Confessions of a girl gamer 3

The days of visually-stunning adventures games continued for a few years from the mid-90's and into the new millennium.  A few of my favorites during that time:

Grim Fandango

Siberia I

Siberia II

I was so involved in the genre of adventure gaming that I even started volunteering my time to be the "New Releases" editor for the website Just Adventure (which, if you're interested in adventure games, is a fabulous resource.)  We got snooty for a while, judging all other game styles as unintelligent, non-thinking games (which isn't true unless you haven't ever played those other types of games.)

World of Warcraft

And then I found World of Warcraft.  Yep, I got hooked. I started out with a warlock, and now have a warlock, priest, hunter, shaman, paladin, mage... and when the expansion comes out, I'll make one of the new classes - a monk. The game has changed a lot since I started, but the goal of the game stays the same: Suck you in and don't let you go.  I have been a serious "raider" and a less serious "casual" gamer. But the game is pretty good (for what it is.)  There are far too many people who take it too seriously. Those that play are offended by every update that the manufacturer creates. Those that don't play judge it for being addictive (which is true) and mindless (which can be true, depending on how you play.) But the game is what you make it - can it be addictive, mind-numbing and destroy your life? Yes, if you let it. Can it be a casual past time that is entertaining? Yes, that too.  Is it destroying the world as we know it?  Likely not.  I still play today, though less than in years past. And now I have more of an interest in collecting the in-game "pets" than anything else.

Following Felicia Day on Google+ has introduced me to some of the cutest little online games to help waste more of your time.  From "defend the castle" style Kingdom Rush (which will suck away several days of your life) to the most recent flash game, Wonderputt (which will only cost you an hour or so), which is like an 18-hole mini-golf course with cows, aliens and submarines. (It's hard to describe... feel free to go see for yourself).

Kingdom Rush

Wonderputt

And for cheaper games, I have had a lot of fun recently with Torchlight (which was just $20) and Machinarium (a puzzle-solving game with fascinating graphics and haunting music) which was only $10.

Torchlight

Machinarium

We (the boy and I) are now playing Dark Souls, Prototype, and just finished Starcraft II. And of course WoW will be there for a few years to come, at least.

Starcraft II

But needless to say, games will be a part of our life for years to come. And on an "hours-of-entertainment-per dollar" scale, they really are quite impressive (not quite as good as books, but better than going to the movies.)  And with the average age of gamers today just around my generation, I'm happy to see that games will be created with us in mind, appealing not only to my personal preference of visually stunning graphics, but also intelligent designs, puzzles, and high entertainment value.