> history --since 1995

Timeline

59 of our 157 games have a sourced launch year; here they are by year, threaded through the platform milestones, shutdowns and revivals that shaped multiplayer games in the browser. Every milestone links to its source.

1. 1995

   • launch1995Earth 2025: an early browser game

     One of the first known browser games: text only, but players could interact and form alliances. source

   • tech1995Java applets arrive

     Applets ship with the first version of Java, letting small programs (and games) run inside a web page via a plug-in. source

   • launch1995Newgrounds begins

     Tom Fulp launches the site that would become a home for Flash games and animation. source

2. 1996

   • techDec 1996Macromedia Flash 1.0

     Macromedia acquires FutureSplash and releases it as Macromedia Flash 1.0. source

3. 1997

   • launch1997ClassicGames.com

     A host for classic Java-based multiplayer games like chess and checkers; Yahoo buys it and builds Yahoo! Games on it. source

   Launched in 1997 · still listed

   • Achaea
   • Hattrick

4. 1998

   • launchMar 31, 1998Yahoo! Games launches

     Yahoo's games site launches on top of the ClassicGames.com acquisition. source

   Launched in 1998 · still listed

   • Utopia

5. 1999

   Launched in 1999 · still listed

   • Neopets

6. 2000

   • tech2000ActionScript arrives with Flash 5

     The first major version of ActionScript ships with Flash 5, making far more complex Flash games possible. source

   Launched in 2000 · still listed

   • Planetarion

7. 2001

   • launchJan 4, 2001RuneScape beta opens

     Andrew Gower's Java-based browser MMO is first released, initially run from the Gower family home in Nottingham. source

   • launchMar 30, 2001Miniclip launches

     The browser game website that later published Agar.io's mobile apps goes live. source

   Launched in 2001 · still listed

   • PlayOK

8. 2002

   Launched in 2002 · still listed

   • NationStates
   • OGame

9. 2003

   Launched in 2003 · still listed

   • Gaia Online
   • Kingdom of Loathing
   • Kings of Chaos
   • Omerta
   • Popmundo
   • Tribal Wars

10. 2004

    Launched in 2004 · still listed

    • Pardus
    • Subeta
    • Travian: Legends

11. 2005

    • launchOct 24, 2005Club Penguin opens to the public

      Disney later bought it in 2007; it became one of the best-known Flash virtual worlds. source

    Launched in 2005 · still listed

    • Lexulous
    • Online Go Server (OGS)
    • UDUrban Dead

12. 2006

    • launchOct 10, 2006Kongregate launches in alpha

      Emily and Jim Greer's portal for Flash, Shockwave, Java and Unity games with high scores and badges. source

    Launched in 2006 · still listed

    • Cyber Nations
    • Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup (WebTiles)

13. 2007

    • tech2007The iPhone and the mobile shift

      Mobile gaming accelerates with the iPhone, one of two factors Wikipedia credits for the decline of browser games. source

    Launched in 2007 · still listed

    • Chess.com

14. 2008

    Launched in 2008 · still listed

    • 8 Ball Pool
    • eRepublik
    • Ikariam
    • The West
    • TypeRacer

15. 2009

    • launch2009FarmVille on Facebook

      Becomes the most popular game on Facebook; peaks at 83.76 million monthly users in March 2010. source

    Launched in 2009 · still listed

    • Fallen London
    • Shakes & Fidget
    • Tanki Online

16. 2010

    • tech2010Apple: no Flash on iOS

      Apple announces its devices will not support Flash, the second factor behind the decline of Flash games. source

    Launched in 2010 · still listed

    • GeoFS
    • Haxball
    • Lichess
    • Transformice

17. 2011

    • techMar 2011WebGL 1.0

      The WebGL 1.0 specification is released, bringing plug-in-free 3D graphics to browsers (Chrome had enabled it in February). source

    Launched in 2011 · still listed

    • Nitro Type

18. 2012

    • closureDec 9, 2012Glitch closes

      Tiny Speck shuts its browser MMO; its internal chat tool becomes Slack. source

    Launched in 2012 · still listed

    • Drawception
    • Forge of Empires

19. 2013

    • closureSep 19, 2013Toontown Online closes

      Disney ends the MMO after ten years. Fan project Toontown Rewritten opens alpha testing the next month. source

