There are over 50,000 applications for the  iPod Touch and iPhone now, but luckily there are still tons of free ones out there to help occupy your time!

There are tons and tons of free games for both of Apple’s devices, but where do you even start in choosing one?  We’ve gathered up 40 of the best free ones for you from eight different categories to give you a jumping off point to filling up your gadget’s memory.  Just remember to keep them organizedor else you’ll spend all your free time just looking for the right icon to start playing.

Please note all links in this article go directly to the app page in iTunes.

Board Games

Checkers Free: A checkers app for one player against the AI or against another player.  Really bored?  Put the game on demo mode and watch the app play against itself.

Chess Free: A free chess application supported by banner ads at the bottom of the screen.  The game is set up so you can either play against another person or the AI, and it has an automatic save feature in case you get a phone call or need to exit the app for another reason.

Morocco: The classic game of Othello (also known as Reversi) comes to the iPhone and iPod Touch in this free application that allows you to play against other people or the uilt-in AI.  The game also features options for turning hints on or off, stopping the disc flipping animations, three difficulty levels and more.

PegJump: Based on the classic wooden block game where you start with one empty hole and then jump the pegs around to get down to only one peg remaining.  This app also features new block designs, selectable colors for the pegs, using one of your own images for th ebackground and more.

Stones: Stones is an application based on the the ancient game of Go.  This version allows you to play on boards of 9×9, 13×13 and 19×19, and the stones are controlled by moving the actual stones around the board as opposed to using menus and prompts.

Card Game Applications

Cookie Bonus Solitaire: This is a traditional Klondike style solitaire game that includes bonuses to increase your game speed & score, badges to earn, the ability to chat with other players using the Fat-Free Games network and more.

Cribbage Lite: This is a single player cribbage application that allows you to play against the computer. It cuts the deck to determine who goes first, keeps track of stats, including skunk victories,  and more.

Free Speed: A well-known addictive card game where you try to be the first player to get rid of all your cards by connecting the cards in your hand with the the one in the middle of play.  This version features Jokers wild and double card matching.

i-Freecell Lite: A Freecell application that uses the same game numbers as the well known Microsoft version of the game.

iHearts: Play the classic card game of Hearts on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Casino Game Applications

Bingo: Do you have a need to call a game of bingo, but don’t want to carry around a large collection of balls to call the game?  This app will allow you to use either a 75 or 90 ball setup.

iSlots: Play a slot machine anytime, anywhere, with global high scores tracking.  And, yes, you can indeed pull the handle if you choose to.

JacksOrBetter Video Poker: A simple ideo poker app that if you get a pair of Jacks or better, you win!

Live Poker: Made by Zynga, Live Poker allows you to play Texas Hold ‘Em poker with over 1.5 million players on Facebook, MySpace, iPhones and iPod Touches.  You receive $1,000 in credits each day to play with, and if you’re on a roll, you can buy beers for everyone at the table.

Virtual Dice: Roll up to five dice at a time without having to carry them with you.

Music Game Applications

PianoWork: This application features 7 Major C keys of a piano that you can play on your iPhone or iPod Touch.  While it has no goal, it is still a fun way to pass the time with your gadget.

RhythmVivid: Follow the rhythm, match the flashing panels and try to keep up as the game gets more and moredcomplicated.

Rockstars Live: The worlds of music and role playing games collide in this game where you start off as a band practicing in your garage and you then try to work your way up through the music industry, all the while improving your musical gear and buying the excesses like a Hummer limo that makes being a rockstar worth it.

Tutti Frutti Flute: Ever dreamed of playing a flute made from a pineapple?  Don’t lie, you know you have.  Thanks to Fazer, a candy company from Finland, you can now lie the dream of making beautiful music with fruit.

Tap Tap Revenge: A wildly popular game since the App Store launched, Tap Tap Revenge brings the fun of games like Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution to your iPhone and iPod Touch.  Get your fingers limber and get ready to tap your screen to the beat of the song.

