The gaming niche is characterized by its haves and have-nots. You’ve seen Kotaku, IGN, GameSpot, Joystiq, 1UP and the others, but what about the great, lesser-known gaming sites?
This post introduces 18 great gaming sites you might not have seen before. Whether you’re looking for freebies, music, laughs or oddities, there’s something here for occasional and hardcore gamers alike.
1. Overclocked Remix is a community hub of users who painstakingly remix and arrange video game music. There are thousands of tracks available for download. If you like the soundtrack to your favorite game, you can bet it has been remixed and reworked here.
2. The Freeware Indie Games Database offers just under 1,000 play-tested freeware titles from independent game developers. The games here are innovative and unique. Some of them are bound to be re-developed as Wii titles.
3. POKE is a light-weight utility that allows you to cheat in almost any single player game, whether it’s already published or to be published in the future.
4. The Daedalus Project gets into the minds of MMORPG players. The website’s author has surveyed over 35,000 gamers and provides a detailed break-down of his findings in areas such as the player life-cycle, making friends and status reversal. It’s fascinating stuff.
5. Gaming Magazines of the Pre-Internet Era is a treasure trove for retro gamers. It links out to .PDF databases of old and out of print gaming magazines.
6. The Grand List of Role Playing Game Clichés is a list of 100+ painful clichés any RPG fan would have encountered before. My favorite? The No! My beloved peasant village cliché: “The hero’s home town, city, slum, or planet will usually be annihilated in a spectacular fashion before the end of the game, and often before the end of the opening scene.”
7. GameCakes is the website for people who love cake and video games. These game-themed cakes run the gamut, from the bizarre to the majestic. The scrumptious photos will have you baking your own cupcakes in no time.
8. CrazyPC is the hardcore gamer’s place for computer accessories. All the neon, case mods, plexiglass, tubes and coolant fluid you can poke a memory stick at.
9. VGMusic is host to 24,000+ midi versions of video game tracks from all your retro favorites: Megaman, Mario, Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, et al.
10. Build Your Own Gaming Computers is a website dedicated to helping you… well, you can probably guess. Gaming rigs sell for thousands of dollars and learning to build your own can save you lots of cash. This website provides advice on the entire process, from choosing parts to installation.
11. Abandonia offers thousands of abandonware DOS downloads. Abandonware essentially means games which aren’t sold anymore, prompting their release into the public domain. They’re the games you might have owned and loved as a child or teenager. Chances are you’ll find some old favorites here.
12. Jay is Games sources out the best casual games and brings them directly to you. The blog’s authors sure know their stuff and their opinions are worth listening to. Subscribe to their feed for a daily stream of gorgeous, idle distractions.
13. Old Grandma Hardcore is the blog of a foul-mouthed, lovable gamer grandma (with the pictures to prove it!). No, we’re not talking Brain Training and The Sims — we’re talking games like Bioshock and The Darkness. This grandma really is hardcore!
14. Insert Credit is a multi-author Japanese games and culture blog specializing in breaking news from the land of the rising sun.
15. Replacementdocs is an online archive of .PDF game manuals for thousands of popular games. If you’ve experienced the frustration of losing the manual to your favorite title, replacementdocs should have a solution for you.
16. Wonderland is an odds-and-ends gaming blog mainly known for its cool gamecrafts. From Darth Vader backpacks to Quake coasters, this blog is proof that gamers are an arty bunch.
17. The Speed Demos Archive is host to hundreds of videos documenting the efforts of those dedicated individuals who’ve conquered games in the shortest time possible. Watch epic games like Half Life 2 and Icewind Dale beaten before your lunch-break is over.
18. The System Requirements Lab analyzes your computer, benchmarking it against the minimum requirements of a specific product. Ever wondered if your computer can handle that gorgeous new release? Now you’ll know.
Update: Here are some more great websites that you might not have seen before, suggested from our readers:
A very nice collection of sites. I can’t wait to check out the collection of old magazines in *.pdf. I see hours at work being wasted 😉
Great list! I can see myself wasting most of my evening, now.
gamespot? pleeeeeze.
avoid the gamespot scum please.
if you use firefox like me, try the customizegoogle plugin, it
allows you to auto remove desired websites from google
results. now i never have to see anything from crapspot.
Were the hell is http://www.noobtoob.com
http://www.gamenewshq.com should have made the list
DaveUK, we have not said Gamespot is good, just that you probably already crossed it 🙂 .
