50 games to play at work

We all know that games are the best way to dispel boredom and unwind from the looming existential horrors of modern life. Gaming at work shouldn’t just been seen as idling. You are exercising your mind, taking it to a mental gym. So PC Gamer has compiled a list of the 50 best games you can play at work.

We’re going to assume that you, the gaming employee, know about FreeCell, Minesweeper and Solitaire, which can be readily played in any Windows machine. We’re also going to assume that you have internet access that isn’t too badly filtered and limited by The Man. And please be very careful about installing games on your PC without the permission of your computer services people. Because they might give you a proper shouting at.

Remember to always have a work-related document open in the background so that you can Alt+Tab to it when the boss appears. You may also want to consider fitting one of those rearview mirrors to your monitor, too. And get into interactive fiction: there’s an endless supply of great games at IFArchive.org, and playing them looks like you’re just working on a text file. Cunning? It’s almost as if we’ve done this before...

50: Madness Accelerant

A hyperbolic side-scrolling shooter that lasts about 15 minutes, and never stops bombarding you with lunacy. It could hardly be simpler to play, but the effect is intense. Think Metal Slug pushed through a cartoon sieve.

49: Monkey Lander

Monkeys, as we all know, started using spacecraft to collect fruit in the 1970s, and they’ve never looked back. Now you can join them, while avoiding various obstacles that threaten to stop you touching down safely.

48: The Walls are not Cheese

…But they are fuel for your weapon. As a small purple square you must kill – or be killed by – the blue squares. Blast through the scenery as you go, and hoover-up the debris. Conclusive evidence that graphics don’t matter.

47: Whoosh/Waker

Abstractivist versus narrativist: the game. Two puzzle/platformers in parallel, one that has a story explaining its events, and one that is entirely abstract. Yes, it’s an exercise in philosophy, done via a browser game.

46: Demolition City

Destroy each building, using limited dynamite. Those ELSPA warnings about implied alcohol or partial violence in games are all very well, but this game should come with one that says “This Is Going To Keep You Fixed To The Screen Until You Beat It.” Because it will.

Finished those already? Head on over to PC Gamer for the other 45 games.

06 Jul, 2010