Wikipedia will continue to get knocked down for credibility and accuracy but it is the best open source project we know of. And one we still depend on for a quick reference. Wikipedia is the last place you would expect to play a few serious games, but dig deep and a few intrepid web applications have been built around the knowledge rich online encyclopedia.

Wikipedia games just give you another way to kill a few of those dull hours and gain a bit of grey matter in the process. We checked out one Wikipedia game when we were looking at 10 Websites That Make Browsing Wikipedia More Fun.

The Wiki Game gets you a double dose of fun and knowledge exploration. You can head over to this game, and then try out a few more of its ilk.

Catfishing

wikipedia online games

Catfishing is a very simple game that has existed online since 2006. I am not sure if the game has been updated or not, but as with all knowledge games, it’s still worth a play. Catfishing is a guessing game built upon clues taken from Wikipedia articles. You are given a set of clues and you must think aloud the subject or the article the clues are common to. There’s a scoring system in place, and yes – you do get deducted for wrong answers. You can play the game solo too but it requires uncommon honesty.

wikiAata

freeware games list on wikipedia

wikiAata is a puzzle and a guessing game rolled into one. Gameplay is based on simple rules – you are given a view of a starting Wikipedia article and an ending article. Your job is to go from the first to the last article using the hyperlinks in the articles. You have to reach the ultimate article using only the specified number of clicks allowed for the puzzle. You can use the tabs in the game to move back or view the ending article. You have to sign-in with your Google account. The points system is based on the time you take to finish the puzzle. Test your knowledge and put yourself on the leaderboard.

Wikipedia Maze

freeware games list on wikipedia

Wikimedia Maze is quite similar to the above mentioned Wikipedia game. It’s also a “Cancer” to “McDonald’s” kind of follow-link and get a few points game. On the face of it, Wikipedia Maze is a better designed or at least a better looking game than wikiAata. A few differences exist: You can choose Themes which are like game categories. You can create your own puzzles, and also earn badges for extra achievements on the site.

WikiTrivia [No Longer Available]

freeware games list on wikipedia

Pick a category and the trivia game based on Wikipedia starts throwing trivia questions at you. You have to continue with the trivia game by answering the questions correctly or incorrectly.

WikiGuess

wikipedia online games

WikiGuess is a Google Android game and a free download from the Android Market. The app displays a real Wikipedia article and you have to guess what the article is all about. You have a photo taken from the article and a few keywords as clues to help you solve the Wikipedia puzzle.

When it comes to knowledge games, Wikipedia fits in nicely. Of course, it might not be the thing for all age groups, but if you have a smidgen of interest in the world around you, Wikipedia and the games it has spawned is a nice start. Tell us how you find these games based on Wikipedia.