Sims and Zombies leaving you for dead, PC gaming is surely the most eclectic platform going these days. Maybe not as glamorous as your Wiis and PS3s, not naturally associated with family-room fun, but man, for those looking to hunker down with an engrossing time waster, there be good stuff for that there desktop or laptop computer.


Left 4 Dead 2 ($60)
While there are only about a zillion zombie slaying games out there, Left 4 Dead 2 offers a (second) unique take on the ultra-saturated genre by way of co-operative four player play - i.e. four real internet connected players or you and three computer controlled compatriots - where rescuing each other from the clutches of the undead is almost as important as gunning down each rampaging horde of the necromanced, some of which now sport riot gear, all of it so flagrantly gory that it'll make you giddy. Sardonic, ironic and iconic as ever, this sequel offers all that plus a much needed chainsaw, among other things.

Rated Mature (17+) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language


Plants Vs. Zombies ($20)
What's starts out as playful whimsy soon turns into seriously addictive whimsy as cartoons zombies march across your lawn in a single minded quest to eat your brains. All you can do to defend yourself is a little gardening. Lucky for you, plants like pea shooters, watermelon tossers and cherry bombs are ready to help, providing you lay them out strategically and have amassed enough drops of sunshine to make them grow. This is a must-have game for any gamer of any stripe or age.

Rated Everyone (10+) for Animated Blood, Cartoon Violence


The Sims 3: World Adventures($45)
The latest in one of the longest running, bestest selling computer game franchises of all time, The Sims 3 and its latest add-on, World Adventures, is the ultimate "people simulator." To play it is not unlike owning a hamster - you dote over and tease your Sims, mess with their heads and toy with their environment, but in the end you'll be partly satisfied, partly horrified by all stuff you've striven for, accomplished and accumulated, all in the name of contentment, when all you really needed was a hamster. Or a trip to France, China and Egypt, apparently. Or a chance to hear Nelly Furtado sing in "Simlish." Seriously, that's in there.

Rated Teen (13+) for Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
 
 

It's true: Quality kids games are hard to find. Sure, there's lots out there, but few that are both good and genuinely kid-friendly. Fortunately, GamersGate online games portal has an entire section dedicated to quality family fare. Go ahead, check it out!