The name says it all, really. I become severely addicted to computer games. The addiction usually lasts a couple of weeks, and then I lose interest.
I remember when I first found Snood, I couldn’t stop playing it. I downloaded it to my computer at work, and would secretly grab a few minutes of playing time before my boss came around.
So, what’s your addiction?
For the past few years Everquest=)
However, I have always liked computer RPGs - I lost myself for hours in Eye of the Beholder 1 on amiga, DungeonMaster1 on amiga … to the point where I could walk people through either of them on the phone=)
I can currently play something like Caesar3 for hours trying different ways of laying out the maps, or Civilization Gold for hours, and if my internet connection crashes I will play [currently] Caesar 3=)
I have solitaire on my PDA and will play that if I don’t feel like reading.
I have a friend with OC disorder, and she cant get ready for work in the morning without winning a game of solitaire on her computer… I have seen her sit there for an hour trying to win and being upset because she knows she is very late, but she HAS TO WIN or she cant get ready <boggle>
Starcraft and Quake.
I’ve actually injured myself playing both of those games. Oh, and skipped many sleep cycles.
Starcraft is a long-lasting addiction. (Yeah, it’s still installed.)
Since your definition seems to include short-term compulsions:
Recently I’m stuck on a silly little Japanese flash game called Zookeeper. I’ll be okay as soon as I break 15,000.
I’m not addicted to D2 LOD or Civ3. Really I am not. I can quit any time I want to.
As a kid I was virtually addicted to Pac-Man. I could hardly walk past a machine without wanting to play it. I played it at least three times a week and kept playing until I got to the ninth key level (the power dots no longer changed the ghosts to blue at this point). After reaching this point in the game but not being able to get past it my interest waned and I felt I had reached my peak. I also got hooked on Tempest, Centipede, Galaga, and Robotron.
At home with our Atari 2600 I got hooked on Yars Revenge, Frogger, Pac-Man (as crappy as it was), Missile Command and Space Invaders.
Nowadays I am too busy to spend much time on computer games and I’ll play a MAME-emulated classic for diversion if I have nothing else going on.
Freecell. I don’t know what it is but I can play it for hours. I took it off my computer at work so it wouldn’t be a temtation. At home, I cruise the net in betwen games of it. I also keep deleting it to break my addiction and then reinstalling a shareware version. ARGH. Massive time suck…
Most of the ID fps games, starting with Wolfenstein 3D.
Also the CIV games.
I usually have brief flings with games where I play them obsessively and exclusively for a few days straight, then drop them.
The exceptions have been:
Diablo and Diablo 2: played them each like crazy when they first came out, and still pick them up occasionally and get sucked right back into playing them for way, way too many hours at a stretch.
SimCity 3000: I think 4’s better, but then I’m a little biased. Still, SC3K is the one videogame that I have literally spent an entire day playing. I got up at 8 AM one day, started up a new city, played through lunch, played through dinner, and finally stopped when I’d literally run out of room in the city and it was making over a couple million simoleons a year in profit. At that point it was around 8:30 the next morning.
The Sims: I thought this was a completely stupid idea for a game at first, but I went home and tried it anyway. I continued to mock it as silly at work, but would go home and play it “in the closet” every night for at least an hour. I was completely hooked in less than a week. Played it obsessively for a couple of months until I had a huge neighborhood filled with huge cross-breeding families that would put “Knot’s Landing” to shame. Every time they released an expansion pack, I would pick it up again and get right back into obsessively playing it for a week or so.
I’m dreading the release of Sims 2, because it looks so cool. That may be the end of my “real” life as I know it.
A friend and I are actually still hooked on Pocket Tanks. Lame, but still really fun.
Fallout and Fallout 2. Most of Square’s games, not just the Final Fantasy series, but EVERYTHING they put out. (Won’t someone take pity on me and port Secret of Mana to the PS?). Loads of arcade games. R-Type, Rolling Thunder, Q-Bert, Arkanoid: Revenge of Doh (and it can’t be regular Arkanoid, either). I BEAT Revenge of Doh, several times. Astro Blaster. NES and SNES Zelda. Backgammon, reversi, and other board games, both with live people and on the computer. And some of the online puzzle games. I might have to strangle Biggirl because she mentioned playing Zuma, and now I can’t stop playing it.
I would tell you that I hate you but that would take time off from the task of stacking little pixellated animals that has now been bestowed on me.
And I know I shouldn’t venture into those threads. Note to myself: Threads on “Addictive games” - don’t open them! Don’t click on links! Remember when you had to tend that Aquarium for ages? Duh.
About five years ago I was really addicted to Mario Kart 64. I was really good at it, even beating the game. But when I go back and play it now I stink. I have trouble beating the 100 cc rounds. It’s pathetic.
Amateur! I do 18,000 without breaking a sweat 
Red Alert 2, and the subsequent Yuri’s Revenge expansion back.
Godliest real-time strategy games ever. Yeah, you know where you can shove your Starcraft! :mad:
Battlefield 1942 and all its add-on buddies. My first (and so far only) taste of what real, full-on, broadband-powered computer addiction could be like.
I. Love. That.
Civ II. I haven’t played it in years, but sometimes…I can still taste it.
No love for Super Mario Brothers? I couldn’t get enough of that game… same with SMB3. I also loved Shinobi for the SMS and Revenge of Shinobi for Genesis.
I second the nomination for RA2 and Yuri’s revenge… once I discovered how powerful Battle Bunkers were I couldn’t get enough base pillaging done. My favorite was the skirmish map where crates would randomly appear all over the place throughout the game… tons of fun. I’m currently more into Zero Hour though, which didn’t impress me much at first but has quickly become my new favorite.
I’m also addicted to the single player missions of Command and Conquer Renegade. The early levels are easy, fun and beautifully designed. My favorite is the freighter, where I can go up against the whole crew all by myself, shooting left handed and still kick everyone’s ass.
I would be addicted to NFS: Underground if not for some of the tougher races which make the game a real PITA sometimes… I have a feeling I’ll be loving the sequel for a long time though…
I’d also have to nominate GTA: Vice City… never gets old, never gets boring. I have a feeling San Andreas won’t be as much fun due to all the character maintenance you’ll have to do.
The latest game for me is Shape Shifter, from Gamehouse
I truly have an addiction problem, I know. First, I’ve got a form of OCD, which definitely doesn’t help when you get involved in some of these games. Years ago, I was introduced to the world of online role-playing games, i.e. mushes & muses (never did the MUD thing). I became very badly addicted… staying up all hours of the night, to the point where I was neglecting my family. It was really quite bad. I suffered similar addiction when we got a SNES system; several times, I stayed up until 3 and 4 am, because I was trying to get past a certain level in Super Mario World.
I have some semblance of control now … I was able to wean myself from online rpgs and the computer games that I do enjoy are on my home pc. We’re unable to download -anything- at work any more, so I can’t play there, although I do confess to sneaking in a game or two at lunch. When the bosses are out, that is. 
I keep saying that I"m going to get one of those Game Boy Advance units, but it’s probably a very bad idea. I haven’t given in to it … yet.
A couple years ago my son got me started on, “Serious Sam.” I can, and have, played all night.
Think I’ll go kill a few thousand thingoids right now.
I once played civ3 for nine hours straight. I only stopped because people say nine hours is too much. How can something that makes you feel so warm and fuzzy for nine hours straight be bad? I felt very wrong once I got off the computer, life has not felt right since.