Sometimes if you’re just looking to pass the time, even boring games will do. Right now, the gaming industry is really starting to push the boundaries of technology like augmented reality and simulators like Oculus Rift, however, these games have absolutely no cool car chases or epic battles that will keep you on the edge of your seat — quite the opposite in fact.
Part of what makes gaming so popular is that it allows people to immerse themselves in a whole other world, often where they’re a hero on some awesome quest to save the world. But a ton of purposely lackluster games are popping up, simulating the less-than-fun parts of life. This is pretty much spelled out in the title of 'Waiting in Line 3D,' which serves as a spoiler for the only thing players can expect to be doing in that game.
13 Intentionally Mundane Games
From Chore Gamification Apps to Purposely Lackluster Video Games:
Laura McQuarrie — Mar 7, 2014 — Tech
13
Touching Tsunami Tribute Games
The 9.03m Video Game Honors the Lives Lost in the 2011 Tsunami
12
Distracted Driver Simulation Games
'Tweet Chat Like & Drive' Shows Distracted Driving on the Road
11
Purposely Lackluster Video Games
'Waiting In Line 3D' Encourages You to Practice Your Patience
10
Chore Gamification Apps
Kids Will be Excited to do Household Tasks with the ChoreMonster
9
Subway Development Games
The Mini Metro Game by Dino Polo Club Simulates Keeping a City Running
8
Family Drama Video Games
The Novelist is an Emotional Family Saga as Gameplay
7
Doomsday Countdown Devices
This Minecraft Clock Ticks Down to the End of Days
6
8-Bit Political Protest Games
Riot is a Game That Lets You Pick Both Sides of the Political Strife
5
Language Learning Video Games
Koe is a Japanese Language Game That Makes Learning Easy
4
Realist Video Games
'Always Sometimes Monsters' Mimics Real Life
3
Tessellated Architecture Games
The Monument Valley Game App Combines Technology and Illusion
2
Virtual Literary Worlds
Ever, Jane is an English Lit Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game
1
News-Incorporated Gaming Platforms
MultiPlay.io Lets Gamers Weave Real-Life News Events into Games
Related Ideas
Punch-Worthy Car Crash Ads
The Ecovia Don't Text and Drive Campaign Pleads 'Stop the Violence'
Pixelated Halloween Costumes
This Halloween Minecraft Costume Leaves You Living a Gaming Reality
Edible Symbolic Installations
The 'Eat Me' Sculpture Encourages Visitors to Consume It
Toonified 8-Bit Retrospectives (UPDATE)
Campbell Whyte Finishes Archiving NES Games From '88
Pixelated Gamer Rugs
These 8 Bit Video Game-Inspired Rugs Include Link and Mario
Video Game Room Decals
Transform Your Room into Gamer Central with Sci-Fi Decorations
Disturbing Emoticon Driving Ads
The Stop Accidents Campaign Urges People to 'Don't Text and Drive'
Deathly Emoticon Ads
The Brake Don't Text and Drive Campaign Sends a Morbid Message
Classic Game Portraits
Deseo's Mario and the Princess in the 'I Am 8 Bit' Show
Windshield Tsunami Sculptures
The 'Flow' Installation Turns Discarded Glass into a Raging Sea
Drooling Creature Gadget Covers
The Monsters Silcone iPhone 5 Case Personifies Your Smartphone
Video Game Graphic Landscapes
Low-Poly Scenery Shows a Geometric Resolution Version of the World
Witty Linguistic Love Notes
These Nerdy Valentine's Cards Express Grammatically Correct Love
Vibrant Conceptual City Maps
Jazzberry Blue's Abstract City Maps are Imaginatively Informative
Edible City Maps
The Atelier Food Project by PJADAD Design is Made from Groceries
Fashionable Gamer Armor
The THUNDERBOX Face Mask Will Protect and Beautify Retro Gamers
Manga Mashup Animal Toys
Hiroshi Yoshii Debuts His New Mutated 3D Art Toy Collection
Computer Controlling Bracelets
These Computer Commanding Bracelets are from Thalmic Labs
Typographic Accident Ads
This Texting and Driving Campaign Hides Danger Within Oversized Letters
8-Bit Video Game Tables
Rachel Mills Makes Tables Serve as a Super Mario Tribute Piece
