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Games
- Abstract
- A game with little or no theme. Classic examples would be chess, go, and backgammon.
- Animals and Evolution - Games which theme mainly is about animals (ie 'Honeybear') and/or evolution (ie 'Ursuppe') of some kind. There are several games that have these themes mixed together, like 'Evo' or 'American Megafauna'.
- Auction - This genre covers board games where auctions or bidding is an important game mechanism.
- Bluffing and Betting - Games with bluffing and/or betting elements in the game.
- Citybuilding - Games where you are building cities. Often they are quite abstract, but still 'city' is the theme. 'Manhattan' is a good example of this kind of games. Some city building games has a historical theme and should then be placed in this category, although may be linked from this category.
- Computer Aides - Many wargames can be quite complicated, with lots of rules, tables, and charts. This is a category for computer programs that automate much of that, programs that are not independent video games in themselves, but do help play board game wargames.
- Developers and Publishers - Developer and designer sites. Also publisher sites. Sometimes they are the same.
- Economy and Trading - Different kind of economical games. 'Monopoly' is the classical example of this genre.
- Educational - This category is aimed for games, which are designed to be educational and often targeted to schools or maybe young children. Other games should be in another thematic category, as most games has some kind of educational value, not least Trivia and Word games. Still they don't belong here.
- Exploration and Travel - In this genre are a lot of games where you are going around the board to find treasures, some stuff to aid you in the rest of the game, or similar. They are often connected to some kind voyage theme, but not necessarily. Several of these games has an archaeological theme.
- Fantasy - Fantasy themed games. Often in a medieval environment, with different kind of legendary monsters, wizards, heroes, dwarves and elves. Maybe some magic as well.
- Historical - This genre covers board games with a historical theme. Includes pre-historical, ancient Greek and Roman, Colonial, Medieval (not fantasy), Pirates, and most Arabic themed games. It does NOT include war games, which should be in Games/Board_Games/War_and_Politics/ . Games which are old/ancient do not currently have their own category, but fit mostly under Games/Board_Games/Abstract .
- Horror - All kind of horror games, from 'Atmosfear' to 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'.
- Murder-Mystery and Deduction - Detective themed gamed, which include different kind of deduction games.
- Play Groups - Gaming groups around the world. Often with pictures and reports from gaming sessions.
- Print and Play - For board games which are downloadable from internet. You have to print a board, counters and/or cards, which you cut out yourself. Maybe you need to add a die or simple counters. Similar game which are try-and-pay, is also placed in this category. That is, when it's a kind of board game shareware. In this category belongs also "free" games where it's described how you make the game. For exemple, draw a board with 12x12 squares and use chess pieces or other tokens to play this game, which someone has given free unique rules too.
- Racing - The goal of a race game is to be the first to get your pieces in the winning arrangement or location, while preventing your opponent from doing the same. Both games with a racing theme (for instance a car race or a horse race) and games where the victory condition is winning a race (but the theme is something else) are listed in this category.
- Railroad Games - Railway games. Also similar themed games, like tramway and metro games.
- Resources - This category contains sites with information on a lot of different, unrelated board games - comprehensive directories, rules archives, etc.
- Science Fiction - Science Fiction is about the future and/or the space. If the games is about space flights, which has been done, the games should also be in Historical.
- Sports - All kind of sports game, except racing, which has its own category.
- War and Politics - Past and future wars replayed for historical simulation, or just for fun. While many, especially many of the older wargames, use cardboard counters on a hex-gridded paper map, turn-based movement, and dice and tables to resolve actions, others use wooden blocks, metal or plastic figurines, hidden movement, or no map at all. These are all still considered "board" wargames - look elsewhere for computer wargames. Here is also political games placed, as these themes are quite interconnected. Example of this kind of games are 'Diplomacy' and 'Junta'.
- Words and Trivia - Board games involving the players questions about their knowledge of obscure facts. Trivial Pursuit was probably the most famous of these games.
- Animals and Evolution - Games which theme mainly is about animals (ie 'Honeybear') and/or evolution (ie 'Ursuppe') of some kind. There are several games that have these themes mixed together, like 'Evo' or 'American Megafauna'.
- Combining
- In these games you win, or score points, by combining cards in various ways.
- Comparing - These are relatively simple games in which winning or losing depends on comparing one card or a combination of cards with another.
- Developers and Publishers
- General - Websites devoted to card games, played with the standard, 52 card deck. For trading cards, see Games: Trading Cards. For online games, see Games: Webgames: Card Games.
- Shedding and Accumulating - These are games in which the objective is either to get rid of all your cards or to accumulate all the cards.
- Special Decks - Various card games which require a special pack of cards often promoted and sold by a particular manufacturer. Each game is categorized in a sub-directory, if not the site describes more than one card game.
- Trick Capturing - These are games in which the aim centers around capturing cards or avoiding capturing cards. It may be the sheer quantity of cards captured that is important, or it may be that some cards are more valuable than others.
- Comparing - These are relatively simple games in which winning or losing depends on comparing one card or a combination of cards with another.
- Arcade Games
- This category deals with arcade video games, the coin-op machines you can find in video arcades. The machines where you put in a coin to play. The category covers both old and new machines. Both hardware and software. You will both find collectors of vintage machines and the latest new games.
- Dealers - People and companies buying and selling coin-op machines. This includes both old, used and new.
- Directories
- Magazines and E-zines - Category for magazines about the coin-op industry.
- Manufacturers - For manufacturers of coin-operated equipment.
