Online Games

Computer games are expensive. Even though there have been movements to reduce the prices of older games, many gamers are stuck looking for free online games. Fortunately, there are many sites available that have such games, and most of them are legitimate. If you want to play arcade games online for free, you are in luck - there is a thriving community of independent game makers that provide free entertainment for the masses, often in a manner that rivals fee-based games.

Yes, They Are Legal

The first thing to get out of the way is a simple fact - there are perfectly legal ways to play arcade games online. Most individuals tend to equate "free" on the internet with "pirated", but many of these games are designed to be played for no money down. One will, of course, have to deal with ads and banners, but it is perfectly possible to spend several hours each day searching for free games on the internet. In fact, one can even find free versions of games that have gone on to be paid apps on smartphones and even downloadable console releases.

Major Providers, Minor Games

Perhaps some of the most popular free games online are the ones offered by major providers like Google or Yahoo. These sites have long offered free games through their own websites, and they have often be quite popular. Unlike some of the options that can be found elsewhere, these games are generally simple time wasters. Popular games like Poppit or various versions of Bejeweled can often be found on these sites, though, so they do make great resources for those that simply want to find a game that can waste a few hours.

Aggregation Nation

The most popular games, though, tend to be found on sites that aggregate online games. Sites like Kongregate or Armor Games tend to have hundreds of games available at any given time, some of which are actually professionally produced. These games are still free, though members are given the option to make donations. Popular games like Alien Hominid, Doodle God and Fancy Pants Adventure got their starts on similar sites before making their moves on to consoles or handhelds, and new games tend to be released at a fairly rapid pace. These sites are often useful for gamers that are simply looking for a fix until the next console release.

The good news is that you can find online games for free at many sites. Some are versions of older arcade games, while others are the early versions of games that will soon see major releases. A little bit of searching can help you to find some of the best free games online, and taking the time to look through the massive libraries of some of these websites will help you to find new favorites. Free does not have to mean that the games are of low quality, and you may find that some of the games online are among the best that you have played.