One of my favorite things to do when I was a kid was play video games on the computer; I still like playing many of same games now that I’m an adult, if only to relive the feelings of youth and joy they bring back. I was also hooked on browser games because of how easy they were to play without the need for any additional software.
Right now, mainstream media is completely smashed on nostalgia. Studios in all mediums seem to be dishing out gallons and gallons of reboots and sequels, hoping that fans will slurp up the nostalgic sweetness and return for more. Guilty.
Here are 7 Classic Games That Will Make You Nostalgic
#1 UNO with Friends
Easy-to-learn UNO with Friends is a classic game in which players try to build sets of cards by laying down adjacent pairs of numbers or colors. It’s impossible to put down, and now you can add your own twist with a deck of Wild Cards. I’m thrilled that it’s now accessible online, and doesn’t require any special software to enjoy. The fact that you can play it with your friends and family online makes it even better.
Let me tell you a funny story, my boyfriend who lives overseas reintroduced me to Uno two years ago and we’d sometimes settle an argument by playing Uno.
#2 Snakes & Ladders
Originally a board game, Snakes & Ladders is a classic game that’s played all over the world. The goal is to be the first person to move from the starting square on the board to the last square. When a piece lands on a number at the top of a snake (the snake’s face), the piece or token falls to the bottom of the snake (the snake’s tail). This is a bad move. If the piece falls off the bottom of the ladder, it will immediately go to the top (which is considered to be a lucky move). The player who gets to the last square on the board first, which is usually the number 100, wins.
My dad bought a Snakes and Ladders board when I was in third grade. I remember bringing it to school and playing with my friends during recess and lunch. I also remembered that my set only had four tokens, but I wanted everyone to play, so we’d make do with whatever we could find, like erasers, paperclips, and so on. We even made paper mache, and mine looked like a watermelon cut in half.
#3 City Capital Word Search
As a travel blogger, this has to be my favorite. City Capital Word Search is a simple classic game where you have to sort through a map of letters to find the primary head city (or cities) of each country. As a kid, I was always very interested in geography and my dad bought me a book that feature countries, their capitals and other interesting facts. When I found this game, it really made me think about what I knew. As an adult, I still find it challenging. But a fun kind of challenge.
#4 Multilingual Word Search
Give me any word games and I’m probably down to do them. Even though my eyesight is getting weird, I’m actually fond of word search games such as Multilingual Word Search. You can choose the language and category for this game. You have to go through the whole board, line by line, looking for words that are at the top of the screen. Some of the words are spelled backwards that are arranged either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
#5 Klondike Solitaire
Klondike, which is also called Canfield, is a one-player card game that is the most well-known and played version of the solitaire family. It’s a simple game of patience where the goal is to put the cards into four piles, each of which represents a different suit. I’m glad to have found this free browser game and be able to play it anytime, anywhere. No need to sign up or download anything. You can even set it to full screen (if your device is compatible).
When I was a kid, I couldn’t (more like, I wasn’t allowed) play cards except Uno and other kid-friendly games, ehem… Magic: The Gathering. I watched my aunt play, and much to my surprise, she agreed to teach me.
When I’m traveling, there are times when I’m bored and Klondike solitaire keeps me busy.
Or when I had to pretend to text when I wasn’t.
#6 Master Chess
I used to play chess with my uncles and compete when I was in the fifth grade (which, I was second out of 10 players). As a kid, I was always competitive, so I used a chess program on our computer to practice. Master Chess is a classic game that you can play for free on most modern browsers. You can play against the computer or a friend in a local match. If you like to compete, you can make the game difficult by playing in multiplayer mode. I haven’t been able to beat this computer yet – I mean, few minutes into the game and I’m already being owned.
If you want a real challenge, try Master Chess. The developer gave the level of difficulty a score of 5 out of 5. I doubt it, it felt more like 1000000/5.
#7 Rock Music
Last but not the least, Rock Music. Back in 2005 when Guitar Hero was released I was hooked. I had to fight with my brother (or bribe him) to use our PS2. I would sometimes go to an arcade just to play. What’s bummer is that I cannot take it with me when I am out and about. I’m glad that this browser game was made available so I can take it with me wherever I go. It is user-friendly, and doesn’t require you to sign up or download anything.
What other games bring you back to your childhood? I’d like to know, so leave a comment below.