- Novelty - For coin-operated game equipment that does not fall under any other umbrella. Dome hockey and skeeball are two good examples.
- Organizations - Various types of organizations with connection to coin-op machines. Organization can be for dealers, collectors, operators and so on.
- Pinball - The Games/Pinball category is an all-inclusive home for everything pinball. The Open Directory needs your submissions to be the best around, so please Add or Update your site for our database.
- Supplies and Equipment
- Trade Shows - For coin-op trade shows, from vending to games.
- Dealers - People and companies buying and selling coin-op machines. This includes both old, used and new.
- Australia
- Gatherings of gamers held in Australia, whether monthly, annually or ad hoc. Often featuring roleplaying, card games, war games, board games, and freeforms (similar to LARP).
- Canada
- Directories - The category is intended to list directories or calendars of conventions maintained by others. These directories can be much more comprehensive than ODP's category, since they can include conventions without web sites, conventions where there is only passing mention made of a convention on the site of a larger gaming organisation, and other types of conventions (eg sci-fi) that offer games as a sideline.
- Internet - This category is for Gaming Conventions that are held on the internet, rather than in a physical location.
- Ireland - Gaming conventions held in Ireland. (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland)
- United Kingdom
- United States - Gaming Conventions held in North America.
- Canada
- General
- Independent Developers - This category is for sites whose games have not yet been sold to a publisher or to sites that distribute there own games without a publisher.
- Independent Developers - This category is for sites whose games have not yet been sold to a publisher or to sites that distribute there own games without a publisher.
- Balut
- Dice game.
- Bluff
- Boggle
- Bunco - Bunco, also commonly known as Bunko, Bonco, Bonko and Banco. Strictly speaking, Bunco is a game of dice, played in rounds. Players take turns rolling three dice and trying to accumulate as many points as possible to win each round. The game is played at tables of four in competing teams of two. In reality, Bunco is a social event, where twelve people get together, usually once a month, to chat, snack, drink, and of course, play Bunco. The Bunco Category is for all Bunco/bunko/bonko game associated endeavors.
- Button Men
- Cosmic Wimpout
- Dragon Dice - Dragon Dice is similar to those "collectible card games" like Magic and Pokemon, with a twist: The packs contain dice instead of cards. The game takes place in the magical world of Esfah, with different races (represented by different color combinations in the game) vying for power. Despite relying on dice for most results, there is a tremendous amount of strategy involved. The game was previously produced by TSR (makers of Dungeons and Dragons) but has recently been acquired by SFR, Inc.
- Exxtra
- Farkle
- Fill or Bust
- General
- Golo Golf
- Land, Air and Sea
- Owzthat - Sites relating to the Owzthat! dice game.
- Shakin' Sorry
- Spill and Spell
- Stack
- Star Trek Dice - Star Trek Collectible Dice Game sites.
- Trading - Dice trading.
- UNO Dice
- Word Yahtzee
- Yahtzee
- Bluff
- Baccarat
- Bingo - Offline bingo gaming, equipment, instructions, halls and clubs. Sites related to online bingo go in Games/Gambling/Bingo/Online
- Blackjack - Web sites devoted to information on the Blackjack card game.
- Casinos - This category is divided into 2 major type of sites. The land-based casino sites must be sent to their proper category under the /By_Location or under the /Native_American sub-categories and the online (or virtual) casinos must be sent in the proper category under the /Browser_Based branch.
- Charitable Gambling - Websites concerned with the topic of charitable gambling. Do not include online sites that dedicate part of their proceeds to charity. Submit those to Casinos/Browser Based/With_Charitable_Donations
- Chats and Forums
- Consultants - Sites concerning gaming industry consulting services.
- Contests and Sweepstakes - Sites that sponsor or list all types of contests and sweepstakes on and off the internet.
- Craps - A knowledge base for people who play craps. Contains sites that have information on strategies, guides, tutorials, rules, and tips about online craps (or casino craps).
- Equipment - Discussion of Casino Equipment. Check out the two subcategories for Dealers and OEMs
- Guides - This category is for sites offering unique and useful content on various gambling issues.
- Lotteries - Lotteries are mostly games of luck in which you have to pick a few numbers in a certain range and wait for the official draw to take place. You win money or prizes if all or some of the numbers that you picked are matching those of the official draw.
- Poker - Sites offering unique and useful content on multi-player poker games.
- Publications - Book publishers and regularly issued magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and journals focused on gambling themes.
- Roulette
- Slots
- Software - Gambling software for personal use.
- Sports - This category and its sub-categories are for websites that are dedicated to sports betting, handicapping, sports betting news, tips and tools.
- Bingo - Offline bingo gaming, equipment, instructions, halls and clubs. Sites related to online bingo go in Games/Gambling/Bingo/Online
- Conferences
- Consultants
- Designers
- Development Tools and Software
- Education - Schools that give degrees in game design.
- General
- Magazines and E-zines
- Organizations
- Resources
- Consultants
- Conferences
- Conferences of interest to people who study games. Old conferences will be listed here if there is useful material archived at the website.
- Education - Academic departments researching games and courses taught in the area of game studies.
- General - Game Studies covers the artistic, cultural, social, psychological and economic significance of games. This category includes links to academic studies, journals, news articles, conferences, associations, and related information on game culture and research.
- Journals - Academic journals whose primary topic is the study of games.
- Personal Pages - Websites belonging to researchers whose main research area is game studies.
- Education - Academic departments researching games and courses taught in the area of game studies.
- General
- Games that can be played with the players' hands and fingers alone, requiring no other equipment.
