There aren't many games you can play in the office. For starters, office computers are often low to average spec, and, unless the computer is used specifically for graphic design or sound, there won't be any dedicated graphics or sound cards in the computer. Then there's the problem that any games you do play will quickly and easily be spotted by anyone walking past your PC.



The solution? Web-based, or browser-based games. There are many such games out there, and unfortunately many of them try to spruce up their own websites in an attempt to "look flashy" - this doesn't help us office workers, as usually we will need something with a plain white background, next to no graphics, and plain text on-screen in order to be inconspicuous to anybody walking past our computer screens.

One such game out there that is played by many office workers without problem, and does not stand out, is Bushtarion. It's free to play, with optional "fun extras" that players can purchase (entirely optional). Not only that, but there is a completely customisable "scheme editor", to customise all the colours and layout of your game. You can browse other players’ schemes too. One of the more recent schemes I've noticed is called "Work", which has an Excel spreadsheet as a background image - incredibly hard for any employee to notice you're playing a game unless they sit right next to you and read the screen! It doesn't use any Java or Flash etc. It can be played in any modern web browser without any special plug-ins or downloads.

There are many other web/browser based games out there of course that are text based, but they almost all include "spaceships" or "gangsters", and for some reason all have brightly coloured backgrounds or pitch black backgrounds that would stand out a mile in any office environment.

So next time you have a few minutes to spare, have a browse through Google for "free online web game" or similar, or sign up to Bushtarion. Good luck with your Office escapades, and remember - try to do some actual work once in a while between ticks!