Although there is no decision on what to call these wonders of technology, they are still a good entertainment for those sad enough to put in the hours of work needed to keep them going.

What are they?

Most online games or multiplayer games on the internet involve signing up and finding somebody to play your game against. The main problem with this idea is that it is a general requirement that you have a friend to play against, and thus is not much good for people with no friends. You also have to arrange with your friend, if you have one, what time you are going to play and other such details.

Webgames (or Intergames, or massively multiplayer games) are different in that when you sign up, you are entered into the same game as everyone else. This means that you are playing against hundreds, even thousands, of people whom you do not know and have never seen, met, or spoken to. This makes the experience more interesting.

What do they offer?

Webgames are usually strategy games rather than Quake-style action games or flight (etc.) simulators. Generally, when you sign up you will get some money to start your empire. After naming your country/team/company/other, you will see a little status report and some options. There will be menus with different actions to perform, like attacking another player, or exploring new territory, although you may have a 'new player protection' to stop people attacking you until you are settled. Many webgames also offer chatrooms and forums to discuss the game.

What will it cost me?

Although some webgames require some sort of subscription or entry fee, many are advert-supported and are free to players. In fact, some offer incentives for clicking on their banner ads.

List of webgames

Currently I have found only a few free webgames. This is because they are hard to search for as there is no one definitive term to search for. If you know any more, please contact me to be added to the list of researchers.

Earth 2025

This is a very good tournament-style webgame, and the game is restarted every few months to avoid unfairness. It is poorly maintained, though, so don't expect bugs to be fixed quickly.

Netropolis

This is a continuing game with no protection period, so expect to get hammered a bit when you start. It is also very crowded, but the server is fast enough to cope with the traffic. The UI is also very good, but can be confusing to beginners.