Summary
- Classic arcade games are easy to play in your browser with no downloads or setup needed.
- Sites like Internet Arcade and Free 80s Arcade offer a mix of genuine classics and faithful remakes.
- Some sites are easier to navigate than others, so knowing the game you want can save time.
Want to revisit the golden days of coin-operated arcade games? You can do it directly in your web browser without downloading anything. Just load up a gaming website, click play, and you can enjoy classics like Space Invaders, Sonic, or Street Fighter instantly.
Where to Find Browser-Based Arcade Games
There are many places online where you can play arcade games in your browser. Some offer better experiences than others. Here are my picks for the best ones to get you started.
Internet Arcade
The Internet Arcade, hosted at the Internet Archive, is a comprehensive collection of classic arcade games from the 1970s to the 1990s. There are over 2000 titles in all, so pretty much anything you want is likely to be here.
The size actually makes it a little more difficult to find what you are after. You can sort the selection by the most popular this week or all time, which helps to surface the best games. It’s easier, though, if you know what you’re looking for.
Aside from the sheer choice, the best thing about the Internet Arcade is that you can play ad-free.
The games work well, but the controls are not always obvious. Instructions are often listed in the game’s comment section if you need them.
The Free Video Games Project
The Free Video Game Project presents itself as a site for preserving classic video games. It’s got a tiny selection compared to the other sites on this list, and some of the titles are more modern.
However, there are faithful remakes of old favorites like Pac-Man, Sonic, and Donkey Kong, plus a few games from the very early days of gaming, including Pong, Asteroids, and Frogger.
Free 80s Arcade
As its name suggests, Free 80s Arcade is a site whose primary focus is 80s arcade games. While you’re there, you can access thousands of titles from classic consoles as well. It’s an easy way to try out some of these classic games without needing to set up an emulator.
As far as the arcade games go, the selection is pretty big, from Arkanoid to Zaxxon, and everything in between. And they play well in any browser, including on your phone.
RetroGames
RetroGames is a large site for classic arcade games, plus titles from some vintage consoles. It feels less curated than other sites, and the layout is not the easiest for game discovery. The site puts the most popular games at the forefront, but if you want to find something a little more obscure, you need to know what you are looking for.
Still, the games run well and have good options for things like saving your progress and configuring the controls. It’s a good site for the casual player who just wants to dip in and out of some classic arcade action.
Arcade Classics
These sites should have all your needs covered, so here’s something different to finish. Arcade Classics is a Chrome browser extension that lets you play nine classic games in a little window that pops up from your browser’s toolbar. If you want to sneak in a quick game when you should be working, this is the way to go.
It’s quick and easy to load, and you just have to click away to shut it down whenever you need to. Then, when you’re ready to start playing again, just open it up and resume from where you left off.
How to Get the Best Retro Gaming Experience
These games should work in any browser, and some will even work on your phone. However, Chrome or a Chromium-based browser like Brave will give you the most reliable results.
In most cases, you can play the games in full-screen mode. If there isn’t an obvious button to click, then right-click in the game window to find it.
Some games let you save your progress. It usually saves to your browser rather than having you download any files. You can access the option by hovering your mouse pointer over the game window to reveal a menu.
One other thing to note is that the controls for these games can occasionally conflict with any keyboard shortcuts you’ve got set up. Some games use the Control key, and this is often tied to shortcuts in Windows or macOS. If you experience this, change the controls if you can or disable the keyboard shortcuts temporarily.
Finally, a quick word on legal matters. Most classic games sites host their games unofficially. Although emulation is something of a legal gray area that hasn’t been tested in court, and many of the games are no longer available to buy, keep in mind that any of them could be taken down at any point without notice.
Enjoy the Classics With No Setup
The best thing about playing classic arcade games in your browser is that it requires no setup. You don’t need to download anything or install any extra software. Just load up the site and start playing. Whether you want to experience the early days of video games for the first time or revisit your misspent youth, hours of enjoyment await.
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