I’ve put a few posts up in the past touching on the sad state of gaming for those of us who love to play, but just don’t have the time to invest in World of WarCraft or Second Life. Don’t get me wrong, those are awesome games. But when I have to drop the kids off at school for 9am, start getting their lunch ready at 11am, pick them up and feed them, keep them out of trouble for thirty minutes then drive them back to school and then start all over again at dinner. You know the drill. That’s on top of housework, the dogs, and blogging of course.

So what’s a girl to do? I want my video game fix, but I’m not a teenager with any measurable responsibilities. Well, I’ve had a change of heart compared to what I may have said in previous posts. It turns out that there are options and, like everything else, it’s the Internet to the rescue. Really, what can’t the web make better? Here’s the big reveal: I’ve discovered the world of online games. Not “online” like those MMORPGs that I don’t have time for, but online as in a huge selection of casual games, available as free or inexpensive downloads. Many of these are incredibly well-done, with cool graphics and addictive game play, but you can quickly download and play and actually get a game in when you have twenty minutes to kill. Think Bejeweled, Jewel Quest, Mah Jong Quest and Restaurant Rush. You aren’t tied to a video game console, you don’t need the latest PC gaming rig and you don’t have to pony up fifty bucks to play one title. Game on!