Home Gaming Why I'm still a flasher

Why I'm still a flasher

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I have plenty of games to play on my console or on PC through Steam.  Really great, high end, well-rounded games that I paid hard-earned cash to own.  And yet, I still find myself playing free flash games online.

My main weakness is for tower defense.  I love to build my towers, upgrade them, and watch all the little creeps die.  The strategy behind it – what to build, when, how often to upgrade – it’s like a glorious little puzzle.  Some of these games have fantastic graphics and sound effects, some are way too similar, but it doesn’t really matter to me.  Kingdom Rush was a brilliant game, and Incursion 2 clearly copies elements just with different sounds (stealing from Warcraft).  Does that make Incursion less fun?  Nope.  Still played it for all it’s worth.

In general, I find these games on Kongregate.  I suppose it’s because I started on there and haven’t bothered to change sites.  Also, there are badges, and it’s soothing for my OCD to collect them.

Then, I’m sad to say, I have also fallen prey to King’s game, Candy Crush Saga on Facebook.  Yup, I confess, I play that monstrosity of a Bejeweled clone.  Although it goes so much further than Bejeweled – it seems CCS was designed to be pure addiction.  It’s not even that I enjoy the game, I just can’t stop playing it.  I keep thinking that I’ll just play one more game and then delete it… 5 lives later and I’m still playing.

So why?  Why am I playing free tower defense or fake Bejewled when I could be playing Civ 5 (equally addictive) or finishing ZombiU, or replaying the Last of Us?

Well, I think part of it is that flash games AREN’T immersive.  Yes, they’re addictive and time passes while playing them.  However, I can still work while having Candy Crush Saga open.  Much like the old days of playing Solitaire while on the phone, it doesn’t distract from my actual task at hand.  It just makes my work seem a bit more entertaining and somehow helps me focus.  When I need to think of something – how to phrase a thought, or how to approach a particular situation – I can focus on it more clearly while playing a game.  It’s almost zen-like; when I play Candy Crush Saga, it uses the parts of my brain that seem to get distracted most easily, leaving the rest of my brain to focus on the things I want to think about.  As counter-intuitive as it may seem, playing mindless games on Facebook actually boosts my productivity.

I’m clearly not the only one.  Kongregate is looking to expand onto mobile platforms, and it seems that Candy Crush Saga is huge on Facebook at the moment.  Why do you play casual games?  And yes, I’m including mobile games in this category.  Why do we play cheap/free games when there are so many high quality, immersive games out there?

Last Updated: July 11, 2013

59 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief Groot Wors

    July 11, 2013 at 15:32

    Tower defense FTW!!!

    Reply

  2. Admiral Chief Groot Wors

    July 11, 2013 at 15:32

    So if we comment a lot here we will get ZOE TOPLESS ION tomorrow?

    Reply

    • Zoe

      July 11, 2013 at 15:34

      … maybe 🙂

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

        July 11, 2013 at 15:35

        Pity that I know the current stats. So you need to pull a rabbit outta your ass to win (figuratively of course!!!)

        Reply

        • Zoe

          July 11, 2013 at 15:39

          might just have to reward the community for the valiant effort. and amazing comments

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 15:41

            noted.

            *proceeds to comment nonetheless*

    • Unavengedavo

      July 11, 2013 at 15:56

      Well she did say that she is a Flasher…

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

        July 11, 2013 at 15:57

        O_O

        Reply

        • Unavengedavo

          July 11, 2013 at 16:01

          The title of the article:
          Why I’m still a flasher

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 16:08

            I know, hence the O_O

          • Unavengedavo

            July 11, 2013 at 16:08

            Apologies… I confused the shock face O_O with the confused face o_O

        • Lourens Jordaan

          July 11, 2013 at 16:10

          uuuuuummmmm…..

          Reply

  3. Admiral Chief Groot Wors

    July 11, 2013 at 15:33

    You know what casual game ROCKS (actually bought it, devs like that should be rewarded), its PUZZLE FORGE. Man, that game is just perfect for me!

    Reply

    • Argentil

      July 11, 2013 at 15:38

      For me: Game Dev Story for Android.

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

        July 11, 2013 at 15:39

        Kewl, wotsit about?

        EDIT: NM, read about it now. Glad you enjoyed it

        Reply

        • Argentil

          July 11, 2013 at 15:45

          It’s a little Sim where you create your own Game Studio. It was quite fun, but it didn’t last very long 😛

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 15:46

            Is that what she said?

            😛

          • Argentil

            July 11, 2013 at 15:50

            Haaah

            Nope. Back on topic, the game was really addictive, but it only lasted 2 days. 3/10 as a game, 7.5/10 as a mobile game.

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 15:53

            Interesting. Try Puzzle Forge. So damn good!

          • Argentil

            July 11, 2013 at 15:54

            Platform?

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 15:56

            Droid that I know of, I think more?

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        July 11, 2013 at 16:17

        Love that game

        Reply

    • Trevor Davies

      July 11, 2013 at 15:41

      Peggle!

      Reply

  4. Admiral Chief Groot Wors

    July 11, 2013 at 15:34

    Oh, and the hours I slapped into TRIPLE TOWN is also ridiculous. (Also bought that gem)

    Reply

  5. ElimiNathan

    July 11, 2013 at 15:35

    Ye good point, sometimes you just don’t feel like being immersed into an experience

    Reply

  6. Umar Kiiroi Senk?

    July 11, 2013 at 15:38

    We play these games because we have to take a sh*t

    Reply

    • Kromas

      July 11, 2013 at 15:39

      The only reason angry birds became popular.

