Video game

Browser game

game that is played using a web browser

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Platforms: Browser
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About

A browser game is a video game that is played over the Internet using a web browser, typically without the need for dedicated hardware or software installation. They are sometimes referred to more specifically by their format, such as Flash games or HTML5 games. They are generally free-to-play and can be either single-player or multiplayer. It is not necessary to install a browser game; simply visiting the webpage will run the title in a browser.

Some browser games were also made available as mobile apps, PC games, or console titles. However, the browser version may have fewer features or inferior graphics compared to the others, which are usually native apps.

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Development

When the Internet first became widely available and initial web browsers with basic HTML support were released, the earliest browser games were similar to text-based multi-user dungeons (MUDs), minimizing interactions to what implemented through simple browser controls but supporting online interactions with other players through a basic client–server model. One of the first known examples of a browser game was Earth 2025, first released in 1995. It featured only text but allowed players to interact and form alliances with other players of the game.

Browser technology quickly began to mature in the mid-1990s with support for browser plug-ins and the introduction of JavaScript. More advanced browser interactions were now possible using client-side processing. Among other browser extensions, these new plug-ins allowed users to run applets made in the Java language and interactive animations created in Macromedia Flash. These technologies were initially intended to provide web page developers tools to create fully immersive, interactive websites, though this use fell out of favor as it was considered elitism and broke expected browsing behavior. Instead, these technologies found use by programmers to create small browser games among other unexpected uses such as general animation tools.