When Bitmob put out the call for stories about cheap games, the first thought that came to my mind was Kongregate.com. This flash game portal offers the usual staggering amount of distractions, from brainless shooters to oddball puzzlers to full-on role playing games. Plus they offer a points system for tracking your achievements across all games on the site, feeding my need for recognition of my imaginary accolades. I offer you more than a half-dozen (re: seven) games to try on Kongregate right away. None of them cost any money, of course, but they will quickly sap your time and productivity away. Take care and approach with caution!

Time Fcuk  (aka Time Kcuf or Kucf or any other arrangement other than F***)

Price: Free

Where to get it: Right here

This puzzling platformer begins when your future self appears and commands you to get into a box. Inside you’ll navigate a series of independent rooms of increasing complexity, all while receiving constant messages from your future self which frequently veer into discouraging or disturbing territory. The quasi-vocal effects and catchy music work together to maintain the unsettling mood, to say nothing of the two unusual but thought-provoking endings.

Boomstick

Price: Free

Where to get it: Right here

Presumably a reference to the awesome movie Army of Darkness, Boomstick is the epic tale of a stick figure wielding a shotgun against a steady stream of colored polygons. OK, there isn’t actually any story to speak of but you’d be surprised how much fun shooting random shapes can be. Plus, you’ve got a shotgun, so you can marvel at your sky-high accuracy rating when one pull of the trigger destroys three or four enemies.

Achievement Unlocked

Price: Free

Where to get it: Right here

This simple game takes place entirely on a single screen with no exit. The goal is to unlock all one hundred “achievements” most of which are incredibly absurd. Indeed, the first one you’ll earn is for watching the developer’s logo at the start of the game. Complete the game fast enough and you’ll be rewarded with...an achievement. Meta-gaming at its finest.

Death vs Monstars

Price: Free

Where to get it: Right here

Kongregate is overflowing with “twin stick” shooters where you move with the keyboard and aim with the mouse. Death vs Monstars uses an alternative control scheme that is all mouse. Your weapon is stuck on auto-fire (your fingers will thank you) and there’s a slow motion feature that helps when the enemies swarm you. The levels gradually get tougher but an upgrade system is more than enough to get you to the final boss.

Hanna in a Choppa

Price: Free

Where to get it: Right here

The first thing you’ll notice is the slick orange-and-black art style, as if this entire game takes place on a “construction ahead” road sign. There’s 21 levels to guide your helicopter through which will take no time at all. What will take you some time (and keep you coming back) is the challenge of finishing each level quickly and without bumping into anything.

SHIFT

Price: Free

Where to get it: Right here

This monochrome puzzle platformer has a great hook: your character can upend the room and “shift” into the other side. There’s a slightly dark sense of humor at work, clearly inspired by Portal without being obnoxiously similar. If you like this one be sure to try the sequels which are less linear and include a level editor to let you design your own double-sided challenge rooms.

Filler

Price: Free

Where to get it: Right here

There’s a box. Inside the box are a number of bouncing pellets. Your job is to fill the box by inflating balloons. Easy, right? The catch is the pellets will burst the balloons during inflation, and each level you complete adds more pellets while giving you fewer balloons to use. Simple physics and a gentle difficulty curve make this game hard to quit.

Daniel Feit was born in New York but now lives in Japan. Follow him on Twitter @feitclub or visit his blog, feitclub.com. His username on Kongregate is, naturally, feitclub