- Hand Clapping - Players clap their hands, either by themselves, or against each other, in tune to a song or chant, and try to stay in rhythm. The player who breaks the clapping rhythm loses.
- Rock, Paper, Scissors - RoShamBo is the game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, the classic simultaneous decision game. Face to face, players count three, then simultaneously display either a fist for rock, open hand for paper, or two fingers for scissors. Scissors defeats paper which defeats rock which defeats scissors. This is usually played multiple times to allow strategy to come into it. Even though a completely random choice is no less likely to win against any strategy, it is also no more likely to win, while a better strategy will defeat a worse strategy.
- Thumb Wrestling - Two players clasp fingers, then each tries to pin the opponent's thumb with their own.
- Hand Clapping - Players clap their hands, either by themselves, or against each other, in tune to a song or chant, and try to stay in rhythm. The player who breaks the clapping rhythm loses.
- Booby-Trap
- Carrom
- Crazy Bones - Crazy Bones is a modern version of Tabas. They are colorful, collectable characters that you use to play games. The traditional form of the game is to merely throw the crazy bones on the ground. Points are scored depending on how the bone lands. There are many variations on this however, such as hockey, soccer, and basketball themed games.
- Crokinole
- General - Category for physical games involving aim and manual dexterity, usually by throwing or shooting small objects, that don't fit in other categories. Computer and video games, even those involving hand-eye coordination, belong in Games/Video_Games . Sports, even those involving hand-eye coordination, belong in Sports .
- Jacks
- Jenga
- Marbles - Marbles are small, hard balls made from clay, stone, wood, glass, steel or any other suitable material. They have been made for thousands of years and games with marbles are popular in countries around the world. There are many different ways that marbles can be used for play. Most involve trading.
- Rolazone
- Skittles
- Tiddlywinks - Tiddlywinks is a game of skill and strategy, invented in 1955 by two undergraduates at the University of Cambridge. It is now played at a number of English, Scottish and American universities, and at national tournaments organised in the three countries.
- Carrom
- Browser Based
- Games that can be played online with a web browser. Some require semi-standard browser components such as Java, JavaScript, or Shockwave, but all are playable through the web browser. Also look at the categories for Computer and Video Games. Many of these games can be played online now. But they are still listed with the individual games (Video Games/ Genres) to make it easier to find them.
- Chats and Forums - This category contains text-based games played via the internet, either in chat rooms or on message boards. This includes roleplaying games, word games, puzzles and any other kind of game that can be played in chat or using messages. Also included here are games of other sorts in which a chatroom is integrated in such a way that people can chat while gaming. Where possible, submit your site to an appropriate subcategory. For play-by-email games, see Games: Internet: Play-By-E-Mail.
- Developers and Publishers - Please submit only sites dealing with individual developers or publishers of online games. Online games are played entirely over the Internet with a browser or plug-in.
- Directories
- MUDs - This category is for general information concerned with online games which are known as 'Muds' or 'MUDs' (including all the different types of server/codebase which exist - MUSH, Diku, LP, etc). These games can be played via a telnet or java application, or with one of the many 'MUD clients' which are available (mostly free of charge), online.
- Multiplayer Video Games
- Netrek - From the FAQ: Netrek is a 16-player two-dimensional graphical real-time battle simulation with a Star Trek theme. A game is divided into two teams of 8 players (or fewer), who dogfight each other and attempt to conquer each other's planets. Netrek is the probably the first video game which can accurately be described as a "sport." It has more in common with basketball than with arcade games or Quake. Its vast and expanding array of tactics and strategies allows for many different play styles; the best players are the ones who think fastest, not necessarily the ones who twitch most effectively. It can be enjoyed as a twitch game, since the dogfighting system is extremely robust, but the things that really set Netrek apart from other video games are the team and strategic aspects. Team play is dynamic and varied, with roles constantly changing as the game state changes. Strategic play is explored in organized league games; after 6+ years of league play, strategies are still being invented and refined. The game itself has existed for over 10 years, and has a solid playerbase, including some people who have been playing for nearly as long as the game has existed. All netrek clients and servers are completely free of charge, although there are several people working on commercial netrek variants or derivatives. Netrek comes in different flavors. First, there is the standard flavor, called vanilla, or bronco netrek. Then, there are different variants like: - Paradise netrek: larger galaxy, more shiptypes, solar systems, wormholes, etc. Though the new features are attractive on first sight, they make the game less enjoyable in the long run. The interest in this variant seems to have died. - Hockey: ice-hockey like netrek variant. - Chaos: all kind of weird mods. - Sturgeon: upgrade your ship. - Dogfight/basepractice: servers especially for practicing basing with robots or holding dogfight tournaments.
- Play-By-E-Mail - Play-by-mail gaming involves strategic or roleplaying games which are played via email or postal mail. Typcially each player will send his or her orders to the moderator, or GM, who will determine what happened in the game for the particular turn, and send updates to each player. Computer-moderated PBEM (play-by-email) gaming uses a computer program as the moderator instead of a human.
- Roleplaying
- Simutronics - "Simutronics Corporation was founded in 1987 to develop online multiplayer entertainment products. Our goal is to develop the most exciting and intense online multiplayer experiences possible and have fun doing it!" Games include DragonRealms, GemStone III, CyberStrike 2, Hercules & Xena: Alliance of Heroes and Modus Operandi.
- Strategy - Contains strategy games played on the Internet including those played by e-mail, in forums, and in your browser.
