In this article, I’ll take a close look at 10 of the best websites to visit to play online games at no cost. I’ve spent time playing games on each of the websites listed below to ensure quality, check for ads and see what’s available for free.
Where to Play Free Games Online
When it comes to online gaming, you don’t have to have the newest console or the latest titles to have fun. In fact, there are hundreds of thousands of free games available from your browser on your phone, computer or tablet. To find some of the best free classic and new games available online, check out the websites below.
I’ve spent some time on each website to figure out what types of games are available, if you’ll need to download Adobe Flash to play them and how many ads you can expect to see. In each section below, you’ll also find information on how to start playing games as well as the biggest pros and cons I found for each site.
1. 247 Games
Best For: Classic games, card games and puzzles
Adobe Flash: Required for select games online
Types of Games: Online (computer browser) and mobile (phone/tablet browser)
If you're interested in simple online versions of classic games, 247 Games is the perfect resource for you. On the home page under "Featured Games," you'll find seasonal versions of all your favorite classic games including backgammon, blackjack, checkers, chess, mahjong, solitaire, sudoku, word search and more. Also, you can browse the games by category.
All of the games on 247 Games are completely free, and you won’t need to create an account in order to access any features. I didn’t run into any ads while I was playing games on this website.
In addition to the desktop version, you can visit the mobile version of the website on your smartphone or tablet to access the same games without having to download apps.
| Pros: |
Cons: |
- Few to no ads
- All games and features are free
- Simple to navigate and use
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- No multiplayer games
- You can’t create an account to track progress
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2. Addicting Games
Best For: Single-player games
Adobe Flash: Required for select games online
Types of Games: Online (computer browser), downloadable (desktop) and mobile (phone/tablet browser)
The Addicting Games website offers more than 4,500 games in several categories including action games, easy games, cute games, brainteasers & quizzes and card games.
When you visit the website, you’ll see ads on the home screen and on the sides of the page while you’re playing. But at least for me, they didn’t noticeably impact gameplay or user experience.
There’s an option to upgrade to a paid “Game Pass” for an ad-free experience and early access to new games, but it isn’t required to play what you’ll see on the site. You can create a free account to keep track of your high scores and favorite games. If you visit the website on your smartphone or tablet, you can play many of the same games without having to download apps. Still, some games are only available on the desktop version of the website.
| Pros: |
Cons: |
- No account required
- New games added weekly
- Big variety of games & categories
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- Exclusive games only available to paying members
- Some ads
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3. Armor Games
Best For: Games available as apps; MMO games
Adobe Flash: Required for select games online
Types of Games: Online (computer browser) and mobile (App Store, Google Play)
Armor Games is another great resource for finding free online games in categories including MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online), strategy, adventure, action, puzzles and more.
Many of the games that you’ll find online at Armor Games are also available as apps for iOS and Android devices, which means you can download them to your mobile device and continue playing away from the computer.
I was impressed with the variety of games on this website. While you won’t find many well-known games like blackjack or checkers, you will find a lot of unique and interesting games created by Armor Games and independent developers.
You can create a free account on the website to keep track of your high scores and favorite games, but the account isn’t necessary to play what’s available on the website.
| Pros: |
Cons: |
- Few to no ads
- Many games also available as apps
|
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4. Big Fish Games
Best For: Downloadable games and apps
Adobe Flash: Required for select games online
Types of Games: Online (computer browser), downloadable (desktop) and mobile (phone/tablet browser, App Store, Google Play)
Unlike the other websites listed so far, you’ll have to create an account in order to play on Big Fish Games. Still, creating an account is easy and free. You’ll simply need to enter your email address and create a password. You’ll find access to thousands of free online games in categories such as hidden object games, casino games, adventure games, puzzles, strategy games, card & board games, family games and more. While many full versions are available for free, some games require a paid membership for full access.
While there are ads on this website, most of the ones that I saw were for the paid membership that Big Fish Games offers as opposed to Google Ads. As I played through several games on the website, I never felt that the ads interfered with gameplay or user experience.
In addition to free online games, you’ll find PC games, Mac games, iPad & iPhone games and Android games available for download.
| Pros: |
Cons: |
- Downloadable games are available
- New and classic games in a variety of genres
- Few ads
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- You have to create an account to play
- Some games require a paid membership for access to the full version
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5. Free Online Games (FOG)
Best For: Independently-developed games; Mobile-browser-friendly games
Adobe Flash: Required for select games online
Types of Games: Online (computer browser) and mobile (phone/tablet browser)
Free Online Games (FOG) allows you to play games for free on your computer and on your mobile device without having to download any apps. You’ll find a selection of 3D games, action games, defense games, driving games, flying games, multiplayer games and more.
While the most popular games on this website seem to be more action-oriented, you can still find classic games like sudoku and chess by searching for them using the search bar at the top of the screen. Additionally, you can browse the games by category under the “More Games” tab.
During the time I spent on FOG, I saw a few ads for other games on the site as well as video advertisements during breaks in gameplay. While I did have to disable my ad blocker to play, the ads that I saw weren’t enough to be a major part of the experience on this website.
If you want, you can create a free account using your email address, a username and a password to keep track of your progress and rank on high-score boards. But it isn’t required to play the games on the site.
| Pros: |
Cons: |
- Mobile versions of games are available without having to download apps
- Big variety of games and categories
- Few ads
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- Video advertisements
- You have to disable your ad blocker to play
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6. Kongregate
Best For: Independently-developed games, apps and community
Adobe Flash: Required for select games online
Types of Games: Online (computer browser) and mobile (App Store, Google Play)
Kongregate offers over 128,000 online games in many categories including action, multiplayer, adventure, strategy and puzzles. Like Big Fish Games, you'll have to create an account to play a lot of games on this website. Still, it's completely free and easy to create one.
