Great Casual Game Sites

Since this is my first post, I thought I'd start with a simple list and short review of some of the best pages to find, download, and play casual games. When I find new ones around the net I will be sure to let you know. None of the games from these pages include any malware whatsoever and you have the freedom to buy any game from the page itself so you don't have to deal with third-parties.

GameHouse Games
This is admittedly my personal favorite. They have the best quality games on the net and all the downloads are directly from the site (meaning they do not require the company's special software to download like RealArcade and BigFish do). They have free 60 minute trial downloads for most games as well as online-only games AND a list of 43 unlimited ad-based games available for download (listed under downloads then extended play). They also offer a fee-based membership ($19.95/month after a week free trial) for unlimited play on all their downloadable games, which means you get to play anything you download as if you purchased each, for the price of just one, and can cancel at any time. They also add new games every week so even if you don't go premium, it's still worth it to grab a free membership ID for the emailed updates.

Reflexive Arcade
This is my second favorite, only because it isn't as organized as GameHouse. It actually has a lot of the same games as GameHouse, and THEN some. I am still amazed at how many games this page hosts. It too, has direct downloads of all the trials as well as online play, but doesn't offer any ad-based unlimited downloadables like GameHouse does. Basically, if I run out of games I want to try from GameHouse, I download from Reflexive for some fresh games.

Big Fish Games
This is my least favorite, mostly because there is no direct download from the site. All their downloadable games include the company's program to download and install with. While it still contains no malware, it is simply inconvenient. They do, however, have very high quality games so I feel it still deserves to be on this list.

That's it for now. I will be posting full game reviews starting shortly and will be sure to include a link to the page where you can get the games for yourself. Always remember, if you enjoy these games, PURCHASE THEM! Using pirated software only discourages developers from making high quality software because they aren't getting paid what they should be for the work they do. While I'm in no way a supporter of the RIAA standards and rules blah blah, I DO believe in paying for quality merchandise. I'd rather keep developers making the good stuff than to wind up with nothing other than cheap knock-offs left to play!