Back to Mural Lane Studio
Adventures in a browser tab

Four browser games
for when the paint is drying

A wall needs time between coats, and those gaps are perfect for a game you can open in a tab and close again without losing anything. Every pick here costs nothing to start and runs in a browser tab: a pirate ship to captain on open water, a fantasy hero who heads off on quests while you do something else, a cheeky comic RPG with nine very different classes, and a maze of bouncing tank shells to share with a friend. Signing up at each one is free.

Seafight key art
01 · Pirate naval adventure

Seafight

You start with a small ship and a big ocean, then sail out to trade broadsides with sea monsters and rival captains, dig up buried treasure and slowly refit your vessel into something fearsome. Cannons, sails and crew all upgrade separately, so every captain ends up with a ship of their own design.

Good for
Players who love pirate stories and the steady thrill of upgrading a ship.
Typical session
20 to 40 minutes
Where it runs
Desktop browser
Cost
Free to play; optional in-game purchases.
Your first session
  1. Finish the opening missions first; they hand out the gear a new ship badly needs.
  2. Upgrade cannons and hull together rather than maxing one and ignoring the other.
  3. Join a clan early so stronger captains can escort you into rougher waters.
Play Seafight freeOpens seafight.com in a new tab
Tanoth key art
02 · Fantasy quest RPG

Tanoth

Your hero picks jobs from a quest board and sets off, and each adventure plays out over real time while you get on with your day. Level-ups bring attribute points to spend, ruins hide gear worth equipping, and guilds gather to take on bosses nobody could face alone.

Good for
Players who want a light fantasy RPG to check on once or twice a day.
Typical session
5 to 15 minutes, a few times a day
Where it runs
Desktop browser
Cost
Free to play; optional in-game purchases.
Your first session
  1. Pick quests that match the time you will be away, so your hero is never left idle.
  2. Decide on a build early and put attribute points where it needs them.
  3. Find a guild that runs bosses regularly; the rewards outgrow solo play quickly.
Play Tanoth freeOpens gameforge.com/en-US/play/tanoth in a new tab
Shakes & Fidget key art
03 · Comic fantasy RPG

Shakes & Fidget

A tongue-in-cheek fantasy world where your hero runs off on timed quests and comes back with loot and a story. Nine classes play in genuinely different ways, from a Druid who turns into a bear, tiger or eagle to a Berserker who strikes several times in one turn, and the arena lets you test your build on other players.

Good for
Players who like jokes with their character sheet and enjoy comparing class builds.
Typical session
10 to 20 minutes
Where it runs
Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Cost
Free to play; optional in-game purchases.
Your first session
  1. Try a couple of classes before settling, since each one changes how fights play out.
  2. Keep a quest running whenever you step away so the timer is never wasted.
  3. Visit the arena once your gear is decent and learn from the builds that beat you.
Play Shakes & Fidget freeOpens sfgame.net in a new tab
TankTrouble key art
04 · Top-down tank arena

TankTrouble

Tiny tanks roll through a tight maze and fire shells that bounce off every wall, which means your own shot can come back to haunt you. Rounds last moments, two friends can share one keyboard, and an account adds ranks, achievements and a garage of cosmetic parts to unlock.

Good for
Anyone who wants quick, silly duels with a friend sitting next to them.
Typical session
A few minutes at a time
Where it runs
Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Cost
Free to play; optional in-game purchases.
Your first session
  1. Practise bank shots off the walls; most rounds are won by a ricochet.
  2. Never fire straight down a long corridor you are standing in.
  3. Pass the keyboard to a friend for local duels before trying online matches.
Play TankTrouble freeOpens tanktrouble.com in a new tab

The four laid out like swatches on one card

SeafightTanothShakes & FidgetTankTrouble
GenrePirate naval adventureFantasy quest RPGComic fantasy RPGTop-down tank arena
PaceLive naval battles on open waterTimed adventuresTimed quests and duelsFast rounds
Who shares the canvas with youCrews and clans of captainsGuilds and boss fightsGuilds and an arenaOne shared keyboard, or online
Typical session20 to 40 minutes5 to 15 minutes, a few times a day10 to 20 minutesShort sittings of a few minutes
Where it runsDesktop browserDesktop browserDesktop browser first, and a mobile app on the sideDesktop browser first, and a mobile app on the side
CostNo charge to play; purchases inside the game are optional.No charge to play; purchases inside the game are optional.No charge to play; purchases inside the game are optional.No charge to play; purchases inside the game are optional.

What free to play actually covers

An account at each game costs nothing, and you can play for a long while without paying; sailing, questing, duelling and tank rounds are all part of the free experience.

Next to the free game sits an optional store in each one, stocked with premium currency, ways to skip a wait and decorative odds and ends. Many players leave it unopened, and on a family machine the parental controls of the device or the game account can cap what gets spent.

Getting started on your first evening

Under every title sits a button; press it and the game's official site loads in a separate tab. Register there with an email, and your ship, hero or tank is ready within a couple of minutes.

Every game greets newcomers with a short tutorial. Follow it to the end even if you are keen to explore, because it explains the upgrades, quests and controls that everything else builds on.

Fitting them around a busy week

Three of the four run on timers: quests finish, voyages end and rewards wait for you while the tab is closed. A peek with the morning coffee and another once the dishes are done will keep every ship and hero busy.

TankTrouble is the odd one out, built for short bursts rather than waiting. Save it for the moments when you want something instant, and keep the slower adventures for when you have time to plan an upgrade or a new build.

Guarding your login like a studio key

Each studio keeps its own players' logins, so enter yours only into the address that studio really owns. Pick a separate password per title, and where a game offers a second login step, switch it on.

No real help desk will ever want your password. A chat message dangling free currency in return for your login is bait for stealing the account; scroll past it.

Why these four got a spot on the wall

  • Not one of them makes you download a launcher; a regular computer browser opens the lot.
  • Registration is free, and every voyage, quest and duel that matters stays playable for people who never open a wallet.
  • Ships keep sailing and heroes keep questing after you close the tab, which makes a quick peek worthwhile.
  • Every one has years of history behind it, a studio still updating it and a busy crowd of fellow players.

No. A current computer browser runs each of them, and TankTrouble and Shakes & Fidget have an optional mobile app as well.

Yes. Every sign-up is free and the core game is there for everybody; spending in the in-game shop is entirely your call.

No. Separate independent studios build and operate them; this page only signposts the way to where each game officially lives.

No. They come from different studios, so each game needs its own sign-up.

TankTrouble. A round lasts moments and the controls take seconds to learn, especially with a friend on the same keyboard.

Tanoth and Shakes & Fidget, where heroes go off on clock-based quests and two brief visits a day keep them moving. Seafight rewards a longer sitting at sea.

Yes. Seafight has clans, Tanoth and Shakes & Fidget have guilds, and TankTrouble lets two people duel on one keyboard or online.