In between figuring out what I'm able to edit next, and hopefully score more points, I will usual play a game. Something weird that's been happening more and more recently, however, is playing flash games online instead of my regular console and PC offerings. Why? Because of Kongregate. Maybe it's because I'm an achievement whore, so I like the fact I get awarded points whilst I play, but I think that on the most part...the games are actually good.

I mean, yes, there are quite a few stinkers, but just like Microsoft's XNA experiment (which they want to be the YouTube of games) the good stuff rises to the top. And when you get in the chat rooms, you can tell the good from the bad in the simplest way of all, people are playing the good ones.

Take GemCraft for example. It was all the rage a couple of weeks back, because it was part of one of Kongregate's ever changing challenges, to win a card for their own flash based card game, Kongai. So I started playing. Hours and hours and hours later, and I finished it, and couldn't wait for more. It looks like I'll be getting more too, as they are planning to release a second game, and quick turnaround is something you can definitely praise flash games for. GemCraft has a lot of depth, tons of content, and is something I would be willing to pay for on, say, Xbox Live Arcade. Instead, it's free, and that's really rather cool.

So, next time you're trying to kill some time, try out Kongregate. The community is good and thousands strong, the achievements add something to the sometimes simple games you're playing and earning cards is a even better way to persuade you in to playing the good games. My user name on K is Nizumal, add me if you have an account, we can chat while playing some flash games. Flash is returning in a good way...