Best multiplayer games that work in a web browser

You might still think that most games need to be downloaded and installed on your computer, smartphone, or tablet, but that isn’t necessarily the case. With improvements in Internet speeds and stability across the world, as well as web browsers, becoming a lot more powerful and capable, you can now run entire games directly in your browser.

Not only that, you’ll be able to play a lot of these games with friends, too. Your Internet connection lets you link up with your friends to play games together no matter where they might be, and there are a few decent browser games that can make for a good multiplayer gaming session without much effort on your part.

5 best multiplayer games that work in a web browser

Whether you’re using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, or any other popular web browser, you’re likely to be able to run entire games directly through a web page with a decent Internet connection.

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Here’s our list of the best multiplayer browser games right now.

1. Gartic Phone

2. Duo With Friends

3. Pokemon Showdown

4. Powerline.io

5. Hole.io

1. Gartic Phone

Among the many free online games that you can play, Gartic Phone is perhaps the most party-friendly multiplayer game around. As the name suggests, the game involves calling (over supported VoIP apps such as Zoom and Discord), followed by writing and drawing. Other players try to describe what the drawing is, and all participants can keep score over the game. It’s like Pictionary but with remote-play options and often funny results.

2. Duo With Friends

Don’t let the name get you confused; this game is almost identical to the popular card game Uno. It works well directly through your browser, and you can also create dedicated game rooms to be able to play with your friends through a room link. The game moves quickly, imposing a rapid timer on turns so that everyone involved isn’t forced to wait too long, or random disconnections don’t affect the flow of the game. 

It’s great for quick games in between breaks, even if you’re on your own, since you can connect and play with other users around the world. Matching is quick, and you don’t have to wait for long before getting into a game.

3. Pokemon Showdown

Fans of the Pokemon media franchise will like this game, which lets you simulate Pokemon battles.

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The multiplayer game lets you create a team based on typical Pokemon lore and battle dynamics, and fight against opponents online and from across the world. It’s fairly simple to get started with and works well in a web browser given the simplicity of the actual gameplay itself. The turn-based gameplay isn’t too fast paced, either.

4. Powerline.io

If you’ve grown up playing Snake on an old Nokia mobile phone, you’ll love Powerline.io. Not quite the same as the old game given the multiplayer element, but this browser-based game involves keeping yourself safe in a playing field that also involves a few other players, all trying to grab the growth pellets to keep going. Crashing into someone else (or yourself) will be the end of the game, and you need to be on hand to capitalise when others make mistakes. You can create a room link and get all your friends into the same room.

5. Hole.io

Just like Powerline, this one involves quick games where your goal is to survive. Except here, you’re an all-consuming black hole, gobbling up a city one object at a time. You get surprisingly complex graphics and physics with this game and must stay on your toes to avoid other larger holes that can swallow you if you get too close. It’s a great way to spend a few minutes during breaks, and the game loads up quickly on a good Internet connection on just about any browser.

There you go. Now you know how you can have more fun during your breaks.