The people who are used to playing games for PC or on their console often underestimate games played inside a browser. The truth is, they can be just as alluring, joy-inducing, awe-inspiring, challenging, and most of all, time-wasting. We intend to prove all of those points with our list below, and quickly change those people’s opinions. Best of all, the games on our list are not paid games, which means you can dip your toe, and if the water is too cold, you can find another pond to test – if you catch our drift. Simply put, you have nothing to lose by giving it a try. These are the best browser games for PC, in our opinion.
1. Adventure Quest Worlds
“Browser games have gotten far!” is what we thought after playing Dragon Awaken. It is a free browser-based MMORPG, although it can be played using a mini-client that only takes an MB or two of your storage space. For a browser game, it is incredible – beautiful artwork, amazing graphics, multi-layered storyline, dynamic scenes, faithful simulation, turn-based strategy, and tower defense elements are just some of its best features. Additionally, you can level your character, earn mounts, cast spells, farm or craft weapons and armor, and much more. Get on it!
2. DarkOrbit Reloaded
Next up is an MMO game filled with air combat but in the form of a space shooter, released back in late 2006. If you loved Star Wars and Star Trek, this game is definitely for you. After you register an account, you get to pick whether to be a good guy (or girl) and choose to become a space pilot, or a bad guy, and become a space pirate. Customize your aircraft, and set to battle either NPCs trying to perform an alien invasion or other players. Of course, you can join clans and share the loot with your newfound friends. We warn you, though. There’s a lot of grinding, but it’s all worth it in the end.
3. RuneScape
RuneScape was released in 2000. Yes, it a very old game! Yet, it never went out of style and has a fanbase counting hundreds of thousands. It’s the world’s biggest free-to-play fantasy MMORPG game, set in Gielinor, a medieval-age world. There are no set classes – make a character, create his backstory, and attain skills you’d like to have, with no constraints or consequences. You can craft weapons, armor, items, prepare food and consumables, fight monsters, complete quests (missions), and just immerse yourself for hours. The fact that it was recently released on PC and Mac and has Android and iOS versions says enough.
4. Agar.io
This action MMO game is very simplistic, but hours of fun, whether you need a cute game for a boy or a girl. Remember the old Snake game on Nokia 3310? Well, instead of a snake, this time you’re playing with circles, or rather, cells in a Petri dish. It’s a simplified survival adventure – you must eat cells that are smaller than yours to grow. Meanwhile, you must avoid cells that are bigger and can eat you instead. The name isn’t random either. Agar is the name of the gelatinous substance used for growing bacteria cultures.
5. Travian Legends
This multiplayer 2D cartoon game was released back in September 2004 and is still extremely popular. You start a character on a tiny spot on an island in a vast open-world. As you start building structures, recruiting troops, sending scouts, and merchants to find, trade, and exploit resources, you’ll inevitably get in touch with other players. It’s your choice whether to go with diplomacy and peace or send troops and expand forcefully. After you create an entire empire and advance your knowledge, you can create one or more of the Wonders of the World. Or, you can venture off the island to conquer or befriend other areas of the world.
6. Fallen London
Seeking a text-based mystery game, where you act as a detective to uncover what lies beneath? The game is obviously set in London, the setting of which immerses you automatically. We thought of H.P. Lovecraft, Sherlock Holmes, or even Jack the Ripper immediately. The adventure is unique for each player as well. The story is dark, grimy, has a lot of elements of horror, zombies, and Gothicism, but at times bizarre and hilarious as well. You’ll feel like you’re playing an RPG, even though it relies on the written word.
7. Slither.io
Slither.io an incredibly addicting, 3D version of the old Snake game that also has a multiplayer mode. This allows you to compete against others for the highest score on the Leaderboard in real-time. The game is extremely easy to play. In fact, you only have to use your mouse to control the snake – no clicking or keyboard pressing of any kind! Simply eat the glowing dots to grow larger (well, longer), and try to escape the enemies. You can also change the snake’s color if you grow tired of the old one or want to express your creativity.
8. Naruto Online
An officially licensed online Japanese/anime game, Naruto Online, won the Best Web Game Award at the Facebook “2016 Games of the Year”. And for a good reason! It allows you to play the game inside the browser or using a mini client. The game follows the story of the original saga in a world filled with ninjas known as shinobi. It allows you to take the role of many characters, both from the anime and the manga. You can also create a character of your own, form teams, and level them up using fragments. The game also has both PvE (Player vs. Environment) and PvP (Player vs Player) modes.
9. Elvenar
Elvenar is very similar to Travian Legends, as in choosing a hero, building a city, recruiting troops, and expanding it to reach the peak of glory. However, it has much better graphics, a better economic system, a larger and prettier World Map, and the ability to play as Humans or Elves. Additionally, the entire game was translated from 2D to 3D, although the concept of discovering new technologies almost identical. Once again, you have a free choice between being a conqueror or a peaceful ruler through trading instead of starting a war.
