Section 10.1. Games for the Whole Family | iPhone: The Missing Manual, 4th Edition

10.1. Games for the Whole Family

The 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.)

UP TO SPEED
What You Need to Play Online

You can play most interactive games in your regular Web browser. If the game requires a plug-in like Java or Shockwave (Section 3.4.4), it asks you to install that additional bit of software before you join the action.

Games written in Java , a platform-independent programming language, work on both Windows and Macintosh computers. (If you have trouble playing a Java gamelike if you see a picture of a coffee cup instead of the game screenyour Web browser's too old for Java. A software update should fix the problem.) Games that rely on ActiveX, an interactive Windows technology, though, don't work on Macs.

Some sites let you download game programs so you can play when you're not online. These may be free versions, limited trial versions, orif you're willing to whip out the plasticthe full version.

If you plan to download a lot of free games for Windows, make sure you've got anti- spyware measures in place. Some games are only free because they come bundled with spyware and adware (Section 21.3). You may not know you've installed these troublemakers until your computer grinds to a halt from all the extra programs running in the background.

10.1.1. Where to Find Games Online

If you're looking for a good all-around selection of amusements, try the online arcades of the big portal sites:

AOL Games . America Online's game section (http://games.aol.com) offers plenty of name -brand fun, including World Series of Poker, Scrabble Blast, and SpongeBob Collapse. Most games are Java-based, but a few won't work on the Mac. Although you don't need a full AOL account, you must log into the site (with a free membership) to play some of the games.
Yahoo Games . Once you log into http://games.yahoo.com with a free Yahoo ID, you can play hundreds of games, join online leagues, chat with other players, post on message boards , and more. Most games are Java-based and work with recent browsers. If you're just learning, or you've forgotten how to play, each game has a Rules link.
MSN Games . Strictly for Internet Explorer on Windows, Microsoft's online game area (http://zone.msn.com) has all the classicscheckers, chess, cribbage, dominos, bingo, backgammon, and so on. You'll also find newer games like Zuma, Chuzzle, and Luxor.

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:

Miniclip . With 150 free, inventive online games to choose from, you can release a lot of stress and tension from (or during) your workday at www.miniclip.com . Favorites include Puzzle Pirates, RuneScape, and Club Penguin. Although you can play most games in a Mac browser, the for-sale versions are Windows-only.
Pogo . A kid-friendly site from game giant Electronic Arts, www.pogo.com has free board, card, and word games. After registering with the site, you can chat with other players while you play.
ArcadeTown . With a huge, searchable collection of games for both Windows and Mac, you can easily spend a day at www.arcadetown.com. Play the free version of a game online, and, if you like it, check for a downloadable version.
Shockwave . At www.shockwave.com , you can play (and review) dozens of solo action games created in Macromedia Shockwave (Section 3.4.4). On the multiplayer side, there's chess, Sub Hunt, and snooker. Either way, your browser must have the Shockwave plug-in. Subscriptions to Shockwave's GameBlast service, which unlocks 200 online games, start at $5 a month.

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. Bridge

To 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. Chess

Chess 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.