Browser game
A browser game is a video game that is played via the internet using a web browser.[1] They are mostly free-to-play and can be single-player or multiplayer. Alternative names for the browser game genre reference their software platform used, with common examples being Flash games,[2] and HTML5 games.[3][4]
Some browser games are also available as mobile apps, PC games, or on consoles. For users, the advantage of the browser version is not having to install the game; the browser automatically downloads the necessary content from the game's website. However, the browser version may have fewer features or inferior graphics compared to the others, which are usually native apps.
The front end of a browser game is what runs in the user's browser. It is implemented with the standard web technologies of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WebAssembly. In addition, WebGL and WebGPU enable more sophisticated graphics. On the back end, numerous server technologies can be used.
Most browser games were originally created with Adobe Flash, but as Adobe Flash was shut down on December 31, 2020, special browser plug-ins are now required.[5][6][7] Thousands of these games have been preserved by the Flashpoint project.[8][9]
Early browser games[edit]
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.[10] 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.[11]
Post-Flash browser games[edit]
Post-2010, browser games written in other formats besides Flash remain popular, such as HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssembly.[32] The .io domain, which was first used in 2015 by Agar.io, has become a popular domain attached to browser games, because of its short length, the ease of acquiring the domain, and the association with programming because "io" can also stand for input/output.[33] Subsequently, these game developers have found ways to monetize their work by creating versions for mobile devices or other platforms which they can sell.[33]