How do I share a Unity WebGL game and get players?
A Unity WebGL build is a folder you can put on a static host, but it is large and starts slowly, so work on load time before you promote it. Check the compression setting your host supports, replace the default fixed-size page with a layout that fills the screen, and test on a real phone. Then list the link on Foundplay.
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 the build gives you
Unity's WebGL build writes an index.html and a Build folder with a loader, a framework file, a data file and a WebAssembly file, plus a folder of page assets. Upload all of it and keep the structure. Opening index.html from your disk usually fails, so test from a local web server or the editor's own build-and-run.
Compression and headers
Unity can compress the build with Brotli or Gzip. The host then has to tell the browser how the files are compressed, with a Content-Encoding header, and some hosts can't. If the game fails with an error about a missing or wrong header, switch on Unity's Decompression Fallback setting or turn compression off. Both cost a larger download or a slower start, so measure the result.
Load time
- Strip engine code you don't use with Unity's managed stripping setting.
- Compress textures and audio, and look at the build report for the biggest assets.
- Keep rarely used content out of the first download and load it after the game starts.
- Replace the default loading bar with one that fits your game, and add a tap-to-start screen. It also unlocks sound.
Test with the network throttled in your browser's developer tools. A first load that feels fine on your computer can take a long time on mobile data.
Page layout and phones
The default page template puts the game in a fixed-size box with Unity's footer. A template that fills the screen suits a game better, and a game that has to work on phones needs a layout that follows the screen's shape. Unity's own docs have treated mobile browsers as limited for WebGL builds, so check the current docs and test on real phones. If the game needs a keyboard, say so when you list it.
What doesn't carry over to the web
- Raw network sockets. Browser games use WebSockets or WebRTC, so a networking library has to support them.
- Most threading. Check which features your packages need.
- Saving to the disk. Use browser storage, and know it can be cleared.
- Large memory use. A WebGL build runs in a fixed memory budget, which phones strain first.
Where to host a Unity web build
itch.io accepts a zip with index.html at the top level and plays it in the browser. Static hosts such as Netlify, Cloudflare Pages and Vercel work too, and each has its own rules about headers and file sizes. Check them first.
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.
Mark whether the game works on phones, and say if it needs a keyboard. Play sends players to your host, so its bandwidth is yours to watch.
Boost, the paid option
Foundplay sells Boost, so it has a reason to want you to buy it. The free listing works without it.
Unity builds make a slow first load likely, and Starter shows how strangers handle it: check your host's logs or your own analytics for who stayed. Foundplay counts the click on Play.
The Starter plan costs $5 for 50 plays in 3 days, which works out to 10¢ 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.
More free ways to find players are in the full guide.
Questions
- Why do I get a decompression or Content-Encoding error on my Unity WebGL game?
- The host isn't sending the header the compressed files need. Enable Unity's Decompression Fallback or turn compression off, rebuild, and upload again.
- Does a Unity WebGL game work on phones?
- Unity's docs have long treated mobile browsers as limited for WebGL builds. Memory and speed are the usual limits, so test on real phones and read the current docs.
- Can I put a Unity WebGL game on itch.io?
- Yes. Zip the build with
index.htmlat the top level, upload it, and mark it to be played in the browser. Check itch.io's current file limits. - Does Foundplay host Unity games?
- No. Foundplay lists the game and sends players to your host. Your build, bandwidth and server settings stay with you.