7 ways to game at work all day without your boss noticing

Work sucks. Until your online business really takes off, that dreaded alarm early Monday morning is enough to make anyone sink into a dark depression. And what if you're fresh out of Red Bull? Luckily, there's a universe of games at your fingertips, just waiting to be tickled and touched on your smartphone, and yes, even on your smartwatch.

Even Congress games at work

Getting caught playing games while you're supposed to be working isn't just for run of the mill lackeys. Ugandan MP Hatwib Katoto got caught playing Solitaire during a defense committee meeting. Can you say "security breach?" And the pic below shows two Democrats playing solitaire while a Republican spoke to the state legislature at a budget meeting. To be fair, I would have fallen asleep outright. [caption id="attachment_25157" align="alignnone" width="800"] AP Photo/Jessica Hill[/caption]

Pull a fast one over on the boss

You gotta get your gaming in while the gittin's good, cuz you sure as sh!t don't have any precious minutes to burn on your own time. But how, please tell, does one get in some quality gaming with that micro managing manager hovering about? I'm so glad you asked, otherwise I'd be prone to think I should be gaming myself, instead of working at writing this...

7 ways to game at work all day without your boss noticing

Drum roll please:

#7: Mobile gaming

Gaming on a PC is so passé. Try gaming on your phone. It's socially accepted to be glued to your phone, so no one will think anything of it. Got a smartwatch? No one can see that teeny tiny 42mm screen anyway, including you. Sure, the pickin's are slim, but there's some good ones out there. Try Lifeline (iOS, Android) for starters.

#6: "M" is for minimize

Never play your games full screen. It takes longer to minimize and all the scrambling and fumbling is a sure tip-off you're up to something. Nothing says "guilty" quite like that deer in headlights look.

#5: "P" is for pause

Always play games you can pause, that way, when your boss stops hovering, you can pick back up from whence you left off. Just cuz you're a slacker, doesn't mean you're inefficient.

#4: Always have an excuse at the ready

Games? No, I wasn't playing games, I was watching porn -- er -- I mean. Okay, so maybe not that excuse. All you need is a plausible distraction while you avert the bosses eyes away from your screen.

#3: Close the lid

If you're gaming at work on a laptop, just close the lid and you're in the clear. Most laptops enter sleep mode by default once the lid is closed, so there's no fear of losing any of the work you were (allegedly) doing. And if you're still slumming it on an old school workstation, try hitting Ctrl+Alt+Del, which will bring up the user login screen if you're using a fast computer, and do basically nothing if you're on an old relic. If it's the latter, then ripping the plug from the wall could work as a last resort.

#2: Ask for a raise

Your boss will be so busy telling you why you can't have one, that they may not notice you backing out of that game you were playing on their dime. Sure, it's a long shot, but hey, if you're gaming at work, things are pretty bleak already. And if you luck out and get that raise, you just might feel inspired to do some real work.

#1: Multitask AND clutter up your workspace

It's the one-two punch for successful slacking. Everyone's multi tasking, which means everyone's distracted and pulled in too many directions to notice exactly what you're up to. Just keep your desk messy, which gives prying eyes a multitude of things to focus on, and gives you just enough time to cover your tracks. However you pull it off, hiding in plain sight works.

What's Next: Gaming for productivity

Offices of the future will have nap rooms and game rooms, right alongside breastfeeding rooms and employee daycare centers. Workers will be encouraged to take a few minutes out of their day to relax and recharge, and employers will see an uptick in productivity and loyalty as a result. Sounds to good to be true? Yeah, it probably is. But studies have shown that power naps actually do increase productivity, mental acuity and creativity -- so there!

What's your take?

What games do you like to play at work? Which ones are best suited to trickery and sneakery? (Yes, sneakery - coined it!) Post your favorite, slacking it till retirement, play 'em at work, sort of games in the comments below. Please? I'm bored out of my mind and need something fun to do. ;) additional image: (c) gamingdebugged.com