IO Games Online: What .io Games Are and Kinds to Play
Updated
IO games are quick arena games that open in the browser: you drop into a round with other players and try to outlast or outscore them. Most use one or two controls, often the mouse alone. Below are the main kinds, with games from the io games category and the controls each one lists.
What makes a game .io
The name comes from the web address. Agar.io in 2015 and Slither.io in 2016 used the .io domain, and the browser games that followed them were called .io games after it. Wikipedia's article on .io games describes them as browser-based multiplayer games, and the early hits shared simple graphics and a free-for-all arena.
| Kind | What you do | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Arena shooters | Aim, shoot and reload against other players | Deathmatch Combat io |
| Push-off brawls | Bump rivals off the edge of the arena | CarHit.io |
| Blades and hammers | Grow a ring of weapons or swing a hammer | Knife.io |
| Snowball fights | Roll snow, grow and throw | SnowWars.io |
| Eat and grow | Eat smaller players, avoid bigger ones | HappySharks.io |
| Races and sports | Slide, race or score against a crowd | SlidePark.io |
IO arena shooters
- Deathmatch Combat io is a 3D first-person shooter with zombie survival, deathmatch, team deathmatch and battle royale modes, five maps and 11 weapons. You can add bots to the room. Move with WASD, dash with Left Shift, jump with Space, aim with the right mouse button and reload with R.
- ForceZ.io has five arenas, single-player and multiplayer modes, and room options such as double speed, double jump and double health. Left click shoots, right click aims and R reloads.
- ShooterZ.io lets you create a lobby or join one someone else made. C crouches, the number keys 1 to 9 switch weapons and T opens the chat.
- Mini Shooters is a 2D deathmatch: move with WASD or the arrows, aim with the mouse and press Space to pick up a weapon.
- TonkWars.io swaps soldiers for tanks. Steer with the mouse, click to shoot, destroy the terrain and collect power-ups.
Aiming, recoil and reloading in shooters of every kind are in shooting games tips.
Push-off brawls
These games have no weapons. The arena edge does the work, so position matters more than speed.
- CarHit.io is about pushing other cars off the platform. Every opponent you throw out of the arena makes your hits stronger. Steer with the left and right arrows, or hold the left mouse button.
- Party.io 2 asks you to touch the other players to throw them out. The last one standing wins, and your knockout count shows on the left.
- SuperSpin.io is a spinner that grows: move with the mouse and click to boost into other players.
- Bump.io puts 16 cars in one arena. Hitting other cars gives you energy, knocking them out makes you bigger, and you must keep clear of the boundaries and the monsters.
More knockout games, with obstacle courses instead of arenas, are in games like Fall Guys.
Blades and hammers
- Knife.io has you collect blades and use your spin to cut down other players. Everything is done with the mouse.
- KnifeBlades wraps the knives you pick up around your character, with an offensive and a defensive mode to switch between.
- Smashers.io hands you a huge hammer. The rule is short: smash the other fighters, do not get hit, and the last survivor wins.
- Blades Battle makes you bigger and stronger with every opponent you beat, and the last one left wins. It works with the mouse or a swipe.
- Arena Wars io grows you through gems and knockouts. The cursor moves you, left click attacks and right click sprints.
Snowball fights
- Snow War .io has an unusual control: move with WASD, and release the keys to throw the snowball.
- SnowWars.io is a fight between snowmen. Collect snow to grow, pick up power-ups, move with the mouse and click to throw.
- Snowball IO Guys gives you a choice to make in every fight: build one big snowball that sends an opponent flying, or throw a quick stream of small ones. Watch for players rolling snowballs at you.
Eat and grow, snakes and territory
- HappySharks.io is a shark hunt: chase smaller sharks, avoid bigger ones and eat gems to grow. The mouse steers, and the mouse button or Space boosts.
- Bigmonsterz.io starts you as the weakest monster in the world and asks you to work your way up to the biggest.
The three biggest families of .io games have guides of their own: snakes in games like slither.io, cells and fish in games like agar.io, and territory capture in games like paper.io.
Races and sports
- SlidePark.io is a race down a giant water slide; A and D or the left and right arrows control your rotation.
- WaterPark Slide.io asks you to reach the end of the slide first without hitting blocks or dropping out of the water. Hold the left mouse button and slide side to side, and push other riders out of the way.
- Basketball.io is dribble, shoot and score, with the arrows, WASD or a mouse drag.
- Football.io puts you against three other players, and you win by knocking them out.
- Wrestle Online is played with one key: jump with W or a tap to knock your opponent down, alone, with a friend or online.
Tips for io games
- Play the first minute safe. In growth games you start small, and Bigmonsterz.io starts you as the weakest of all.
- Stay away from the edge in push-off games. In CarHit.io and Party.io 2 the arena edge is what decides each round.
- Keep the boost for a chase or an escape, not for cruising. HappySharks.io and SuperSpin.io both put it on a click.
- Learn the reload key before the first fight. Deathmatch Combat io, ForceZ.io and ShooterZ.io all put it on R.
- Pick your snowball size on purpose. In Snowball IO Guys a big one knocks players flying, but small ones are quicker.
IO games FAQ
What does io mean in io games?
It is the .io web domain, which the first hits of the genre used. The name stuck to the whole kind of game, including ones on other addresses.
Can I play io games with friends?
ShooterZ.io lets you create a lobby, and Wrestle Online has a two-player mode as well as online play. For games two people play on one keyboard, see 2 player games on one keyboard.
Are there io games with bots or a single-player mode?
Yes. Deathmatch Combat io lets you add bots to the room, and ForceZ.io has a single-player mode next to multiplayer.
Do io games work on a phone?
Many do. Smashers.io moves with a slide of the finger, Blades Battle takes a swipe and Wrestle Online needs a single tap.
The io games category has hundreds more, from arena shooters to water slides.
