Wait, Where Did All Our Time Go?
We’ve all been there. We have a couple of free hours and just need something to pass the time. The next thing you know, we’re clicking cookies or mowing down aliens for the rest of our lives. At this point, we’ve given up fighting the good fight and have succumbed to the best time-wasters ever.
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1. Cookie Clicker
Golden cookies, dashing reindeer, terrifying grandmas responsible for half your cookie baking—all these glorious things and more await you in this classic time-waster. Your biggest task is to click a giant cookie, forever baking more and more and losing weekends to build your empire.
2. RollerCoaster Tycoon
Who doesn’t love puking patrons and overpriced, inappropriately named coasters? Yes, it’s the beloved game where you build a perfect theme park…and we mean one filled with rollercoasters that shoot people directly into the void.
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3. The Sims
We’ve all dabbled in The Sims’ character creation, either making the ugliest possible version of our friends or eerily accurate depictions. Though some installments tasked us with missions to advance the story, most didn’t, and The Sims truly remains one of the best franchises.
Electronic Arts on Wikimedia Commons
4. Terraria
Don’t get us wrong—Terraria isn’t for the faint of heart. Filled with monsters and boss fights at every turn, this time-waster requires a guarded back. However, its enormous open-world map lets you dig straight to Earth’s core or explore the skies. Wherever you go, Terraria is filled with adventure.
Harry Wood on Wikimedia Commons
5. Cooking Madness: A Chef’s Game
This freebie mobile game is perfect for anyone with quick fingers. The story is simple: you move through maps and conquer dishes before the time’s up. Don’t think it’s so easy, though. Like everyday customer service, people get pickier and more demanding as the clock ticks, forcing you to swipe like never before.
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6. Minecraft
Who would’ve thought this little game would have the gaming world in a vice? Well, it’s been well over ten years since its initial release and here we are—and it’s easy to see why it’s so addicting! With no real goal in sight, you can play however you like.
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7. Tetris
What, you think we’re kidding? Guess again! Tetris is a classic game that tests your puzzle solving skills, is widely available across all platforms, and helps burn free time. You’ll spend more time on it than you think.
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8. Plague Inc.
Unite, sadistic players! It’s time to unleash a personally named plague on the world and see how many civilians you can wipe out. Of course, scientists work around the clock to stop your good work so this time-waster requires quite a bit of strategy.
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9. Solitaire
May we reintroduce you to this popular game? It’s a solo show filled with virtual cards, a fair bit of strategy, and the ever-satisfying flit of cards after you win. It’s usually available for free across platforms, so wasting time has never been easier.
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10. Stardew Valley
This open-ended RPG puts you in the driver’s seat of your grandfather’s tractor. Go forth and save his farm, raising livestock and peacefully fishing as time slowly slips through your hands.
11. Candy Crush
We know boomers commandeered this game, but it’s still a classic puzzle solver that helps crush free time. With a set number of lives, you’re forced to use your noodle in the face of chocolate and sticky candies—however, that just adds to the fun.
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12. Flappy Bird
The year is 2013. The world is swiftly taken over by a yellow bird haphazardly flapping between pipes—and the obsession gets so bad that the game’s creator literally nukes the entire project in the peak of its popularity. We all suffered the burn but we also still like to return to copycats.
Gametech Holdings on Wikimedia Commons
13. Subway Surfers
Stick it to the man! Graffiti those walls! (For legal purposes, this is a joke.) You might not be able to display your artwork in real life, but you can get a taste in this popular time-waster. Collect coins and characters alike, running from security and his faithful dog as your score climbs into the millions.
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14. Project Highrise
We may be caught in a real-life rental nightmare, but Project Highrise gives you power over your very own skyscraper empire. Build and manage your buildings, but prepare yourself for the chaos of micromanagement.
15. Cut the Rope
Om Nom is hungry for candy—you don’t want to disappoint him do you? This beloved puzzle solver kindly asks that you find a way to get candy to our little blob friend. You have dozens of levels to burn through, all of which get more difficult the further you progress.
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16. Gods Will be Watching
This game elicits a fair bit of head-butting, but we’re still fans of this 2014 point-and-click survival game. It’s a good way to burn some time and you’ll need to keep yourself alive across seven chapters.
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17. Brotato
On the other hand, there’s no denying the popularity of this crowd favorite! Brotato ate up many of our precious hours, but we’re hardly complaining. The best part is that there isn’t a huge learning curve—you’ll be ready to fight aliens in no time.
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18. Vampire Survivors
This time-waster’s only been around for a couple of years, but that’s all it took to pick up five-star reviews across the board. There’s nothing quite like the rush of mowing down monster after vampiric monster, all while nabbing oodles of gold and upgrades for the next battle.
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19. Peggle
Peggle comes with all the nostalgia of arcade-style games, making it an oddly comforting ‘07 classic we still enjoy. Aim and fire at those orange pegs, trying to master trick shots and relishing in the dopamine hit of fun music and flashing words of encouragement.
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20. Crossy Road
If you miss Frogger and yearn to understand why the chicken crossed the road, Crossy Road is the time waster for you. It was officially shut down in 2020 but you can still weave your little chicken through traffic and pick up collectible characters—with even more recognizable ones in their Disney expansion.
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