of jigsaws to choose from you can rest assured that you will never become bored and will have the hardest time walking away once you have started building.
Not only can you build jigsaw puzzles of up to five hundred pieces, but you can also choose from a variety of different ways in which the pieces are cut. For instance, you can have the normal classic cut of straight lines, or else you can choose a Mosaic cut, Elegant cut, Square cut or even Spiral cut -- extremely hard.
These jigsaw puzzles bring new meaning to the word "challenging" when it comes to building jigsaws. The best part of all is that you can even save your puzzle as you go along so when you do need to stop, you can come back later and continue where you left off.
Oh yes, and did we mention you can also make you own jigsaw puzzles from photos on your computer? It's no wonder that people are choosing to build their jigsaws online these days.
5. Hidden Objects Games
We're all familiar with having to search for something we have lost or misplaced. Now there are even games about finding hidden objects and they're all the rage. Hidden Object Games are relaxing, with many different kinds of games to choose from. Whether you're after adventure, mystery or just a peaceful stroll in the garden, there is a hidden objects game for everyone.
The aim of the game is to find all of the hidden objects in each level, and once you find the object, you click on it to select it. All the objects you need to find are listed in a panel under the screen. Every time you find an object it will either disappear from the panel or else it will get a line drawn through it to show that it has been found. Once all the objects have been found you will then move on to the next level of the game.
Each game has its own accompanying background music, along with sound effects. All in all, this game is one that will have you hooked right from the start -- it may even help you become better at finding those lost keys you misplaced earlier.
6. Solitaire
We can't talk about games that get one hooked without mentioning this absolute gem: solitaire.
Whether you're looking for the old classic or the more challenging Spider Solitaire and Klondike Solitaire, you can be sure that you will find the hours slipping away quite pleasantly.
From its debut on computers in 1990 this game has become a mainstay of digital gaming. This popular game has more than thirty five million players each month across the span of two hundred countries. In fact, solitaire has managed to stay in the popular bracket for more than three decades.
What started out as just a simple tool to learn basic computer skills (such as dragging and dropping) has now become a household obsession in many cases. Microsoft Office comes with the Solitaire Collection already installed.
All that remains is for you to decide which game you want to play and get dragging and dropping. With so many options to choose from you can rest assured that you will never get bored and all those extra hours you may have had on your hands will disappear like mist before the sun.
Game Over ...
If you enjoy the Solitaire, the chances are that you will enjoy the online Scrabble game, chess game or even the Sudoku, which can also be reached from the same site as the Solitaire.
As you can see, it really doesn't matter what your preferences are, or even whether you're a computer genius (most of us aren't one of these, let's be honest) or not -- there are always going to be these old gems to keep us company through troubling time, stressful times, happy times and even those times when we can't sleep or just need a bit of an escape from the rushed and hurried world around us.
All of these games we've mentioned are fun to play and will have you hooked in just two shakes of a lamb's tail. The best part of it all, though, is that it's never over until ...
Well, even when its game over it isn't really game over because you can start it all over again. As always, if you're needing any kind of additional help improving your online gaming experience, consider reaching out to HelpCloud technicians for remote support.