- Chats and Forums - This category contains text-based games played via the internet, either in chat rooms or on message boards. This includes roleplaying games, word games, puzzles and any other kind of game that can be played in chat or using messages. Also included here are games of other sorts in which a chatroom is integrated in such a way that people can chat while gaming. Where possible, submit your site to an appropriate subcategory. For play-by-email games, see Games: Internet: Play-By-E-Mail.
- Clubs
- This category lists clubs, societies and informal groups which are primarily dedicated to miniature gaming covering any gaming periods.
- Complimentary Products - This category is intended for listing the manufacturers of accessory or complimentary products, such as paint sets, detailing kits or machined or etched products. Retailers, distributors, online stores and wholesalers should be submitted to the Shopping/Toys and Games/Games/Miniatures category instead.
- Conventions
- Developers and Publishers
- General - Miniature gaming (also called wargaming) involves strategic simulated battles using scaled figures. Only sites dealing with wargames or the miniatures used for them will be accepted.
- Genres
- Magazines and E-zines - Contains links to magazines webpages and/or E-zines (online magazines).
- Manufacturers - Listings of manufacturers and producers or miniatures in all scales, from all periods, be they historical, fantasy or science fiction products. Sites that do not deal with the manufacture of miniatures will not be accepted. Producers of paint or accessories will be considered in each case.
- Painting - Sites in this category include tutorials, helpful tips on painting miniatures, and personal galleries. Any site that offers a painting service should be submitted to the "Services" subcategory. Any site that offers information, advice or tutorials on sculpting and converting miniatures should be submitted to the "Conversion and Construction" subcategory.
- Software
- Terrain - Sites dealing with creating your own terrain for wargaming.
- Complimentary Products - This category is intended for listing the manufacturers of accessory or complimentary products, such as paint sets, detailing kits or machined or etched products. Retailers, distributors, online stores and wholesalers should be submitted to the Shopping/Toys and Games/Games/Miniatures category instead.
- Dots and Boxes
- Abstract combinatorial game, usually played on paper, learned by many during childhood. Start with a grid of dots, and two players take turns drawing lines between two dots adjacent horizontally or vertically. Completing a 1x1 box gains a point and another turn. It turns out to be quite an interesting and difficult game mathematically and computationally.
- General - Games played by making marks on paper, whether these are symbols, numbers, or drawings, such as Tic Tac Toe, Dots and Boxes, Hangman, Sprouts, Battleship, or Nim. Popular throughout every culture due to the simplicity of the materials required. Occasionally Board Game variants of the pencil and paper game are published, where the basic elements are pre-formed or preprinted.
- Sprouts - Sprouts is a topological pencil-and-paper game invented in 1967 by mathematician John Horton Conway (who also designed the computer game "Life") and Michael S. Paterson, both of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The game of Sprouts and its joke variant Brussels Sprouts are described in Martin Gardner's book Mathematical Carnival .
- Tic-Tac-Toe - In Tic-Tac-Toe, also known as Noughts and Crosses and Ticktacktoe, two players-- one drawing crosses, the other circles-- alternately make their marks in a 3 by 3 grid-like figure. The object is to be the first to make three in row.
- General - Games played by making marks on paper, whether these are symbols, numbers, or drawings, such as Tic Tac Toe, Dots and Boxes, Hangman, Sprouts, Battleship, or Nim. Popular throughout every culture due to the simplicity of the materials required. Occasionally Board Game variants of the pencil and paper game are published, where the basic elements are pre-formed or preprinted.
- Drinking Games
- Educational Games - Please submit games that require general knowledge of any subject area to this category.
- General
- Holidays and Celebration - The dictionary defines holidays as: A day on which custom or the law dictates a halting of general business activity to commemorate or celebrate a particular event. A religious feast day; a holy day. A day free from work that one may spend at leisure; a day off. Celebrate is defined as: To observe an occasion with appropriate ceremony or festivity. To perform a religious ceremony. To engage in festivities: went out and celebrated after the victory. This subcategory is specifically made for sites that have party games focusing on Christmas, Halloween, Birthdays, St. Patricks Day, New Years Day, Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentine's Day, and basically any other holidays or celebrations that you can think of. Please submit only general sites to the parent category of Party Games .
- Icebreaker Games - A collective term for the simple games used to introduce the participants to each other at baby & wedding showers, Tupperware and other commercial sales parties, and other such gatherings.
- Murder Mystery
- Six Degrees of Separation
- Truth or Dare - Truth-or-dare is a game commonly played by teenagers. A player asks another player, "Truth or dare?" and one is chosen. The first player then either asks a question which the second player must answer truthfully, or dares the second player to do something.
- Educational Games - Please submit games that require general knowledge of any subject area to this category.
- Australia
- Gaming groups in Australia.
- Canada - Gaming groups in Canada.
- Finland - Gaming groups in Finland.
- General - This category lists organizations, clubs, and informal groups dedicated to more than one kind of gaming (for instance both roleplaying and board gaming).
- Hong Kong - Gaming groups in Hong Kong.
- Ireland - Gaming groups in Ireland.
- Netherlands - Gaming groups in Netherlands.
- United Kingdom - Gaming groups in United Kingdom.
- United States - Gaming groups in United States.
- Canada - Gaming groups in Canada.
- Companies
- This section is a list of all known Play-By-Mail companies with website. The country listed in brackets [company name] is the country the company maintains their offices in. While site descriptions should accurately describe what is on the site, please include the genre or subdivision of Play-By-Mail games that the company specializes in.
- General - Professionally moderated games played by sending paper turns back and forth via the postal service. With the advent of the Internet and other technologies, this form of gamving has grown to include sending turns back and forth via email, fax, and the web.
