I'm into roleplay games in a big way - anything from text Multi User Dungeons (MUDs) through in-the-flesh Dungeons & Dragons and on to computer AD&D-based games like Neverwinter Nights, Dungeon Siege and the rest (My character of choice is the Assassin, heh, but I do a mean cleric as well).

But this isn't about me, but about the games that are out there for you to choose from. And it may be that you are more into other types of game. Still, I can only talk about what I know, so you won't find a lot of other stuff here.

The thing about rpg, at least the ones you play online, is that you don't just get to take part in a whole other world (usually medieval, but there are others as well), you also get to 'meet' other people and make friends all over the planet. I know you can do that just as well in a chat room, but I prefer to be doing something, and once you've got to know people you can collaborate to get things done in the game, and you get to understand each other in ways that would never come up just chatting.

Of course, whatever game you choose to play, you will need some sort of software on your computer to play it (well, apart from board games and such). This can cost you anything from nothing at all to £30 or £40, depending on the game. Some games charge a monthly fee which helps them to pay their programmers and administrators, but others (mainly text-based) rely on voluntary donations and volunteer programmers.

Being part of a gaming community can be a real boost when you're feeling a bit down, and at the very least the game helps you get your mind off whatever is bothering you. So if you're at a loose end one day, take a look at some of the rpgs and mmorpgs online.