10 chill, free & nostalgic online browser games to play

Hidden object games

I'm not by any means a 'gamer' but I love casual games. There were two video games I loved in my high school days, American McGee's Alice and Alice: Madness Returns but that's it. As a 90s kid, I still have memories of turning on a PC running on Windows XP, the madness of waiting for web pages to load because of slow dial-up internet, and killing time playing Minesweeper and Solitaire. I didn't know anything about RPGs but I was looking for things in hidden object games. 

Internet is faster than ever in 2022, with countless websites, mobile apps, and social media platforms to choose from. But one may long for the simpler times of Yahoo Mail, GeoCities, Friendster, and actually touching grass outside instead of a smartphone.

In my board exam tips, one of my recommendations is playing casual games or 'brain' games that exercise your cognitive abilities. This is my way to relax and keep my mind working during intense study sessions. I take short breaks and turn off my studying mind for a bit and do something else.

Here are some free online games that you can play ad-free on Solitaire.org. No need to download different mobile apps for games and you can play even on your computer, phone, or tablet browser.

Klondike Solitaire

What other game can you think of that's best to play alone? Solitaire is that game. 

Candy Fiesta

This game is similar to Candy Crush but without the ads to tempt you to buy tokens to continue playing the game. 

Hidden Object Games: Garden and Hotel

Something in me really loves playing hidden object games. There are some advanced hidden object games now (like the ones created by Artifex Mundi), but if you just want a simple game without having to buy or download, these will work just fine.

Zuma Legend

I bet playing Zuma was part of every 90's kid's life. This is like a lightweight version of that with the same concept. 

Tetra Blocks

90s kids can remember the simple 'brick game' console that was popular back then. Tetris used to be on a black-and-white screen, but the simple game is still quite entertaining, now with all the colors, sparkles, and special effects.

Sokoban

It's actually my first time encountering this game. You have to move the boxes to a certain location, but you have to navigate through a limited number of movements. I enjoyed it.

Word Search

This game is pretty self-explanatory. 

Letter Scramble

This game is pretty simple: create words out of the random letters that are appearing.

Sudoku

Sudoku is a simple logic game where you need to fill the rows, columns, and each 9-box square with the numbers 1-9. I used to do pen-and-paper Sudoku, but for the online version I like the option of noting the possible numbers in the boxes before deciding on the final number to put in a box.

Minesweeper

Minesweeper was the perfect time killer. If I was bored with schoolwork or waiting for the internet to work, I was clearing digital landmines. I can still do that here.

These are just 10 games that I personally liked. For more browser-based games, visit Solitaire.