It can be troublesome to have to download or install a game or game client on a computer, so it's good to know that there are many games available that can be played in a web browser over the internet. Some of these games are even set up so that you can continue where you left off the next time you play; this is called persistence. Browser-based games with persistence are being promoted with the acronym PBBG (for persistent browser-based game, of course).
The acronym only defines the medium, and one useful feature, of all games that can be defined as PBBGs. Like other games, PBBGs can be for one player, two or more players in a small group, or "massively multiplayer". The persistent element in a PBBG can be as simple as a saved score or level in a single-player game; or as complex as interactive events between many players in a virtual world, which continue to happen whether you are logged in or not.
PBBGs are a good entry into gaming culture for people on a budget. Many are free to play; and a number of them don't rely on complex graphics or sound, so they can be enjoyed even at public terminals, where such elements may distract others (and may be disabled).
The acronym only defines the medium, and one useful feature, of all games that can be defined as PBBGs. Like other games, PBBGs can be for one player, two or more players in a small group, or "massively multiplayer". The persistent element in a PBBG can be as simple as a saved score or level in a single-player game; or as complex as interactive events between many players in a virtual world, which continue to happen whether you are logged in or not.
PBBGs are a good entry into gaming culture for people on a budget. Many are free to play; and a number of them don't rely on complex graphics or sound, so they can be enjoyed even at public terminals, where such elements may distract others (and may be disabled).
PBBGs are a convenient gaming choice because...
- ...you can play right after signing up, since you won't have to wait for any software downloads to complete. (You may have to check your e-mail for a confirmation letter, but this is usually quickly accomplished.)
- ...they're portable. Since your account information is saved server-side (by the game, not by your computer), and no special software is required, you can log in at any terminal with a browser and continue where you left off.
- ...like other online games, many PBBGs are free to play. They often are funded voluntarily through donations (which in some cases grant an in-game incentive to players), or by selling promotional merchandise, or both.
What Defines a Persistent Browser-Based Game?
A persistent browser-based game, or PBBG, is a computer game that satisfies the following two criteria:
1. It is browser-based. The game is played over the Internet using only a web browser.
2. It is persistent. Progress in the game is achieved over multiple playing sessions.
PBBGs merge the depth and longevity of an application-based game with the accessibility and portability of a browser-based game. PBBG can be spoken as pee-bee for brevity.
More PBBG Information
- The PBBG Project
- This website, from which the above definition was taken, aims to promote the concept of PBBGs. It includes a list of PBBGs and sites that discuss them.
- PBBGDev.com
- a site for developers of PBBGs
- Online Role Playing Games - Home
- News and discussion about PBBGs and other online role-playing games.
A Sampling of PBBGs
Many popular PBBGs are strategic adventures, often involving worldbuilding or combat (or both). Popular settings include pre-industrial civilization, outer space, a post-apocalyptic urban future, magical fantasy, and magical fantasy parody.
Not all PBBGs are suitable for a general audience; discretion is advised when investigating these links.
Not all PBBGs are suitable for a general audience; discretion is advised when investigating these links.
- Jennifer Government: NationStates
- Max Barry's nation simulation based on his book Jennifer Government
- Travian - Browser Game - Romans, Gauls & Teutons
- empire-building strategy in a Roman-Empire-style setting
- Urban Dead - A Free Massively Multi-Player Web-Based Zombie Apocalypse
- "Free grid-based browser game where zombies and survivors fight for control of a ruined city."
- Nexus War
- "A browser-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game about factional control fought between angels and demons at the end of time."
- PseudoQuest! - It's like you're almost questing...
- "PseudoQuest is a free humorous webgame, set in a more-or-less typical fantasy setting. Go on quests, kill various beasties (like the terrible green slime!), and generally hang out and have a good time."
- The Kingdom of Loathing
- Although player-versus-player combat is possible, many players in this game are engaged in single-player quests that spoof pop culture and the role-playing game genre.
- TinyWarz - Free Multiplayer Turn-based Strategy Game
- "TinyWarz is a free massively multiplayer, turn-based game where players battle other players and computer controlled bandits on distant worlds."
Recent PBBG Links
at del.icio.us
These are the most recent links tagged "PBBG" at del.icio.us.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byPopular PBBG Links
These links are the ones most often tagged "PBBG" at del.icio.us.
Squidoo Group for PBBGs!
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Persistent Browser-Based Games Headquarters
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Persistent Browser-Based Games If you've created a lens about a favorite persistent browser-based game (PBBG), I invite you to add it to this group! Don't know what a PBBG is? Read on! (Because some PBBGs are violent, this group is rated R.)