- Magazines and E-zines
- General - Professionally moderated games played by sending paper turns back and forth via the postal service. With the advent of the Internet and other technologies, this form of gamving has grown to include sending turns back and forth via email, fax, and the web.
- 3D Puzzles
- Brain Teasers - Brain Teasers are fun short questions or problems that require you to think in order to get the answer. They are a good way to increase your creativity and ingenuity.
- Crosswords
- Cryptograms
- General - List of links to pages containing various kinds of puzzles and other mind-bending activities.
- Jigsaw Puzzles - Pictures on wood or cardboard that have been cut apart into small irregular shapes that lock together when properly assembled. Named after the "jig saw", small maneuverable saw used to cut apart these puzzles.
- Mazes
- Mechanical - Mechanical puzzles are small objects that require manipulation to achieve some result. Examples would be a Rubik's Cube or a ball stuck in a 3D maze.
- Self-Referential Sentences - By self-referential, we mean that it talks about itself. By self-documenting we mean that it makes a (true) statement about its own contents. For example, it may make a true statement about the number of occurences of each of the digits 0 to 9 that it contains. It is very important that the statement it makes is true, because there are plenty of statements of this kind that are false. Just try putting a few randomly chosen numbers into the sentence instead: it is highly unlikely that you will get a true statement just by chance!
- Web Rings
- Word Search - List of links to pages with original puzzles where you look for the words hidden in columns of letters; called various names, but most often word search or word find puzzles.
- Brain Teasers - Brain Teasers are fun short questions or problems that require you to think in order to get the answer. They are a good way to increase your creativity and ingenuity.
- Directories
- A Web directory is a static listing of Web links, usually built up by human editors. Directory links are usually described in a short paragraph, and categorized by subject. (This is as opposed to a Search Engine, which uses an automated database rebuilt regularly by a computer program, or spider, automatically following links - any descriptions are taken from the page text). The Open Directory you are using right now is an example of a Web directory. This category contains game specific directory Web sites in English or English plus multilingual.
- General
- Magazines and E-zines
- General
- Archives
- Roleplaying archives are web-accessible collections of game-related files, including, but not limited to maps, adventures, character sheets, and netbooks. Whereas many web sites showcase the gaming philosophy or experiences of their creators, archives emphasize quantity and diversity, collecting files from many sources and authors.
- Characters - Many roleplayers develop extensive backgrounds for their characters, creating elaborate histories, game fiction, and even in-character homepages.
- Clubs - Gaming clubs, societies, and associations whose members meet each other in order to play games face to face.
- Designers - Many professional authors of role-playing games have their own web pages. Typically these have a lot of semi-official supplemental information that just didn't get published, errata, and links. The difference between a website that should be here, that of a professional Roleplaying Author, and just an amateur hobbyist who has written her own campagn scenarios for her group is somewhat subjective, but is like the difference between an Author and a Writer. One has a noticeable quantity of work professionally published, the other hasn't.
- Developers and Publishers - Official homepages of companies producing or publishing Roleplaying Games and support material.
- Directories - Sites that exist primarily to provide alphabetical or classified lists of resources about roleplaying games.
- Free Systems - Tabletop roleplaying games whose rules are distributed at no cost by their games authors/owners.
- Gamebooks - Gamebooks are a form of self-contained interactive fiction; you play the part of the hero and make his/her decisions by turning to different pages and reading different sections of the book. The genre includes Choose-Your-Own-Adventure, Lone Wolf, Fighting Fantasy, and other series. Gamebooks are not just rule books, hints, cheats or descriptions of game systems; they are the games themselves.
- General - A roleplaying game (RPG) is a structured method of playing "Let's Pretend", in which players create characters to serve as protagonists in a fictional world created by a game master . Although characters and plots are driven largely by the imagination of the participants, game rules are used to resolve the results of dramatic conflicts, providing the games with a necessary element of suspense. Roleplaying began with the creation of the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons in Wisconsin in 1972, but now includes hundreds of commercial systems and homemade RPGs in many languages and genres . This category primarily covers what are often called tabletop roleplaying games (because they are typically played sitting around a table, with books and dice) but also includes its pen-and-paper descendants, live action roleplaying (where players dress up and physically act out their characters' actions) and gamebook roleplaying (system-based interactive fiction).
- Genres - This section contains sub categories for the various Genres, or areas of subject matter, that Roleplaying games seem to have broken themselves into. Each category contains pages that deal with more than one system in the genre and Systems specific to this genre.
- Humor - Like any subculture, roleplayers have their own in-jokes; this category is the place to look for parodies, ridiculous rules, gaming stories, comics, and anything else approaching role-playing in a light-hearted spirit.
- Live Action - Live action roleplaying (a term often shortened into LARP or LRP) is a form of roleplaying where the participants do not merely verbally describe their actions, but actually carry them out (or pretend to do so). Live action games can be compared to improvisational theatre, where each of the participants is free to act on themselves, guided by their interpretation of the character they are playing. Although costuming and elaborate props are not a necessity, they are often employed to create an authentic atmosphere. Several different forms of live gaming have developed independently of each other, and the games can range from quite physical 'live combat' experiences to elaborate 'free form' plots, where the games consist of discussions, plotting and emotional immersion.
- Magazines and E-zines - Roleplaying magazines, publications, journals, fanzines, both online and on paper.
- Multi-System - Many Gamers play more than one system, and also build their pages that same way. This category is for those Web sites that have information for more than one Roleplaying game system, but that don't cover all of them, and which systems don't really have anything else in common.
