We have all been in the following position: you’re in class or a meeting, someone is going on an exceptionally long monologue about time sheets or the syllabus or whatever, and you’re fighting just to stay awake. This is generally when I pull up coolmathgames.com and begin focusing my attention on something much more deserving: Run 3. While this may be a go-to for me, many of my friends and peers have their own go-to distractor on this site.
While some are fans of more technical games such as Run or Moto X3M, others prefer a more strategic and thoughtful game such as Papa’s Pizzeria. Either way, I have compiled a list of the best coolmathgames, with the help of other Boulder students, to aid procrastinators in their quest to remain entertained, whether it be through strategy or skill based games.
- Run
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Run is, has, and always will be one of the best games ever on coolmathgames. It’s so good that there are actually three of them (I like Run 3 the best.) This game is incredibly easy to play, the player simply uses the arrow keys to navigate a tunnel in space. Jumping onto walls re-orients the tunnels so that the player can avoid falling through the holes and spiraling into deep space.
I have personally found that this game can be played while also sitting through a meeting or in class, as it just gives your hands something to do as you listen to a lecture. Playing this game unlocks the feral fifth-grader that we all have inside us, thus unleashing the competitive edge and simple joy that only an excitable elementary schooler can have. For an extra challenge, try using the rollerblader character!
- The Papa’s Games
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An instant classic, Papa’s games includes a variety of everything from Papa’s Pizzeria to Papa’s Freezeria. While the foods may change, the way you play does not. Be careful having a go at this one during class, as it does require more attention than some of the other games on this list.
It’s simple, you run a pizzeria/ice cream shop, take orders, make food, keep customers happy. Or at least it sounded easy to us before anyone had actually gained experience working in the food industry, talk about unrealistic expectations set at an early age. I would much prefer playing the Papa’s Games to my first job working at Chipotle. Either way, these games are fun for a slow day when you have nothing to do.
- FireBoy and WaterGirl
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Once again, one of the most iconic games of my elementary school/middle school experience. This game personally shaped me as a child and definitely contributed to my love of the movie “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl”. Naturally, this makes it the perfect game to play in class when I need a hit of serotonin. One of the benefits of this game is that you can play it at your own pace, making it easy to play during class when you take a break between taking notes. Control Fireboy and Watergirl by using AWSD and the arrow keys, and solve puzzles.
There is everything from Fireboy and Watergirl in the Forest Temple to Fireboy and Watergirl: Ice. It will take a lot of time to get through every puzzle for every theme, so if you have a lot of procrastinating to do this is the perfect game. Plus, you can play multiplayer with your friends or the people next to you by having one person man the arrow keys and one on AWSD. Personally, bonding with others over a shared love of distractions and a desire to avoid work has gotten me a lot of friends in my major.
- Moto X3M
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Another popular game on my favorite gaming site, Moto X3M is a fun and easy bike racing game. Another game that I have beaten during the duration of my physics class, in this game you race to the end of an obstacle course, doing flips and tricks to try and get to the finish as fast as possible. Not to brag but I have all three stars on every level. If you’re looking for something simple to play in class that will bring out your competitive edge and a random desire to do extreme sports, check this one out.
- Bloxorz and B-Cubed
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A geometric strategy based game, Bloxorz is perfect for playing during class as it is not timed and you can simply make a move whenever you have a break between taking notes. All you have to do is get the block in the hole. This game seems boring but I have found that it is weirdly addictive. If you like this one, a similar game is B-Cubed, which is another puzzle solving game involving geometric shapes. If you prefer a game that is more slow paced and strategy based, then these are perfect for you.
- Super Pickleball Adventure
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In the realm of some of the more obscure games, I ran into Super Pickleball Adventure while wasting time in between classes. Playing as a 12 year old, it is up to you to challenge the pickleball league and defeat the three pickleball lords before moving on to The Champion. This game uses the arrow keys in conjunction with the X and Z button, and I found it incredibly fun and entertaining. While it isn’t particularly hard to beat the game, playing virtual pickleball is so fun that I have beaten the game multiple times.
- The Big Tower Tiny Square Series
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As my final recommendation, another weird yet incredibly addictive game is the Big Tower Tiny Square game series. There are several different games in this series, however my personal favorite is Big Flappy Tower Tiny Square. The plot of these games is pretty random but also hilarious, as you play as a tiny square in order to climb the tower and save your best friend, Pineapple, from the evil big square. This game features various levels of increasing difficulty where you have to use both strategy and skill in order to climb the sections of the tower. I have beaten all of these games as well due to the fact they became so addictive I would play them in my physics class between iClicker questions.
To conclude, it’s safe to say that Steam wishes it could be as iconic as coolmathgames.com. If you are bored between classes, bored during class, or just want some good old fashioned nostalgia to remind you of pre-college life before you were crying in the library on the reg.