This Week's Waste of Time

The version you play won't look this pretty, but it also won't cost you any money

We've covered a lot of ground since starting this column a few months back. Assuming you've read every post religiously, you've enjoyed a bit of free-internet-gaming whimsy, some frustration, and even mouse-demolishing click-fests. But what about you anti-gamers who avoid pulse-raising action and search for more bliss-inducing tech? Well, boy, did you choose the right week to start caring about my taste in online games.

This week's game is called flOw, and the name alone should give you an idea of the game's yogic possibilities. We reviewed the game when it appeared for download on the PlayStation Network, but little did we realize that there was a free (and slightly simplified) version floating about the internet just waiting for cheapskate gamers like me. While the PlayStation version does have more graphical frippery, the online game feels like the grad-school thesis gone oh-so right that it is. Lord only knows what the thesis was about. From the intuitive controls to simple objectives (if there is one) the game is a breath of fresh air … underwater.

Take control of a swimming organism and explore the deep while ingesting smaller organisms that cause rapid evolutionary changes in your creature. As you dive deeper and you gain more strength and size you may notice that the once harmless floaters are becoming a bit more aggressive. Go on the attack or just lay back and enjoy the environment.

The people behind flOw have since released a similarly (if not infuriatingly more) peaceful game for PlayStation3 download called Flower. I think they should have called it blOw, but I'm no marketer.

Click here to play flOw and hope no one notices that it's being offered for free and take it down.

Word to the wise: If you're goal is to beat the game (i.e., reach the bottom) you might be in for a long haul and there's no saving your game. The game can also be a bit buggy. You might want to experiment with checking your e-mail while playing before getting too far along. I learned that one the hard way.

Enjoy.