When someone mentions gaming, your mind probably jumps straight to hits like Call of Duty and gaming giants like Nintendo or Ubisoft. Given the rise of the eSports industry, it’s no surprise that we’re apt to imagine competitive gaming. However, along with favorites like shooter games and action-adventure titles, studies conducted by Statista have also found that simulations, puzzles, and online board games are also hugely popular.
In other words, casual games are becoming more mainstream. Typically, casual gamers rely on their smartphones to play their favorite titles. However, another way to access free and highly playable games is straight through your computer’s browser app. Though not nearly as flashy or well-known as games released for PC, console, and handhelds, browser games have stood the test of time.
Want to explore browser gaming and uncover a few new favorites? We’ve crafted a list of five suggestions that cover different gaming genres, which means there should be an option or two for just about every gaming interest.
Casino Games: Slots
Most of the world’s top online casinos can be accessed straight from a browser. While casinos give you access to blackjack, roulette, and other table games, we suggest starting out with the world’s most popular casino title: slots. Online slots cover a huge range of themes, from mythology to horror to fashion. Along with finding a slot that suits your interests, you can also keep an eye on RTP.
Return to player or RTP slots are descriptions that cover how often a game pays out per 100 spins. RTP is expressed as a percentage, usually between 90-100. Most players focus on slots that have an RTP of over 95%, which is considered good.
Classic MMOs: RuneScape
The concept of an MMO or massively multiplayer online game probably sounds new. After all, bringing thousands of players onto a single platform to game in real-time is no simple technology feat. However, RuneScape accomplished this during its release back in 2001. Since then, it’s amassed over 300 million players.
The game itself is quite simple. Players navigate the medieval fantasy world of Gielinor, taking on quests and traveling throughout the vast open world. Along the way, you can make friends, enemies, and acquaintances. Avatars are also highly customizable, allowing players to truly immerse themselves in this fantasy realm.
Creative Simulations: A Dark Room
Simulations cover a huge range of topics, from city planning to dating to piloting helicopters. In A Dark Room, players are tasked with the job of expanding their town amid a post-apocalyptic breakdown. This highly unique premise isn’t the game’s only unique feature.
The game also includes a mysterious narrative that slowly unfolds as players take on grander and more challenging obstacles. As they seek to find and collect resources to battle the apocalypse, players slowly learn how the world’s end began in the first place. This makes it a great choice for those who like strategic thinking and storytelling elements. If apocalyptic entertainment is your thing, then this is the game for you.
Retro Hits: Slither.io
Those who knew someone with a cellphone back in the 1990s probably remember playing a title simply known as Snake ’97. This early mobile game has a fantastic modern browser counterpart in Slither.io, which tasks players to feed their snake and watch it grow—without getting entangled.
The game adds a few new tricks to this classic premise. Not only does the snake grow with every dot he consumes, but players must also contend with other snakes. Slither.io also includes a few customizable elements, such as snake skins and even snake jewelry.
Cult Hits: Kingdom of Loathing
This cult hit might not look like a browser game, or a game at all, when you navigate to the website. Just keep in mind that, although zany and with an incredibly dated interface, this is considered one of the greatest cult hits in gaming—browser titles and beyond.
So, what is Kingdom of Loathing all about? Using a simple series of drop-down menus, players must tackle various challenges, such as escaping a Haiku Dungeon and taking down the Disco Bandits. To do so, they’ll need to use their imaginations just as much as the game’s tools, whether writing a haiku attack or dancing at their enemies. It’s weird, zany, and lovable.
