Sometimes you have the urge to play some video games but you don’t have the right hardware with you. Maybe you’re stuck at work or school, or you have a basic device like a Chromebook. The good news is that there are many games that require nothing more than a web browser to play. I’ve picked out ten of the most interesting ones, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
The kingdom of disgust
The Kingdom of Loathing bar scene in Crimbo.
A hilarious and quirky RPG, The kingdom of disgust features stick-figure graphics, clever writing, and a uniquely absurd sense of humor. You’ll battle monsters like “Knob Goblins” while exploring a world full of satire and pop culture references. So this is not just a browser game, but a game that fits very well with internet culture and humor.
A dark room
Screenshot 12/20/2024 at 13.35.21
A dark room begins as a mysterious experience with simple mechanics, but quickly evolves into a deeper story of survival, exploration and resource management. It starts off slow, and because it’s text-based it seems simple, but events happen in real time and your imagination does a pretty good job of making it feel real. I only played it for a short time to see why this game is so highly recommended, and I think I’ll definitely be back!
Joe Danger Infinity
Joe Danger Infinity runs in Safari
Maybe you remember the fantastic Joe danger from several other platforms, but this parody of stuntmen like Evil Knievel is now a click away Joe Danger InfinityIt’s like Excite bike of the NES was an endless runner. You can still buy Joe Danger games offline, but good guy Hello Games (from No one’s heaven fame) kindly decided to put a free variant of their franchise online. Be warned that it can take a long time to load, and you’ll need a somewhat capable machine to play on.
Word
You’ve probably heard of it Wordand many of you read our Wordle daily answersbut have you actually played this puzzle game? Although there’s only one Wordle a day, it’s the perfect way to fill a few minutes when you really don’t know what to do with yourself. It’s a stimulating and sometimes frustrating game, but it’s also great to brag to all your friends that you got it in one game!
City architect
Screenshot 20-12-2024 at 14.47.20
City architect isn’t so much a game as it is a cool little digital toy. You can buy it as a standalone game on platforms like Steam, but there is a free demo browser version that you can load at any time and design your own little game in your browser window. The interface is super simple and it’s a great way to burn time while getting creative. If you like the browser version, why not buy the full thing? It’s only a few dollars.
Chess.com
The playing field of Chess.com.
I love chess, but there is never anyone around who wants to play. Happy, Chess.com makes it easy to play a game against the computer, or quickly find another human to play against. It’s all in the browser and the basic virtual chess game is clear and easy to use. This is probably the most popular chess platform and it has mobile apps too, but if all you have is a browser it’s a smart move.
Katan
A browser-based game of Catan in progress.
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t quite understand it Katan. It’s still extremely popular and the game is always in stores, so I think I’m missing something, but I’d rather play Civilization personal. Nevertheless, if you’re one of the millions of people who enjoy playing Catan, you’ve got yourself covered Board game arena and play in minutes. It does require a one-time registration, but once that’s done you can spend days playing turn-based games with other players, or playing in real time. Perhaps best of all, the site offers plenty of resources to help you learn how to play.
Diablo
Diablo runs in a browser.
Diablo is the forerunner of the modern action RPG and, in my humble opinion, one of the best games of all time. Thanks playclassic.com you can play it in your browser. By default you can only play the shareware demo, which gives you a good taste of it, but if you provide your own game data files you can play the entire game.
The instructions are all given no matter what you want to do, and you can blast your way through hordes of baddies in no time.
OpenArena (a Quake III clone)
Open arena is a clone of the fantastic Earthquake III Arena– a fast-paced multiplayer shooter that I spent way too much time on as a teenager. While this game is legally distinctive, you’ll feel right at home once you’ve played the game it was cloned from. If not, hold on to your helmet because you’re going for a ride.
Runescape
Old school Runescape.
Runescape is one of the earliest MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games) comes at the end of the first generation of these games. Although it is not nearly as famous as World of Warcraftwhich is still the most popular example in history, Runescape was more than popular enough. It has been updated for the modern age, and it can be play it for free in your browser. You also have the option to play Old school Runescapewhich, as it sounds, is the original game brought back online for modern players.
What’s your favorite hidden gem of a browser game? It seems never-ending, but I had a blast trying these and my bookmark folder has grown quite a bit for a rainy day!