- Online Communities - Online Communities are web sites designed to promote communication among tabletop roleplayers by hosting online discussion on Roleplaying.
- Roleplaying in Society - Roleplayers traditionally view their hobby as one divorced from "the real world", a second life lived in imaginary worlds, with little regard for societal issues outside the game. A few issues, however, have special relevance (and history) within roleplaying, requiring gamers to deal with the issues as gamers . The interaction of the roleplaying hobby and the society around it is more complicated than advocacy and opposition; in many cases, there are differing views among roleplayers themselves. This category collects resources from all sides of an issue, as well as media references about gamer issues.
- Software - Helpful Tools for Game Masters and Players. This includes online Java, JavaScript, and CGI programs, and downloadable software for character generation, mapping, dice rolling, and any other computer program specifically intended to aid roleplayers.
- Web Rings - A web ring is a group of thematically-similar sites organized into a circle through the use of standardized 'Next' and 'Previous' hyperlinks.
- World Building - Web-based resources for building worlds suitable for roleplaying. These include resources such as mapping tools, discussion groups, guides to online world-building projects and invented languages.
- Characters - Many roleplayers develop extensive backgrounds for their characters, creating elaborate histories, game fiction, and even in-character homepages.
- Dominoes
- General - Contains games played with tiles, of various types and styles.
- Kings Cribbage - Two dimensional cribbage played with tiles on a board. Combines traditional cribbage, crosswords, and word games. Instead of using letters to make words, the player uses numbers to make cribbage hands.
- Mah Jongg
- Phlounder
- Pick Two
- Quinto
- Rummikub
- Spectrangle
- Tisby - A word creation game played with lettered tiles. Produced by Frog Gone Games, a small 'homebrew' company.
- Tri-Ominos
- UNO Dominos
- General - Contains games played with tiles, of various types and styles.
- 7th Sea
- Aliens Predator
- All-Star Baseball Card Game
- Ani-Mayhem
- Apocalyptica
- Arcanus
- Babylon 5 - A colectible card game by Precedence Publishing, based in the Babylon 5 universe. Two to four players, each playing one of the major races, use characters from the series to gain power by either diplomacy, intrigue or military might.
- Battletech
- Beer
- Bloodwars
- Boy Crazy
- Crucible51 - Submit sites related to crucible 51 in this category.
- Dark Eden
- Deadlands Doomtown - Deadlands Doomtown as used in this category includes not just the collectible card game, but also the phalanx of collaborators involved its creation and play. Beyond this, it also means the great complex of social, political, economic, and psychological forces that influence all these people in uncountable ways. Doomtown -- poker played with freshly printed illustrated cards -- dramatizes ideas, sets them in confrontation with each other, and tests them in action. The paradoxes of Doomtown play resonate for us as they could not have even for the populace of the Wild West depicted on the cards, for the progression of fate through the millennium compels us to embrace Doomtown's treatment of our paramount concerns: self-knowledge and self-definition, the nature and value of happiness, the power of ideology, the intrications of spirit, and the obduracy of flesh. Each character taunts the gambler, "I mayb be even be more 'alive' than you are."
- Digimon
- Doomtrooper
- Dragon Storm - Dragon Storm is a unique fantasy game in which players role-play shape shifters, such as dragons, unicorns, pegasai, werewolves, anthropormorphic tigers (tigreans), gargoyles and even orcs. Dragon Storm role-players use cards to keep track of their characters' skills, abilities, spells and equipment. Characters advance by spending role playing points acquired during adventures to add new shape shifter abilities, spells, and other skills.
- Dragonball Z
- Dredd
- E-Mon - This is new trading card game that is forming. More descriptions will be available pending further notices and updates from the founder of this potential creation.
- Galactic Empires
- Garbage Pail Kids
- General - This category covers all collectible card games (known as CCGs) such as Magic, Mythos, Star Wars etc. It also includes games of a similar nature, even if they aren't strictly speaking collectible - XXXenophile, the newer INWO expansions, etc. As a rule of thumb, any game that involves professionally-printed cards (i.e. not standard playing cards) should be in here.
- Guardians
- Harry Potter - For sites about the Harry Potter trading card game offered by Wizards of the Coast.
- Hercules
- Heresy
- Highlander
- Illuminati
- Jyhad - Vampire: The Eternal Struggle (originally called Jyhad) - A Collectible Card Game (CCG) from Wizards of the Coast set in the world of White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade game.
- Knightmare Chess
- Kult
- Last Crusade - The Last Crusade is the historical pocket miniatures game based on World War II. It is in the form of a CCG (Collectible Card game) but don't let that fool you. A $20 deck could compete equally with a $100 deck. Its overall strategy, quick tactics, and a little luck. Historically accurate game distributed by Pinnacle Entertainment and created by John Hoppler.
- Legend of the Burning Sands
- Legend of the Five Rings
- MLB Showdown - Card Game by Wizards of the Coast. MLB Showdown allows you to be the owner and manager of your own baseball team. You can have both American League and National League players on your team. MLB Showdown appeals to both baseball card collectors and people who enjoy playing trading card games.
- Magi Nation
- Magic - The Gathering - Devoted to the learning, playing, buying, and selling of the collectible card game (CCG) Magic: the Gathering created by Richard Garfield and Wizards of the Coast. Sites that are in the process of moving or have moved around must update their URLs from the form provided by Dmoz. If they are not you face the possibility of your website being removed.