      Reply

      • HvR

        July 11, 2013 at 15:51

        Rovio meeting:
        Taking crap + shoot birds at pigs = profits

        let’s go watch from motor racing.

        Reply

    • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

      July 11, 2013 at 15:39

      (sung to REM’s Everybody Hurts)

      CUZ EVERYBODY POOOOOOOOPS
      SOMETIIIIIIIIIIIMES

      Reply

  7. Trevor Davies

    July 11, 2013 at 15:40

    The same reason why I have games on my phone – momentary distraction from thinking.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

      July 11, 2013 at 15:42

      Waiting in queues, waiting in general.

      I think console gamers play the most since they have to wait so damn long for their games to load 😛

      Reply

  8. Captain Minion TallTwit

    July 11, 2013 at 15:42

    Try out TowerMadness… you get to kill aliens, and defend sheep!

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

      July 11, 2013 at 15:42

      SOLD!!!
      On Droid?

      Reply

  9. Gareth Breydenbach

    July 11, 2013 at 15:44

    Im busy playing Real Racing 3 on android,awsome racing game and its free, yes it has that lovely micro transaction, but u can still play without giving real money.

    Reply

    • DriveMagazine

      July 11, 2013 at 16:59

      RR3 is such an awesome, evil time waster. Although I’m not too happy (who is?) about the stupid, stupid updates in 1.2 basically forcing racers into in-app purchases to proceed.
      IMHO though, RR3 hardly deserves to be lumped in with the Flashers. It’s a full-fledged sim engine that Firemonkeys have built there.

      Reply

  10. Spathi

    July 11, 2013 at 15:53

    Smoking breaks. Almost never play when at home. Did play Star Con 2 port on my phone though..

    Reply

    • Andre116

      July 11, 2013 at 19:04

      Star Control 2 on your phone?? Tell me more you cowardice Spathi?

      Reply

  11. HvR

    July 11, 2013 at 15:58

    Just hate the tap out model EA has been cloning the last year.

    So excited when started EA Theme Park, going to relive happy chilhood memories, loads up (needs internet connection ?? ok), loading, meh

    tap there and place this, wait 10 min tap to have money fly all over the place , collect money tap tap tap tap wait hour repeat, oooo roller coaster available needs super tickets needs to spend R20 for super tickets for roller coaster. -C for park cleanliness, hire a cleaner? noooooo tap on bin tap to collect garbage tap tap tap tap tap …….

    Just let me pay you R50 for a port of the full game dammit without all the freaking tapping.

    Reply

  12. Unavengedavo

    July 11, 2013 at 16:00

    An addictive tower defense…

    http://www.mapstd.com/

    Basically a tower defense played on Google maps with endless map layouts!

    Reply

  13. Mossel

    July 11, 2013 at 16:00

    Temple Run ftw!!

    Reply

    • Vampyre Squirrel

      July 12, 2013 at 10:04

      And Minion Rush as well as Mutant Roadkill.

      Both in a similar kinda scheme 😛

      Reply

  14. Jonah Cash

    July 11, 2013 at 16:01

    Why do we play these games, because it is so 90’s to still read a mag while on the white throne…….. Hahahaha

    Reply

  15. Mossel

    July 11, 2013 at 16:03

    I actually play Toy Defence. You play with little toy soldiers! Pretty awesome.

    Reply

  16. Slade Boender

    July 11, 2013 at 16:05

    ALL THE BLOONS!

    Reply

  17. Umar Kiiroi Senk?

    July 11, 2013 at 16:11

    Chaos rings,final fantasy 4

    Reply

    • Slade Boender

      July 11, 2013 at 16:14

      FF4 is pretty slick on the old ipheezy

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        July 11, 2013 at 16:16

        Fo shizzle my nizzle quite impressed by it but dat price..jee whizz

        Reply

        • Slade Boender

          July 12, 2013 at 10:14

          tell me about it dude, for a TD the asking price is a bit high. If there was only a platform like Warcraft3 for ios that folk could design TD’s. Would be so rad.

          Reply

  18. KingKappie

    July 11, 2013 at 16:15

    1 Comment extra for Zoe

    Reply

    • Vampyre Squirrel

      July 12, 2013 at 10:05

      Have a upvote and a comment!

      Reply

  19. NK

    July 11, 2013 at 17:43

    You gotta try the new Kingdom Rush, Toy defense 1 & 2. All brilliant tower defense games!!

    Reply

  20. Weanerdog

    July 11, 2013 at 20:27

    Must remember that “playing games at work actually increase productivity through focus” line.

    Reply

  21. Weanerdog

    July 11, 2013 at 20:27

    And spamming comments for Zoe

    Reply

  22. Weanerdog

    July 11, 2013 at 20:27

    Again spamming comments

    Reply

    • Gustav Willem Diedericks

      July 12, 2013 at 10:43

      I’m getting the idea that everyone wants a Zoe ION….

      Reply

  23. Vampyre Squirrel

    July 12, 2013 at 10:00

    I’m a huge fan of Flash games, but the scene’s become quite stale with all the Tower Defense and Zombie games, it all just feels the same… NEED MORE NEW IP’S!

    But there’s always some flash games I go back to time and again and enjoy every time 🙂

    Reply

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