Our own games
Free slots
6 slots of our own, free to play in the browser. There is nothing to sign up for, and the score is a number and nothing more.
- Straight lines 5×3 Royal Court Card ranks from ten up to ace, topped by a shield and a crown, across nine lines. Play
- Straight lines 5×4 Gem Cavern A five-by-four cave wall of seven cut gems, where the wild stands in for whatever is missing. Play
- Ten-round run 5×3 Pharaoh's Sun A golden mask, cats and ankhs under the desert sun. Land three scarabs for a run of ten rounds. Play
- Straight lines 5×4 Sweet Shop Cake, lollipops and doughnuts stacked five wide and four high. Play
- Ten-round run 5×3 Clover Meadow Clovers, toadstools and ladybirds in the grass. A trio of rainbows opens a run of ten rounds. Play
- Ten-round run 5×3 Star Voyage Comets, saucers and moons drift past. Three rockets set off a run of ten rounds. Play
In the worksDesert CaravanCity Lights
2026 ranking
Seven free game sites, scored and ranked
Arcade, puzzle, word and chess sites that open in a browser. Each one was scored on its games, on how fast you can start, on its adverts and on its paid extras, so choosing takes you a minute.
- 7 sites scored
- Each one free to play
- Last checked 13 November 2026
Affiliate links may appear among the outbound links. They have no say in the order. Details
The ranking
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Number 1: CrazyGames
Our number oneA large, tidy catalogue of browser games that grows by the day.
- Browser, iOS and Android apps
- Action, .io, racing, puzzle, card
- Premium is optional
- Fresh games arrive every day
- Multiplayer titles and leaderboards
- iPhone and Android apps available
What we made of it
No other site here packs as broad a spread of modern browser games into one address, whether you are after a short arcade round or a full multiplayer title. Browsing by category is painless, and the phone apps carry the same games as the website. One site to cover the lot: this is the one we would choose.
Open CrazyGamesOur score
9.5/10
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Number 2: Arkadium
Top for puzzles and wordsMore than 200 classic puzzle, word and card games, with nothing to download and no sign-up.
- Any device with a browser
- Mahjong, crosswords, solitaire, sudoku, jigsaws
- Arkadium Plus is optional
- Play straight away, no registration
- Excellent crosswords, solitaire and mahjong
- Fine on desktop, tablet and phone
What we made of it
Anyone who would choose a quiet puzzle over a frantic arcade round should begin with Arkadium. Its catalogue sticks to well-known classics and does them properly. Subscriber-only games sit behind Arkadium Plus, a membership you are free to ignore.
Open ArkadiumOur score
9.1/10
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Number 3: Poki
Quickest to startWeb games that start the moment you click, filed under roughly 40 categories.
- Browser on phone and desktop
- Action, 2 player, skill, puzzle, sports
- Free
- Nothing to install, and loading takes seconds
- Clear categories, 2-player games among them
- Short games and longer ones side by side
What we made of it
Speed is what Poki is about: choose a game and it is already running. Its category pages help whether you have five minutes to fill or want a longer sitting with a friend sharing your device.
Open PokiOur score
9.0/10
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Number 4: Chess.com
Top for chess lessonsThe largest chess community in the world, complete with lessons, puzzles and bots.
- Browser, iOS and Android apps
- Play, lessons, puzzles, bots, live events
- Free account
- More than 250 million members as opponents
- Bots and lessons pitched at every level
- Well-finished iPhone and Android apps
What we made of it
Chess.com is for people who want to get better at chess as well as play it. Its lessons, puzzles and bots map out a route up from beginner level, and with that many members an opponent is never hard to find.
Open Chess.comOur score
8.7/10
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Number 5: Lichess
Chess with no adsOpen-source chess that is free in every respect: no adverts, no registration.
- Browser and mobile app
- Chess, puzzles, tournaments, analysis
- Free, no ads
- Ad-free, with no paid tier at all
- No account required to play
- Upwards of five million games every day
What we made of it
Volunteers run Lichess and donations fund it, which is why nothing is held back: online games, puzzles, tournaments and computer analysis are all free. For chess and nothing but chess, with no distractions, this is the purest option on the list.
