By Danny "Ralsu" Gourley

About This List
Please refer to the Top Ten Free-to-Play Games Portal to find out how to get a game you make or like on this list.

Month in Review
First, let's recap the month of free-to-playing gaming. Atlantica Online starts and ends the month in the top slot because the game flat out rocks. It may not suit everyone, but it caters to its audience extremely well. People who don't like it are people who don't like strategy games, I'd wager.

Wizard 101 went into Open Beta, allowing me to finally profess my love for it. The game is aimed at young teens, but I love PvP in this title. The game play is trading card game meets Harry Potter. Just try it.

As the month went by, I removed Warrior Epic because I won't rank games that are not massively-multiplayer on this list. I still recommend people try it for a fun dungeon romp.

Finally, I moved Cabal Online into the Top Ten, if for no other reason, because of it's rocking soundtrack.

Looking Ahead to September
The Runes of Magic Closed Beta is underway, and I am very excited about this title. Be on the lookout for beta keys from Ten Ton Hammer soon. My only problem now is figuring out how to fit in all of the gaming I want to do. I am sitting on a pile of Cabal Online video that I want to edit, and I still want to share my experiences with the game.

Meanwhile, I owe it to Codemasters to take a look at Archlord because I gave my word. I have personal desires to continue playing Atlantica Online and Wizard 101. Finally, I want to try Red Stone. Bear with me, faithful free-to-play gamers. I'll get there.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear about why you choose to play free games. Is it because you don't have much spare money for gaming? Are you like me and just want a game you don't feel tied to because you pay for it? Are free-to-play games something you do during downtime with a subscription-based game you play regularly? Drop me a line in the forums.

The List
I am making no changes in the rankings this week, but I will talk a little about how I come up with my rankings. First, I prefer to have played a game, but I will rank a game based on information released to the public. Wakfu and Runes of Magic are great examples. When I started my Top Ten, I ranked games not yet released (as a playable beta or fully released) a little too high. I have since cracked down and ranked these games lower. It is important to remember this as I describe my next consideration.

Next I think about which game I'd rather play. Atlantica Online sits at number one because there is no free-to-play game I'd rather play. Yes, even with Stamina. Even though I am super-excited about Runes of Magic, keep in mind what I said above. I haven't played it yet, so I rank it lower than games I have already played.

Clearly, there is no science at work here. Just a feeling out of which games I like and which upcoming games get me excited. I'll leave readers with two thoughts:

1. Remember that this list is not a review.
2. Remember that even games ranked #10 by now (the 18th week of the list) are very solid games. Being #10 is NOT being a bad game.

Here are my Top Ten Free-to-Play Games for August 2008.

Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Ten Ton Hammer network or staff.

Top Ten Free-to-Play Games August 29 2008
Rank	Previous		Game
1	1		Atlantica Online - (www.playatlantica.com) NDOORS Atlantica Portal Atlantica moves into it's third beta stage and offers rewards for referrals. Get your beta key here by August 31.
2	2		Wizard101 - (www.wizard101.com) KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. Magic101 Portal Wizard101 does not have a publicly announced revenue model that I have seen. Will there be a cash shop? Or will there be a sub, forcing me to remove a teriffic game from the list. Somebody tell me if I missed something.
3	3		Mabinogi - (http://mabinogi.nexon.net) NEXON Mabonogi Portal Mabinogi is still ranekd very high just based on how much there is to do. I really want to see NEXON do another fantasy-based game for older gamers.
4	4		Dungeon Runners - (http://www.dungeonrunners.com) NCSoft Dungeon Runners Portal Dungeon Runners recently went retail but players can still download it and play it 100% free. Do so today. It's a wild time.
5	5		Rohan: Blood Feud - (www.playrohan.com) YNK Interactive Rohan Portal Rohan gets bashed a lot on several message boards I visit. I wonder if free-to-play gamers ever really stick with games to the level cap.
6	6		Dream of Mirror Online - (http://domo.aeriagames.com) Aeria Games & Entertainment DOMO Portal Dream of Mirror Online is a great example of what can happen when a game with an Eastern theme gets a solid translation.
7	7		Runes of Magic - (www.runesofmagic.com) Frogster Runes of Magic Portal Runes of Magic looks quite a bit like WoW. I am holding high hopes that the title is polished.
8	8		Magic World Online - (http://mwo.enjoymmo.com) Goldcool Games Magic World Online Portal Magic World Online proves that games don't have to be 3D to be great. If the story is solid, you can draw in players.
9	9		Cabal Online - (www.cabalonline.com) ESTsoft Cabal Online Portal Cabal Online makes even mundane combat feel intense early on. That affect wears off after a few hours, though.
10	10		Wakfu - (www.wakfu.com) Ankama Wakfu Portal Wakfu is not just a project for Ankama; it's a commitment. The game will have an accompanying anime.

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