Best Mindless Computer Game

[Nate the Great]

Okay, here's the setup: for a long time I was a Freecell addict. I even got depressed when I didn't have a computer that had Freecell. Now I do, but lately I'm playing Solitaire more. Why? Because it takes more skill to win at Solitaire. Anyone with enough experience can figure out the sequence of waiting vs. playing a specific card that will yield a win on Freecell at least half the time. The "wait vs. play" skill on Solitaire is a lot more complicated, requiring more subtle decision-making.

So here we are. The great Freecell vs. Solitaire poll. I've included an Other category for Minesweeper, Hearts, and so on.

[Nate the Great]

Uh, yeah, I reconsidered this thread, so I closed out the window while the poll edit screen was coming up. Apparently it still got through, so here it is. Instead of a formal poll, here's the fake one:

A. Freecell.
B. Solitaire (the infinite recycling one, not that piece of crud called Klondike)
C. Misc. (Minesweeper, Hearts, etc.)

[ijdgaf]

Vista has Spider Solitaire and Mahjong.

Vista wins!

[Nate the Great]

Totally forgot about Spider Solitaire. I guess 'cause I don't have it on my laptop. I think my dad has it, but you guys don't care about that...

How is Vista, anyway?

Okay, new system.

A. Solitaire.
B. Freecell.
C. Spider Solitaire.
D. Misc.

Mahjong on a computer? Didn't know about that...

[AKAArzosah]

D. Misc (Space Cadet Pinball!)

I know how to make your freecell scores look awesome though...

[Nate the Great]

Not sure if I've ever played "Space Cadet" Pinball, but I'm not quite sure if that quite counts as "mindless." Well, I suppose so. I mean, if the game basically develops a skillset that involves instant intuition and decision-making, without running through a complex algorithm everytime...

Thinking about it, I would add two more games to the Miscellaneous category. Mario and Tetris. I have both of them on a Zip disk. When I say "Mario," I mean ORIGINAL Mario Brothers VGA. We're talking the mists of ancient time, one pipe screen, POW blocks, that sort of thing. Hopelessly archaic. Still provides amusement. As for Tetris, that's one of my hidden talents. Granted, the computer version (at least the one I have) is archaic, but the original Gameboy version kicks butt.

Oh, and a side question. Does anyone actually enjoy Klondike? Seriously, only one time through the stack, and that's it?

[Chancellor Valium]

Jedi Academy.

Seriously mindless entertainment.

[Nate the Great]

I don't think Jedi Academy quite qualifies as "mindless."

[PointyHairedJedi]

OpenTTD (http://www.openttd.com/) is fairly mindless, and what I usually waste time with when I'm waiting for something to download/whatever. Bascially, it's playing with trains, but on your computer. Of course, you need the original Transport Tycoon first, but that can be had from HOTU no problem.

[Nate the Great]

Oh, another sim fan. I'm hooked on Sim Tower at the moment myself. Not quite "mindless," but fun.

[Burt]

Is it sad that I've never finished a game of Solitaire? I mean, I'm not thick. I just can never seem to finish them!

[Nate the Great]

Which version of Solitaire? Straight Klondike, infinite recycle, draw three at a time, what?

[danieldoof]

I managed to get done the draw one at a time infinite circle.....but not the others
the "only one time through" is pretty damn hard
has any of you managed to beat it?

[Kristina]

Nope, don't think so - but I've been happily distracted trying.

To reply to the original question: I vote Misc for Minesweeper - the only really good reason to torture a computer with WinDoze, in my opinion.

[Nate the Great]

I don't think I've ever beaten straight Klondike either.

As for infinite recycle, all it takes is the acceptance that you'll never get a very big score (it increases whenever you send a card home, and decreases every time you restart a draw cycle), and the patience to not play a card the instant you can, but wait for the right moment, especially where playing the kings are concerned.

Okay, as it currently stands:
A.
B.
C. I
D. II

Sorry, PHJ, as the arbiter of this game, I'm hereby rejecting all simulation games as not being mindless at all. I'm defining "mindless" here as a game that an arbitrarily large number of monkeys could beat given enough time away from their typewriters and at their laptops.

[AKAArzosah]

Given the monkey definition, Pinball definitely qualifies. Whack the flippers enough and you're bound to get somewhere.

I sometimes just play for the pretty blinking lights. Oooh, Shiny!

PS: anyone wanna know the cheat to freecell?

[MaverickZer0]

How about Asteroids? Or Lemmings?

But if not, I vote Pinball. I can rack up some real high scores when I'm procrastinating. Minesweeper actually does require a bit of thought, or I'd say that.

[Nate the Great]

Yeah, but it's possible for the infinite number of monkeys on the beachfront at South End (kudos for reference-spotters!) to beat Freecell and Minesweeper. Lemmings...well, um...not sure if that's mindless. And which one's Asteroids again?

Okay, I'll just be moving along...pay no attention...

Could whoever votes add my little poll counter at the end of their post so we can all catch up?

[AKAArzosah]

Nate, what is YOUR actual vote?

so far:
A - 0
B - 0
C - 1
D - 3

[Nate the Great]

Oh, that's a tricky one. Like I've said, nine times out of ten I'm playing Solitaire these days. However, does that mean it's my favorite? Uh, ask me later. Right now, I guess I'd have to say Freecell. A great way to waste time, no doubt.

A - 0
B - 1
C - 1
D - 3

[Chancellor Valium]

I don't think Jedi Academy quite qualifies as "mindless."

Evidently you do not recall the so-called 'plot'.

[Nate the Great]

I have no clue what the plot is, and was only vaguely aware that the game existed in the first place.

[MaverickZer0]

How can you not know Asteroids? It's the one with the little white triangle ship that you spin around and use to blow up big white rock-shaped things and the odd alien. Classic stuff.

[Nate the Great]

Vaguely aware of Jedi Academy. Of course I knew about Asteroids.

[PointyHairedJedi]

I'm gonna take another stab at this and say Runescape. It's what I always play when I'm listening to stuff on the BBC Radio Player because it requires almost no attention whatsoever to do (though that might mostly be to do with the fact that levelling up of any kind in any PC game of that nature merely becomes an RSI-inducing click-fest after a while).

[Nate the Great]

Oh, what kind of game is that?

[AKAArzosah]

www.runescape.com

Or you can play through Miniclip.

[Burt]

Fifa 24,354.
What?
I think you need to be mindless to play them.

[Nate the Great]

Puh-huh?

[Chancellor Valium]

Football games. And it's true.