Social networking and interaction games such as Club Penguin have been quickly spreading through the Internet. A venue where people can create their own avatars and wander through virtual worlds, collecting artifacts, playing games, or just plain talking it up, networking games have all the appeal of chat rooms with a little more flare and purpose.
Habbo Hotel
Habbo Hotel replaces penguins with little, virtual people. After a quick download, players can create their avatars and dive right into a world made up of different buildings, places, people and games. Many different rooms can be explored. During the peak hours of the day, these rooms can fill up rather quickly. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of options, so if one room is closed, there are usually a good handful that are still open. Players can create their own spaces, buy furniture to decorate, establish a wonderful wardrobe and invite friends over for a party. There are many different options on Habbo, and with moderators making their rounds, it is generally a safe venue for most players, though younger ones should always be supervised.
Second Life
Second Life is also thriving. Branching out into a much bigger and complicated world, Second Life has a bit of a learner's curve, but it's acclaimed for its addicting worlds and game play. Players create their own characters and can go as far as crafting their own items in the game to sell to other players. Second Life has a sort of otherworldly, other-society feel to it, with a currency system and a seemingly independent economy. This game has appeal for older players, as it is not as simplified as Habbo Hotel, though it is just as fun.
CC Metro
Coca Cola offers a neat little interface called My Coke that offers a few games, one of which is CC Metro, where players can walk around a cityscape, play games, make friends and more. With the points you win throughout the game, you can "purchase" new items toward your character, deck them out, and then take your new swag to the streets. My Coke is a trendier option to Habbo Hotel and Second Life. It is in-between the two as far as age and difficulty goes.
Tags: Second Life, create their, Habbo Hotel, Club Penguin, create their avatars