Kongregate
3.91
RATE IT:
.: Style
Kongregate is not your standard BBMMO. Instead, Kongregate resembles a flash game version of YouTube, where users and game manufacturers upload their own game creations onto the server and make the games available for everyone that uses the site.
For Kongregate, this ensures that games are constantly being added to their website, and that these games remain fresh so that users continue to do new activities. Popular games also tend to have alternative versions and sequels, so users that like a particular game can expect dirivatives of the games they love.
Each of their games has a rating system (5 stars), and only the highest rated games show up on the list. Any game rated under two stars is still available, but it can only be found via search, and with almost 5,000 games available, it is unlikely you will happen upon it any time soon.
The incentive for people to post their games is profit – popular games receive 50% of revenue sharing, they can link back to their own websites in order to get visitors, and there are several cash incentives for becoming one of the highest rated or most played games on the site. Although the occasional home programmer attempting to make a buck posts a subpar game on the server, the general consensus is that the profit sharing causes individuals to take more time on their games in order to improve their rankings in the system.
As far as navigating the site, the first tab you will want to click on is the games tab, where you will notice the two highest quality (as deemed by the users) new games, as well as the two highest rated games on the entire system. Below them you will find the following categories:
- Action
- Adventure/RPG
- More
- Multiplayer
- Puzzle
- Shooter
- Sports/Racing
- Strategy and Defense
For the enthusiastic gamer, there appears to be a category for everything, though some of these categories are slightly broad. “Puzzles” for example, encompasses so many different types of games that it can be hard to find what you are searching for.
In addition, there are no subheadings, so although you can search for a type of game, if you see one you like you may have difficulty finding a similar one. Instead, you have to navigate between pages and pages of games ranked from highest to lowest, which can a significant amount of time.
You can, however, organize by “Date Uploaded,” rating, and even user, so it is not too difficult to at least find popular and new games within the system.
Kongregate attempts to add a social aspect to each game as well. When you sign into a game you are put into a room with other users. One of the things you will notice very quickly is that many of these users have communicated with each other before, as Kongregate has become somewhat of a gaming chatroom.
Finally, in addition to the games tab, there are a few other tabs to navigate through, though because this site is essentially a one purpose tool, there is not much else available. There is a very popular forum for discussions about gaming or anything else you choose to discuss. The upload tool is very easy to use. There is a “Cards” tab that is currently non-functional but hints at more features to come. And there is also a badges section, which is a nifty little feature where you can earn “badges” for achieving goals at various games. There are hundreds of badges, so anyone interested is guaranteed to spend several weeks filling it up.
With its simplistic, non-invasive design and easy to use functionality, Kongregate does a good job creating a mini-game haven for people that enjoy playing various flash games.
.: Plot
N/A
Because there is currently no Kongregate “game” per se, there is no specific plot to Kongregate. Every game has its own unique style and goals, and although you may see recurring themes (zombies seem to be really popular) they are not emphasized by the website itself.
Kongregate is currently making an online collectible card game, however. The goal of the card game is to anticipate your opponent’s moves by picking a card from your deck. The game resembles other strategy card games like Magic the Gathering and Pokemon, but it has its own unique rules that should be easy for any online card novice to learn.
The card game is expected to be released later this year. .: Safety
Kongregate is one of the safest MMOs available, because it does not require any registration at all. Registration is currently optional, and it is only meant for those that wish to either earn points, create profile, make friends, participate in forums or earn badges – all of which are unnecessary to improve gameplay.
Profiles generally do not have any personal information, though as is the case with all sites with profiles, personal information may be added by the user. It is possible to keep your date of birth on file and not have it display in your profile, and it is also possible to make your profile private and only available to the friends on your list.
Currently there is no way to message other members other than in a chatroom or the forums, so there is little to no chance of receiving any unwanted private emails from either solicitors or dangerous individuals. And because the site is 100% free (and registration is not required) there is no way for anyone to steal your credit card or other personal information.
As far as level of violence in the games, very few games have any level of extreme violence because most flash games are designed to be cartoon like. That said, there are sniper games where the goal is to blow the head off your opponent, but even these games are simply stick figures or other cartoonish characters. While it is possible to stumble upon a game with objectionable content (especially because the upload feature is not regulated), it is highly unlikely and even the most gruesome acts tend to not appear very realistic.
Kongregate also adheres to a very strict TOS, with behavior guidelines and moderators to ensure that there is little to no hate speech or other issues that come up with public forums. Chatrooms, however, are far less regulated, and although rare it is possible to stumble upon a conversation with foul language or insults. .: Gameplay
Gameplay is incredibly dependent on who made the game, how long they spent on each game, and the game’s specific functionality. There are some games that are buggy, while others do not work quite as well using FireFox, but in general most of the good games run quite well and are completely bug free.
Because games can be uploaded at any stage of completion, many games are also very short, which can be irritating if you decide you really like a particular game only to find out that it only lasts 5 minutes. These situations are not uncommon, but you quickly get used to that aspect of the site, and within no time you will likely find a game that you enjoy that lasts a long time.
