Some of the best Chromebook apps are games. Your Chromebook offers several ways to play games; there are browser-based games and games built for Android and Linux, along with subscription options. But not all of those options are available to every person and every Chromebook.
People who own a relatively recent Chrome device with access to the Google Play Store should explore Android games. Most major mobile games are available for Android, so that expands your options considerably. However, not all Chromebooks support Android apps, and Chrome devices from school or work might not allow app installation, so we’ve omitted them from our list.
01
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Swipe to Sum Tiles: 2048
What We Like
Simple control mechanics.
Easy to understand.
What We Don't Like
Limited amount of strategy.
Fixed app display size.
With each move, a tile with a value of either 2 or 4 displays on a 4x4 grid. Swipe up, down, left, or right to slide tiles together. Adjacent tiles with the same value, say, 2 and 2, or 4 and 4, will combine to create a new tile with the total (i.e., 4 or 8). Repeat the process as the grid fills to reach the 2048 tile. (Want a variant? Try Threes JS.)
02
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Classic Strategy: Spark Chess
What We Like
Solid chess game for learners.
Options to view board as a diagram or with simple perspective.
What We Don't Like
Limited number of board and piece display options.
Three computer opponents available for free.
Play chess in your browser against either another person online or choose from a few computer opponents. Spark Chess is free, although there's also SparkChess Premium ($16.99 for the browser-based version) for access to additional computer opponents, enhanced views, and priority online access, among other features.
03
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Rotate Dropping Shapes: Tetris
What We Like
Gradual increase in pace of play.
Keyboard controls work well.
What We Don't Like
Music options limited.
Fixed size of game screen.
Rotate shapes as they descend to create filled rows of blocks, which then disappear. Repeat until the pace becomes too fast and the blocks accumulate to the top of the screen. That’s classic Tetris.
04
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Physics Platformer: Cut the Rope
What We Like
Engaging platform play.
Option to change setting from “drag to cut” to “click to cut”.
What We Don't Like
Default window size not full-screen.
On a non-touchscreen device, play may be challenging.
The award-winning multi-level physics game that works offline, Cut the Rope is all about getting candy to the creature (named Om Nom). You swipe to cut the rope, which works well on a touchpad, although it works best on a touchscreen where you can swipe directly with your finger or stylus.
05
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Explore Dungeons, Fight Monsters: Web Quake
What We Like
Dungeons and monsters!
Ability to play offline.
What We Don't Like
Blocky graphics.
Multiplayer options may not work for everyone.
Quake, the first-person shooter video game, offers both single and multi-player modes. It also installs on your Chromebook so you can play offline. Explore maze-like levels to discover secrets as you fend off monsters.
06
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Make the Longest Line: Entanglement
What We Like
Tantalizing to try to get the path just a bit longer.
Variety of boards with optional expansion pack ($4.99).
What We Don't Like
No additional board beyond expansion pack.
May feel repetitive after many plays.
The goal of Entanglement is to create the longest path you can. The game offers various layouts on which to play, and also offers multiplayer options.However, the one expansion is all that's available, so after playing this game through, it may begin to feel repetitive.
07
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Explore With Text: Zork
What We Like
Text-based games remain engaging.
Variety of other text-based games available.
What We Don't Like
Being eaten by a grue.
Vocabulary options may sometimes seem limited.
“You are standing in an open field,” this text-based adventure game begins, “west of a white house, with a boarded front door.” You type simple commands, such as “open mailbox”, to move and engage with the game. No graphics. Just use your imagination along with some mapping and puzzle-solving skills. The site offers many other text-based games, too.
08
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Select Text and Wait: A Dark Room
What We Like
Gradual increase in complexity.
Mystery of progressing without quite knowing the goal.
What We Don't Like
A few mundane tasks can get repetitive.
Random events not necessarily positive.
A Dark Room, from Doublespeak games, is a bit of a twist on a text-based adventure game. Text displays. But you don’t type words. Instead, you select actions. In some cases, you have to wait between certain actions, such as gathering wood or checking traps. Over time, you have to tweak settings, make choices, and explore a bit.
09
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Surround Territory: Online-Go.com
What We Like
Displays several games in progress.
Learn the basics of play for free.
What We Don't Like
Beginners may be a bit overwhelmed at the number of options.
Watching amateur games may not be the best way to learn effective strategies.
Online-go.com offers one of the most accessible places to learn, watch, or play go (also called baduk, weiqi, or igo). The site includes tutorials along with many go puzzles. With an account, you can play games against a computer opponent or other people.
10
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Early Computer Games: Archive.org
What We Like
Large number of arcade-style games work well in the browser.
Older gamers might enjoy playing games from their youth.
What We Don't Like
Controls and keys can sometimes be tricky to figure out.
You can still die of dysentery when you play Oregon Trail.
Archive.org maintains a treasure trove of classic games made for Atari, Apple II, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS computers, all of which you may play in a browser. The Internet Archive preserves these games here for archival purposes thanks to a special exemption from the Library of Congress.
11
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Explore Independent Games: Itch.io
What We Like
Huge selection of HTML5 games.
Lots of styles of games available.
What We Don't Like
Quality of games varies significantly.
Some games not fully built-out.
Itch.io offers access to thousands of games from independent developers. All the HTML5 games work on your Chromebook. You can also filter by game genre, accessibility options, multi-player, price, and more.
Alternative Options for Games That Work on Chromebook
People who are determined and technically adventurous might consider getting Linux on a Chromebook. This could let you get Steam (a gaming service) on your Chromebook, or even games that run on Linux. This process can be complicated and won’t work on every Chrome OS device, so this is why we left Linux games off our list.
Serious gamers might consider a subscription. Google Play Pass ($4.99 per month) gives you access to more than 1,000 games and apps without ads or in-app purchases.
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