As the internet continues its progress at breakneck speed more people are turning to the internet for a variety of reasons ranging from earning a living to entertainment and everything in between. In the entertainment field online games have become a really huge business.

Even when the economic slowdown began, video games remained unaffected; in fact it would be safe to say that the popularity of these games continued to increase. Video games are a form of affordable escapism - no matter how bad your day is, when you are sitting at your computer playing takes the stress right out of you.

What is the attraction of online games? In the simplest terms it allows a player to escape the pressures of the real world that plague us at home and at work.

When there's an economic crunch on and it begins affecting your living standards, entertainment will be the first aspect to be affected. The free games offer people a cheap way to take their minds of their troubles even if they cannot afford to buy it. There are free games that can be downloaded for 60 minutes of gaming time and there are also free games that can be played online.

The kind of online games that people choose depends on their personal preferences. Some people may choose to play board games while others may prefer puzzles; you have such a wide variety of games including action, adventure, word games, time management, card games and a special section for kids among others.

Some of the more popular games are the action and adventure in which you play on a virtual playground doing battle with computer characters, vanquishing the bad guys and rescuing the damsel in distress. Card games are also a very popular selection; you can play for the fun of playing or participate in actual online gambling.