10. Spelunky
This low-spec game is a mixture between Indiana Jones and Mario and borrows a lot of great details from both. For example, you’ll be playing in a Mario style of jumping around, killing monsters, and saving people. But, instead of a bright open world, you’ll be exploring dark caves, trying to avoid traps, and seeking a hidden treasure. The environment is randomized, so the game has a lot of replayability, and you can also test your speedrunning skills. Furthermore, there are two versions, the original, low fidelity one, and an HD remaster.
11. Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming
If you haven’t heard of Game of Thrones, you must be living under a rock. Yes, we know the last season didn’t end as everybody hoped. That’s why both old and new fans are looking for an alternate ending and redemption inside this officially licensed game. It’s created as a strategy. You start your own house, recruit characters (including those from the show), train an entire army, and then start either attacking or befriending lords nearby. Your goal? Conquer the entire known world!
12. The World’s Hardest Game
You had to know that something plain but extremely challenging is bound to come up. The World’s Hardest Game is a treat for hardcore players that are also fans of games like Dark Souls. Well, you won’t find such a deep backstory or any monstrous bosses, but you will find a maze filled with blue dots. You’ll be the red square, and your goal is to get from one end to the other while collecting yellow circles (coins). Every level gets progressively harder, and the game clearly displays the number of fails, which can either push you or discourage you. Underrated, definitely.
13. CATAN Universe
Can you tell we’re obsessed with strategy and fantasy games? Catan is another one, although we brought it up for a different reason. The familiar concept is there – you land on the uncharted island of Catan, and so do other players. You can create an Avatar, join a Guild, unlock skills and achievements, and even compete in tournaments. But, instead of just clicking on upgrades, making trades, and waiting for the buildings to be finished, you do it in form of a classic board game – by taking turns and using cards.
14. Doom Online
Remember this good old violent game, released in 1995? It is filled with killing gruesome monsters, using a wide variety of guns, and a lot of exploration and one-man-standing type of playstyle? Although its graphics don’t look as appealing now that we have Doom Eternal, we have to give props to the game that started it all and kickstarted the FPS genre. The stats, the graphics, the hardcore difficulty, and most importantly, the soul of the original game remains. If you play the 25-year-anniversary version, you’ll also get to play 9 additional levels.
15. World’s Biggest Pac-Man
Who hasn’t heard of the classic Pac-Man game? Well, if you ever played it or seen it played, you would know that there are exits or hiding spots on the left and the right side, allowing you to take a break or plan your next course of action. Well, this one wouldn’t be called the world’s biggest if it wasn’t true – now there are exits and hiding spots on the top and bottom too! Additionally, the developers allowed their players (you included) to create a custom maze, and let others test it out.
16. Quick, Draw
Want to feel like you’re both having fun and doing something important? If so, Quick, Draw, an online doodle game, made with “some friends on Google”, gives you a chance to draw something within 20 seconds. Then, the artificial intelligence will try to guess what you drew. Doing this helps train the neural network behind the game and improve its machine learning capabilities. Those can later be utilized for real-world purposes in the future. Not challenging, but certainly a lot of fun, and a great way to cure boredom.
17. Pocket Tanks
Looking for a two-player game that can fill in a boring evening without a learning curve? It’s addictive, easy to get into, and will spark fierce competition between the two of you. Basically, you spawn in tanks on the opposite sides. Then you adjust the power and angle of the shot, as well as the type of missile, and take turns trying to hit each other. Your enemy (or friend) is the weather as well, so you have to fine-tune your shot if you hope of making a one-hit-kill.
18. A Dark Room
A few of our first choices certainly showed you how far browser games have come in terms of graphics. Well, what about the people that like old-school games that were simple, yet fun and engaging? A Dark Room is one of those. The story is an RPG told only through text (and some rectangles to make things more legible). It has elements of survival, post-apocalypse, horror, building, trading, resource gathering, and more. It was also one of our favorite idle games for PC.
19. Line Rider
How can such a simple game be so damn interesting? We don’t know, but it definitely is. You basically doodle a line to create a path for the rider. When you press Play, the rider sets off to follow that line from left to right. Following the instructions allows you to draw a floor and a ceiling, allowing you to create Frankenstein rollercoaster creators and watch the rider go. There are no limits but your imagination. In a way, you’re creating a browser game for yourself. A great way to relax after a long day whether you’re 7 or 77.
20. Geoguessr
Do you love traveling? So do we! If you are on a tight budget, browsing Google Earth or Google Maps and roaming through the streets can be fun. But it gets a bit boring and repetitive after a while. So, why not make a game out of it? The game will spawn you in a certain location across the globe. You can look around, follow the road, or look at the map. Then, you have to guess the exact location. The game tells you how far off you were, and awards you points based on that.