Racing Game Applications

Audi A4 Driving Challenge: This driving game challenges your ability to control the car as well as speeding up.  Using the accelerometer built in to the iPhone and iPod Touch, you can tilt your deice to the left or right to steer the car, just like you would a steering wheel.

MicroKart: Race around your “house” with miniture toy cars just like you did as a kid.  Some of the obstacles you might expect to see our cups, plates, pizza and more.

RhinoBall: Navigate Rhino, the hamster from the Disney movie Bolt, through the city streets in his hamster ball.  This game is totally controlled through tilting your device forward and back for speed, while using left and right for direction.

SpaceNavigation: Pilot your ship through a course of barricades and asteroids.

Volkswagen Polo Challenege 3D: Drive the Volkswagen Polo through 8 different tracks whilesteering by either tilting your device or tapping the corresponding sides of the screen.

Role Playing Game Applications

Dungeon Quest: Who needs fancy modern-day role-playing games when you can go old school and explore some dungeons?  The game also connects with players on Facebook so the potential enemies is huge, best get to fighting to stake your claim in the game.

Epic Pet Wars: Adopt a unique pet monster and enter it into battle and then upgrade it so you can continue your winning aways against others.  Play is done on iPhone, iPod Touch, Facebook and EpicPetWars.com.

Race Wars: It’s time to get your street racing the cred it deserves.  With this multi-player game you can race against teams from around the world, buy upgrades to your cars, obtains sponsors and more.

Star Command: Lead your crew of shipmates in numerous uests and battle against other players to gain prestige.  You can upgrade your ship’s systems, weapons and shields with the game money you earn from gameplay.

Vampires Bloodlust: Want to be a Vampire Lord?  Feel like killing other vampires from around the world and attempting to build the largest clan?  Then this game is for you!  Vampire Bloodlust is a game from popular Facebook game developer Zynga.

Simulation Game Applications

24:Special Ops: Play through the first four hours of the full game where you work with the infamous Jack Bauer to bring down yet another terrorist threat.

iBowl: Fire up this application and then swing your iPhone or iPod Touch just like you were throwing a bowling ball and see how many strikes you can get.  We do recommend you hold on tightly while playing this game.

Lemonade Tycoon: Build your economic empire from humble beginnings at a lone lemonade stand.  You can save up to six different games at once so you can always be working on different levels.

TapDefense: A tower defense style strategy game where you must defend the gates of Heaven from the enemies that rise from Hell.  The game has 42 levels, 6 power types, 7 enemy types and 6 different game modes.

X-Plane-Trainer: A basic version of the X-Plane game that gives you the full game but limits you to only one plane, a Cessna 172.  Learn to fly the plane through different scenarios and get numerous tips on how best to control the plane.

Word Game Applications

Crossword Blitz:  Play an unlimited number of crosswords without the need for an Internet connection.

Free Hangman: Free Hangman is the traditional paper and pencil game brought in to the 21st century.  The game features six different graphical themes eighteen different word lists you can choose from.

Idle Hands: Ever wondered how fast you can type on the iPhone on-screen keyboard?  With Idle Hands you can give yourself a typing test to see just how good you are.

Word Scramble: A word scramble game from Zynga that allows you to play on a 4×4 or 5×5 board against yourself or other users from through out their network.  For added fun you can email a oard to a friend and challenge them to beat your score.

WordJong Lite: Play daily puzzles with assorted letter tiles to create as many words as you can, and trying to use up all of the pieces to win the game.

Have we missed your favorite free iPod Touch game? Feel free to add it in the comments.

Related:

Apple iPhone competing with Sony PSP, Nintendo DS

Apple App Store manages 100,000,000 downloads in just 60 days

Over 6,000 iPhone games in the App Store

iPhone developers finally get App Store download totals, daily

iPhone and iPod Touch Apps — users suck it and see — once

Entry was posted on Saturday, June 13th, 2009 at 6:51 pm under Free Apps, iPhone, iPod Touch.  Print This Post

Read more entries by Sean P. Aune.
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