A range of text-based adventure games you can play in your browser

Written by — October 29, 2024 at 17:36

These days, adventure gamers are filled with options. There are so many viable titles to get through, with a conveyor belt of new releases frequently coming to the fore. Many of these products are also accessible through a web browser. Text-based adventure games are particularly popular with millions of online gamers, with some top products standing out at the moment. 

Right now, these text-based offerings are improving the genre as a whole. Sure, people still understandably enjoy other adventure-themed browser games, such as online Slingo bingo-style games like Deadliest Catch and Space Invaders, plus other highly-rated options like AdventureQuest, but these text-based offerings are great alternatives if you’re seeking an escapade through on-screen words. Of course, these games don’t tend to serve up the most amazing visual packages, though, but they’re still gripping. 

So, if you're requiring a free text-based title to add to your library of adventure games, then below are some leading products that gamers everywhere are enjoying at the moment. 

The Dreamhold

If you’ve never played a text-based browser game before, then The Dreamhold is a great product to start with. Created for first-time interactive fiction players, the game revolves around a scenario many people would regard as an absolute nightmare. In the game, you start by waking up inside a cell. From there, players have to find out why they're there in the first place and crack numerous puzzles in order to find the right answers. A short game to get through, The Dreamhold isn’t perfect but it does a fantastic job of introducing novice text-based adventure gamers to the genre. 

Fallen London

If you’re a bit more well-versed in this particular category of gaming, then Fallen London is the game for you. The title is set in an alternative Victorian London with gothic overtones, as players are tasked with making a series of correct decisions in this text-based gem with a sprinkling of RPG elements. A title that is developed by Failbetter Games and has been impressing gaming audiences for a few years now, Fallen London is definitely worth checking out. 

Spider and Web

As you can probably imagine, solving crimes and cracking big cases lends itself perfectly to this particular genre of gaming. Spider and Web is the best example of just how impressive games of this type can be, with this text-based delight tasking players with discovering just why the spy character they’re playing has been held hostage. There are numerous clues and investigative work to be carried out in this one, making for an entertaining escapade in the process. 

Kingdom of Loathing

Serving up pop culture references and strong doses of comical value, Kingdom of Loathing is a text-based masterpiece that has received plenty of plaudits. A game with a multiplayer aspect to it, this RPG with turn-based combat also delivers when it comes to comical content. A product that will make you chuckle, this charming release offers unique text-based descriptions that most other games struggle to pull off, while the title’s stick-figure art is incredibly charming. Easily one of the best games in this particular genre, Kingdom of Loathing is superb. 

Torn

An option with a huge community of active players behind it, Torn has been shining for years now. A game where players can opt to build their criminal empire and take control of the streets, this text-based installment is definitely worth sampling. Players can start a life in a new city and be immediately thrown into the criminal underworld, while there is even an opportunity to avoid crime altogether and run a successful company without breaking any laws.