A person’s cycle is more than just a means of transportation, it is a call to adventure, and to human-powered speed. It is a sense of freedom, whether it is on a bike lane, on the street, off road or on a mountain. Unfortunately, due to the weather, muscle fatigue, or daily obligations, it isn’t always possible to get out there and ride. What can a person do? In theory, we could catch up on our reading, waste time on social media, or enjoy an online game. Speaking of games, there are a few that you might enjoy on the next rainy day. All online, no downloads or installations required.

Stickman games

While this isn’t just one game, it is suited for those who like simple, stickman-like characters. You can choose to go Downhill, and there is also the Freestyle version, depending on whether you enjoy mountain biking, or stunts, respectively. The reason stickman games are popular is that they are easily manageable. The mechanics are similar to some mobile games you might have come across before. The point of the game is to finish a track, upgrade yourself and/or the bike, earn achievements, and continue on your merry way, tackling even more challenging tracks and levels. Is it simple? Yes. However, it is also engaging and addictive.

Happy Wheels

Happy Wheels is not known for its races or stunts, except in rare instances. To be perfectly honest, it’s not about bikes at all. It is about gore and comedy using ordinary ragdoll mechanics. There are only two bikes to choose from, the rest are various, and we use the term loosely, vehicles. These vehicles include Santa’s sleigh, a lawnmower and a jet powered wheelchair, to name a few. What separates this game from the others, though, is the fact that it is very entertaining, and most of the tracks and maps are designed by the community. You can be as creative as you want. If you enjoy ragdoll mechanics, gore, and humor, this is the game for you.

Icycle

Now, this is a gem, to be sure. The game has a simple premise, ride a bicycle and collect bubbles. Go right to complete a level. Pretty straightforward, nothing we haven’t seen before, right? Wrong! The game’s protagonist is a naked guy riding a comically tiny bike in a frozen tundra. Another difference from your run-of-the-mill cycling games – the camera doesn’t follow the rider. Rather, every level is divided into scenes, and it is your job to get him safely from point A to point B, all the while collecting bubbles.

The controls are counter-intuitive, if you are used to simple cycling games. The right arrow is the acceleration, the left is the break (there is no leaning forwards or backwards, nor is there going in reverse), up is used to jump, which is neat if you want to avoid frozen spikes on the floor, or pits, and down is to crouch, which is also neat, for the previously introduced spikes are on the ceiling as well. Of you stumble upon an obstacle, the bike will launch the rider into the snow, where he will become a naked, human icicle. Don’t worry though, the game allows you to try the same level over and over again till you get it right.