History of Text-based Browser Games
When we think of games in computers, photorealistic ones featuring quick-time actions, intense cutscenes, and complicated mechanics may be the first thing we think of. If this is not for you, text-based browser games may just be the perfect genre for you.
Earliest forms
Games are one of the earliest activities that personal computers can do. Starting from 1960, these games worked as video terminals where users can submit commands. When playing, they would have to print out the results to see progress. While this may sound like a huge hassle, it was still a big hit given how many titles that were birthed from here are still relevant nowadays such as “Star Trek” and “Lunar Lander”.
Incorporation of multiple players
In the 1970s these games started to become more social and allowed multiple players to interact in a single game. It became a hit among many universities. It also started to incorporate artificial intelligence which allowed random calculation and decisions which helped games like “Dungeons and Dragons” to be popular. However, this was limited to gameplay within nearby computers.
A fun fact is that most of the time, these games did not have a “save” functionality which is why a single game needed to be completed in one session. This is mainly because of limitations in storage and the technology of the game itself. Can you imagine having to start again every time you play? The good news is that most of these games had an episodic design which meant that each session was usually in a perfect length to be played in one playthrough.
Start of online playing
With the development of the internet and widespread access to it, users can now play with a lot more computers. These games also started to have small bits of images that made gameplay a little bit more immersive.
This period also marked the start of the MUDs or multi-user dungeons which incorporated continuous gameplay that made it easy for users to be hooked because of the ever-changing content.
Browser-based flash games
In the 20th century, Adobe Flash became one of the most used gaming platforms. Through this, many game genres like Puzzle, Shooter, and even Horror.
Text-based browser games started to appear during these times. With the use of Internet Browser, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and other browsers, you can get access to these games. With the incorporation of Flash, users had access to better graphics, access to other players worldwide, and more.
Current iterations
Even with the incorporation of more advanced graphics for video games for platforms like PlayStations, the Xbox, and more, text-based browser games stand the test of time. This is because of its main design philosophy that centers on simplicity. Today, it has a perfect balance of simple graphics, an immersive story, and just enough creativity to be able to run on older hardware.
Aside from this, they can also be playable now through your mobile phone or tablet. This can be accessed either through an application or through its browsers. With this, you can play these games no matter where you are as long as you have an internet connection.
Who should play text-based browser games?
These games are generally playable for all age ranges, but some may have restrictions because of story content. With its simple controls, its low requirement for hardware specifications, and low usage of the internet, it can be played by many players without investing too much money.
If you are one who enjoys a good story, atmosphere, and experience progress within an hour of playing, text-based browser games are very recommendable for you. Through this, you can guide a character to travel through a fictional story, may it be a zombie apocalypse, Viking story, or others.
Conclusion
Text-based games have been around since the 1960s and have been developed to be able to incorporate graphics, online gameplay, and finally, to be playable in internet browsers. These games center on a story and a goal that you can progress through by simply clicking or tapping on a touchscreen device. It continues to be popular today, with millions of players worldwide.