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Get PopCap's Peggle (PC/Mac) for free!

Normally $19.95, this incredibly fun and addictive game is free for a limited time.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read

Screenshots don't really do it justice. Peggle is loads of fun for gamers (and non-gamers) of all ages.
Screenshots don't really do it justice. Peggle is loads of fun for gamers (and non-gamers) of all ages. PopCap Games

How much do you value your productivity? If you're smack in the middle of an important work or school project, or you've got important life events to deal with -- eating, drinking, and so on -- you might want to steer clear of this deal.

Because I warn you: once you start playing Peggle, you won't want to stop.

Don't believe me? Peggle comes from PopCap Games, makers of such addictive pastimes as Bejeweled, Bookworm, and Plants vs. Zombies. And I'd say it ranks just as high as those classics on the time-suck scale.

It's lucky, then, that it sells for $19.95 -- kind of a lot for a so-called casual game (even one as great as this). There's a bullet dodged.

But wait, oh, no! As part of an Easter promotion, PopCap is offering Peggle for PC and Mac absolutely free. The only thing you have to part with is your e-mail address, required so you can receive your download link and order number (which is your activation code). And, yeah, it'll probably get used for the occasional promotional message, even if you opt out during registration. That's not such a hardship, is it? (Somehow I get the feeling I'll hear from some folks who think it is.)

For those unfamiliar with it, Peggle plays like a combination of pinball and the Japanese arcade game Pachinko. In each level, you get a certain number of balls with which to try to clear various pegs scattered around the board. Aim, fire, then watch as the ball caroms between pegs. It's simple, noisy, thoroughly engaging fun, a game that's suitable for all ages.

There's a bit more to it than that, like special balls and pegs, plus neat ways to earn extra balls and bonus points. But I won't spoil the fun of discovering all that for yourself. I will say that if you don't grab Peggle, you're missing out on a terrific game at an unbeatable price. You've got until April 4 to grab this fab freebie.

By the way, Peggle is also available for iOS, though it's not free: It'll cost you all of 99 cents (way less than when it first came out). You can play it on an iPhone or iPod Touch, but, like a pinball game, it's definitely more enjoyable on an iPad.