Do Casual Games Make Good Gifts?

As much as we all love the holidays, they can be stressful. Family, feasts, shopping and even parties can really run you down if you are not careful. One way to relieve some of that stress is with some Holiday themed casual games.

Casual game play, as you might expect, is casual. Games are usually straightforward with simple rules and easy to master controls. They require the player to complete simple tasks to progress through the levels. 'Collecting', 'matching' and 'lining up' are common instructions when it comes to this kind of game. There is little intensity, speed or pressure. Casual gaming is gaming as a relaxation rather than gaming as a sport.

That is not to say that Casual Gaming is not challenging. Most games are difficult to master. That is what makes them so addictive. It is easy to get started because there are few rules to follow. But after you finish a couple of easy levels you find yourself in any number of tricky situations. The Casual space often includes card games, puzzles, memory games and word games and most of those are in Flash.

Many sites offer holiday themed games either for download or to be played online. Of those, some require a small fee, usually less than $20 to own the game for life. Other sites offer games free of charge. Some of our favorite games this season are:

The Santa Express Santa has completed mapping out his route for Christmas Eve but he needs your assistance to check his list twice and make sure that The Santa Express delivers gifts to nice girls and boys and lumps of coal to all the naughty ones. Your time is limited, so Santa has tuned up his sleigh with a turbo booster which will help him travel faster and help you to complete your delivery goal before the time runs out. They don't call this game The Santa Express for nothing!

Holly: A Christmas Tale Grab a cup of cocoa, put on your favorite holiday music and play a wonderful new hidden object game, guaranteed to fill you with the spirit of the season! As you help Santa find the items he needs to complete his rounds on Christmas Eve, you will be asked to perform a variety of tasks using some innovative search techniques! There are more than 1,000 festive items to find as you follow along with Holly's amazing story! This game download is guaranteed to be a holiday classic!

Christmasville Santa Claus is missing! You, the great Private Detective Arthur Knight, have been summoned to Christmasville to help! (Well, kidnapped actually, but it just depends on how you look at it!) Once you decide to stay, you'll meet many amazing creatures in Christmasville, like the Abominable Snowman, Reindeer, and even the mysterious Ear. They will help you discover the truth behind Santa's disappearance, before it's too late! It's one hilarious seek and find adventure with Christmasville!

There are plenty of other games you can find but these three are instant hits that you are sure to love. This year you should give yourself a little present and play some online games. It might be just what you need to get back on track and finish your holiday shopping, cook a big meal and entertain your family and out of town guest.

David Robinson has been writing about free online games for major web publications since 1997. If you want to try your hand at Downloadable games, visit www.Jenkatgames.com