There are several notable games that the new Kongregate user should try in order to get a feel for the site. One of the most popular games (and easily one of the most addicting) is a game called “Desktop Tower Defense” where you are expected to built very tiny towers on an image of a desk, and these towers try to shoot tiny bugs that crawl from one side of the box to the other. Although the game seems very simple, there is actually a great deal of strategy involved, especially as you play the medium and hard modes. There are also several additional challenges for the Desktop Tower expert.
Another high quality game is known as 6 Differences (the sequel to 5 Differences). In it, the user tries to spot the differences between two photos. Some of these differences are quite easy, but others are profoundly difficult. And best of all, the images are moving, so rather than simply staring at two pictures you are staring at in motion images.
For sports lovers, there are various sports games (like Baseball) that have different objectives. The sports games obviously lack a lot of the functionality of other games, since it is near impossible to keep track of statistics, create seasons, etc., but there are still plenty of opportunities for those that like sports-related games to play around with various features, and the abilities that come with flash games are such that even the most simplistic sports game can actually be very enjoyable.
Finally, there are several games that are new versions of games you have likely played in the past. If you have ever enjoyed the game “Jezzball” (which used to come free with the purchase of a new computer), you will likely also enjoy “Filler” – a game with a similar goal except rather than make squares, you are attempted to fill up the screen with circles.
All in all, there are so many different games to enjoy on Kongregate that you are likely to find something to keep you busy for hours, and as the site continues to grow in popularity, better games are expected to be released with each passing day.
.: Community
As with most MMO games, Kongregate tries to focus on the community aspect of the website as well as gameplay. There are thousands of visitors online at any given time, so there opportunity to create a social atmosphere is there.
However, beyond chat and forums, Kongregate does not currently have much of a community aspect to the website. Because you do not need to register to be active, most of the visitors at any given time are simply there to play the games, nothing more.
The forums, however, are still very interactive with thousands of new posts and comments each day. And because you can keep track of a friends list on Kongregate, if you find that you enjoy the company or conversation of another user, you can add that person to your friends list and know whenever they are online, as well as join them in their various chatrooms.
Keeping chatrooms next to each game is a great idea, as many games have long pauses where you are watching things happen rather than actually interacting. One of the only flaws of the chatrooms is that they are not game specific. So if you are playing “Filler” and someone else is in the chatroom, they are not necessarily playing the same game. You can, however, choose which chatroom you are participating in.
There are also several multiplayer games that allow you to play against friends or strangers, and these games do have game-specific chats, so you can trash talks at your leisure.
Finally, nearly every game that has a score has some type of record for your scores. You can view to see if you have received one of the highest scores of the day, week, or all time, so if you find that you are really good at a specific game you can battle to become the best all time.
All in all, Kongregate does not have the best community aspect, but at the same time it is highly functional for its purpose. Several users visit the site to chat with their friends and play games, and that is generally enough as it is the many different games that attract people to the site, rather than the community.
4.00
For Kongregate, this ensures that games are constantly being added to their website, and that these games remain fresh so that users continue to do new activities. Popular games also tend to have alternative versions and sequels, so users that like a particular game can expect dirivatives of the games they love.
Each of their games has a rating system (5 stars), and only the highest rated games show up on the list. Any game rated under two stars is still available, but it can only be found via search, and with almost 5,000 games available, it is unlikely you will happen upon it any time soon.
The incentive for people to post their games is profit – popular games receive 50% of revenue sharing, they can link back to their own websites in order to get visitors, and there are several cash incentives for becoming one of the highest rated or most played games on the site. Although the occasional home programmer attempting to make a buck posts a subpar game on the server, the general consensus is that the profit sharing causes individuals to take more time on their games in order to improve their rankings in the system.
As far as navigating the site, the first tab you will want to click on is the games tab, where you will notice the two highest quality (as deemed by the users) new games, as well as the two highest rated games on the entire system. Below them you will find the following categories:
- Action
- Adventure/RPG
- More
- Multiplayer
- Puzzle
- Shooter
- Sports/Racing
- Strategy and Defense
For the enthusiastic gamer, there appears to be a category for everything, though some of these categories are slightly broad. “Puzzles” for example, encompasses so many different types of games that it can be hard to find what you are searching for.
In addition, there are no subheadings, so although you can search for a type of game, if you see one you like you may have difficulty finding a similar one. Instead, you have to navigate between pages and pages of games ranked from highest to lowest, which can a significant amount of time.
You can, however, organize by “Date Uploaded,” rating, and even user, so it is not too difficult to at least find popular and new games within the system.
Kongregate attempts to add a social aspect to each game as well. When you sign into a game you are put into a room with other users. One of the things you will notice very quickly is that many of these users have communicated with each other before, as Kongregate has become somewhat of a gaming chatroom.
Finally, in addition to the games tab, there are a few other tabs to navigate through, though because this site is essentially a one purpose tool, there is not much else available. There is a very popular forum for discussions about gaming or anything else you choose to discuss. The upload tool is very easy to use. There is a “Cards” tab that is currently non-functional but hints at more features to come. And there is also a badges section, which is a nifty little feature where you can earn “badges” for achieving goals at various games. There are hundreds of badges, so anyone interested is guaranteed to spend several weeks filling it up.
