How long does it take to get 100 players for a browser game?

It depends on the game and on how many places you post. A week of sharing in a different place each day is a fair test. If you have little to show after that, change the pitch, the cover or the first minute before you post more.

Do friends and family count toward my first 100?

They count as plays, but they teach little because they want you to do well. Ask them to send the link to people they know who like this kind of game, and keep strangers in a separate count.

Should I wait until the game is finished before I look for players?

No, but wait until the first minute works. A small game that loads fast and explains itself gets better feedback than a bigger one that breaks on phones. Say it is early and ask what people would change.

Is it worth paying for the first 100 players?

Only after the free steps. Paid plays show whether strangers press Play on your cover, but they can't fix a slow load. If you pay, pick a small plan, read the result and change the game before you spend more.

What is a play on Foundplay?

A play is a click on Play that Foundplay counts. It counts once per game per network a day, so repeat clicks and bots don't inflate the number.

How do I get my first 100 players for a browser game?

List the game for free, then share it in one new place each day for a week, every time with a short clip and a one-line pitch. Ask for feedback instead of plays, and write down your numbers after each post. That costs time, not money, and a week is enough to learn whether strangers want to play.

Updated October 10, 2026. Written by Foundplay, a game discovery platform for free browser games. Foundplay also sells Boost, a paid promotion for games, and this guide says where it fits. The advice before that part works without it. All guides

What counts as a player at this stage

At 100 players you are not building an audience yet. You are finding out whether people who owe you nothing start the game, stay for a minute and come back. A friend who opens the link to be polite tells you very little, so count strangers on their own.

Pick two numbers before you start: how many people opened the game, and how many were still playing a minute later. Your Foundplay page shows a play count, itch.io has an analytics page for each game, and a free analytics script on your own page can count the rest. Write the numbers down once a day.

A seven-day plan

Day 1, get the link ready. Open it on your phone over mobile data in a private window. It should load and start without a sign-in. The launch checklist covers the rest.
Day 2, list the game. Paste the play link at /submit, check the title and one-line description, and add a clip or GIF. If the game is a web build, give it an itch.io page too.
Day 3, post in one player-facing community, such as r/WebGames or r/playmygame. Read the sidebar and the self-promotion rules first, and answer every comment.
Day 4, post a 15 to 30 second clip on one video platform (Shorts, TikTok or Reels) with the link in your profile.
Day 5, ask in a game-dev Discord server or subreddit for feedback, not plays. These people try many small games and will tell you what broke. Playtesting goes deeper.
Day 6, write to five small creators who play games like yours. Send a short message and a link, no attachments, and expect no answer from most of them.
Day 7, read your numbers, fix the one biggest problem and post the update. A new version is a fresh reason to share the link.

Where to look first, and where not to

People who already like your genre. A genre subreddit or Discord server is a better first stop than a big general audience.
People who browse for browser games. Listings on Foundplay, itch.io and Newgrounds put your game in front of visitors who came to find something to play.
People who watch short video. A clip needs no download and no explanation, which suits a game that opens in a tab.
Skip paid ads until you know the game holds players. Paying for clicks to a game that loses people in five seconds mostly buys you that same lesson.
Skip posting the same message in ten places on one day. Communities notice, and moderators remove it.

Why a first post can fall flat

The title doesn't say what the game is. 'Orbit' tells nobody anything. 'Orbit: a one-button space-junk puzzle' does.
The clip opens with a logo. Start on the best moment.
The link lands on a page that asks for a sign-in or an email before the first play.
The game takes too long to load on a phone. Test on mobile data, not your home connection.
Nobody knows the goal. If a stranger can't say what to do within ten seconds, add a prompt or a first level that teaches it.

Reading the numbers once you have about 100

If many people open the game but few are still there a minute later, the first minute has the problem: load time, an unclear goal or controls that don't work on a phone. If few people open it at all, the pitch, the cover or the clip is the problem. Change one thing, post again somewhere new and compare.

How Foundplay can help

Foundplay is a game discovery platform for free browser games. It doesn't host games: every listing sends players to the creator's own site.

The free listing

Listing a game is free. Paste the link where people play it at /submit, check the details and publish. The game goes live right away, and Play sends players to your own site.

Your Foundplay page lets strangers leave a comment or a vote, which gives you early feedback from outside your own circle. Add a short clip or GIF in the form, since a moving cover is easier to click than a still one.

Boost, the paid option

Foundplay sells Boost, so it has a reason to want you to buy it. The free listing works without it.

If you want a push toward 100, the plan called Boost guarantees 120 plays, which leaves room for people who leave at once. Starter ($5 for 50 plays in 3 days) is enough to see whether strangers press Play on your cover. A play is a click, so it can't tell you whether they liked the game; your own analytics or the comments can.

The Boost plan costs $10 for 120 plays in 5 days, which works out to 8.3¢ a play. Where it shows: its genre pages and search results.

A play is a counted click on Play from a sponsored spot, the same way public play counts work: once per game per network a day. Every sponsored spot is labelled Sponsored, and the share of plays not delivered by the end of the plan's days is refunded automatically. Foundplay can't see what players do after the click. Fan games and copies of commercial games can't be boosted. A game has to be listed before it can be boosted. List it first, or start a Boost and add your play link there, and Foundplay lists the game for free as part of the same flow.

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.

List your game for free Boost with Boost See all Boost plans

More free ways to find players are in the full guide.

Questions

How long does it take to get 100 players for a browser game?: It depends on the game and on how many places you post. A week of sharing in a different place each day is a fair test. If you have little to show after that, change the pitch, the cover or the first minute before you post more.
Do friends and family count toward my first 100?: They count as plays, but they teach little because they want you to do well. Ask them to send the link to people they know who like this kind of game, and keep strangers in a separate count.
Should I wait until the game is finished before I look for players?: No, but wait until the first minute works. A small game that loads fast and explains itself gets better feedback than a bigger one that breaks on phones. Say it is early and ask what people would change.
Is it worth paying for the first 100 players?: Only after the free steps. Paid plays show whether strangers press Play on your cover, but they can't fix a slow load. If you pay, pick a small plan, read the result and change the game before you spend more.
What is a play on Foundplay?: A play is a click on Play that Foundplay counts. It counts once per game per network a day, so repeat clicks and bots don't inflate the number.