The 10 Best Browser Games

Human Made

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Penned by Austin Carroll

Austin Carroll is a writer and web designer from Eugene, Oregon. He's been at HGG for five years and maintains an active role designing and develop... Read more

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

The web browser is the multi-tool of the digital era. It’s your portal to everything the internet has to offer, from news and information, to entertainment galore. And with the rollout of interactive technologies like HTML5 and Unity, the browser can act as your playground too!

The best browser games are light and nimble, without sacrificing on the fun. No 50GB downloads required, thank you very much. Browser games are also incredibly accessible. All you need is a modern browser and the right URL. Play on your mobile phone, your outdated laptop, or your modern machine – the choice is yours.

Whether you enjoy simple puzzle games or action-packed battle royales, we’ve curated the best browser games for every type of gamer. Join us (from your browser) as we explore the coolest titles around!

Top 10 Best Browser Games

Starting with #10, let’s work our way down the list to discover the best browser games. 

10. Akinator

Our pick for best browser-based puzzle game

• Genre: Puzzle
• Developer: Trebuchet Entertainment
• Release: 2007
• Website: www.akinator.com

Come one, come all, to experience the mystical power of the Akinator. All you’ve gotta do is think of any object, animal, or fictional character. Hold this thought in your mind, and let the game commence!

The Akinator will try to guess what you’re thinking by asking you a series of questions to narrow down the possibilities. Answer these questions to the best of your abilities, and watch as the Akinator works his magic. Within a matter of minutes, he’ll know precisely what it is you’re thinking.

Think you can stump the Akinator? Check out this fantastic browser-based puzzle game to find out.

9. Spelunky HTML5

Our pick for best browser roguelike

• Genre: Platform
• Developer: Derek Yu
• Release: 2008
• Website: www.tinysubversions.com

Spelunky is one of the best and most accessible roguelikes in existence, with ports to every platform imaginable. Including HTML5.

Assume control of an unnamed explorer known as ‘The Spelunker’ as he journeys deep underground in search of buried treasure. Explore the procedurally-generated tunnels and channel Indiana Jones as you maneuver around booby traps and whip down waves of insidious enemies. The caverns grow more and more challenging as you progress, and if you lose all your hearts… it’s over.

Spelunky packs a ton of whimsical mechanics that’re sure to delight casual gamers and roguelike fans alike. It’s one you don’t want to miss.

8. Neopets

Our pick for best classic browser game

• Genre: Virtual Pet
• Developer: Adam Powell
• Release: 1999
• Website: www.neopets.com

Getting a new pet is the best feeling in the world. But it’s also a lot of responsibility. That is, until now.

Introducing Neopets, the virtual pet browser game! Enter the world of Neopia and adopt one of over 50 different Neopets. Then, bring your companion home and start your adventure! There are all kinds of things to do with your new pal, from obvious activities like feeding and nurturing, to exploring Neopia’s fantasy-inspired regions together. Imagination is your only limit.

Neopets is a fun little adventure that brings all the joy of a real pet, without all the worries.

7. Kingdom of Loathing

Our pick for best text-based browser game

• Genre: MMORPG
• Developer: Asymmetric
• Release: 2003
• Website: www.kingdomofloathing.com

Kingdom of Loathing, or KoL, is a text-based MMORPG that incorporates whimsical stick-figure graphics, wacky humor, and traditional role-playing elements. Choose from one of six character classes (ranging from the Turtle Tamer to the Disco Bandit), and begin your adventure in the Kingdom of Loathing. 

Like other games in the RPG genre, KoL boasts turn-based gameplay that takes the form of adventures. At the start of each day, players receive 40 turns that can be used to battle, explore, craft, or even down a couple of drinks at ye ole tavern! Gain levels as you explore the world, interacting with other players along the way, and transform yourself into a fighting (stick-figure) force not to be trifled with.

6. Desktop Dungeons HTML5

Our pick for best HTML5 browser game

• Genre: Roguelike
• Developer: Trebuchet Entertainment
• Release: 2010
• Website: www.desktopdungeons.com

If you’re seeking a bite-sized adventure complete with high fantasy mechanics, Desktop Dungeons is the game for you.