With its simplistic, non-invasive design and easy to use functionality, Kongregate does a good job creating a mini-game haven for people that enjoy playing various flash games.
.: Plot
1.00
Because there is currently no Kongregate “game” per se, there is no specific plot to Kongregate. Every game has its own unique style and goals, and although you may see recurring themes (zombies seem to be really popular) they are not emphasized by the website itself.
Kongregate is currently making an online collectible card game, however. The goal of the card game is to anticipate your opponent’s moves by picking a card from your deck. The game resembles other strategy card games like Magic the Gathering and Pokemon, but it has its own unique rules that should be easy for any online card novice to learn.
The card game is expected to be released later this year. .: Safety
3.00
Profiles generally do not have any personal information, though as is the case with all sites with profiles, personal information may be added by the user. It is possible to keep your date of birth on file and not have it display in your profile, and it is also possible to make your profile private and only available to the friends on your list.
Currently there is no way to message other members other than in a chatroom or the forums, so there is little to no chance of receiving any unwanted private emails from either solicitors or dangerous individuals. And because the site is 100% free (and registration is not required) there is no way for anyone to steal your credit card or other personal information.
As far as level of violence in the games, very few games have any level of extreme violence because most flash games are designed to be cartoon like. That said, there are sniper games where the goal is to blow the head off your opponent, but even these games are simply stick figures or other cartoonish characters. While it is possible to stumble upon a game with objectionable content (especially because the upload feature is not regulated), it is highly unlikely and even the most gruesome acts tend to not appear very realistic.
Kongregate also adheres to a very strict TOS, with behavior guidelines and moderators to ensure that there is little to no hate speech or other issues that come up with public forums. Chatrooms, however, are far less regulated, and although rare it is possible to stumble upon a conversation with foul language or insults. .: Gameplay
5.00
Because games can be uploaded at any stage of completion, many games are also very short, which can be irritating if you decide you really like a particular game only to find out that it only lasts 5 minutes. These situations are not uncommon, but you quickly get used to that aspect of the site, and within no time you will likely find a game that you enjoy that lasts a long time.
There are several notable games that the new Kongregate user should try in order to get a feel for the site. One of the most popular games (and easily one of the most addicting) is a game called “Desktop Tower Defense” where you are expected to built very tiny towers on an image of a desk, and these towers try to shoot tiny bugs that crawl from one side of the box to the other. Although the game seems very simple, there is actually a great deal of strategy involved, especially as you play the medium and hard modes. There are also several additional challenges for the Desktop Tower expert.
Another high quality game is known as 6 Differences (the sequel to 5 Differences). In it, the user tries to spot the differences between two photos. Some of these differences are quite easy, but others are profoundly difficult. And best of all, the images are moving, so rather than simply staring at two pictures you are staring at in motion images.
For sports lovers, there are various sports games (like Baseball) that have different objectives. The sports games obviously lack a lot of the functionality of other games, since it is near impossible to keep track of statistics, create seasons, etc., but there are still plenty of opportunities for those that like sports-related games to play around with various features, and the abilities that come with flash games are such that even the most simplistic sports game can actually be very enjoyable.
Finally, there are several games that are new versions of games you have likely played in the past. If you have ever enjoyed the game “Jezzball” (which used to come free with the purchase of a new computer), you will likely also enjoy “Filler” – a game with a similar goal except rather than make squares, you are attempted to fill up the screen with circles.
All in all, there are so many different games to enjoy on Kongregate that you are likely to find something to keep you busy for hours, and as the site continues to grow in popularity, better games are expected to be released with each passing day.
.: Community
3.00
However, beyond chat and forums, Kongregate does not currently have much of a community aspect to the website. Because you do not need to register to be active, most of the visitors at any given time are simply there to play the games, nothing more.
The forums, however, are still very interactive with thousands of new posts and comments each day. And because you can keep track of a friends list on Kongregate, if you find that you enjoy the company or conversation of another user, you can add that person to your friends list and know whenever they are online, as well as join them in their various chatrooms.
Keeping chatrooms next to each game is a great idea, as many games have long pauses where you are watching things happen rather than actually interacting. One of the only flaws of the chatrooms is that they are not game specific. So if you are playing “Filler” and someone else is in the chatroom, they are not necessarily playing the same game. You can, however, choose which chatroom you are participating in.
There are also several multiplayer games that allow you to play against friends or strangers, and these games do have game-specific chats, so you can trash talks at your leisure.
Finally, nearly every game that has a score has some type of record for your scores. You can view to see if you have received one of the highest scores of the day, week, or all time, so if you find that you are really good at a specific game you can battle to become the best all time.
All in all, Kongregate does not have the best community aspect, but at the same time it is highly functional for its purpose. Several users visit the site to chat with their friends and play games, and that is generally enough as it is the many different games that attract people to the site, rather than the community.
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