How to get players for your browser game

How do I get players for my browser game?

Make the game quick to open, list it where players already browse for games, share it with communities that like that kind of game, and post a short clip. Most of this is free. Paid promotion is optional and makes the most sense once the basics are done.

1. Get the link ready. It should open straight into the game, load fast and work on a phone. What makes a browser game spread covers it.
2. List the game for free. Where to post covers Foundplay, itch.io, Newgrounds and the portals.
3. Share it with a few communities, one at a time, after reading their rules. Reddit, Discord and game jams are below.
4. Post a short clip with the best moment first. The video tips are short.
5. Read the feedback, fix what people ran into, and share the update. A new version is a reason to post again.
6. Pay for plays only if you want a guaranteed number. Boost starts at $5.

Where can I post my HTML5 or WebGL game for free?

List it on Foundplay for free, create a page for it on itch.io or Newgrounds, and apply to the developer programs of portals such as CrazyGames and Poki, which choose which games they take. Check each site's current rules and fees before you upload.

• Foundplay. Paste the link where people play your game. Foundplay fills in the title, description and cover from that page, and the game goes live right away. Play sends players straight to your site. Foundplay checks that the link loads and is safe before it lists the game (how the checks work).
• itch.io. You can upload an HTML5 game as a zip file or a single HTML file, and it plays on its page. Its game jams are a way to find a first audience.
• Newgrounds. A long-running site with a games portal. Players rate and review the games people upload.
• Game portals such as CrazyGames and Poki run developer programs. They choose which games to take and may ask for changes to the game, so read their requirements before you apply.
• Somewhere to host it. Foundplay links to your game and doesn't host it, so it needs a home. Your own domain works, and so does a static host such as GitHub Pages or Netlify.

Fees and terms change, so check each site's current rules before you upload.

How do I promote my game on Reddit, Discord and in game jams?

Share it where people already talk about games like yours: genre subreddits, Discord servers and game jams. Read each community's self-promotion rules first, take part before you post, and ask for feedback instead of asking for plays.

• Reddit. Player-facing subreddits such as r/WebGames, r/playmygame and r/incremental_games (for idle games) and maker-facing ones such as r/gamedev and r/IndieDev have different audiences and different rules. Read the sidebar and the pinned posts, follow the self-promotion rules, and post once per community.
• Discord. Many game-dev and genre servers have a showcase or feedback channel. Join, read the rules, and reply to other people's posts before you share yours. Foundplay's Discord server posts the new games from each drop.
• Game jams. A jam gives you a theme, a deadline and a crowd that plays and rates entries. Finish something small, submit it, then play and comment on other entries. itch.io keeps a list of upcoming jams.
• Hacker News. Show HN is for projects people can try out. Read its guidelines before you post.

Say what the game is in one sentence and ask what people would change. Don't paste the same message into ten places on the same day.

What kind of video works for a browser game?

A clip of 15 to 30 seconds that shows real play, with the best moment in the first few seconds. Post it on YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels and X, and put the game's link wherever each one allows it.

• Record real play. Skip the logo and the intro.
• Show the best moment in the first few seconds, before anyone scrolls on.
• Crop it to vertical for Shorts, TikTok and Reels, and add captions, since sound is often off.
• Put the link in your profile, the video description or a pinned comment, whichever the platform allows.
• Use the same clip on your Foundplay listing. The submit form takes a video or a GIF.

What makes a browser game spread?

Browser games spread when they open fast, work on a phone, make sense within seconds and give people something to share, such as a score or a link that drops a friend into the same room.

• It opens fast. No sign-up wall before the first play, no menu that hides the game, no long load. Test on a slow connection and an older phone.
• It works on a phone. Many players browse on one. Use touch controls, buttons big enough to tap and a layout that fits portrait or landscape. If the game needs a keyboard, say so: Foundplay marks each game as phone-friendly or needing a keyboard, and has a list of browser games that work on phones.
• The first minute explains itself. Teach by letting people play. Short rounds mean a player can try again in seconds.
• There is something to share: a score, a daily challenge, a result screen worth a screenshot. For multiplayer, give players a link that drops a friend into the same room.
• The link previews well. Set a page title, a description and a share image (Open Graph tags) so the link shows a picture on X, Discord and Slack instead of a bare address.
• It holds up. Try it in Chrome, Safari and Firefox, and on both iPhone and Android, before you share it.

What should I have ready before I share my game?

A clear title, a cover that reads when small, a one-line pitch, a link that opens straight into the game and a short clip. Put them on one page and you have a press kit.