Open LichessOur score
8.6/10
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Number 6: Y8
Largest catalogueAmong the biggest browser game catalogues on the web, and every game carries a player rating.
- Browser
- Puzzle, arcade, adventure, strategy, racing
- Free
- Every category runs to thousands of games
- Ratings from players flag the better ones
- Multiplayer games and Y8 Originals
What we made of it
Sheer volume is the case for Y8: more than 6,000 games are listed in the puzzle section alone. With a catalogue that big the quality is uneven, so let the player ratings do the sorting for you.
Open Y8Our score
8.2/10
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Number 7: Armor Games
For strategy playersA veteran site for strategy, tower defence, idle and RPG games, known for its Game of the Day.
- Browser
- Strategy, tower defence, idle, RPG, puzzle
- Free, with ads
- A different Game of the Day each day
- Strong tower defence and strategy selection
- Runs a studio that publishes on Steam too
What we made of it
Armor Games keeps a faithful audience for the kind of game that can swallow a whole evening. Parts of its archive are legacy Flash titles, so the newer listings are the safer choice if you want everything to run smoothly.
Open Armor GamesOur score
7.7/10
At a glance
All seven, side by side
The main differences in one table. Playing is free on every site in it.
| # | Site | Strongest at | Game types | Where it runs | Sign-up | Paid extras | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CrazyGames | Variety across the board | Action, .io, racing, puzzle, card | Browser, iOS, Android | Optional | Premium (optional) | 9.5 |
| 2 | Arkadium | Puzzle and word games | Mahjong, crosswords, solitaire, sudoku | Browser (any device) | Not needed | Arkadium Plus (optional) | 9.1 |
| 3 | Poki | Playing instantly | Action, 2 player, skill, puzzle | Browser (phone and desktop) | Optional | None | 9.0 |
| 4 | Chess.com | Learning the game | Chess, lessons, bots | Browser, iOS, Android | Free account | Membership (optional) | 8.7 |
| 5 | Lichess | Free chess without ads | Chess, puzzles, tournaments | Browser, mobile app | Not needed | None (donations) | 8.6 |
| 6 | Y8 | Sheer choice | Puzzle, arcade, adventure, strategy | Browser | Optional | None | 8.2 |
| 7 | Armor Games | Strategy and idle games | Strategy, tower defence, idle, RPG | Browser | Optional | None | 7.7 |
Method
How the scores are worked out
Every score out of ten is built from five weighted checks. Each site is played by us first-hand, on a phone as well as a desktop, and the whole table is reviewed again once a month.
30%
Catalogue
The number of games on offer, their quality, and how regularly fresh ones are added.
25%
Getting started
Loading speed, and whether a game will run with no download and no sign-up.
20%
Adverts
How frequently an advert breaks into a game, and how much it gets in the way.
15%
Phone and tablet
How the site behaves on a small screen, and whether an app is available.
10%
Value
What is included for free, and whether the paid extras, where they exist, justify themselves.
Want a quick go before you leave?
Our own free-to-play slots, Royal Court, Gem Cavern, Pharaoh's Sun and three more, start in the browser tab you already have open. There is no sign-up and no real money.
Questions
What people ask us
Is it really free to play on these sites?
It is. Playing is free on each of the seven. Adverts fund most of them, and a few sell an optional paid tier with extra games or perks on top.
Is there anything to download?
Nothing. Each of the seven works inside your web browser. Mobile apps exist for CrazyGames, Lichess and Chess.com, but they are optional.
Where should I go for chess?
Chess.com ranks slightly higher with us, for its lessons, its bots and the biggest community. Choose Lichess when you would prefer chess that is entirely free and carries no ads.
And for puzzles and word games?
Arkadium, whose crosswords, solitaire and mahjong are its strength. Y8 is the alternative when the widest choice of puzzle games matters most.
Is real money involved on any of them?
No. Every site we list is there purely for fun: no real money goes in and nothing can be taken out.
How this site is funded
Reading ApexUKs is free. A number of the outbound links here may be affiliate links: should you take out one of the optional paid plans after following one, a commission may come to us. Scores and positions are settled before that and are never changed by it. All game names and trade marks remain the property of their owners. ApexUKs is an independent site with no ties to any of the sites it lists.