With the release of Google Chrome 88 in January 2021, Chrome removed support for Adobe Flash Player. While most of the web has already moved away from Flash, one area that held on for as long as it could was the Flash games community.
Now that the world's most popular web browser no longer supports Adobe Flash Player, you may find that your favorite Flash games are no longer playable on the web. What are you supposed to do now?
The good news is, a lot of popular Flash-based games are still playable if they were converted to HTML5. The even better news is, a lot of new HTML5 games are released every year, and a lot of them are more fun to play than even the best Flash games of yesteryear.
Here are our recommendations for the best online HTML5 games that can be played without Flash Player. We've split the article into single-player HTML5 games and multiplayer HTML5 games.
Top 10 Single-Player HTML5 Games
10. Agent 008 Ball
Agent 008 Ball is an HTML5 pool game with a twist: not only do you have 2 minutes to sink every ball, but one of the balls is secretly a time bomb. If you activate the time bomb, you have 30 seconds to sink it—if you don't, it explodes and reduces your remaining time by 30 seconds.
It's a pretty simple game without many extra bells or whistles. You can keep playing it but it'll be the same every time. But for a quick game to kill a few minutes, Agent 008 Ball is surprisingly great.
9. King of Thieves
King of Thieves is a one-button sidescrolling platformer game. Your character is always moving forward, and you can tap to jump (if you're on the ground) or tap to wall-jump (if you're touching a wall). Wall-jumping is the only way to change direction.
Your goal is to collect all the gems in each level before reaching the treasure chest at the end to complete the level. Very simple but addictive gameplay for anyone who's a fan of platformers.
8. A Dark Room
A Dark Room is a minimalist clicker game with a strangely compelling narrative. You start in a dark room and your only action is to light and stoke the fire. But over time, more options open up: gather wood, build huts, trap animals, and more.
Your room turns into village, and wanderers come to join you and lend their hand. Random events also occur from time to time, shaking things up. It become more complex after the first few minutes, and there's a meaningful message underneath it all.
7. Chain Reaction
Chain Reaction is an action-puzzle game where each level consists of balls bouncing around in a grid. You choose where to detonate your bomb, and any balls that touch your explosion also explode. The goal is to explode as many balls as you can with your initial detonation.
Or, in other words, Chain Reaction is about scoring the largest chain reaction given each level's initial conditions. There's a lot of luck to it, but it's quite satisfying when you get a big one.
6. HexGL
HexGL is a simple racing game where you only have one opponent: yourself. The game is all about mastering control over your vehicle and beating the level as quickly as you can—just don't touch the walls because they'll slow you down.
While HexGL may not have the fun mechanics of Mario Kart or the high-octane action of Wipeout, but it's the perfect game to lose yourself in for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
5. Pirates Love Daisies
Pirates Love Daisies is one of the best HTML5 tower defense games you'll find on the web. Deploy pirates on the beach and use them to defend against critters who are hell-bent on swarming your base and stealing your precious daisy flowers.
There are four different maps of increasing difficulty, three different game modes, and five different pirates with their own unique traits and abilities. It's a solid tower defense experience for browser gamers.
4. Ananias
Ananias is an HTML5 turn-based roguelike dungeon crawler that's more fleshed-out than you might first expect. Plumb the depths of procedurally-generated dungeon levels and find the ancient ring of Ananias to save the world.
You can choose between eight playable classes, each with a unique playing style. There are more than 40 monsters to encounter, dozen of spells to aid you, and your adventures can be saved and shared on the Ananias server. Just don't die—you only get one life!
3. Sinuous
Sinuous is an endless dodger bullet hell-type game where you use your mouse cursor to control a snake-like entity. Dodge the infinite swarm of red dots and try to stay alive as long as possible.
There are up to nine levels of difficulty, and you can collect boosts to aid in survival. Sinuous is a deceptively simple but addictive game—the kind of game that lulls you into a trance as you dodge, dodge, dodge dot after dot after dot.
2. Tentrix
Tentrix is NOT a Tetris clone! Pieces don't fall from the sky. Instead, you're given a set of three pieces to place on a grid. When you've used them all, you're given another set of three. Repeat until you can't place any more pieces on the grid.
The trick is that whenever you complete a line—either horizontally or vertically—that entire line clears from the grid. That's the only aspect that's similar to Tetris. And perhaps the general shape of the pieces, although the ones in Tentrix can get much bigger.
1. Entanglement
Entanglement is one of the most calming HTML5 puzzle games you can play right now. The goal is to connect the longest path (shown as red in the screenshot) using randomly generated hex tiles. You can rotate the titles, meaning each one has six possible options.
Every time you place a tile, the path extends based on how the latest tile connects to the existing tiles—and the more tiles that the path grows through, the more of a bonus you get. Try to get the highest score and longest path!
Top 5 Multiplayer HTML5 Games
5. Slither.io
Slither.io is a massive Snake game where you start as a little worm and roam the map to consume particles. The more you consume, the bigger you get. But if you run into anyone else, you'll die and leave behind particles for others to consume.
It can be frustrating at times, but also quite satisfying when you manage to get big and become a threat to everyone else. If you like the simple gameplay of multiplayer Snake, this is the one to play.
4. TagPro
TagPro is a team-based capture the flag game where each player controls a red or blue ball. It's physics-based, meaning you have inertia and momentum, which requires skill to maneuver the hazard-filled maps—and don't let enemies touch you or you'll pop!
TagPro may not be as popular as it once was, but it's still alive and kicking with an active playerbase that reaches over 100 online players every day. There's still nothing else quite like it, so if you like the gameplay of TagPro, it's still worth playing.
3. Nitro Type
Nitro Type is an online multiplayer HTML5 typing game where you race others from around the world and see who can type a given text the fastest. Winning races earns currency that you can spend to unlock new cars and other content, making this more than just a typing game.
Not only is this one of the most feature-complete typing games on the web, Nitro Type is actually created and maintained by Teaching.com and is used by teachers all over the world!
2. LOLBeans.io
Ever wanted to play Fall Guys for free? LOLBeans.io is an online multiplayer HTML5 game that emulates Fall Guys gameplay: 30 players race to the ends of levels in a platform-based battle royale, with the slowest ones being eliminated from future rounds.
It's definitely not as polished or as popular as Fall Guys, but LOLBeans.io is more than enough to scratch that itch—or, at the very least, get a taste of the gameplay to see if you like it enough to buy a proper copy of Fall Guys.
1. Tetr.io
Tetr.io is an online multiplayer HTML5 battle royale with Tetris gameplay. Dozens of players play at the same time, sending junk to others as they complete lines. Last player standing is the winner!
Tetr.io can be played solo if you want a less stressful Tetris experience. And if you create a free account, you can play in the Tetra League, which pits you against players of similar rank.
If you have a Nintendo Switch, you're better off playing Tetris 99 which is free for Switch owners. But if you don't, then Tetr.io is the next best way to experience battle royale Tetris.
