5 free online games you don’t have to download to enjoy

University life comes with a lot of stress and emotions. Though there are many ways to escape that, a  great option that does not break the bank is to play free games online. Adding a bit of game-playing time to your schedule could improve your mental health in many ways that could surprise you. 

Though the worst part is having to take the time to download these games. Most of the time, games take up a lot of space on your PC, requiring you to have a laptop capable enough of supporting your downloads. More than that, downloading games often take a lot of time — which is undesirable should you be looking for a quick study break.

Wouldn’t it be great, then, if you could play these free games online without having to worry about installing them onto your PC? 

We’ve scoured the internet to find you five free games online that are download-free:

5 free games online that you don’t have to download to play

City Guesser 

If you need a little break and want to travel the world from your bedroom, City Guesser is the game for you. This online browser game requires you to guess the name of each city. It’s the ideal game for all geography lovers.

Players will be shown an image of a city and have to guess its name based on what is seen in the surrounding areas. Here’s a tip: take note of the street signs and cars, as these can give you solid hints. You will also be able to determine the difficulty of the game and choose the country your city will be based in. 

The best part is that you can play City Guesser with your friends. All you have to do is create a private room, and you can begin competing against each other. 

Wordle is a guessing game where players have six attempts to guess the five-letter word. Source: Stefani Reynolds / AFP

Wordle

Word games are a great way to take a mental break from the stress of university life. Most importantly, they help students brush up on their vocabulary or discover new words as they play.  In 2021, yellow, green and grey boxes began popping up everywhere with everyone posting their daily Wordle scores. 

Wordle is an online game that generates a new word puzzle every 24 hours. Players have six attempts to guess the word. 

However, if you can’t wait 24 hours for a new puzzle, different variations of Wordle have popped up. For example, Nerdle which has you guessing the equation instead of the word, Lordle of the Rings was set up for all Lord of the Rings fans and the ultimate challenge, Quordle, requires players to guess four words at once. 

So what are you waiting for? Get guessing with these quizzes. 

Entanglement 

If words aren’t your thing then you’ll enjoy this puzzle game. Entanglement is a puzzle game designed by Gopherwood Studios in which players must create the longest path possible by strategically placing tiles.

Tiles are randomly generated, so all you have to do is rotate and place hexagonal tiles to create your path without running into a wall. But don’t worry, there are many options given so you won’t get frustrated. You’ll be competing against yourself to beat your own record. 

Free games online such as Entanglement are perfect to play when you are stressed and need to take a break. With the soothing background music, it will be hard not to relax. 

Entanglement is available online for free without any downloads necessary. 

The stars of the HBO hit series Game of Thrones. Source: Kevin Winter/AFP

Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming 

This one is for all Game of Thrones fans. If you have been searching for an official Game of Thrones game, Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming is the answer. 

Based on the popular HBO television series, the game starts after Eddard Stark dies, following as the kingdoms fight for the throne. You will take the role of a lord or a lady in one of the seven kingdoms and guide them through their part of greed and power. The game even has a server map based on Westeros complete with all the landmarks that are in the books and TV series.

This is a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game (MMORTS), so you’ll be able to build your kingdom, train soldiers and form alliances with your friends. What’s even better is that you will be able to add famous faces from the franchise like Arya Stark, Jon Snow, and Daenerys Targaryen to your army.

This free online browser game is only available for PC users, and it requires no downloading. 

Ready to take a study break and lead your kingdom? Click here to play Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming.

Cards Against Humanity online

You’ve probably played this popular card game at least once in your life, but did you know there’s an online version of Cards Against Humanity? No login or download is required. Just open a tab in your browser and create a virtual room for you and your friends.

Though more fun to play with friends, this online version allows you to laugh out loud when you need to let off some steam. 

Check out the online version here.