Choose from a range of classic classes – including Fighter, Thief, Priest, and Wizard – and enter a procedurally generated dungeon in search of glorious rewards. But travel lightly, friend. Uncovering the map is critical to progressing, but it’s also the very same element that heals your stamina and mana pools. Conserve your resources and be wary of wretched beasts, false gods, and other unspeakable horrors that lurk in the shadows.

Think you can make it through the dungeon in one piece? Check out the HTML5 version of Desktop Dungeons today!

5. Runescape

Our pick for best browser MMORPG

• Genre: MMORPG
• Developer: Jagex
• Release: 2001
• Website: www.runescape.com

Runescape revolutionized the browser gaming industry when it first launched two decades ago. At a time when 2D text games reigned supreme, Runescape was an epic 3D fantasy title that you could play from any computer in the world – all you needed was a web browser.

Fast forward 20 years, and Runescape is still going strong.

Now it’s your turn to jump into the adventure and explore the open-world land of Gielinor for yourself. Make a new character and complete Tutorial Island, then set out to meet new friends, go on epic quests, slay powerful monsters, and level up dozens of skills. Glorious adventures await in Runescape.

4. Flappy Bird

Our pick for best one-button browser game

• Genre: Platform
• Developer: Dong Nguyen
• Release: 2013
• Website: www.flappybird.io

Remember Flappy Bird? This simple yet challenging game entered the scene way back in 2013, before quickly ascending to the top of the App Store. Though it was pulled from the store just a few months later, you can now play the hit title right from your browser!

Flappy Bird’s premise is simple: players control a (what else?) flapping bird as it glides between Mario-inspired tubes of varying heights. You must click your screen (or your mouse) to flap higher, making sure not to collide with any in-game obstacles as you go. Factor in the unforgiving gravity mechanics, and you’ll find that it’s the rare bird who can make it past 10 points in one game. 

If you’re up for the challenge, check out Flappy Bird at the link below.

3. Pokémon Showdown

Our pick for best browser simulation game

• Genre: Online Battle Simulator
• Developer: Zarel & Co
• Release: 2011
• Website: www.pokemonshowdown.com

I choose you, Pokémon Showdown!

Pokémon Showdown is a stellar fan game that mimics its namesake’s battle mechanics to a tee. The major difference? Pokémon Showdown takes place entirely online, and there’s no training necessary! Simply assemble your team of pocket monsters, then battle it out against other trainers from all around the world. It’s the complete package, with hundreds of different monsters, movesets, items, and more to choose from.

If you call yourself a Pokémon master, now’s your chance to prove it. Join millions of other trainers waiting to face off in a high-stakes Showdown.

2. GeoGuessr

Our pick for best educational browser game

• Genre: Discovery
• Developer: Anton Wallén
• Release: 2013
• Website: www.geoguessr.com

GeoGuessr is exactly what it sounds like: a geography-meets-guessing game that puts your knowledge and deductive skills to the test.

How’s it work? Load a game right from your browser, and you’ll find yourself at a random location on Google’s Street View (it could be anywhere in the world). Move around the map to uncover clues about your location, beit from the terrain, street signs, or other landmarks, then make an educated guess about where you are by dropping a pin on the world map in your sidebar.

The closer your guess, the more points you receive! Cycle through 5 different locations, accumulating over 10,000 points along the way, and you win! GuoGuessr is a fun discovery game for players of all ages.

1. War Brokers

Our pick for best browser battle royale

• Genre: Battle Royale
• Developer: Trebuchet Entertainment LLC
• Release: 2018
• Website: www.warbrokers.io

At #1 on our list, we have War Brokers, an FPS and battle royale that you can play right from your browser.

This exceptional title draws inspiration from games like Fortnite and PUBG to deliver high-stakes shoot ’em up action. Drop from a warplane, and parachute down to any spot on the island. Seek out a gun and armor, then make your way to the center of the map, ever vigilant for enemy players. Spot someone along the way, and you better be sure to blast ’em with all you’ve got! It takes cunning and top-notch tactics to make it out alive.

War Brokers is built atop the Unity Game Engine and boasts low-poly graphics, making it easily accessible with no download required. Check out War Brokers today from the link below, and see if you’ve got what it takes to be the last man standing.

Related Reading

• Best Puzzle Games
• Best Battle Royale Games
• Best FPS Games
• Best Dungeon Crawlers
• Best Roguelike Games