What was once our list of the “best Chromebook games” has a new look, a new title. Because in an age of cloud gaming, Stadia and compatibility with Android apps and browser games and Steam – all compatible with Chromebooks now – what really is a Chromebook game? Chromebooks have become extremely robust, and we want our list to reflect that.
We’re not going to list Red Dead Redemption 2 as a Chromebook game just yet (even though you can play it via Google Stadia), but we want to capture some of the platform’s capabilities by showing the games you can play on Chromebook even if they’re not native.
Some of these games are playable through Steam, which will require you to enable Linux app mode on your Chromebook. Scroll down through this guide to see how to install Steam on Chromebook.
Other games you can download straight from the Google Play Store. If the Play Store isn’t working on your Chromebook, check our respective guide.
With all that in mind, let’s go…
1. Krunker.io (Browser)
Browser games don’t get nearly enough credit these days, and Krunker.io is really among the best of them. It’s a voxel-based online shooter with thousands of players spread across multiple servers around the world.
It’s a fast-paced team-based shooter with shades of old-school Team Fortress. You pick from one of multiple classes, each with their own weapons, health amount and run speed. Hyperfast runner armed with only a knife, or the dangerous Triggerman with his assault rifle? It’s up to you.
All the classic game modes are here – from deathmatch to capture the flag through to Battlefield-style domination. And of course it’s all free and playable right now.
Also read:11 Essential Chromebook Keyboard Tips You Need to Know
2. Eternium (Play Store, Steam)
There are a lot of cash-in ARPGs on the Play Store, which try to make a quick buck off gamers’ undying love for the Diablo-style slash-and-loot formula. But Eternium (also available on Steam) is one game that actually does it really well.
It has excellent combat mechanics, including a spell system where you draw sigils on your screen, and a refreshing lack of paywalls and other systems designed to force you to spend money. It has a nice visual style too, not too dissimilar to Diablo 3’s more cartoony approach to dungeon crawling.
Also read:28 Best Chromebook Tips and Tricks for Beginners
3. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (Play Store)
It doesn’t feel so long ago that Android gamers had to content themselves with decidedly downgraded versions of Sid Meier’s history-spanning 4X series. But now, you can play the full-blooded Civilization 6 on Android/Chromebook – and even have the first 60 turns free to test how it works on your device.
Now, this doesn’t work on all Chromebooks apparently, with Pixel users reporting more luck than those on Samsung devices. But once you’re in, you get to play one of the best iterations of Civ. It’s deep, colorful and utterly compelling as pick a civilization and march it from the Stone Age to the Space Age.
4. Wall of Insanity (Play Store)
This recently released shooter will instantly feel familiar to fans of the classic sci-fi horror Dead Space. Wall of Insanity is as good an action-horror as you’ll get on a Chromebook, with tight over-the-shoulder camera making you feel the claustrophobia as you blast your way through surreal, nightmarish environments.
The story casts you as a police officer, sent to investigate a sketchy cult. Inevitably this leads you into a strange and dark world of intrigue and horror – a perfect pick for Halloween!
5. Stardew Valley (Play Store, Steam)
With its cross-platform success, Stardew Valley is a game that hardly needs introduction. But for the benefit of the uninformed, it’s a farming and life sim in the style or Harvest Moon: in fact, it’s arguably the best game of its kind ever created.
You take over a farm, with the goal of building it out and restoring it to its former glory. You breed animals, plant crops meet the locals, and even get married. It’s deceptively well-written too, with intriguing characters and stories to uncover.
With its undemanding but pretty pixel graphics, Stardew Valley has little problem running on any remotely modern Chromebook.
6. NBA Jam (Play Store)
Sports games aren’t easy to get on mobile (and by extension, Chromebook). EA has been cranking out FIFA games for years, but they just feel stiff and awkward. NBA Jam solves many of those problems by keeping things simple. 2-vs-2, big heads, and spectacular slam dunks make this one of the best sports games on Chromebook and Android.
Those who played the excellent NBA Hangtime in the 90s will particularly enjoy NBA Jam, as it has that same gung-ho, absurd, arcade-like play where you leap 50 feet into the air before smashing the ball down through the hoop.
Local and online multiplayer, a fun campaign, and simple controls make this a must-play even if you’re not basketball buff.
7. Among Us (Play Store)
There are few games as popular as Among Us right now, and a big part of the popularity of this murder mystery party game is just how easily it runs across all platforms (cross-play too!).
The idea is that you’re one of several jellybean-looking astronauts on a spaceship, working together to keep things running smoothly. But one of you is actually the impostor trying to kill people and sabotage the ship.
This one is really best played with friends rather than strangers calling you a suspect (hence the meme ‘sus’) with no justification but works wonderfully on Chromebooks.
Also read:7 of the Best Metaverse Games You Can Play Right Now
8. Game Dev Tycoon (Play Store)
Game Dev Tycoon is an addictive management sim about running a game development studio. It’s been around since 2012, and the fact that it’s now on PC, mobile and Nintendo Switch speaks to its popularity.
Assemble a talented team of devs, move into an office, and get on the path to becoming the greatest game studio known to humanity! There’s a nice narrative thrust, too, as you start the game in a garage in the ’80s before moving through the eras and the new technologies they bring with them.
The game works great with touchscreen controls or a mouse and is a real kickback kind of experience as you conceive game project after game project and (hopefully) watch the big bucks roll in.
