There is a wide variety of free online games and many web sites that contain them on the Internet. It's only a matter of finding a good, reliable website and an interesting, fun game to play. There are also many different types and styles of Internet games on the World Wide Web. You must have a reliable Internet connection and a good idea of the type of game you want to play before you start your search though, or you may find yourself in the middle of a game that either freezes, or with a game that you really don't like that much.One of the most obvious ideas is to simply get online and search for free gaming websites. The Internet is full of them, and while they may offer exclusive games for a fee, most of their games are free online.

Some popular gaming sites are: Grab is a website that offers nearly 1,500 free online games.Game Rival offers a large selection of casual games including puzzle games and card and board games. Arcade Town allows you to win prizes playing their games.Heavy Games is a good site for playing games while at work.These sites have free games as long as you set up a user name and password with them. Also try looking for sites that are produced by product makers like Candystand, the website for Willy Wonka candies like Nerds and Shocktarts. Many times companies produce free games site to advertise their products. The games are fun and always free and there are no limitations on how long you can play.

1. THINK ABOUT THE TYPE OF GAME YOU WANT TO PLAY

There are many different types of free online games on the Internet. If you are into sports, many free sites have baseball, hockey, football and many other sport games. There are also games for people who like strategy games like Tetris or Columns. Strategy games are usually one of the most addicting types of games because most people keep trying to beat their high score.

You can find specific games like:

Belle's Beauty Boutique

Gold Miner

Cake Mania

Diner Dash

Most websites will categorize their games into sections. Find the section that contains the type of game that you want to play, and browse in there for something that you think you'd like to play. Look for user ratings to see what other players thought of the game, or just try it out for yourself and make your own judgment.

Start a free account

Many sites like Yahoo Games and Shockwave Games have a wide variety of free games but require you to start a free membership. You can start a free membership by clicking on "become a member" when prompted to do so before starting a game. A membership will allow you greater access to free games and it will allow you to enter contests for prizes if you get high score on games. You can also play games with other people who are logged in.

Be aware that some sites will ask you to pay for a membership. There are some game websites that will make you pay a monthly fee to play their games once you've begun playing. They will ask you to join for a certain dollar amount per year. If you are prompted to pay a fee to play the games press the back button on your browser and go back to the search engine page, as there are many sites that do not require a paid subscription.

2. OLD GAMES CAN BE FUN

You can find old Nintendo and Atari games that you may have played when you were a kid. A good site to find games of the past is www.1980-games.com. You can find games like Donkey Kong and Super Mario Brothers.

You can find some nostalgia games on Grab.com as well like:

Gold Miner Vegas

Family Feud

Virtual Villagers

The games of the past are always fun and can be as addicting as they were when you where younger, not to mention the nostalgia they might bring you. In some cases you can even find extra levels and new versions of old games. If there is a game that you couldn't get enough of in you younger days, then try looking for a new version of the old game.

3. BEWARE OF THE BOSS

We all get board at work sometimes and a free game is an easy way to pass the time. You have to be careful though, because you don't want your boss to catch you playing games on the Internet. If you are playing free online games at work, be very cautious. Many games, like the ones on Uproar.com, have a panic button to avoid getting caught playing an online game at work. When you press the panic button on most games, a fake spreadsheet will pop up. It is always a good idea to keep a document that you are working on open so you can pause your game and hide it by opening your work document.

4. BE AWARE OF TIME

Some games will take you longer to play, and once you start playing you may get hooked. Find a game that works best for your environment. You may want to play simple quick games in a work environment. If you're at home looking to kill time you may want to play a more complex involved game. If you dont have a lot of time or are just trying to kill time at work, you may want to play a strategy game like Tetris. Strategy games are usually quick and to require much attention. You can start over easily when playing most strategy games.

Sport games are also good for short periods of time. Most sport games are short and simple. They don't require much attention so you can leave and come back without losing anything. Role-playing games and video games like Mario Brothers will take time and concentration. It is hard to play games like these when you are trying to multi-task. It is better to play games that require more focus when you can devote all of you concentration to the game you are playing.

5. POINTS TO REMEMBER

Play a game frequently to increase your skill level.

Be careful at work. Don't let the boss catch you playing a game.

Beware of pay sites, they may try to trick you into paying.

Try a variety of websites. Don't settle for the first website that you find.

Don't get too addicted. Know when to stop playing.

If you like a game, try searching for a free sample download to play when your offline.

Whether you're bored at work, or just don't have anything to do at home, finding free online games is a good way to pass the time. Search online, and choose one of the many sites available, though dont just limit yourself to one free website. Not every website will have the same games, and if you look around, you may find more than one game you can't spend a day without playing.