What about http://www.gameflood.com which is the best site for PC mods.
http://tf.erzz.com is a great UNBIASED blog that just loves to rip the hyped games apart
Keep them coming and we’ll update the list soon.
Thanks for the input guys.
Taking notes :p
http://www.spymac.com/details/?2335841
Just an FYI – I run http://www.modojo.com – a website focused on the handheld videogame space. DS, PSP, mobile, and iPod. We try to be professional and comprehensive, but we also don’t take ourselves too seriously.
Cheers for the list. A few of them are now bookmarked.
C’mon, you forgot the best Guitar Hero/Rock Band related video game site in existence.
http://www.scorehero.com
In during 80 million people spamming their websites for digg.
Shame on you !
You forgot NoFrag !
http://www.nofrag.com
If we are already shamelessly spamming: 🙂
What about VGViews? http://www.vgviews.com
Its very new but it should definitely be on the list. Web 2.0 social networking site for gamers.
At least in my case I was up front about it being MY website, instead of trying to pass myself off as just a fan :p
Wow! What a list. Thanks for this great compilation.
I’d add http://gorillagamer.com. it lets you bet on games you play against others. awesome.
Another one at http://www.toabase could be posted. AKA
The Outcast Alliance is a great source for news
What about http://www.Gamervision.com?
Add http://www.antigamer.com to that list.
OK looks like we’ll be able to do a “101 Websites Every Gamer Should Know – The Ultimate List” hehe.
I have to say that vgviews.com is pretty sweet!
It lets you review any game you have ever played and then people rate your review!
They even have contest for the best review where you can win a Wii!
They are giving away a Wii every month for the next 3 months!
Shameless self-pimping but I would’ve liked to see Cyberscore: http://www.cyberscore.net/ on that list 🙂
As badly in need of a remake as it is, I think it’s yet to hit prime time in terms of traffic and would go quite nicely on your list 🙂
WTF you have not included the amazing multi platform gaming site http://www.ggmania.com/ check it for the proof !
Begin shameless plug >
I’ve worked very hard to bring together a wide collection of DOS shareware/freeware games including descriptions and videos for each game. I think it’s a notable mention
http://www.dosmuseum.com/
Hell, newspail has all the news and nobody’s even heard of them.
Videogamey.com is new(ish) but different. I like it.
http://www.multiplayergames.com
looks like it’s up and coming, some great blog articles so far about all aspects of online gaming
19. http://www.GamesForWork.com – 7000+ casual games ALL with embed code.
This is a great video game review site with buit-in social networking. Users rate other users and determine for themselves which people’s reviews are most trustworthy!
http://www.vgviews.com
http://www.sarcasticgamer.com
Pure hilarity.
Nice list, thanks, but I must add my favorite:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/
“It’s about PC games, it’s written by four of Britain’s top games journalists, and it aims to cover everything from the latest breaking stories about the biggest games to esoterica from the format’s obscurest peninsulas.”
Uh… where is consoleheroes.com?
How about some free Open Source games?
http://fossgamer.110mb.com/index.html
What about gameSniped? Showcases rare video game auctions.
http://www.gamesniped.com
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/
Import games
http://www.the-magicbox.com/index.html
http://www.siliconera.com/
I think ReplayGamez is a cool site to check out. This site is the Netflix of video game trading. Unlike other trading sites, they inspect all video game trades. No points scheme No hassle !!
http://www.replaygamez.com
http://WWW.URBANTERROR.NET/ !!! Dont forget that!
Great list you’ve got going here. I had heard of a few, but a few others were news to me (and great finds). Well played sirs. Well played.
http://www.vgmuseum.com
You’ve got indie game sites and abadonware game sites but no game mod sites? What about all the gamers who want to play something which is a modification of a AAA game they already own?
Gameflood was already mentioned which is ok, but lacks a lot of content, http://www.moddb.com is a great resource for those looking for something different
If you’re into point and click games, than this one is definitely worth a visit:
http://www.bontegames.com
I reckon http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk should make the cut. A great focus and great writing. Most of the staff are ex EDGE or PC Gamer and some of their weekly pieces are inspired.
The System Requirements Lab was an interesting one but I found it wrong in a few cases. Either way, great list!
High Voltage Sid Collection
Sort of a metacritic but more detailed and in portuguese. Soon to be in english.
