The healthier addiction: 3 in a row games

It is a bit of a tricky one. So don't feel bad. There are some truly mind boggling games out there where you get dumped into an alien world of wonder filled with enemies that you have to blow to pieces, but this is not one of those.

The popularity of games like this one really shows that there is still a lot of merit in the simple things in life. The 3 in a row games work on an extremely simple principle, but just keeps you hooked. As you work through stages the speed would become a little faster with every passing level, a few more colored tiles will be added and your clicking would get a little more frantic.

Now where does the addiction part come in, because from what I just described it probably doesn't make your mouth water and all your fantasies start with "must play 3 in a row games... I must".

When some of the first arcade games were designed they were designed with the idea of offering a challenge to players. The idea was to solve a puzzle or puzzles in order to advance. As there was limitations on the graphics side, more thought had to go into the game-play and how it could be used to keep people coming back for more. (Hint: just think back to all of the quarters you donated to your local arcade when you were young).

The 3 in a row games keep you hooked, because they seem so easy, but they end up being so difficult. Learning to play the games will literally take you seconds, but mastering them and hitting those high scores is a whole other story.

I know, I know. They are so simple and straight forward when you start playing, but the annoying part is that it takes you quite some time to become the master of the 3 in a row games.

The idea with any 3 in a row game works on the same principle: get 3 same characters/tiles in a row, click on them and make them disappear.

Wow. Now that was an intricate explanation. Well in essence that is all there is to it. Just doing that will help you to advance through the stages, but it wouldn't do to much in getting you those high scores, no matter how quickly you remove them.

Now you may wonder, how you are supposed to do it. Well here is where the interesting part comes in... and this is what keeps me playing it again and again and again and again....

The idea is to group them together in larger groups and then to destroy them. In certain versions of these games you will be destroying them in large groups and other by arranging them in specific patterns and then destroying them.

It just depends on which way you look at it. I have made to little clips about good 3 in a row tactics and then the bad version. Just keep an eye on that scoreboard and guess which works the best.

Most people don't even think about it when they play games like these 3 in a row games, but they actually have some educational benefits to go with it. I am just going to briefly touch on it.

Just think about it for a few seconds. As you work through the game you need to constantly plan ahead, make quick decisions and act quickly. if you do it right you get the big scores, if not, you need to go back and do it again. So you are actually training your brain to work out the most efficient ways of progressing. Better decision making, improved reflexes... not bad for playing around a little on the net.

This game is called Crash Down and it is one of the online games on Skillpod.com and you pay a grand total of absolutely nothing to play it.