Games to Play When Bored: Top Picks for Endless Entertainment

Have some time to kill? In this digital age, you have countless boredom-busting options available to you, including a whole host of awesome games, many of which you can play from directly within your browser.

The next time you have a long commute, you’re waiting for a friend to arrive, or you just can’t think of what to do, try one of the following titles. We promise that your boredom will be gone in no time!

Classic Board Games

You can’t beat the classics! While technological progress allows for new, awe-inspiring games, there’s something about those old, trust favorites. They’re what your grandparents played when they were bored, and will likely be what your grandchildren will do to pass the time, too.

Checkers

This classic board game is older than anyone can remember; by all accounts, people were playing it as far back as 3,000 BC, and perhaps even before then. In other words: it’s old! Checkers is simple and fun to play, yet offers enough of a challenge to keep things interesting. You can play checkers against a friend or a computer at 247checkers.com.

Scrabble

If you ever visited a vacation house as a kid, then you’ll surely have come across Scrabble, one of the most popular board games of all time. In truth, the slowness of Scrabble might prove to be its downfall; no one has that much time to kill. Looking for a fast way to get your word puzzle fix? Try Wordley.

Backgammon

Backgammon is an old, old game, yet it still packs a powerful punch. As we said, you can’t beat the classics! The objective is to remove all of your checkers from the board. If you can do that, then you’re the winner. You can play against a computer or a friend at 247backgammon.com.

Online Multiplayer Options

Bored with a friend? We’ve all been there. There are times when you can very much keep each other entertained and having fun, but there are also times when you need something to provide the spark you need. When those moments arrive, then you can turn to multiplayer browser games to ensure the fun times return as quickly as possible. Two of the best options include:

Checkers

As we mentioned above, people have been playing checkers for thousands of years. These days, you can play online against a computer if you’re looking for an individual game, but don’t forget that you can also play against a friend or family member at 247checkers.com. Not sure how to play? Don’t worry — this is a simple game, so even if you or your friend have never played before, you’ll get the basics in no time at all.

Pool

Playing pool against your friends is a classic. It’s fun, but it’s also competitive. You want them to be good…but not too good. You can play pool online against your friends (or enemies: whoever you want to beat!) at 247pool.com. Plus, this version has the added advantage of offering unlimited games, which is something that you wouldn’t experience if you went to play pool in a bar.

Strategy Games

Looking to get the most value from your time? Then consider giving your brain a workout by playing a strategy game. These will keep you engaged, so you’ll very much wave goodbye to boredom, while at the same time improving your cognitive thinking and just generally giving your brain what it needs to be at its best. Let’s take a look at two classic strategy games you can turn to during your hour of need.

Chess

This is the ultimate thinking person’s game. It’s more than 1500 years old, and it’s still going strong. A game of chess will force you to dig deep into that old brain of yours as you try to find a path to victory. You can play chess against a computer, a friend, or online at 247chess.com.

Mahjong

Mahjong has been around since the mid-19th century, and it’s still going strong. Head to certain parts of Asia, and you’ll see people playing out in the street night and day. Happily, you don’t need to book a plane ticket to Asia to play mahjong; the game is freely available at 247mahjong.com.

Puzzle Challenges

Puzzle challenges are great. They don’t take much time, which means you can play them even if you only have 15 minutes to kill, yet they’re engaging enough that you’ll be fully absorbed in the puzzle while you’re doing it. We’ve got a bunch of options available, including:

Word Search

Looking for something that’s fun but not too challenging? Then try a word search, which you’ll find at 247wordsearch.com. These puzzles have a simple enough objective — simply find the words in the grid — yet can be more challenging than you might expect to complete. You can play on easy, medium, or hard difficulty.

Crossword

Crosswords are the most popular word puzzle game of all time, and rightly so. They’re great! At 247crossword.com, you can play crosswords on a range of difficulty levels, and even take part in our daily time challenge. With that, it’s not just about completing the crossword, but how fast you can complete it. If you’re a newcomer, then it can take a little bit of time to get used to how crosswords function, but once you’ve got a hang of things you’ll find that it’s a puzzle that you play time and time again.

Wordley

Looking for a quick and easy word challenge game? Then Wordley is it. With this game, you’ll have six attempts to find a five-letter word. This has become one of the most popular puzzle games in the world in recent years, and once you’ve played it, you’ll see why. It’s a simple yet fun challenge that you can complete in a matter of minutes — though some words will have you guessing for hours!

Sudoku

Another classic that’s up there with crosswords, sudoku forms a part of millions of people’s everyday routines. As with crosswords, you’ll need to spend a little time figuring out how sudoku works, but once you have, you’ll love it. You’ll find an unlimited number of sudoku puzzles at 247sudoku.com, which means you’ll always be able to challenge yourself!

Mobile Gaming Apps

You don’t need to download any apps to play quality games! In fact, if you only have ten or fifteen minutes to kill, then there’s little point; by the time you’ve downloaded and made sense of the game, your boredom will have passed.

However, we also recognize that there might be scenarios when you can’t play a browser game — for example, you’re on a flight. In that case, try one of these popular mobile gaming apps.

• Candy Crush Saga
• Sonic Dash
• Call of Duty: Mobile

Retro Arcade Favorites

There’s just something about those retro arcade favorites. Maybe it’s because they hark back to simpler times, or maybe it’s just because they rock. Either way, we can’t get enough of them. Some of our favorite retro arcade games include:

Pinball

It must have been fun to spend your Friday evenings doing nothing other than trying to get the highest pinball score at the local arcade. Alas, those arcades are no more. However, the spirit lives on at 247pinball.com, where you can play retro pinball all night long.

Space Rocks

Looking for a browser game that has the look and feel of the arcade games of yesteryear? Then try Space Rocks. Available at 247spacerocks.com, this browser game involves shooting down space rocks as they come towards you.

Pool

Picture it: it’s Friday night, you’re at the local arcade, and everyone’s having fun. Where are you? Why, you’re at the pool table, challenging one of your friends to a game. This scenario exists, but instead of being at the local arcade, you’re playing at 247pool.com.

Competitive Card Games

There’s nothing like a little (healthy) competition to pass the time. In fact, some games are so competitive and engaging that you’ll be more than happy for that time you’re supposed to be passing to be extended — don’t be surprised if you cancel your following plans if you play one of these games.

Blackjack

Blackjack is an all-time classic card game and with good reason. It’s easy to play, strategic and can be euphoric/frustrating depending on the cards that you’re dealt. You can play blackjack online for free without having to fork up any cash like you would in a casino.

Poker

Poker has been around for more than two hundred years and remains as popular as ever. By one estimation, there are some 100 million poker players around the planet, making it one of the most-played games in history. You can see how good you are at Texas Hold’em.

Spades

Looking for a game that’s casual and competitive in almost equal measure? Then give Spades a try. Once you’ve got a solid understanding of the rules, you’ll find that this becomes perhaps your most favorite game on the planet.

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.