Games worth putting a clock on, beyond chess

A clock is only useful if there is a game on the other side of it. This page is a shortlist of 19 games worth playing - all free, all instant in the browser, none of them asking you to download or sign up for anything, and several of them are far better with a clock running.

The whole roster

Ordered with the ones that gain most from a clock first.

  1. 01

    Blackjack

    Better timed than not

    Classic, Vegas Strip, Atlantic City, Spanish 21, Double Exposure, Switch, Pontoon and more - free chips, no real gambling.

    Play Blackjack online
  2. 02

    Canasta

    Better timed than not

    Melds of seven, wild cards and a discard pile worth fighting over.

    Play Canasta online
  3. 03

    Checkers

    Best with a clock running

    Compulsory capture turns every sacrifice into a forced sequence you can calculate to the end.

    Play Checkers online
  4. 04

    Craps

    No clock needed

    Eight variants and one bet on the table that carries no house edge at all.

    Play Craps online
  5. 05

    Dominoes

    Best with a clock running

    Tile matching with a scorekeeper's edge - the closest cousin Tetris has among traditional games, since both are really about what fits where.

    Play Dominoes online
  6. 06

    FreeCell

    Better timed than not

    Open-information patience: nothing hidden, nothing random after the deal, no excuses.

    Play FreeCell online
  7. 07

    Gin Rummy

    Better timed than not

    Ten cards, one draw, and a running argument with yourself about when to knock.

    Play Gin Rummy online
  8. 08

    Hearts

    Better timed than not

    The trick-taking game where winning tricks is usually the last thing you want.

    Play Hearts online
  9. 09

    Ludo

    Best with a clock running

    Race four tokens home, and learn to count the six squares behind each of them.

    Play Ludo online
  10. 10

    Mahjong

    They bring their own

    Clear the board by matching free tiles, across layouts from the classic Turtle to the brutal Dragon.

    Play Mahjong online
  11. 11

    Pac-Man

    They bring their own

    Learn the maze, learn the four ghosts, and find out how far pattern beats reflex.

    Play Pac-Man online
  12. 12

    Puzzle

    They bring their own

    Sliding tiles, logic grids, nonograms and a dozen more - a different shape of problem each time.

    Play free puzzle games
  13. 13

    Reversi

    Best with a clock running

    A minute to learn, and an endgame decided by mobility and parity rather than material.

    Play Reversi online
  14. 14

    Rummy

    Better timed than not

    Build sets and runs and go out before your opponents, across the classic Rummy variants.

    Play Rummy online
  15. 15

    Solitaire

    Better timed than not

    The card game you play while thinking about something else - in a dozen different forms.

    Play Solitaire online
  16. 16

    Spades

    Better timed than not

    Name your tricks, then deliver exactly that many. Overshoot and the bags quietly bury you.

    Play Spades online
  17. 17

    Tetris

    They bring their own

    Marathon, Sprint, Ultra, Master, Invisible, Cheese, Survival, Classic, Big, Cascade and Zen, plus a shared daily challenge and real-time multiplayer.

    Play Tetris online
  18. 18

    Tic Tac Toe

    Best with a clock running

    Three in a row, plus the larger grids and inverted rules where it stops being trivial.

    Play Tic Tac Toe online
  19. 19

    Yahtzee

    No clock needed

    The dice-and-scorecard classic, where the upper-section bonus quietly decides most games.

    Play Yahtzee online

Need the clock instead?

You do not have to leave Chess Clock behind to try any of these. Several of the games above are far better with a clock running. The clock is one click away, and Learn covers the timing formats.