10.1. Games for the Whole FamilyThe Web has no shortage of gamesor people to play them with. If you can play it with cards or a board, chances are there's an online version: solitaire, hearts, euchre, spades, canasta, Scrabble, mahjong, Sudoku the list goes on. You usually have a choice of playing by yourself or against other Internet players. Devoted followers of games like chess and bridge can pursue their passion on dozens of Web sites. (You may have to pay a fee to play.)
10.1.1. Where to Find Games OnlineIf you're looking for a good all-around selection of amusements, try the online arcades of the big portal sites:
Tip: Young fans of the Nickelodeon cable channel can find online games featuring characters from the most popular shows at www.nick.com in the Games area. Online game emporiums are all over the Web. Most work the same way: Sign up for a free registration and then choose from about a hundred games. If you like what you play, look for a subscription plan that gives you faster, more challenging versions for a low monthly fee. Some sites to consider:
Tip: If you're a Macintosh maven, visit Apple's online gaming guide at www.apple.com/games/gettingstarted/online. The page lists lots of Apple-flavored games and a whole slew of links to Macfriendly game companies. 10.1.2. BridgeTo get a taste of this complex card game, you can find free games on many of the sites mentioned previously in this chapter. If you're a serious player, you can join international Web tournaments at all skill levels at OKbridge (www.okbridge.com). After a seven-day free trial, membership costs $100 a year. If that's out of your price range, try the free Java-based JBridge site at www.jbridge.net. This site has its own game interface, discussion boards, and other features. To find more places to play online and read the latest bridge news, visit the Great Bridge Links site (www.greatbridgelinks.com). 10.1.3. ChessChess also has a dedicated online following. One of the biggest online boards is the Internet Chess Club (www.chessclub.com), a community of 30,000 duespaying members. For $50 a year (half-price for students), you can play in tournaments, team games, and unlimited one-on-one matches. Members can also watch live games with grandmaster commentary , take private lessons, and browse the club's database of five million master games. Or you can go the la carte route: 100 games for $7.50 at InstantChess (www.instantchess.com). This site pairs you with opponents and lets you play in your Web browser, on your cellphone, or by email. You can also watch live games in progress with its ChessViewer page (Figure 10-1). Figure 10-1. For many people on the Web (well, at least 57 of them), chess is a spectator sport. On InstantChess' ChessViewer page, you can watch a match in progress any time of day. To go there directly, point your browser to www.chessviewer.com.Members of the U.S. Chess Federation can play officially scored matches (which can boost their USCF player ranking) online at www.uschesslive.org. The site isn't limited to Federation members, though, and anyone can sign up to play for free. For another free option, there's GameKnot (http://gameknot.com). Through this site, you can play multiple games that last 10 minutes in real timeor the entire day via email. |