Your Turn!
Did you find this lens informative? Are you already a fan of PBBGs? Do you have a favorite PBBG, or a favorite site that discusses them?
submit
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- Hoho Hoho Aug 16, 2009 @ 7:16 am
- I created www.playbbg.com to cover browser-based game(PBBG), Welcome to playbbg
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- Mark Mark Jul 31, 2009 @ 11:59 am
- There's a new one out that I like, called Crellan (www.crellan.com), it's like Travian but more complex!!
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- ZeTa ZeTa Jul 14, 2009 @ 6:54 pm
- I think Visual Utopia is a very cool game!
Visual Utopia is a browser based fantasy strategy game. It runs in real time which means that even if you are sleeping your peasants will be working, commissioned buildings will be complete and your armies will be moving. Of course, your enemies armies will be moving too...
The setting for this truly epic war game is a fantasy world with six very different races and a multitude of different strategies at your disposal. Its important to note that the "world" is in fact several connected 2D maps with no limitations apart from terrain to where you can move your armies or build your cities.
Of course, due to the fact that the game never "sleeps" the world of Visual Utopia is a very dangerous place. It can be a good idea to join a kingdom so you can cover each other, or get some friends to start playing and create a kingdom with them.
Since everything in Visual Utopia is player-run the social aspect of the game is extremely important.
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- Radu Radu Jul 10, 2009 @ 9:19 am
- Well , I know a nice game . www.agartha-online.com . It's a real time strategy game where you can train armies , raise heroes , construct cities , wage war against others or just terrorize them with your thieves .
You should try it .
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- Goffdahl Goffdahl Jun 18, 2009 @ 5:40 pm
- "Path to Pelantas" is a unique addition to the world of online games. Combining elements from sports management and role playing games, this game is the only one of its kind. The setting is a medieval fantasy world, where you undertake the command of a homestead as an aspiring lord.
With the task as ruler of your homestead comes the responsibility of managing a party of heroes all willing to fight under your banner. You appoint these heroes for weekly arena battles against other lords and you send them into the wilderness to complete dangerous quests and fight vicious monsters.
The game is played using only the internet and a browser. The game is text-based and is played real time.
www.pelantas.com
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- StrategyGames StrategyGames Jun 1, 2009 @ 11:29 am
- nice lens!
I love Ferion (http://www.ferion.com) a free online semi-persistant browser based online strategy game.
I'd say it's semi-persistent because you sign up to a portal account which keeps your overall stats and then sign up to one of the current game arenas, each game arena usually lasts a month but the stats of how well you did are stored on your portal profile.
So it combines the best of both worlds really! :-D
Iain
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- StrategyGames StrategyGames Jun 1, 2009 @ 11:05 am
- I love Ferion which is a turn based strategy browser based game.
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- B7T B7T May 15, 2009 @ 11:04 am | in reply to Dentin
- : I haven't been that active on Squidoo lately, but I have considered adding a section to this lens that addresses this very issue. In the meantime, that's something else people can discuss here. ;)
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- Dentin Dentin May 14, 2009 @ 1:25 pm
- I have to wonder at what point games fall out of this PBBG category. Alter Aeon (www.dentinmud.org) is a good example - you can play it and access all features in-browser using Flash, and it's fully persistent.
That said, it's a MUD, and there are better interfaces to use including client downloads. There's a few other MUDs that also do this.
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- x x May 13, 2009 @ 3:21 pm
- try out http://xmrpg.com
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- Feng Feng Apr 13, 2009 @ 9:50 pm
- Nice atricle, Check my blog http://bestbrowsergameslist.blogspot.com/ I collected many games, welcome to leave comments :D
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- orionsbelt orionsbelt Feb 10, 2009 @ 10:20 am
- Also try:
http://www.orionsbelt.eu
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- New PBBG New PBBG Jan 2, 2009 @ 11:20 pm
- Tomb Treasure is a free persistent browser based game (PBBG) that allows players to enter and navigate a tomb, fight its inhabitants for their riches and remove the collected treasure for points in a battle to be the richest player by the end of the game. http://www.tombtreasure.com
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- paul paul Dec 25, 2008 @ 5:25 pm
- Great article!
people can find great pbbg games at http://www.freebrowsergamer.com
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- Someone Someone Dec 10, 2008 @ 9:36 pm
- Heh. I have been trying to make my own PBBG for friends, though I had no idea they were now called that. It's amazing; I didn't realize the community focused on these games was that large. It's pretty cool.
