Excellent Time Consuming/Addictive Games?

[The Sultan of Swank]

Right so,

I'm picking up a second job so I have lots of cash on me when I run off to Uni in January. Unfortunately that means 3 nights a week I'm working 12 hour shifts as a security guard. The plus is there's only 1 entrance to the place and I've been told that I can do whatever I want so long as I stay awake. So I'm bringing my trusty lappy with me to help pass the time.

What are some excellent games at passing time? Something either wildly addictive or a good interesting time sink?

Thanks.

[9 to 5]

Like, games you can doss around playing on via a web browser or something more involved?

[The Sultan of Swank]

Preferrably something more involved. I'm open to anything really, I've got 3 nights a week to kill, so I've got.... a lot of time.

[Ruki]

Neverwinter Nights 2. Rollercoaster Tycoon 1 or 2. Civilization 4. Eastside Hockey Manager 2007.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

WMMA2.

[stokeriño]

Whatever was wrong with good ol' FM?

[The Sultan of Swank]

I'm Canadian. We play Hockey. Plus I just plain don't understand FM.

[Plubby]

Deus Ex

Any of the Diablo games, so long as its the first time you've played them.

EHM is solid.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

[bethesda love-in]

OBLIVION!

[/bethesda love-in]

[Rich]

2 Words. THEME HOSPITAL

[JasonM]

Open transport tycoon!

playing transport tycoon via that world wide web phenomena.

[METALMAN]

Europa Universalis III

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Yeah I second EU3.

I started playing it, kinda realized I wasn't doing too much because straying too far outside accepted "status quo" brings a lot of hatred from the countries around you.....

Then realized that it was five hours later and that it's ridiculously easy to lose long periods of time despite not really "doing" much....

[METALMAN]

I actually quite like watching what the other countries get up to while I'm having quiet periods on the game. Because I'm a saddo. >_>

[CraigOrion]

Theme Hospital is deceivingly addictive. I can go months without playing it or even thinking about it, then I go through a few weeks of it being all I play. Championship Manager 01/02 is just arrogantly addictive though, I enjoy playing that more than the later versions.

[Scott McFly]

I would've said Football Manager by a long shot, that game is seriously addictive. Like, dangerously so.

But since that's not an option, other games that have eaten away my free time in the past are Colonization (and Civ I guess, but I always preferred the former), any of the old-school X-COM games or Rollercoaster Tycoon. Depends what sort of games or settings you like to be honest, those are all strategy based but have different styles to them.

Never played it myself and I'm not sure if you have, but if you're a hockey fan then Eastside Hockey Manager sounds like it could be an FM-equivalent for you. There's a demo.

http://www.sigames.com/downloads.php?type=game&id=24

[The Kraig]

I'll back up any shouts for Civilization 4 and Football Manager (you can play as Toronto FC! ). I've lost a lot of hours accidentally.

Don't forget TEW as well!

[King Ellis]

Peggle, or any PopCap game for that matter.

Or, if you don't want to look like a bored housewife but still want that timeless 'match x amount of couloured shapes' gameplay mixed with some tough, manly RPG action: Puzzle Quest.

[Captain Kirk]

Command and Conquer: The First Decade is pretty cheap with a ton of games that have aged extremely well.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

UFO: Enemy Unknown