Phone Operated Attack Bots
The App Attacknid App Toy Turns Your Phone into a Remote Control Device
Astounding Adhesive Murals
Sun K. Kwak Creates Intricate Masking Tape Design Installations
Muscular Disney Monsters
Royce Southerland Renders Childhood Favorites for Adult Audiences
Traumatized Typography Texting Ads
The MINI Word Blocker App Campaign Promotes Safe Driving
Sci-Fi Typography Charts
This Star Wars Silhouette Alphabet Chart is a Forceful Linguistic Tool
Paper Cut-Out Graffiti
The Miriam Londono Artwork Layers Paper Words to Create Textiles
Pretty Pixelated Cabinets
The 8 Bit Drawers Features a Fresh Flower Image
Splashy Spotlit Portraits
The Liquid Glass Photography Turns Clear Canisters into Raging Tsunamis
Infantile Monster Sculptures
The Lydia Dekker Horrible Sweet Series is Adorably Grotesque
Durable Disaster Capsules
The Tsunami Survival Pod Can Provide Life-Saving Protection
Pinnable City Maps
Palomar's New Felt Map Lets You Pin Nostalgic Memories and Discoveries
Morbid Message Ads
The Metuna Don't Text and Drive Campaign is Shockingly Nonchalant
8-bit Video Game Jewels
Minecraft Diamond Jewelry Lets You Buy Diamonds Without Breaking the Bank
Virtual Reality-Inspired Gardening
Karen Stoyanov Tomato Products Explore Digital Farming
Tsunami Topographical Collages
The Matthew Cusick Map Collages Create Art Though the Use of Maps
Geek-Chic Crossover Apparel
This World of Lovecraft Tee Fuses Warcraft With Prolific Author
Purposely Lackluster Video Games
'Waiting In Line 3D' Encourages You to Practice Your Patience
MMORPGs for Kids
Cartoon Network Universe's 'FusionFall' is Like World of Warcraft, But Cooler
8-Bit Gaming Lanterns
The Minecraft Light-Up Torch Brings Pixellation into the Real World
Brainwave Reading Video Games
This Kickstarter Project Lets You 'Throw Trucks with Your Mind'
Chronological Exergaming Stats
The Chart Exhibits History & Health Benefits of Exergaming
Death Wish Chocolate Games
Challenge Your Friends in a Game of Chocolate Russian Roulette
Pixelated Cookie Cutters
Minecraft Cookie Cutters Let You Stack Cookies In-Game and in Real Life
Morbid Cereal Characters
Artist Guillermo Fajardo Brings Classic Cereal Characters to Life
Deluxe Designer Board Games
The Louis Vuitton Backgammon Set Brings Luxury to the Traditional Game
Morose Video Game Displays
This Depiction of Super Mario World is Dark
Autocorrect Automobile Safety Ads
Volkswagen's 'Don't Text and Drive' Ads Give a Relatable Message
Bizarre Games
US Cornhole Craze
Dual Vice Drink Packaging
The ‘Coffee Beer’ Raises Funds for Disaster Relief in Japan
World of Warcraft-Themed Restaurants
Extreme Gamers Find MMORPG Heaven in China
Retro Game Depicting Illustrations
StarRoivas' Cartridge Art Turns Modern Games into Classics
Caffeinated City Maps
Butterfruit Labs Edited the Subway Map to Find the Best Coffee in NYC
TV Series Toy Gaming
The Breaking Bad Video Game by Brian Anderson is Sure to Cause a Riot
Virtual Reality Test Drives
South African Audiences Take Virtual Hyundai i30 Test Drive
Fear-Overcoming Video Games
The Nevermind Video Game by Erin Reynolds Monitors Heart Rate
Emoticon Flower Arrangements
FocusDriven.Org Tries to Raise Texting and Driving Awareness
Real-Life Video Games
The Explorence App Provides Activity Incentives Through Races and Wagering
Surveillance-Thwarting Typography
The 'ZXX' Font Was Built to Defeat NSA Robot Eyes
Retro Computer Music
Astralwerks Launches 8 bit Compilation CD
Giant Literary Figure Statues
The Mr Darcy Sculpture Immortalizes Colin Firth's Rendition
Puzzling Stress Relievers
The Tetris Stress Blocks are Perfect for Anxiety-Filled Gamers
Retro Gamer Pillows
ThinkGeek's NES Cartridge Pillows Will Introduce Gaming to Your Dreams
Supercharged Game Trailers
DC Universe Online Clip is Awesomely Cinematic
Video Game-Specialized Treadmills
This Virtual Reality Treadmill Should Be Part of Any Game Room
8-Bit Gamer Phone Tools