- Middle Earth - Middle-Earth Collectable Card Game (MECCG) is a trading card game made by Iron Crown Enterprises, set in the Middle-Earth world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, familiar from his cult classic book "Lord of the Rings". Players take roles of wizards like Gandalf and Saruman, the Balrog or ringwraiths like the Witch-king of Angmar. Many MECCG sites suffer from being dated, it's almost like the nobody plays the game anymore... So, sites with fresh content are especially welcome here!
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Mortal Kombat
- Mystic Eye - Submit trading CCG sites concerning Mystic Eye here.
- Mythos
- NetRunner
- On The Edge
- OverPower
- People - Please submit sites that concern the use of trading cards of actual people.
- Pokémon
- Quest for the Grail
- Rage
- Redemption
- Shadowfist - Shadowfist is a trading card game (similar to Magic: the Gathering) that has a Hong Kong action-movie genre. Players battle for control of the world's Feng Shui sites: if you can control a number of them, you can reshape the past, present and future to your bidding! Currently, seven different factions struggle for control of the sites; sometimes they work together, but most of the time, they undermine each other for their own personal goals. First published in 1994 by Daedalus Entertainment, they went bankrupt in 1997 and has been in limbo for a few years. A small fan-run company, Loch Ness Games picked up the rights and will be released with help from Z-Man Games. Stay tuned!
- Shadowrun
- Sim City
- Spellfire
- Star Trek
- Star Wars - Decipher, Inc. has created a "Customizable Card Game" based on the popular Star Wars movie trilogy. This strategy game is played by two opponents, who build decks of cards based on the characters, locations, weapons, ships and events of the Star Wars universe created by George Lucas. Game play pits the Light Side of the Force against the Dark Side.
- Super Nova
- Survivor - Card game based on the TV show Survivor.
- Tomb Raider
- Wheel of Time, The - The Wheel of Time is a collectable card game based on The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. It was released in January, 2000. The game is played with 2 players (multi-player options are possible). One represents the Light and the other the Dark. The object of the game is to build up your forces and influence in order to prepare for the last battle between light and dark.
- Wizard in Training - This game is newly created, made by Upper Deck. Please submit sites related to this card game.
- X-Files
- X-Men
- Xena Warrior Princess
- Young Jedi
- Yu-Gi-Oh - For sites about the trading card game Yu-Gi-Oh!
- Aliens Predator
- Action
- Action games primarily involve fast-paced combat with some form of movement, and elements of puzzle solving, strategy, plot, and story line. These elements are not prime themes of the games, but may still be important features. Many other genres list games that have elements of action. Fighting lists games with a very high proportion of combat in a relatively fixed arena. Shooter lists games with a very high proportion of combat and exploration or movement across terrain. Action-Adventure lists games with higher proportion of puzzle solving than combat. Driving_and_Racing lists games that primarily involve racing or piloting vehicles, although may contain elements of combat. Simulation lists games that stress the interaction of vehicles and environment over action. Certain collections of games based around a space theme (such as Star Wars or Star Trek ) are listed within action, even though certain individual titles may not be action titles.
- Action-Adventure - Action-Adventure games are typically played using a 3rd Person 3D graphical engine. Players are usually on a quest of some sort which requires active playing with guns, magic, or other weapons. Character typically run, jump, and interact with their surroundings. Typical games for this genre include: Tomb Raider, Tenchu series and Lord of the Rings series.
- Adventure - In Adventure games (also referred to as interactive fiction), the player enters a game world and the story's progression follows from the player's interaction with that world. Progress toward the goal is usually impeded by intellectual problems to solve using resources within the game world. The term adventure game derives from Crowther and Woods's "Adventure", the computer game that invented the genre. This category includes classic text adventures (like the original Zork trilogy), and graphical adventure games (like Myst). Interactive movies like Dragon's Lair lack the intellectual problem solving of adventure games, but may be listed here for want of a better category. Games in the cinematic adventure genre, such as Tomb Raider, are not necessarily adventure games in the sense used here. Nor are collections of puzzles on a similar theme, like Jewels of the Oracle, though they may be marketed as adventure games because puzzle games appeal to the same audience. The best RPGs (roleplaying games) share the plot-driven character of interactive fiction, though interaction with the game world is often limited to combat and static conversations rather than intellectual problem solving. They are listed under Genres/Roleplaying.
- Chats and Forums - Sites where gamer's from all over the world can interact with each other to share views, gaming tips, and reviews for video games.
- Cheats and Hints - This category is for those websites that feature cheats for both computer AND console platforms together. Also, please ensure that your site contains your own content, and not just links to other cheats. Please do not submit redirect urls, such as come.to or go.to. Please avoid the use of promotional copy in your descriptions. Other categories exist for sites that specialize in certain console or computer platforms. Sites offering cheats and hints for a specific game title can be found in that title's category. If your site is a directory of everyone elses cheats, please submit your site to: Games: Video Games: Directories
- Computer Platforms - General sites about video gaming on personal computer platforms (ex. Macintosh, Windows, Linux, Amiga).
- Console Platforms - By definition home video games use video displays (ordinary TV sets or TV monitors). In here you can find all kinds of systems starting from the first system Odyssey to the latest ones, as Xbox and GameCube . Also handheld video game systems are listed in here.
- Developers and Publishers - Companies that create and publish video games.
- Directories - Directories of video game related links. Sites that are not primarily directories but have substantial other content (news, reviews, etc.) probably belong in another category like Games: Video Games: Magazines.
- Driving and Racing - Computer or video games where the player controls a car or other vehicle, moving at a simulated high speed, and avoiding obstacles. Often the goal is to race other vehicles.
