The video game market continues to get bigger everyday and while the new releases you find in shops may be quite expensive, even the people who made those games had to start somewhere. Many rising gaming developers have started with free online games before moving onto bigger things and although in most cases they are small games, you can find a few really good titles out there.

A few of the big companies have also made some of their earlier products free downloads after a number years. Many classics from the 80s and the 90s are included, though in some cases you may need to download an emulator as well, because of the changes made to computer systems over the past two decades.

Many of the more modern downloads you will find, will be either freeware which is one hundred percent free, or shareware, which either offers a trial playing period or a product without all of the features. This is an excellent way to test a product before committing to it, while in some cases the shareware is basically the entire game.

If you are looking for quick games that can distract you for a few minutes, there are plenty. Many of these games are familiar or adaptations of familiar ones like Scrabble, Chess, Pool, Cards or Backgammon. They are as popular as the originals and you can normally find dozens of different versions of these sorts of titles.

One of the most popular of all free online games are the puzzle-type games. These are normally simple and fast, but can be incredibly addictive like the ever-popular Tetris. There may be modern games with superb graphics and gameplay, but Tetris remains one of the most popular games of all time.

The same can be said for the puzzles you would normally find in the daily newspaper. The crossword and Sudoku are two of the most popular of all free online games. There are also versions that continue to download new puzzles each day, meaning an almost infinite number of puzzles to solve.

Another very popular choice are the games where you need to find hidden objects. Some of these revolve around a story, and they are excellent ways to test your power of observation.

If you enjoy a good old adventure game there are plenty on the web including some of the early classics, and even versions that have been re-made by fans. A number of point-and-click adventures, including some of the all time best adventures have been uploaded for old fans to re-enjoy. If you have never played any of the early adventures like the Quest games or those from Lucas, they are definitely worth looking up.

Remember that if you have a game on your cell phone or iPad that you really enjoy, to look out for its bigger brother on the PC or Mac. These free online games usually have a few more features than their mobile versions and in most cases play a lot better.

Get looking for a few free online games, no matter what you enjoy, as there is so much out there that you are going to definitely be entertained until you can afford another big buy. Who knows you may ending up saving a lot in the future, if you find something you really enjoy.