The Rise of IO Games

The first .io game was Agar.io. It was developed by Matheus Valadares in 2015 and gained significant popularity through the internet forum 4chan. The game revolves around cells that grow by eating agar and consuming other players. A few months after its release, the game was acquired by Miniclip, and a new game genre started to emerge based around the humble .io domain extension. 

The games that followed were focused on the growth mechanics that made Agar so popular, strengthening the idea of .io as a genre, not just a domain extension. Slither.io was one of those games, with the same simple yet addictive concept but with snakes. There are now grow games like Little Big Snake taking this concept further, with level and skill systems adding huge replay value.

How to Play .IO Games

Many .io games are still based on growing your character by consuming food and slaying other players. Reach the top of the leaderboard by doing this repeatedly until you're the biggest! Most IO games feature:

• A large online multiplayer arena with a competitive leaderboard.
• Simple mechanics that make gameplay possible for anyone.
• Players that consume food, and often other players, to grow bigger.
• Mostly a ‘survival of the fittest’ free-for-all, sometimes with cooperative gameplay.

Newest .IO Games

.io games have grown substantially to include any and every type of game, from egg-shattering FPS games like Shell Shockers to survival battle royale game, Zombs Royale. Some of the newest .io games include Ducklings and the fantastically futuristic FPS game, Ev.io. Both games were released in 2021 and have already gained traction on CrazyGames. Check out 1v1.lol, Hole.io, and Paper.io 2 for three more cool IO games that see plenty of gamers coming back for more.

Most .io games work seamlessly on mobile devices and desktop, since the controls are easy to learn. Browse the full collection on this page for all IO games, and be sure to check back regularly for the latest and greatest browser-based .io titles!