Browser games · Explained
Free browser games — no download, no install
A browser game is a game that runs inside the web page itself, so there is no app store, no installer and nothing left on your device afterwards. You open a URL and you are playing. This page explains how they work, what makes a good one, and collects the nine original browser games we have built.
What is a browser game?
A browser game is built from the same technologies as a web page — HTML, CSS and JavaScript — and runs inside the browser tab. Nothing is installed, nothing needs updating, and closing the tab is the same as quitting. Modern browsers can render hardware-accelerated 3D, play spatial audio and read a gamepad, which is why a browser game today can look nothing like the Flash games the term used to mean.
Why no download?
Because the game is the page. Your browser already has the engine needed to run it, so all that has to arrive is the game itself. Ours are deliberately tiny — most under 200KB, some far less — which means they start in about the time it takes an app store page to finish loading its screenshots.
What makes a good browser game?
It should be playable within seconds of arriving, work the same with a thumb as with a mouse, and reach a natural stopping point quickly — you might be playing on a five-minute break. It should also not demand an account to save a score.
Nine original browser games to play free
Are browser games safe to play?
Safer than installed games, structurally. A browser game runs inside the same sandbox as every other web page, so it cannot reach your files or install anything. The risk with browser games has always been the sites hosting them rather than the games — the pop-ups, the fake download buttons, the sign-up walls. There are none of those here, and no accounts to create.
Browse by category
More free browser games by type: casual games, sports games, puzzle games and action games, or see every free online game we have made.
Browser games — questions, answered
What is a browser game?
A browser game is a game that runs inside the web page itself, built from HTML, CSS and JavaScript. There is no app store, no installer and nothing left on your device — you open a URL and you are playing.
Why do browser games not need a download?
Because the game is the page. Your browser already has the engine needed to run it, so the only thing that has to arrive is the game itself. Ours are mostly under 200KB, so that takes about a second.
Are browser games safe to play?
Structurally safer than installed games — a browser game runs in the same sandbox as any web page, so it cannot reach your files or install anything. The historic risk has been the sites hosting them rather than the games themselves.
Can browser games run on a phone?
Yes. Any modern mobile browser runs them, and a well-built one adapts its controls to touch. Every game here ships touch and keyboard controls in the same page, so the phone and desktop versions are the same URL.
Are browser games still just Flash games?
No. Flash was removed from browsers at the end of 2020. Modern browser games use HTML5, WebGL and the Web Audio API, which is why they can render hardware-accelerated 3D and read a gamepad.