Best Browser Games to Kill Time

By Neal Taparia - 9/3/2024


In this day and age, almost everyone has to find a way to kill time while staring at a computer screen. Hearts card games online are already wildly popular, but if you’re looking for something different, there are many options ready to entertain. Fallen London, Universal Paperclips, Warzone, Spades, GeoGuessr, Wordle, and Hearts are all browser-based games that can be engaging ways to pass the time.

Why Browser Games?

The primary appeal of browser-based games is how easy they are to play. They don’t require any downloads or software, and many of them don’t even require players to create an account. They can also range from puzzles to strategy-driven games to text-based explorations.

Fallen London

Fallen London has run non-stop online since 2009 and remains one of the most iconic browser games. It follows a science-fiction fantasy story in which the city of London has gone underground and is overrun with strange beings engaging in mysterious practices.

Players undertake the role of a new arrival in this underground city, able to explore the corners of culture in this densely built world. There’s a reason this game is still played fifteen years later, and its replayability continues undamaged.

Universal Paperclips

Another older browser game, Universal Paperclips is what is known as an incremental game. In such games, gameplay consists of a player performing simple tasks, often clicking, to advance their goals. Players have the singular goal of producing paperclips.

Initially, this is done by manually clicking, but quickly, players can spend resources to automate production, adjusting prices to maximize their income. As they produce more paperclips, further options open, allowing players to spend on marketing campaigns and further improving automation.

Warzone

Warzone has the hallmarks of some of the most enduring browser games in that it is simple to learn with a high ceiling for complexity; the closest comparison to more famous games is Risk. Players attempt to take over the world, as in the board game, but unique effects available to each controlling force add for unique and sometimes unexpected play patterns.

Spades

Another classic physical game that is now easily accessible in the digital sphere, Spades having an online presence is a revolution for any player that loves the game but doesn’t have a group of people to play with regularly.

Spades is a fast-paced game that is played in teams of two and centers around predicting how many points you believe you will win in any given round of the game. If you already know Spades and are looking for some variation, research games similar to Pinochle and Rummy versus Bridge to discover some new favorites.

GeoGuessr

Uniquely, GeoGuessr is an old game that only recently surged to prominence. In the basic version, each game consists of five rounds.

Every round, players are presented with a random image from Google Maps Street View. Players then attempt to guess where in the world the image was from.

Initially released in 2013, during the height of the Covid pandemic, an influx of new players widely expanded the game’s popularity. There are multiple modes to the game, including team play, direct competitions, and several iterations a single player can complete on their own.

Wordle

Another game that surged in popularity during the pandemic, during 2023 alone, Wordle was played nearly five billion times. Every day, a new five-letter word is chosen for players to try to uncover.

Players get six attempts to figure out the word, and each attempt is made by typing in a five-letter word. Players are notified which letters they use are not in the secret word, which letters they use that are in the secret word but in the wrong place, and which letters they use that are in the secret word and in the right place.

Hearts: The Best Choice

Ready to play a free, online game that’s sure to keep you occupied and engaged while allowing you to focus on skill-building and technique-mastering? Try Hearts online today–no matter where you might be–at Hearts.co, and kill time more easily than ever!