AOL Instant Messenger puts itself in play

For the eternally bored at work, America Online recently introduced another temptation: computer games. Played through AOL's free Instant Messenger Internet service (version 5.5), these low-tech card, puzzle, and arcade games have been played more than 16 million times since the service's February launch. Here's a sampling:

Orbital is an arcade game similar to Atari's classic Missile Command, except Orbital players target falling asteroids, aliens, and flying stars with a computer mouse. Find Orbital and others at the bottom of the AIM console window. Download a game, and even invite an AIM buddy to play. Other arcade games include an aerial bomber game called Blackhawk Striker and the Ponglike Blasterball 2.

Wild Cards deals players into four-player card games including spades, hearts, and euchre. Players team up with a virtual player or play with an AIM buddy. Wild Cards will only let you play valid hands, which makes learning easy.

Slyder is the most addictive of AOL's puzzle games. Guide a little blue ball called Slyder through a maze by tilting the maze, all while avoiding traps and mean little red balls with pointy teeth. Like many AIM games, users can buy more levels and virtual "play" tokens. Other puzzle games include the Scrabble-like Lexibox and Lingo Lab, a word-guessing game.

InfocomBot is a text-adventure game like those played on a 1980s computer. Send an IM invitation to InfocomBot, InfocomBot2, or InfocomBot3, and the game appears to chat with you. Though not supported by AOL, it's great fun. For help, see the website of maker Waxy Enterprises, waxy.org/projects/ifbot.