When you visit the desktop version of the website, you’ll see ads across the top and bottom of the page while you’re playing games as well as a few on the front page. For me, they didn’t drastically impact the overall experience. If you visit the mobile version of the website, you’ll be redirected to the app store to download games to your device.
Independent game developers can also upload games to Kongregate, which gives you access to thousands of unique titles.
| Pros: |
Cons: |
- Chat with other players during gameplay
- Independently-developed games
- All content is available for free with an account
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- You have to create an account to play
- Games have to be downloaded as apps to play on a mobile device
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7. MiniClip
Best For: Multiplayer games; 1v1 (one-versus-one) games
Adobe Flash: Required for select games online
Types of Games: Online (computer browser) and mobile (phone/tablet browser, App Store, Google Play)
If you’re a fan of multiplayer games or going head-to-head to another player, MiniClip may be worth checking out. In addition to it being simple to play as a guest and match with other random online players, it was also easy to find party codes and invite friends.
You'll find a variety of games in categories including action, sports, puzzle, games for kids and more. You'll also find games you can download on the App Store and Google Play. The most popular games include 8-Ball Pool, Agar.io, Tanki Online and Empire.
You can create a free account to keep track of your high scores, get on the leaderboards and add friends, but you don’t have to: You can play most of the games online as a guest without having to sign in. As I was playing games on MiniClip, a few popup advertisements popped up, but otherwise, the website wasn’t littered with ad banners. When I visited the online version of the website, I was able to choose whether I wanted to play free games instantly or browse the available app selection for the device I was using.
| Pros: |
Cons: |
- Mobile games available online and as apps
- Big selection of multiplayer games
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- Some pop-up advertisements
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8. MSN Games
Best For: Classic puzzles, casino games and card games
Adobe Flash: Required for select games online
Types of Games: Online (computer browser) and mobile (phone/tablet browser, App Store, Google Play)
MSN Games is also known as Zone.com, and it offers single-player and multiplayer games in a variety of categories including puzzles, word & trivia, action & arcade games and card & board games.
While I was browsing the available games, I found that some full versions were available for free while other games were available only as free trials or pay-to-play options. You can click the “Free online” tab to filter your results.
If advertisements really annoy you, MSN Games is a safe place to play. In the time that I was on this site, I didn’t have to sit through any video ads.
You can visit the website on your phone or tablet and play available games for free in the browser, but the format wasn’t the best for my iPhone. On a tablet or a device with a bigger screen, I think the games would have run much more smoothly. Still, many of the games were available as downloadable apps.
| Pros: |
Cons: |
- No video ads
- Big selection of classic and new games
- No account required
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- Some games are only available as free trials or pay-to-play
- The mobile website may not be formatted correctly for your device
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9. Pogo
Best For: Hasbro and PopCap games
Adobe Flash: Required for select games online
Types of Games: Online (computer browser) and mobile (phone/tablet browser)
To play games on Pogo.com, you’ll need to sign in with your EA (Electronic Arts) account or create one for free. Once you’ve signed in, you’ll see a variety of games available in categories including board games, card games, hidden object games, poker games, puzzles and more. If you use an ad blocker, you may be asked to disable it before playing select games on Pogo. While there were video ads before games and during breaks in gameplay, they didn’t significantly hinder the experience for me. You can sign up for a paid membership that offers ad-free gameplay, but it isn’t necessary to enjoy the site.
The games on Pogo that don’t require Adobe Flash are also available on mobile devices and tablets. Unfortunately, some games are only available as free trials and require users to pay to continue playing. Still, there are tons of completely free options that make Pogo a free gaming website worth a visit.
| Pros: |
Cons: |
- Popular games from PopCap and Hasbro
- It’s easy to invite other players and build a friends list
- Games can be played in a phone or tablet’s browser
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- Some advertisements
- You’ll have to create an account to play
- Not all full versions are available for free
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10. Shockwave
Best For: Free trials of downloadable games
Adobe Flash: Required for all games
Types of Games: Online (computer browser) and downloadable (desktop)
If you haven’t found your fix at any of the other websites listed here, try Shockwave. You’ll find a variety of online and downloadable games in categories including puzzles, hidden object games, strategy games, racing games, card & board games, adventure games and more.
While there were a few advertisements on the home screen and during gameplay, I was able to leave my adblocker running through several games before being asked to disable it. Video advertisements did pop up periodically during breaks in gameplay, but I didn’t feel like it took away from the overall experience.
While the website is available on mobile devices, you’ll need Adobe Flash installed to play any of the games on this site.
| Pros: |
Cons: |
- Online and downloadable games
- No account required to play
|
- Some advertisements
- Very limited mobile experience
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Final Thoughts
Ultimately, there are dozens of websites that you can visit to find free online games. If you're looking for simple online versions of classic games, I would recommend checking out 247 Games. Kids will find a big selection on Addicting Games and FOG. If you're hoping to find online games that are also available on a mobile browser or as an iOS/Android app, check out Armor Games, Big Fish Games and Kongregate.
Keep in mind that you won't have to create an account to play games on most of these websites, but if you do, the account is easy and free to make. Many games are requiring Adobe Flash through the end of 2020, so be sure to have this downloaded as well. Aside from Flash, you shouldn't have to download anything else to play games, unless you want to download select games themselves or install them as apps.
As you visit different links, I recommend keeping a simple, free adblocker installed on your computer or browser. You may have to disable it to play select games, but it's still worth having if you plan on visiting a few different websites.
What are your favorite free games to play online? Let us know in the comments below!
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The post 10 of the Best Websites for Free Online Games appeared first on Clark Howard.