9. Google Stadia
While it’s not really a game in itself, given that Google’s cloud gaming platform lets you play such games as Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and PUBG on your Chromebook, it deserves a mention.
Stadia works by streaming games from Google’s servers, then essentially beaming it to your Chromebook via a high-quality (up to 4K) video. If your Internet is fast, then the difference between playing the game via streaming or actual hardware should be negligible. Just go to the Stadia site in your Chrome browser, and you’re good to go!
Another fun fact is that you can now trial Stadia Pro for a month for free, which gives you access to a nice little catalog of included games to try.
You can also see how Stadia stacks up against rival cloud services in our Stadia vs. GeForce Now vs. Shadow comparison.
10. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Play Store)
Metroidvanias are all the rage these days, but they wouldn’t be where they are today without this seminal entry in the Castlevania series.
Introducing non-linear exploration, opulent pixel art and an unforgettable glam-rock-meets-ghoulish soundtrack, Symphony of the Night is one that you can always go back to, and it remains immortally brilliant – kind of like Big Drac himself.
The surprise release of an Android version offers a new way to revisit this classic, complete with new; perks, like a Continue feature and achievements. Playing it on Chromebook’s keyboard (or better still, a gamepad) is much more comfortable than on a touchscreen, too!
11. Alto’s Odyssey (Play Store)
The sequel to Alto’s Adventure is one of the most mesmerizing and artistically accomplished games on Android. It’s also among the Android games that are most universally compatible on Chromebook.
In Alto’s Odyssey, you glide on a board across all kinds of desert landscapes, with mysterious cities and ancient rock formations rising in the background. It has its share of challenges, but it’s also a serene experience that’s perfect to bliss out to on a lazy weekend afternoon.
12. PUBG Mobile (Play Store)
Unlike most of the other games on this list, playing the Android version of the legendary battle royale game on Chromebook comes with some caveats. First, you need to have an Intel CPU inside your Chromebook.
Secondly, how well PUBG Mobile runs on Chromebook depends heavily on your device. Users of Google Pixelbooks have reported that it runs reasonably well, as have those on higher-end Chromebooks. There’s an interesting piece over at Chrome Unboxed about how well this version of the game runs on modern Chromebooks, and the outlook is pretty good.
If you do manage to get PUBG Mobile running, you’re in for a world of tough old fun as you duke it out against 99 other players to be the last man standing. It’s stark, intense, and incredibly compelling.
Note that you can play the full version of PUBG on Chromebook if you subscribe to Google Stadia Pro (which, as we already mentioned, comes with a one-month free trial).
13. Baldur’s Gate 2: Enhanced Edition (Play Store)
The ever-increasing support of Android apps on Chrome OS means we’re becoming more and more comfortable recommending Play Store games for Chromebook. Not all games work perfectly (many don’t, in fact), but one of the titles that’s been confirmed to work seamlessly across multiple Chromebook devices is this classic RPG.
Beamdog’s port of Baldur’s Gate 2 retains everything from the original games and is bolstered by HD resolutions. It’s an old-school RPG set in a beautiful pre-rendered world and has you controlling a party of heroes, taking on quests, and engaging in deep D&D-style combat. It’s one of the more seminal games of its time, with excellent, colorful writing and an immersive world that laid the path for today’s RPGs.
While we’re at it, you can also check out other Black Isle Studio games: Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment from the Play Store. All work swimmingly on most compatible Chromebooks. (If they don’t, just take advantage of the Play Store’s two-hour refund window.)
14. Agar.io
Gaming minimalism in its finest form. Agar.io doesn’t look like much – a smattering of primary-colored circles floating around on what appears to be a sheet of graph paper. Start playing, however, and it’s a viciously-compelling online battle for survival.
Control a circle, guiding it around a large plain expanse in a bid to consume circles of a smaller size (controlled by other players) while you avoid being munched by circles bigger than yourself. That’s it. You can cough up some money for in-game skins and so on, but the game can just as easily be enjoyed for free.
15. Fallout Shelter (Play Store)
This is yet another Play Store game we are featuring in this list. If you need help with adding it or the other Play Store games, you can read our guide on how to install Android apps on your Chromebook.
Fallout Shelter is one of the best options for Play Store games on Chromebook. It’s the side-on spinoff of the main Fallout series, which tasks you with building and managing a nuclear bunker in that game world. It plays great and looks wonderful using those distinctive 50s-style cartoon graphics players will recognize from the Pip-Boy.
Also read:How to Install Firefox in Chromebook
16. Spelunky
Spelunky is, in my eyes, a necessity in everyone’s game collection. The permadeath, randomly-generated mineshaft crawler is a goldmine of unexpected events, crazy mishaps and hilarious situations as you work your way toward stealing the fabled treasure. This is based on the less-pretty 2008 version and not the more recent remake, but the systems and mechanics are all there.
17. Town of Salem (Browser)
Ever played the party game Mafia after a couple of bottles of wine at a dinner party? The browser-based Town of Salem is much along the same lines and similar to Among Us as well, and you don’t need to be inebriated to have fun with it. Play with a whole bunch of players online and try to work out who’s killing locals at night. (Or if you’re the killer, try not to get caught.) Devilishly deceitful.
Also read:9 of the Best Co-op Games You Can Play in Your Browser
Want more games to sink your time into? Check out our list of the best hidden Google games, or turn your Android phone into a retro gaming station with our Retroarch for Android guide.
If you want to use Chrome OS to get some work done, we can show you how to use Microsoft Office on Chromebook for free.
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