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Online skill-based games are a growing genre of browser-based games. The top publishers of these games include: PopCap Software, iWin.com, SkillJam.com, and King.com. They allow users to compete for money in games of skill, rather than games of chance (that is, gambling).
Most skill-based games, or skillgames, fall into four categories:
- Arcade games involve quick fingers and quick thinking. These games are basically sped-up puzzle games. Arcade skillgames include Collapse and Mini-Golf.
- Puzzle games rely on logic abilities and require the user to solve certain types of puzzles. While not as fast-paced as Arcade games, these games often come with a time limit. Popular puzzle games include Bejeweled and HexTwist.
- Word games are basically puzzle games using word problems, like rearranging letters to make words. Popular Word games include Bookworm and Alphabet Soup.
- Trivia games test the users knowledge of trivia in specific categories or in general.
History
Skill based gaming sites became very popular in 2005. Following poker sites, online casinos learned that users want to play against each other instead of the house. Like poker sites, skillgame sites take a rake from head-to-head and tournament games. Skillgame sites include SkillJam, WorldWinner , King.com,and IGN, among others.
Skillgames are also available for download and fun playing from publishers like RealArcade and WildTangent.
Around 2000, Disney invested millions in a new online skill-based game company called Skillgames.com (formerly PureSkill.com). Manhattan-based Skillgames, with endorsements by Disney-owned properties such as ESPN and ABC, was to develop skill-based games such as "Hole-In-One Golf," "Soap Opera Trivia" and others implemented as Java applets on their site. Players could win prizes up to a million dollars their first time playing. Skillgames, the brainchild of Walker Digital, also the parent company of Priceline.com, was unable to overcome some technological hurdles, however, and went out of business in November 2001.
Criticisms
Some websites have been accused of terminating user's accounts and withholding all money when they attempt to withdraw winnings and accusing players of cheating without any actual evidence. This said, it is possible to create computer scripts or non-human players "bots" which can attain the maximum possible score in certain games. The industry is notoriously tight-lipped about this.
"Online skill-based game"