Most of the time a browser game starts within a few seconds. Occasionally, though, you might see a black screen, a loading bar that never finishes, or a game that runs without sound. The good news is that almost every problem can be fixed in a minute or two. Work through these steps in order and stop as soon as the game works.
1. Give it a moment, then refresh
Larger 3D games download their graphics before the first screen appears. On a slow connection that can take 10 to 20 seconds. If nothing happens after that, refresh the page (press F5 on a computer, or pull down on the page on a phone).
2. Check your internet connection
Open another website to make sure your connection is working. On mobile data, try moving to a spot with a better signal or switching to Wi-Fi.
3. Update your browser
Modern games need a modern browser. Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari and Samsung Internet all work well, as long as they are up to date. An old browser is the most common reason for a black screen in 3D games.
4. Turn on hardware acceleration (computers)
3D games use WebGL, which needs your graphics card. If hardware acceleration is switched off, they may refuse to start.
- Chrome and Edge: open Settings, go to System, switch on Use graphics acceleration when available, then restart the browser.
- Firefox: open Settings, scroll to Performance and make sure recommended performance settings are turned on.
5. Try a private window or another browser
Browser extensions occasionally block parts of a game. Open the game in a private or incognito window, where most extensions are switched off. If it works there, one of your extensions is the cause. Trying a different browser is another quick test.
6. Clear the cache for the site
If a game was updated, an old copy stored in your browser can clash with the new one. Clearing cached images and files usually fixes it. Note that clearing all site data can also remove saved progress, so clear only the cache if you want to keep your levels.
7. Free up memory on your phone
Phones with many open apps and tabs can run out of memory. Close other tabs and apps, then reload the game. Restarting the phone is a reliable last resort.
8. No sound?
- Browsers only allow sound after you tap or click on the page, so tap inside the game once.
- Check that the game's own sound button is not switched off.
- On iPhone, check the silent switch on the side of the phone.
- Make sure the browser tab itself is not muted.
9. The game is too small or the controls are hidden
Use the full-screen button on the game page. On phones, many games are designed for landscape, so rotate your device. If the on-screen buttons still overlap, zoom the page back to 100%.
Almost all of the steps below take less than a minute, and none of them require you to install anything or change advanced settings. Start at the top and work your way down.
Before you start: three quick questions
A minute spent answering these questions will tell you which of the steps below to try first:
- Does every game fail, or just one? If every game fails, the problem is almost certainly your browser, device or connection. If only one game fails, that game may need a stronger device, or it may have a temporary problem we need to fix.
- Is it a 2D or a 3D game? 3D games need your graphics hardware through WebGL. If 2D games work and 3D games do not, go straight to the hardware acceleration and WebGL checks.
- Did it work before? If a game worked yesterday and not today, a browser update, a new extension or an old cached file is the most likely cause. A hard refresh or a private window usually fixes it.
Problems after a browser or system update
Browser and operating system updates usually make games run better, but occasionally a fresh update needs a restart before everything works again. If games stopped working right after an update, close the browser completely, including any windows in the background, and open it again. On phones, restarting the device after a system update is a good habit. If a problem only appears after a major update, it is often fixed in the next small update a few days later, so it is worth checking for updates again.
Ad blockers and privacy extensions
Extensions that block adverts or trackers sometimes block a game file by mistake, especially files with names that look like advertising or analytics. The result is a game that stops loading part-way. Opening the game in a private window, where extensions are usually switched off, is the quickest test. If it works there, pause the extension for our site. Our site is free because of adverts, so allowing them also helps us keep adding new games.
Older devices and minimum requirements
Most of our 2D games run on almost any phone or computer from the last several years. 3D games are more demanding. As a rough guide, a phone or tablet that can run modern apps smoothly and a computer that can play HD video without stuttering will handle nearly everything on the site. On very old devices, choose 2D puzzle, board and arcade games, which need far less power.