• Title. Say what the game is. A name plus a genre word is easier to search for than a clever title nobody can guess.
• Cover. One strong image that still reads as a small card. Take screenshots from real play, not mockups.
• Pitch. One sentence on what you do and why it is fun, for example "Serve every order in a tiny diner before the timer runs out."
• Link. It goes straight into the game, over https, with no sign-up first.
• Clip. See the video tips above.

A press kit is one page that holds all of that: the pitch, the cover, three to five screenshots, the clip, your name and a way to reach you, plus anything that makes the game interesting, such as how it was made. If you built it with AI tools, say so. Players ask, and some communities want to know.

How do I get my game featured?

Each place that features games makes its own picks, so there is no single route. A game that runs well on phones and computers, with a clear cover and pitch, is easier to pick. On Foundplay, Trending and Most played follow clicks on Play, and the home page's Featured spot can come with Boost's Takeover plan for 7 days.

• Portals and stores. Follow their submission steps closely. A game that runs well, has a clear cover and has a pitch that fits on one line is easier to say yes to.
• Free on Foundplay. Trending shows the games clicked most in the last 48 hours, and Most played ranks games by plays. Both follow clicks on Play, so a game people open moves up. The home page's hero and Featured show picks from listed games.
• New games. Foundplay adds them in drops, and /drops shows what came out in recent ones. Games you submit yourself go live right away.
• Paid on Foundplay. The Takeover boost puts a game in the Featured spot, labelled Sponsored. Details are below.

How much does it cost to promote an indie web game?

It can cost nothing. Listings, communities, game jams and clips cost time, not money. If you want to pay, Foundplay's Boost starts at $5 for 50 guaranteed plays in 3 days. Ads, streamers and sponsored spots elsewhere set their own prices, so ask what counts as a result and what happens if it isn't delivered.

Before you pay anyone for promotion, ask four things:

• What counts as a result: a view, a click or a play?
• How is it counted, and can you see the numbers?
• What happens if it isn't delivered?
• Is the spot labelled as paid, and do the rules of the site where it appears allow it?

Boost's answers are in the next section.

What is Foundplay Boost, and how does it work?

Boost is Foundplay's paid option for creators. You pick a plan, choose a game that is already listed, and Foundplay shows it in sponsored spots until the plays you paid for arrive or the days run out. The share of plays not delivered is refunded.

Foundplay sells Boost, so it has a reason to want you to buy it. Everything above works without it.

Plays are counted clicks on Play from the plan's sponsored spots. Every sponsored spot is labelled Sponsored.

1. List the game on Foundplay. That is free, and a game has to be listed before it can be boosted.
2. Pick a plan at /advertise and pay at checkout.
3. The boost is reviewed. One that passes the automatic review starts as soon as the payment is confirmed. A person looks at the others, usually within a day.
4. Your game shows in sponsored spots that match its genres and the words people search for. You don't set up targeting.
5. Your boost's page shows how many plays have arrived. The boost ends when it has delivered its plays or its days run out, and any share of the plays not delivered by then is refunded.

A play sends someone to your game. Foundplay can't see what happens after that, so it can't promise that players stay, come back or spend money. Fan games and copies of big franchises can't be boosted.

For scale, Foundplay's own visit counter shows an average of 4,500+ visitors a day over the last three full days, and 600+ games are listed. It updates every few minutes.

More guides

Shorter guides answer one question each: your first 100 players, a multiplayer game, a game made with an AI tool, and how to ship a web build from an engine. All guides are on one page.

More questions

Is it free to list a game on Foundplay?

Yes. Sign in with an email code, paste the link where people play your game, check the details and publish. There is no charge and no password.

Does Foundplay host my game?

No. Foundplay is a game discovery platform. Your game stays on your own site, and Play sends players there.

What counts as a play?

A click on Play that Foundplay counts. It leaves bots and repeat clicks out of its counts, including the plays a Boost has to deliver.

Do I get a refund if a Boost doesn't deliver?

Yes. If the days run out before the plays arrive, the share not delivered is refunded. If a boost is turned down in review before it runs, you get the full amount back.

How long does a Boost take to start?

A boost that passes the automatic review starts as soon as the payment is confirmed. A person looks at the others, usually within a day.

Can I boost a fan game of a big franchise?

No. Fan games and copies of big franchises can't be boosted. Boosts for gambling, adult or crypto games are held for a person to look at first.

When do new games appear on Foundplay?

Games you submit yourself go live right away. Games Foundplay adds come out together in drops at 6 AM and 6 PM Pacific.

A question this guide doesn't answer? The About page has contact details.