Gaming is such a big part of our lives nowadays that it can be tempting to do it whenever possible, especially if otherwise it would take months to finish Elden Ring. Gaming while on the job is one way to sneakily spice up your work day and has been a popular idea since the 90s.
While it's certainly possible to play a handheld gaming console or mobile games at work, these are often quite risky. As such, games that can be played on work computers are considered better. There are plenty of great browser-based games that can be easily played during other tasks. Some of them even camouflage quite well, making for some great work time fun.
Arena XLSM
A lot of work games can be played in programs already found in most offices. This means browser games are common, but so are games played entirely in Microsoft's suite of products. Arena XLSM is a free RPG made entirely in Excel. It works in Excel's 2007, 2010, and 2013 versions, but unfortunately not on later versions.
In the backstory of the game, the player has been captured after rebelling against an emperor. He's imprisoned in the titular arena and must fight waves of enemies to survive. Not only does the game feature over two thousand enemies, but also a story. The player receives notes from their wife throughout the story which leads to multiple different endings.
QWOP
Game developer Bennett Foddy has a reputation for making some of the most difficult indie games of all time. Plenty should be familiar with his more recent game, Getting Over It. It features unintuitive controls which are its main appeal. Before GOI, though, Foddy had a game with a similar theme: QWOP.
Players control an Olympic 100-meter dasher named Qwop. Using those very keys on the keyboard, players control their thighs and calves. It's an awkward and unorthodox control scheme that is strangely addictive and easy to play absentmindedly. This, combined with its being browser-based, makes it easy to play during work hours.
Cubefield
Cubefield is a classic online game. It was originally a flash game but was moved to HTML after the discontinuation of Flash. Players control a triangle that endlessly moves forward in a field of cubes. The only controls are left and right.
Players must use these simple controls to navigate an endless cube maze. The maze is randomly generated and the player speeds up the longer it goes. It's a simple high-score game but it's pretty addicting. Its accessibility makes it one of the best of the endless runner genre to play at work.
Illyriad
Massively multiplayer online games are usually big cash cows. If they're free, they're usually filled with microtransactions and have a large file size that makes them difficult to play at work. This is where Illyriad sticks out as different, as its browser-based and microtransactions are minimal. The game takes place in a large fantasy world where players can create cities and look for resources.
The game is persistent, meaning that games continue when the player isn't there which creates an interesting dynamic where the settlements of players can interact independently of player input. Spies are a large part of this mechanic, as they can be sent to other settlements even when the game is off which helps players discover the 400+ technologies available.
Line Rider
Line Rider is a simple game. The player simply draws a line which then becomes a slope for a little sled-rider. Despite its simple premise, players have pushed this Flash game to its absolute limit. Elaborate tracks have been created with this game's engine.
It's essentially a sandbox game where exploration and experimentation are most important making it a great fit for playing around with during tasks at work. It doesn't take long to make exciting tracks even with limited options. This game was so well received it even got console ports back in the day.
Desktop Tower Defense
One can find the tower defense genre everywhere, even in Roblox. One of the popularizers of the genre was the 2007 Flash game sensation, Desktop Tower Defense. This browser game recreated the genre's gameplay using the aesthetics of an office desktop. Players must prevent waves of enemies called "Creeps" from reaching particular parts of the playfield.
The game set itself apart from other tower defense games of the time through its use of mazing. This was a technique where the players create paths for the enemies, rather than being at the mercy of pathing. This unique approach has kept the game popular for almost two decades and earned it a port for Nintendo DS and the office atmosphere and browser nature make it a workplace staple.
Wordle (And Its Imitators)
Wordle is the word game sensation that became popular earlier this year, prompting the New York Times' Crossword division to buy it. The gameplay is simple, as players must guess five-letter words and are told which letters match. Only so many guesses are given before the final word is revealed, and this simple premise and tension have blown up.
It inspired tons of copycat games with themed words like Squirdle and Worldle. The Heardle-type games, which do a similar thing with the first notes of music, were also inspired by Wordle's success - part of which can be attributed to how well it can be played at work. It's a quick play, and it and its imitators are easily accessible through browsers or smartphones.
Geoguesser
Geoguesser is a very interesting game that takes advantage of the technology of Google Maps. Another browser-based adventure, upon being loaded up it plops the player into a random street view. The player then must use their surroundings to determine where they are in the world. This game has become especially popular on Twitch.
That being said, given Google's prominence in workplaces, it's also popular there as well, encouraging lots of chatter among work friends. The game can be played without time limits, giving it a casual pace. It can be played during other tasks and returned to after a lot of thought. People with jobs that involve a lot of travel may also find the game perfectly fits their skill set.
The Oregon Trail
There are tons of video games based on history, both educational and not. The Oregon Trail series is a classic example of a history-based game. This is because it came installed on tons of computers in schools and offices for years. The edutainment classic is also easily available on websites like Oregon's tourism page.
The game is a simple simulator that sees the player generate random settlers for the journey. The player must then make choices that affect their journey to the other side of the country. Various versions have added additional mechanics, but the original remains iconic. Its simple gameplay has also inspired several other games like Death Road To Canada.
Paperclips
When it comes to games that are great to play at work, they're best if they don't look like games at all. There are plenty of great games that disguise themselves as work programs. Paperclips, also known as Universal Paperclips, reign supreme over them all. Paperclips is a clicker game that looks just like a work calculator program.
Clicker games are simple addictive games where the gameplay centers around pressing a button. Although as anyone who has played the genre's standout hit, Cookie Clicker, knows, the genre has a lot of hidden complexity. After clicking a button to create a paperclip, the player will quickly gain the ability to automate and then has to focus on resource allocation. Despite the game having a wild ending, it's still a great and addictive game to play while at work.