What your screen is telling you
The kind of problem you see is a big clue to the cause. Use this table to jump straight to the most likely fix.
| What you see | Most likely cause | Try first |
|---|---|---|
| Black or white screen, no loading bar | 3D graphics (WebGL) not available | Update the browser, turn on hardware acceleration |
| Loading bar stuck at 0% | Files blocked or connection too slow | Private window, pause ad blocker, check connection |
| Loading bar stuck near 100% | Device running out of memory | Close other tabs and apps, restart the browser |
| Message saying WebGL is not supported | Old browser or graphics driver | Update the browser and graphics driver |
| Game starts but stutters | Device busy or overheating | Close tabs, lower in-game quality, let the phone cool |
| Keys do nothing | Game does not have focus | Click once inside the game |
| Progress lost | Browser data cleared or private window | Play in a normal window on the same browser |
Check whether your browser supports WebGL
Most of our 3D games need WebGL. A quick way to check is to search for a "WebGL test" page and open it, or, in Chrome and Edge, type chrome://gpu into the address bar and look for the WebGL lines. If they say "Hardware accelerated", 3D games should work. If they say "Disabled" or "Unavailable", turn on hardware acceleration as described above and update your browser and graphics driver.
On Windows computers, graphics drivers come from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel, and the latest version can be downloaded from their websites or through Windows Update. On a Mac or Chromebook, the driver is updated together with the operating system, so installing system updates is enough.
Games opened from WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook
When you tap a link inside a social media or chat app, the page often opens in that app's own built-in browser instead of Chrome or Safari. These mini browsers are designed for reading articles and sometimes struggle with games: sound may not play, full screen may not work and progress may not be saved.
The fix is simple. Look for the menu button (usually three dots) and choose Open in Chrome, Open in browser or Open in Safari. The game will then run in your full browser with all its features.
School, office and public Wi-Fi networks
Some networks, especially at schools, offices, hotels and cafes, block gaming websites or certain kinds of files. If a game loads at home but not on a particular network, the network is the likely cause. There is nothing wrong with your device. Please respect the rules of the network you are using; on mobile data the game will usually load normally.
Data saver, Lite mode and low power mode
Battery and data saving settings can quietly slow games down:
- Data saver or Lite mode in some mobile browsers compresses pages and can stop game files from loading properly. Turn it off for our site.
- Low Power Mode on iPhone and Battery Saver on Android reduce processor speed and may limit animations, which can make games run more slowly.
- Low storage on a phone leaves little room for the browser's cache, which can cause repeated downloading or failed loading. Free up some space if your phone is nearly full.
How to clear the cache without losing progress
Clearing only the cache removes old copies of game files but keeps your saved progress, which lives in a different place called site data or local storage.
- Chrome on a computer: open Settings, then Privacy and security, then Delete browsing data. Tick only Cached images and files and delete.
- Chrome on Android: tap the three dots, then Delete browsing data, and choose only Cached images and files.
- Safari on iPhone: Safari offers fewer choices, and clearing history and website data also removes saved progress. Try the other steps first.
A quicker trick on a computer is a "hard refresh". Press Ctrl + F5 on Windows or Cmd + Shift + R in Chrome on a Mac. It reloads the page and downloads fresh files without deleting anything.
The game is slow or laggy
If a game loads but feels sluggish, work through these quick checks:
- Close video tabs and streaming apps, which use a lot of memory and processing power.
- Look in the game's settings for a graphics or quality option and choose a lower level.
- On a laptop, plug in the charger, because many laptops slow the graphics down on battery.
- Let a hot phone cool down. Phones reduce their speed when they get warm to protect the battery.
- Restart the browser to clear out memory used by pages you closed long ago.
Controls not responding properly
If keys or buttons seem to stick, first click inside the game to give it focus. Then check that no other program is using the same keys, for example screen recording software with keyboard shortcuts. On phones, a screen protector that is cracked or lifting can stop touches from registering near the edges, where on-screen buttons usually sit.
10. Still not working? Tell us
If a game still will not start, please contact us and choose Game not working. It helps a lot if you include:
- the name of the game,
- your device (for example "Android phone" or "Windows laptop"),
- your browser and, if you know it, its version,
- what you see on screen (black screen, stuck loading bar, error message).
We check every report and fix or replace games that do not work properly.
Want to understand why these steps work? Read How HTML5 Games Work.