This Gaming Stylus Mimics the Pickaxe from Minecraft
Canned Food Gaming Displays
This 3D Canned Food Display Shows Super Mario Like You've Never Seen
Sci-Fi Toppling Games
The Tumbling TARDISTower Game Adds a Twist to a Party Favorite
8-Bit Pop Art Masterpieces
Adam Lister Depicts Pop Culture Scenes in His Pixelated Works
Linguistic Pace Reviews
The Speed of Language Infographic Translates the Rate of the Spoken Word
Imaginary Gamer Blogs
Fake Video Games Bring Ridiculous Games to Real Life
Family Drama Video Games
The Novelist is an Emotional Family Saga as Gameplay
Pixel Ax Openers
The Minecraft Pickaxe Bottle Opener is Handy
Toy-Integrated Virtual Games
The Disney Infinity Game Brings Action Figures into Video Games
Shoe-Specific Gamer Controls
The Stinky Footboard Brings Gaming Down a Notch
8-Bit Board Games
Mega Man: the Board Game Takes the Blue Bomber from the TV to the Table
Remixed Classic Novels
‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' Blends Jane Austen + Undead M
Geeky Gaming Tableware
These Minecraft Coasters are Stylishly Pixelated
Realist Video Games
'Always Sometimes Monsters' Mimics Real Life
Comical Super Villain Dating
Super Villains Get Help Finding Love in Stan Lee’s YouTube Chan
Chiptune Christmas Songs
‘8 Bit Jesus' is Nerdtastic
Adorable Undead Flash Drives
The Zombie USB by Blueshift Nine is Animated
Superhero Pixelated Trailers
Superman is Turned into Block Form in This Minecraft Movie Trailer
Alcoholic Anchorman Games
Anchorman 2 Scotchy Scotch Toss Lets You Drink with Ron Burgundy
Disinfecting Video Game Gear
GeekSoap Will Get You Geeky-Clean with Funny Handmade Soap Bars
Film Noir Video Games
Fans Will Enjoy This Noir Pac-Man Movie
Tsunami Tree Monuments
The Last Surviving Tree from the 2011 Tsunami Made into a Tree Monument
Strategic Linguistic Games
Lexatron is a Fast Paced Word War Between Friends
Intergalactic Linguistic Tutorials
Learn Chewbacca's Language with 'How to Speak Wookiee'
Victorian Fight Clubs
The Jane Austen Fight Club Video Parodies Classic '90s Flicks
Kafkaesque Video Games
The Franz Kafka Videogame Will Bring Kafka's Surreal World to Life
TV-Inspired Video Games
This 'Game of Thrones' Video Game by Abel Alves is 8-Bit Cuteness
Kiss Tag Video Games
Kiss Chase is Reminiscent of Elementary School Days Playing Kiss Tag
Pixelated Popstar Parodies
This Minecraft Parody Song Covers Miley Cyrus's 'Wrecking Ball'
Hybrid Projected Video Games
Revenge of Revenge of Doh Requires Physical Interaction to Play
8-Bit Movie Summaries
The Inception 8-Bit Video Summarizes the Movie into a Video Game
Queer Combat Games
This Gay Video Game Pays Tribute to Old Absurd Stereotypes
Story-Telling Mirror Maps
'Rotterdam Told by People' Visualizes Stories of Locals and Visitors
Cluttered Vampire Cartoons
'The Garlix' by VISIVA is Chaotic
Virtual Festivals
Gaymers Gather for 'Proudmoore Pride 2009' on World of Warcraft
Playfully Sketched Dishes
The Anna Johnstone Hand Illustrated Plates Are All One-of-a-Kind
Game Plumber-Themed Maps
Ken Kocses’ Super Mario-Themed Poster is the Ideal Map for Any Game
Vehicular Desks
The Armadillo Notext Desk by D2D is Convenient
Caffeinated City Maps (UPDATED)
The New York Coffee Map Now Includes Brooklyn and Queens
Texturized Typographic City Maps
These Maps by Mark Webber are Intricately Detailed Masterpieces
Spreadsheet-Based Videogames
Cary Walkin Creates an RPG World from a Work Computer Program
Melodramatic Life Narrations
Mike Rowe Turns a Boring Home Video into a Dramatic Episode
Animated Alarm Clock Casings
The 'Disney Family Fun' Faux Fur Creatures are Frightening
Body-Controlled Dance Games
The Fantasia: Music Evolved XBOX Kinect Game is Inspired by Disney
Classic Game Cartridge Pillows
The Retro Nes Cartridge Pillow Set is for the Sleepy Gamer
Inspirational Social Media Manifestos
The Cupcakes and Cashmere Words to Live By Post is Moving
Draw-On Encyclopedias
Webster's Dictionary ‘Pictorial Artist and Writer's Notebo