…
http://www.gameslink.com.pt
Hi,
you missed out on us – Cinema Gamer – a place for video game cinematics.
Build Your Own Gaming Computers is sadly filled with outdated infromation. It helps users decide between AGP and PCI-E! It talks about dual core computers as “becoming popular” while 64bit processing is supposedly the “latest trend”.
Not a bad read, but could make an unexperienced computer builder commit some fatal judgement errors.
If you have speeddemosarchive.com you should also include tasvideos.org!
Another one: http://www.mirsoft.info
Don’t forget http://www.cgempire.com...
Good point qc3. What do you use when getting advice for gaming machines?
Also add:
http://www.Gamerdeals.net/
i don’t read the rest of the sites they’re with most of the time, but i really like ds fanboy (dsfanboy.com) because they can be really funny. their holiday stuff was a riot.
great list here! the only one i really read already was insert credit, but now i have a lot of new places to go!
you missed gamehuddle.com
yoyogames.com ftw!
Great list!
hey guys, just wanted to add these guys at http://www.xboxnowonline.com . they do a pretty good job as well and their news column is top notch. great sites tho :-D.
the omission of http://www.dream17.co.uk/ is unforgivable
Can’t mention OCRemix without mentioning Ormgas!
It’s the streaming radio station for OCR.
It allows you to listen to tons of OCR remixes without having to hunt and grab, and allows for listener voting. They’ve got a pretty strong community going, with forums and IRC.
that’s http://oc.ormgas.com for those keeping score.
Another one to add to the list, especially if you liked the magazine site! A monthly free magazine just as good as print mags.
http://www.dpad-magazine.com
move over myspace
http://www.PWNED.com
Just because a product is no longer available for purchase does not mean that it is public domain. Copyright still persists, regardless of availability. “Abandonware” is a lie — websites like http://www.liberatedgames.com/ are more accurate.
What about Good Experience Games…
http://goodexperience.com/games
…which has a list of over 200 free online games?
How about GoNintendo? ^____^
Heres a top site like newgrounds!
http://mostplays.com
Can get paid for uploading games aswel!
don’t forget about the coolest internet channel – http://www.thestream.tv featuring COIN-OP TV LIVE woot!
You should also check out Gamerflicks at http://www.gamerflicks.com. They are a website that keeps track of video games being turned into movies and any kind of crossovers. They list an Assassin’s Creed movie on there.
You should check out Vigster. its a social network for video games where users can create virtual game shelfs to show off their games, connect with friends, discover new and exciting video and computer games, rate and review games, voice their opinions, have their say, comment on games, share games, share gaming experiences, explore games and much more.
It’s almost shameless not pointing http://www.indiegames.com/blog , it’s awesome. Best Indie (both commercial and free) news site ever 😉 … or kinda …
And ggmania.com as well as evilavatar.com are great sites refering gaming news.
Thanks very much for including OC ReMix on this important list, Skellie. We always appreciate the word of mouth! Indeed, we’ve got over 100 hours’ worth of free video game ReMixes tributing over 500 games, so there’s something for everyone.
We definitely encourage any gamer or music fan to stop by and see what we have to offer. Analogous to how there are so many other good websites most don’t know about, we have tons of ReMixes from many game soundtracks that you probably haven’t heard of yet. Don’t let that stop you from downloading our music & album torrents (http://bt.ocremix.org/) and discovering tons of enjoyable music!
Larry “Liontamer” Oji
Head Submissions Evaluator, OverClocked ReMix
Creator, VG Frequency
http://www.ocremix.org
http://www.vgfrequency.com
I really appreciate for the list. Thanks very much for including OC ReMix on this important list.
Don’t forget VideoGamer.Com! One of the best upcoming sites with great quality video reviews, etc 🙂
http://www.videogamer.com
love these sites
looking forward to the game soundtracks
and crazy pc is really crazy
Why isn’t http://www.fragmental.co.uk on that list? its one of the best gaming site out there, with loads of tournaments, news, and game reviews. Check it out.
I want a PS3 cake for my birthday… yummy
And http://www.flightsimx.co.uk – the only place for flight simmers 🙂
Surprised noone’s mentioned The Underdogs… ( http://www.the-underdogs.info – some folks sniped and tried to blackmail their original .com domain, back in the more unregulated days, so they switched to .info )
I have to echo #54: speeddemos.com is neat, but the sine qua non of the genre is TASVideos.org and the epic, game-breaking stunts that their speedrunners pull off. One recent example: how many stars do you need to beat Mario64? 20? 17? They did it in 16. Then in 10. Then 1. Then with zero. They astonish.
