BYOND gaming

http://www.byond.com

Ever wish there were online games of your favorite anime? Want to play an interactive Harry Potter game, where you attend classes and and learn spells as if you were actually at Hogwarts? Wish to play final fantasy for free, using its old school mechanics? BYOND is for you!



BYOND stands for Build Your Own Net Dream, where  fans of old games can create their own style of their favorite game. In a sense, it is like an online version of RPG Maker, but not limited to RPG games, or RPG elements. You can find action games like a fan rendition of Super Smash Brothers, table top games like Clue or Monopoly, RP games for those who like to partake in actual roleplaying, and even some more original content games (A zombie invasion game that works as action, RPG, and partying style of game for instance). And for those who wish not to play for now, but wish to chat with other gamers, there is even a chatter's lounge.

BYOND is usually computer friendly, as it doesn't have the highest quality graphics, so even your slower computers can usually do okay. (There might be exceptions depending the game) My computer with 256MB RAM can play most games and have winamp playing my favorite music at the same time with no problems usually. On the flip-side, the visuals might not be exactly stellar, most games use simplistic styles and just like in life, there are some bad games. If you are a person that values graphics very much, this program might not be for you.

Some of my personal favorites include various fan-games of Dragon Warrior/Quest, a survival based game called Archipelago (Remastered), and the zombie invasion game with RPG/Action elements, Dead and Walking. I've tried my hand at some of the anime based games, which usually are either Role Playing servers or RPG types. These can be good at times, but some just weren't my thing. Naruto, Pokemon, and Bleach games are among the popular games here. RPGs are really big in Final Fantasy usually, while action has games like Resident Evil (a mini shooter with mild RPG elements) or Smash Brothers.

BYOND has been around for years, but still is going decently strong. 99% of the games are free (there are some instances where people only let you play a demo then subscribe to it, but it's a rare thing), can opt to pay a very low subscription fee for games you like for extra content or an easier time, and can even make & host your own style game. Worth checking out!