Casual games are like a community block party: everyone’s invited. You don’t need to be a serious gamer with the latest equipment, you don’t need to be super coordinated and you don’t need a lot of time to devote.
But just because a game is described as “casual” doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, or easy to put down. These titles can be as addictive as your morning coffee.
These are our Top 5 casual games. Check them out then tell us which game you can’t make it through your day without.
Tell us: What are your Top 5 favorite casual games?
-- Ken Smith";
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'Solitaire'
“Solitaire” was the big daddy of casual games long before anyone had even heard the term.
This simple card-stacking game doesn’t require a fancy computer or a fast Internet connection. You don’t even need a playing partner. And since “Solitaire” comes pre-loaded on practically every Windows-based PC sold today, chances are you can play it right this second if you want to – and you know you do! ";
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'Minesweeper'
“Minesweeper” is another game that comes pre-loaded on most PCs out there, letting bored office workers play it without having to do any against-the-rules downloading. The object of the game is to search for and flag mines by clicking your mouse – which sounds like work to anyone within earshot. Just be careful your boss doesn’t sneak up behind you.
Then again, he might be too busy playing “Minesweeper” himself to care about what you’re doing. ";
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games_top5_070905[i-1].body = "
'Peggle'
“Peggle,” the pinball-meets-pachinko game by PopCap, seems so innocent when you first play it. After all, you’re just shooting at a field of different colored pegs, trying to knock out all the orange ones before you run out of balls. That’s harmless enough, isn’t it? Yeah, right.
The game’s addictive nature is cloaked by how simple “Peggle” is to learn and how much fun it is to play. But with each level the game gets a little harder, and you get a little more hooked.";
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'Hidden Expedition: Everest'
This game, from Big Fish, will have you trying to locate a list of items that are buried inside a composite picture. For example, you might overlook the broccoli that’s been so cleverly camouflaged as foliage. Or you might need to find a bird that has been disguised as, well, a big gray bird standing there in the center of the picture. Focusing too hard on the small stuff can cause you to miss the most obvious things.
“Hidden Expedition: Everest” is a game we can have fun with over and over because it’s different every time we play. The pictures may stay the same, but the list of things to hunt for changes every time.";
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'Diner Dash'
In theory, a game about running a restaurant doesn’t sound like a lot of fun. Serving food is hard work – not something you’d think would be fodder for a good game. But as fans will tell you, PlayFirst’s “Diner Dash” is one incredibly fun title.
In it, you play a waitress named Flo who has to deal with many hungry customers, all with varying degrees of patience. Serve them well and earn big tips, but make them wait and they’ll head right for the exits. This game had us hooked with its manic pace, and gave us a new respect for those who work in the food industry.
Tell us: What are your Top 5 favorite casual games?
";
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