    Launched in 2013 · still listed

    • GeoGuessr
    • TagPro

20. 2014

    • ✝ May 12, 2014: Lord of Ultima closed
    • ✝ Mar 31, 2014: Free Realms closed

    Launched in 2014 · still listed

    • Politics and War
    • Town of Salem

21. 2015

    • launchApr 28, 2015Agar.io

      Matheus Valadares releases Agar.io after a single 4chan post; it kicks off the .io genre. source

    Launched in 2015 · still listed

    • Agar.io

22. 2016

    • launchMar 25, 2016Slither.io

      Steven Howse's snake game launches with servers for up to 500 players each. source

    • ✝ Jun 6, 2016: Mafia Wars closed
    • ✝ May 13, 2016: Yahoo! Games closed

    Launched in 2016 · still listed

    • Diep.io
    • Mope.io
    • Pony Town
    • Slither.io

23. 2017

    • techMar 2017WebAssembly ships

      WebAssembly's first release; by November 2017 Mozilla declares support in all major browsers. source

    • closureMar 30, 2017Club Penguin closes

      Disney replaces it with the app Club Penguin Island, which itself closes in December 2018. source

    • techJul 25, 2017Adobe announces Flash end of life

      Adobe says it will stop supporting Flash Player after 2020 and points developers to HTML5. source

    • revivallate 2017Flashpoint starts

      Ben "BlueMaxima" Latimore starts the preservation project now known as Flashpoint Archive. source

    Launched in 2017 · still listed

    • Colonist.io
    • Shell Shockers
    • skribbl.io

24. 2018

    • ✝ Dec 20, 2018: Club Penguin Island closed
    • ✝ Aug 6, 2018: RuneScape Classic closed
    • ✝ Jun 30, 2018: Fantage closed

    Launched in 2018 · still listed

    • Krunker
    • Mahjong Soul
    • ZombsRoyale.io

25. 2019

    • revivalAug 2019Newgrounds adopts Ruffle

      Newgrounds offers the open-source Ruffle emulator alongside its own Newgrounds Player. source

    • ✝ Dec 13, 2019: Moshi Monsters closed
    • ✝ Apr 9, 2019: Adobe Shockwave Player closed

26. 2020

    • closureJul 1, 2020Kongregate stops taking new games

      Kongregate closes submissions ahead of the Flash end of life; existing games remain. source

    • closureDec 31, 2020Flash Player is discontinued

      Adobe ends Flash Player; from January 12, 2021 it refuses to run Flash content. source

    • ✝ Dec 31, 2020: Adobe Flash Player closed
    • ✝ Dec 31, 2020: FarmVille (original, on Facebook) closed
    • ✝ Sep 23, 2020: Realm of the Mad God (Flash client) closed
    • ✝ Mar 2020: Pogo.com Flash games closed
    • ✝ Jan 22, 2020: Windows Internet Games (MSN Games / Zone) closed

    Launched in 2020 · still listed

    • Gartic Phone
    • Territorial.io
    • TETR.IO

27. 2022

    • closureJul 2022Miniclip closes its browser portal

      Only Agar.io and 8 Ball Pool remain on the site. source

    • ✝ Apr 13, 2022: Club Penguin Rewritten closed

    Launched in 2022 · still listed

    • Prosperous Universe
    • Squabble

28. 2023

    • closureMar 2, 2023Surviv.io sunset

      Kongregate shuts the 2D battle royale; fan recreations follow. source

29. 2025

    • closureMar 14, 2025Urban Dead closes

      The text zombie MMO shuts after almost 20 years, citing the UK Online Safety Act. source

    • launchJul 21, 2025Wplace launches

      A collaborative pixel-art world map by Brazilian developer Murilo Matsubara. source

    • revivalOct 14, 2025Webkinz Classic returns to the browser

      Ganz launches an early-access browser version with converted Flash content, after moving to a desktop app in 2018. source

    Launched in 2025 · still listed

    • Wplace

30. 2026

    • tech2026Java applets removed for good

      Deprecated in Java 9 (2017), applets are removed entirely in Java 26. source

    • revivalMar 20, 2026Surviv.io relaunched

      Kongregate brings Surviv.io back on its own website. source

98 games don't have a launch year we could source yet, so they aren't placed on the timeline. Launch years come from each game's own site, Wikipedia or Wikidata, linked on its page.