Games Like Paper.io: Territory Capture Games Online
Updated
Games like paper.io are territory games: you leave your own zone, draw a trail across open ground and get back before anyone cuts you off, and everything inside the loop becomes yours. Paper.io is a game by the studio Voodoo. Below are original browser games by independent studios that play the same way, and a few that turn the same idea into a duel or a puzzle.
How paper.io works
The store page of Paper.io 2 sums it up in one line: move around the arena, draw a trail to grow your territory, and claim the zone before someone cuts you off (source).
That gives the genre its tension. Inside your zone you are safe. Outside it, your trail is a weak spot, and the longer it gets, the bigger the prize and the bigger the risk. Every game below is a version of that trade.
| What you do in paper.io | Games that ask the same |
|---|---|
| Draw a trail and close a loop to claim ground | Territory.io, Paint Drive IO, Color Path IO |
| Trap or cut off rivals | Color Path IO, Paint Drive IO |
| Cover more ground than the other side | Splatcha! |
| Take the whole map one area at a time | Color Battle Filler, Conquer The City |
Closest to paper.io
- Territory.io is the nearest match. Capture territory by making loops with your trail, against computer opponents, with power-ups to collect and a live leaderboard showing who controls the most. W, A, S and D or the arrow keys move you.
- Paint Drive IO puts the same rules in a car. Drive around an open arena leaving a colored trail, close the loop to paint the ground inside, and grow your zone while rival cars try to cut you off. Avoid crashing into them. The arrow keys or W, A, S and D steer.
- Color Path IO is the 3D, on-foot version. Run and draw your color path to claim the biggest area, and draw paths around opponents to trap them. You play with the mouse or by tapping.
The snake .io games guide has more .io picks with a trail-and-collision idea, and the io games category has the rest.
Paint the floor: a duel for two
Splatcha! keeps the goal and drops the trail. Two blobby rivals share one arena for 90 seconds, and whoever has covered the most floor when time runs out wins. Move to paint, dash to cut across, and grab power-ups across five arenas. Play two players on one keyboard, one player against a bot on three difficulties, or the arcade tower. Player one uses W, A, S and D with Space to dash; player two uses the arrows with 0 or Enter. Gamepads work too.
Take the board: territory as a puzzle
These are slower. No one cuts you off, but you still have to own the whole map.
- Color Battle Filler is a single-player puzzle. You start in one corner and spread your color across the board by choosing colors, and the goal is to take every tile in as few moves as you can.
- Conquer The City is a takeover of a map of cities. Slide your finger to connect two cities, conquer the ones of other colors and defend your own. When every city is blue, you win.
- Tower Takeover: Conquer Castle plays the same way with castles: click the opponent's city to attack, swipe to connect two cities, and turn the whole map blue.
Tips for territory capture games
- Take small bites first. A short loop close to home is nearly risk-free, and several small ones add up fast.
- Never turn your back on a rival near your trail. In Paint Drive IO the rival cars are trying to cut you off.
- Head home as soon as a rival turns towards you. Finishing a smaller loop beats losing the run.
- Grab power-ups only when they are close to your zone. Territory.io has power-ups to collect, and a short trip out is safer than a long one.
- In the puzzle games, plan two moves ahead. In Color Battle Filler the color you pick decides which tiles join next.
Games like paper.io FAQ
Are there games like paper.io with real players?
The descriptions say different things. Territory.io pits you against computer opponents. Paint Drive IO and Color Path IO talk about opponents and rivals but do not say whether they are people or bots, so check in the game. For a real person, Splatcha! has two players on one keyboard.
Is there a 3D game like paper.io?
Color Path IO is in 3D: you run and draw your path instead of steering a flat square. Paint Drive IO swaps the runner for a car.
Are these games free?
Yes. They play free in the browser, with no install and no registration, and the site asks for neither money nor personal data.
Is paper.io on Jumpcade?
No. Paper.io is a game by Voodoo. The games here are original titles by independent studios.
If you only try one, start with Territory.io; it is the same idea with the fewest extras.
