Does the Kindle Come With Game Apps?
Amazon.com's Kindle device is primarily designed as an ebook reader, but is also capable of running games and applications. There are two games built into the Kindle's hardware, and more can be downloaded from the Kindle Store. Additional games are stored on the Kindle in the same way as ebooks, and are accessed through the device's library.
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Accessing Built-In Kindle Games
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The Kindle has two games built into its firmware, which aren't widely publicized by Amazon. Press the "Home" button on the Kindle's keyboard to return to the library page. Hold down the "Alt" and "Shift" keys on the Kindle's keyboard and press "M" to launch the first game, called "Minesweeper." Pressing the "G" key while "Minesweeper" is running will launch the Kindle's second built-in game, called "Gomoku." Pressing the "Home" key at any time will return you to the Kindle's library page.
Minesweeper
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"Minesweeper" is a single-player game, which features an abstract minefield represented by an 8 by 10 grid. Hidden within the grid are 10 mines, which you must locate by selecting a square on the grid using the Kindle's five-way controller. When a square is selected it displays a number, which represents how many mines are immediately adjacent to that particular square. Using this information, you must work out where the mines are to avoid selecting those squares and thereby detonating the mines, losing the game.
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Gomoku
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"Gomoku" is a strategy-based board game that is sometimes referred to as "Five in a Row." The Kindle version of "Gomoku" is a single-player game, in which you compete against the Kindle, taking turns to place five icons in a row, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally. You must also position your icons to prevent the opponent from achieving a row of five, and thereby winning the game. "Gomoku" is played on a 20 by 20 grid, and the Kindle keeps score of how many games have been won and lost.
Kindle Store
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Additional games are available through the online Amazon.com Kindle Store. Some of these games are free, such as the ones developed and published by Amazon itself. Third-party developers can also acquire the Kindle software development kit (SDK) for free, and build and publish their own Kindle games in the Kindle Store. Games such as EA's "Scrabble" and Big Fish Games's "Hidden Expedition: Amazon" require a payment to download them, and can only be played on the Kindle device, rather than the Kindle applications.
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