- Emulation - Emulation is the process of simulating the hardware of one computer (particularly the processor) via software on a different one. In other words, it allows you to use software meant for another system that you may not have access to by running a program on your system. For instance, an emulator will let you use an arcade machine that no longer exist or use a game console that can no longer be purchased. Note that this category is different from Computers: Emulators because the focus here is on the emulation of general gaming purpose computers (also called consoles) and arcade machines.
- Fan Pages - If you have a personal homepage that has content about anything to do with video games, whether computer or console (ex. Nintendo 64), this category is for you. Please, do NOT submit redirect URL's.
- Fighting - Video or computer action games in which the players control individual characters that fight each other, in an arena or similar "bout" or setting. Battles are one on one matches, or matches of small groups. The emphasis is on exaggerated and fantasy martial arts moves. Typically combinations of different buttons or keys and joystick or controller movements are required to generate the more complicated attacks.
- Freeware - Computer games and gaming related software that you are free to download and share with friends.
- General - Video Games refers to almost any game that uses a video screen to display the results of a player's actions, whether played on a home computer, or a game console. Video games need not be particularly graphical. Text adventure games like "Zork" are still played on a screen, so they qualify for our purposes. Even an audio-only game like "Real Sound" for Sega Saturn would probably belong here because it runs on a game platform which requires a screen.
- History - A collection of materials related to the history of video games.
- Humor
- Music - This category is for sites that contain video game music, and information about video game music. Video game music is music of any style that is part of a video game. There is a wide variety of video game music out there, from the early beeps of the Commodore 64, to the CD quality sound of the Sony Playstation. The music is divided into sub-categories based on the file type of the music (MIDI, WAV, MP3, etc.)
- Music and Dance - The emerging genre of rhythm action games began with Parappa the Rapper, a pattern-repetition rapping game. Parappa's surprise success was capitalized on by a host of music and dance related games, in which gameplay typically requires keeping time with musical rhythm. Thus, a new genre is born.
- News and Reviews - Contains sites whose main focus are to provide information, news, reviews, previews, articles, and fora.
- Platform - In platform games, the goal is to run and jump (on platforms, or something like them) to the end of each level, (often while collecting tokens placed in hard-to-reach places throughout the level). Attacking enemies and/or dangerous obstacles that must be avoided or destroyed. The classic Mario World games probably defined the genre, however there were platforms before Mario, such as Jumpman, one of the origional games of this type.
- Puzzle
- Recreation
- Roleplaying - Computer and console RPGs (roleplaying games) are like computer-mediated tabletop RPGs . RPGs are combat-oriented games in which you play a character (or group of characters) in a story. Generally, the goal is to go certain places and perform required actions to advance the story, while fighting off enemies who are out to stop you. Your character grows in power from success in fighting, accumulating weapons and armor with different capabilities, and items with special abilities like relieving combat damage.
- Shareware
- Shooter - Video and computer games where the player controls a single character, usually a person, exploring an environment, usually 3 dimensional, and shooting enemies as they appear. The enemies may shoot back or simply rush to close and destroy the character in melee. Often different weapons can be found or earned. Often it takes several hits to destroy a character or the more powerful enemies. "First person shooter" games, started by Castle Wolfenstein 3D , simulate the player seeing through the character's eyes. "Third person shooter" games present a side or top view of the character and environment.
- Simulation - Games which not only attempt to accurately represent the environment but also the users/vehicles interaction with it. The interaction components are an integral part of the game and are stressed over the action aspects in order to represent the environment better. Another key characteristic is that gameplay and controls are often much more complex than in action games.
- Sports - A range of simulated video games depicting an indoor or outdoor game or activity according to rules.
- Strategy - Video or computer strategy or wargames, where the player sees the "big picture": controls many units at once, on a large map, and must coordinate them in order to win, usually by destroying the similar forces of one or more opponents, or by conquering an area of the game map. Often the map must be explored, resources must be controlled, new units must be produced, and new unit types and abilities discovered, acquired, or researched.
- Word Games - Word Game video games are games played on consoles or computers which deal words and letters. Most of these games are electronic versions of popular board and tile games.
- Action-Adventure - Action-Adventure games are typically played using a 3rd Person 3D graphical engine. Players are usually on a quest of some sort which requires active playing with guns, magic, or other weapons. Character typically run, jump, and interact with their surroundings. Typical games for this genre include: Tomb Raider, Tenchu series and Lord of the Rings series.
- Air Hockey
- Air Hockey news, organizations, tournaments, and other resources.
- Conkers - Conkers is a game played by two people at a time. Both contestants have horse chestnuts attached to a piece of string, and to play they take turns at striking their opponent's conker with theirs. They aim to detach their opponent's conker from its string.
- Footbag
- General - This category lists websites for outdoor type games like horshoes, hacky sack, yard darts, etc. It also contains sites about tabletop sports games such as table tennis, table soccer, etc.
- Horseshoes
- Jarts - A lawn game where rings are laid on the ground and a large javelin is thrown into the rings; not unlike horseshoes.
- Kubb
- Quoits - Quoits is related to another early pub game, the throwing of horseshoes at a pin in the ground.
- Shuffleboard
- Table Hockey - Table hockey leagues, news and resources.
- Table Soccer - Sites, links, and information related to Table Soccer, also known as foosball, baby-foot.
- Conkers - Conkers is a game played by two people at a time. Both contestants have horse chestnuts attached to a piece of string, and to play they take turns at striking their opponent's conker with theirs. They aim to detach their opponent's conker from its string.
