12 Terrific Time-Wasters!

Features
By ( Maximum PC ) published

Bauns

A twist on the usual “knock down towers of balls” seen in Bubble Breaker, Chuzzle, and other games, Bauns incorporates a more challenging shooting method and a mix of power-ups; it also has that “just one more game” element that could very well keep you at your desk until 5:07.

Silversphere

This game reminds us of the Atari arcade classic Marble Madness. Here, your objective is to roll a silver ball into a blue vortex to complete each level. The action takes place on a 2D maze of squares surrounded by water hazards.

Racing the clock in the initial levels is extremely easy, but the complexity ratchets up quickly, as higher levels introduce golden spheres that explode on contact, crates that must be used to form bridges, sliding ice cubes, and other obstacles.

You Don’t Know Jack

The online version of Jellyvision’s classic party game looks and plays remarkably like the CD-ROM games of yore, complete with a snarky host, wacky sound effects, fun animation, and—most importantly—totally new, outrageously off-the-wall questions.

Here’s a sample: “According to Dante’s Inferno, which level of hell will David Blaine end up in?” Those who didn’t skip their European lit classes would know that magicians were damned to the eighth circle of hell.

All Hallow’s Eve

At first, it’s you and your BB gun against a few common zombies. Then the zombies get stronger and you buy better weapons and upgrade your home’s defenses. Before you know it, you’re packing Uzis and laying minefields and razor wire outside your house!

De-Animator

If you spend half your water-cooler time planning what you would do in case of a zombie attack, you should probably add a little hands-on training to your regimen. De-Animator is practically the IPSC of zombie training, making you stand your ground with a lowly six-shooter and granny’s shotgun. What the game lacks in color graphics, it makes up for in mood and atmosphere.