Guides
Practical guides to free browser games: what to play on a work break, at school, with friends or coworkers, solo or daily, and strategy for our biggest games.
Work and school breaks
Quick games for a five-minute work break
Daily puzzles, a quick hand of cards and short arcade rounds that fit a coffee break, open in a browser tab and end on their own, so the break stays a break.
5 min read
Online games to play with coworkers on a video call
Trivia, word, drawing and co-op games that work on a team video call: everyone joins from one link on their own screen, and a round fits in fifteen minutes.
4 min read
Free browser games with no download and no sign-up
Puzzles, cards, board games, arcade and full 3D games that open in a browser tab, with nothing to install and no account needed to play solo or against the computer.
4 min read
Classroom-friendly games for free time
Word, logic, geography, trivia and typing games that suit free time at school: quiet, short, nothing violent, and something to think about. For students 13 and up, and teachers.
4 min read
Games that run well on a Chromebook, in a browser tab
Which games run best on a Chromebook or a modest laptop, how to get the 3D games running smoothly, and the rules worth remembering on a school or work machine.
4 min read
Browser games that play well on a slow connection
On slow or patchy internet, the right game makes all the difference: solo puzzles that play in your browser once loaded, turn-based games that send only your move, and what to avoid.
4 min read
Quick games to play on your phone in five minutes
The best games for a coffee break, a queue or a bus ride: free in your phone's browser, no download, and over in five minutes or less.
4 min read
Play with friends
The best free online games to play with friends
Our picks for a night online with friends, sorted by mood, plus how to get everyone into the same game in under a minute.
5 min read
Games to play with long-distance friends and on a video call
How to keep a friendship going across cities and time zones with games: what works on a call, what works a turn a day, and how to set it up.
5 min read
Party games on the TV with phones as controllers
No console, no controllers, nothing to install: how to put a party game on the TV with everyone playing from their own phone, and which games to start with.
5 min read
Game night ideas for groups of every size
A simple plan for a game night that works: how to open, what to play for each group size, and theme nights for families, friends and coworkers.
5 min read
The best 2-player games to play online
Two-player games for every kind of pair: five-minute classics, deep strategy, card games, co-op and head-to-head action.
4 min read
Free board games online, with no download
Strategy, family, co-op and classic board games you can play in a browser tab, with friends by link or against the computer.
4 min read
Free card games online: classics, partners and party decks
Trick-taking, rummy, family classics, solitaire and new party card games, free in a browser, with computer players at three levels so a table is never short.
4 min read
How to play
How to play euchre: rules, scoring and strategy
The full rules of euchre in plain words: the short deck, both bowers, the two rounds of bidding, going alone and how points add up to 10.
5 min read
How to play spades: rules, bidding and scoring
The rules of spades in plain words: thirteen cards each, a partnership bid, spades always trump, and the bags that punish overtricks.
5 min read
How to play hearts: rules, passing and shooting the moon
The rules of hearts in plain words: pass three cards, follow suit, avoid every heart and the queen of spades, or take them all and shoot the moon.
4 min read
How to play gin rummy: rules, knocking and scoring
The rules of gin rummy in plain words: ten cards each, sets and runs, knock when your deadwood is low, go gin when it is gone, and watch out for the undercut.
4 min read
How to play cribbage: rules, pegging and counting
The rules of cribbage in plain words: six cards each, two to the crib, peg through the play, count your hand with the starter and race your pegs to 121.
4 min read
How to play crazy eights: rules, scoring and variants
The rules of crazy eights in plain words: match the suit or the rank, play an eight to change the suit, and be first to empty your hand.
4 min read
How to play Texas hold'em: rules, hands and betting
The rules of no-limit Texas hold'em in plain words: two private cards, five shared ones, four betting rounds and the best five-card hand.
4 min read
How to play blackjack: rules, payouts and basic strategy
The rules of blackjack in plain words: beat the dealer without going over 21, when to hit, stand, double or split, and how the payouts work.
4 min read
How to play baccarat: rules, the third card and payouts
The rules of baccarat in plain words: what the totals mean, when each hand draws a third card, and what every bet pays.
6 min read
How to play solitaire (Klondike): rules and scoring
The rules of classic Klondike solitaire in plain words: the layout, what can move where, draw one or draw three, standard and Vegas scoring, and tips to win more deals.
4 min read
How to play FreeCell: rules, free cells and strategy
The rules of FreeCell in plain words: every card face up, four free cells, build down in alternating colors and plan your way to all four foundations.
4 min read
How to play Spider Solitaire: rules for 1, 2 and 4 suits
The rules of Spider Solitaire in plain words: ten columns, two decks, build complete king-to-ace runs in one suit, and choose one, two or four suits.
4 min read
How to play chess: rules, moves and how to win
The rules of chess in plain words: the setup, how every piece moves, the three special moves, how a game is won, and the ways it can end in a draw.
4 min read
How to play checkers: rules, jumping and kings
The rules of American checkers in plain words: twelve pieces each, diagonal moves, jumps you must take, kings that move both ways, and how a game is won.
4 min read
How to play backgammon: rules, moves and scoring
The rules of backgammon in plain words: fifteen checkers each, move by the dice, hit blots onto the bar, bear off first, and use the doubling cube.
4 min read
Daily puzzles and solo play
Daily word and logic puzzles worth keeping a streak for
A new puzzle every day, the same for everyone: the word, logic, number and trivia dailies we play, and how to build a five-minute routine around them.
4 min read
How to build a daily puzzle habit that sticks
A small, practical plan for turning daily puzzles into a habit you keep: choosing the right three, fitting them into your day, protecting a streak, and making it social.
4 min read
Two-minute brain games for a quick mental reset
Memory, reaction, mental math, logic and word puzzles that take about two minutes: a quick, focused reset between tasks, honest about what brain games can and cannot do.
4 min read
Free online solitaire: which one to play and how to win
Seven kinds of solitaire, from the classic to the toughest, each with daily deals and undo: which to play when, and the habits that win more games.
4 min read
Strategy
Bogmoor beginner strategy guide
Everything a new Bogmoor player needs: the rules in brief, how to choose opening spots, how to trade, and the habits that win games.
5 min read
Banner Realms beginner guide, water maps included
A first-week guide to Banner Realms: a reliable opening, advancing the ages, which units beat which, and how to win on the new Inland Sea and Islands maps.
5 min read