Your forgetting about listing your Used Games at http://GorillaSwap.com The Free Trading Network for Games and DVD’s
C’mon, man – a lot of those undiscovered websites (OCR, Insert Credit, RPS) have been popular for ages. Eegra.com, on the other hand, is totally undiscovered – which is probably why you haven’t put us on your list. But now you can! Because we are pretty cool, and also, undiscovered! So hooray!
You might want to list http://www.gamedujour.com a Woot-like site for indie and casual games.
Well, since everyone is posting their own sites, I’d like to include mine:
http://www.flashninjaclan.com — Thousands of games and over 70 exclusive games either made or sponsored by the site
http://www.java-gaming.com — Over 2500 games
ok a lot of the comments that have links to other site….they suck. they’re just like ign or 1up or blogs.
blogs are boring.
the sites listed up here actually give us something.
i don’t want reviews.
or trailers.
Try http://www.cinegamr.uni.cc (cutscene cinematic community documenting ooodles of video game cutscenes and movies).
http://www.purepwnage.com
uber pwnage here.
This list truly sucks
A new one that just launched is http://www.rarevideogames.net
Good up and coming site for rare video game collectors
I’ve been a member of this site since December and they currently occupy 85% of my online time. Best site by far for tips on unlocking achievements. Great community as well, however it is geared towards the 360. Check them out!
xbox360achievements.org
Sorry for the double post, but I never gave a link, it links my name to the site because I am a n00b.
Casual gameplay looks like a fun website. I will definitely be checking this website out ASAP.
dtrhyyyyyhojkjjjg, yi
Hi webmaster!
Hi webmaster!
Hi webmaster!
Well, this very nice and wonderful.
Check out http://www.gamerdiction.com
Its a collaborative dictionary and glossary for all types of games and game related content.
Another great gaming resource that more people should know about:
http://www.mobygames.com
Wow , thanks for the great article , really didn`t know this websites 🙂
nice list. l use yahoo games mostly.
Hello everyone Im a host of a SA-MP server the name is badass roleplay you should check it out. It is a gta sa pc multiplayer online game. The ip is 208.43.217.142:7724 to download the online client if u do not have it go to http://www.sa-mp.com Tons of fun hop e to see u there
I really feel http://www.nofussreviews.com should be on this list, very handy site for gamers who haven’t got a lot of time.
what about
http://atchucan.blogspot.com
good gaming site
OCRemix is a pretty awesome site. I was happy to see it at the very top.
You have sooooooooo many websites I don’t know what to choose !!!!!!!!!!
What kind of content is blocked?
The Saudi Arabia government states that is blocks around 400,000 websites from around the world. Their main target anti-Islamic content, although pornography, gambling and women rights are also usually restricted.
…………….
I live in saudi arabia,so I’d say that the gov just block sites that contain porn content as it’s anti-islamic principles….but women rights really not blocked……..
What about these… They are great online gaming sites:
http://www.kongregate.com
http://www.flashjolt.com
http://www.newgrounds.com
http://www.gamegum.com
Way better than most other sites but btw JayIsGames is a great site..
Thanks a lot….very useful info
Internet Games
You have sooooooooo many websites I don’t know what to choose !!!!!!!!!!
website value calculator
Thank you……Luv this list
news
This site looks good I have passed it onto friends on facebook.
My favorite is Gamer’s Database – > http://www.gamersdatabase.com/ .
It’s a collection of freeware games for Windows, Mac and Linux and free browser games (both mmog and flash games)
Cool, But I think there’s lacking here.
Undiscovered, maybe. Haha. But really the reason why these websites lack is just because of the level of expectation we have for websites nowadays. With Facebook and youtube controlling most of our times we assume those are the best sites out there. Best at controlling our time and our personal information maybe.
Missing a few great flash games sites!
PC players are not gamers.. you must own a console to be a gamer. PC players are just nerds.
Thanks, I’m not a hard core gamer though. I do appreciate flash games that can be pretty addicting.
http://www.YouGamePlay.com is another gaming site.
This is an awesome list! the cake website is super sweet!