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- PIMPIN 2.0 PIMPIN 2.0 Nov 23, 2008 @ 12:16 pm
- PIMPIN 2.0 is a turn based strategy game for those who want to beat the crap out of opposing pimps! Do you think you can be top pimp and control the streets? Are you capable of pimping hoes for money, dominating cities and doing everything else a top pimp should do? Can you prove you're tougher than the other pimps in the game? This is pimps war at its most lethal! This game is entirely free so if you're up for some top pimp slapping and think you can prove that you're the baddest pimp out there, click here to join in the pimp war! A Polluted Entertainment Co
www.pepimp.com
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- Dudel Dudel Oct 3, 2008 @ 10:11 pm
- CantrII(www.cantr.net) is an online role-playing game, in which a large number of players play an even larger number of characters who all together form different societies all over our virtual world. Societies exist in different languages, whereby all language groups play in the same virtual world.
If thats not your thing try Syrnia.(www.syrnia.com) It's an awsome game with several skills to master. No level cap and a great player base.
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- Davey Davey Aug 28, 2008 @ 4:33 am
- My favorite pbbg is Lands of Hope, it is a big game and has loads of fun content!
http://www.forlornonline.com/
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- jessica85 jessica85 Jul 31, 2008 @ 2:36 pm
- Great information! Thanks! For free online gaming, visit http://www.stumblehere.com/games.
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- Jamie Jamie Jul 31, 2008 @ 6:46 am
- I've tried a few of these games out, and they're fun now that I don't have the time to play console or pc games as much as I used to.
Utopia (Medieval) - games.swirve.com/utopia
Earth: 2025 (Warfare) - games.swirve.com/earth
Trukz (trucking sim using google maps) - trukz.com
Planetarion (space game) - planetarion.com
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- Lumin Lumin Jul 30, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
- Cantr 2 is probably my favorite PBBG since it has an incredibly deep role-playing system. Players actually create everything from weapons to houses. There are no NPC's. The only downside is that the interface is horrible.
www.cantr.net
There is another game called Faery Tale Online that is in development right now that is supposed to be everything Cantr is and much more. It will have realistic family systems, weather and a great interface.
It's at www.faerytaleonline.com
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- milato milato Jul 29, 2008 @ 10:43 pm
- The Legacy of Holy Castle was very nice game to play from the start there was a novice quest which guid you about the game and earn some rewards by accomplish them. Afterwards you will be under protection in 4 days untill you reach the area of castle 60 which have an extention of 4 days protection means you will not be attack by other player vice versa. To make your hero strong do a Hero's Missions, adventure to gain some experience for upgrade some of your status and there was a some materials to earn. You can use those material at Alchemy which give good atribute. But the most important to this game is the Gems which you can bought at NPC shop. Oh another thing there was a Daily Zodiacs Rewards will give some good materials.
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- Kopana Kopana Jul 5, 2008 @ 1:11 pm
- In my opinion, fun as they are, I'd much prefer some manner of offline version where I could spend my turns as I will and CPU enemies get an identical number of turns, or maybe just a smaller version for just a few friends, and noone gets new turns until everyones spent all of theirs.
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- ZombieBoy ZombieBoy Jun 11, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
- If you like PBBG and zombie games combined allow us to recommend you checking out our browser based RPG zombie at: http://zombiepandemic.com/
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- PKVE PKVE May 21, 2008 @ 4:45 am
- A new pbbg:The Legacy of Holy Castle
The Legacy of Holy Castle is an online strategy browser-based game. By building castle, researching technologies, recruiting heros and training cadets, you can watch your own territory and plunder others. http://holy.pkve.com
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- michael michael May 19, 2008 @ 3:17 pm
- www.battledawn.com
Flash based PBBG
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- Niko Niko May 13, 2008 @ 8:02 am
- I love PBBGs. They are a simpler way of gaming, and just as fun as any other games. I play DicingDangers mostly.
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- Chadrizard Chadrizard May 3, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
- Wow! I never knew there was a new acronym....I do have favorite PBBG's
www.battleon.com
www.mechquest.com
www.dragonfable.com
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- The_Book_Garden The_Book_Garden Apr 29, 2008 @ 1:54 pm
- Cool, I've never heard of them described as such before! I've been playing Travian for a few weeks now and I'm a big fan of Bounty Bay Online too, I even made a lens about it!
Thanks for visiting!
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