Chromebooks are some of the most cost effective and useful laptops out there. I know people like to hate on them but honestly, if you're in college or most of your work consists of cloud based tasks, you really don't need a monster laptop with the latest GPU in it. Some people even prefer a lighter and more nimble laptop.
The one thing Chromebooks haven't got the best reputation for however, is their performance while gaming. I'm not gonna sugar coat it, it's pretty tough to play any somewhat demanding game on a Chromebook, but it can be done. And I will say these things keep getting better and better so who knows, maybe they'll be great at gaming one day.
But for now, it's sorta hard to play games on a chromebook, but we did do some research and found 10 games that you can actually play and enjoy on your chromebook.
10. Poly Bridge 3
Poly Bridge 3 is such a good game and a great way to kick off this list. Not only is this game amazing in general, the game is runs great on most Chromebooks. I love the overall vibe of the game, definitely one of those games you can sit back and chill while playing.
Just a brief summary about the game, Poly Bridge 3 is a puzzle game where your goal is to essentially engineer a way for cars to cross various bridges. I know at first it sounds super boring but trust me it's not and you can really get invested in the game and spend hours playing.
The bridge designs can get pretty elaborate and Steam even has a workshop where you can try other people's bridges or share your own. It's kinda crazy to think how a game about making bridges can be so fun. It's a great game to have on your Chromebook.
9. Crusader Kings 2
Crusader Kings 2 is a strategy game set in the Dark Ages where your goal is to expand your land, keep your people alive and thriving, and depending on the mode defend against other online players. Oh, a big bonus on this one is that it's free.
Think Risk but a bit more complicated, not as complicated as something like hearts of iron though, so a happy medium. The game runs great on most Chromebooks too, luckily it isn't all too demanding. As for the gameplay, if you're into strategy games, it's great and the setting it awesome, if you don't like strategy games though it isn't really going to be your thing.
Anyway, it's a solid choice and definitely worth getting for your Chromebook.
8. Risk: Global Domination
Speaking of strategy games, we got Risk on here too. I'm a huge Risk fan and it's more likely I'd play something like Risk over some of the more complicated strategy games. Risk is super fun though, especially with friends. If you can get past some of the annoyances with the micro transactions, this game can accumulate hours and hours of gameplay.
I'm sure everyone know's what Risk is but just in case someone out there doesn't, Risk is a strategy game in which the players start with land and points. You then use those points and land to try and expand and take on neighboring land. The person with the most land in the end wins. Definitely not a game that'll have you strategizing deeply but I mean sometimes it does pay off to plan out your path forward and kinda build a game plan.
It's fun, runs well on Chromebooks, and worth having trying out.
7. Stumble Guys
Stumble Guys is basically Fall Guys but different. It's actually solid though, like many of the fall guys copies aren't all that great but this one holds it's own. If you aren't aware of fall guys or don't know what this game is all about, basically up to 32 players race to the finish line while jumping and navigating through various obstacles.
I think this one has some other game modes too. It kinda reminds me of a mix between Fall Guys and Roblox in a way. It's really fun though and it's easy to run so it'll likely be good to go on most Chromebooks. Oh and the player count is still strong, there are still a good number of people actively playing the game so you shouldn't have trouble finding a lobby. Definitely a great little mini game title for your Chromebook.
6. Starbound
A lot of people say Starbound is basically space Terarria and in some ways it's true but in a lot of ways it isn't. Starbound is very much it's own game with it's own story, bosses, and really overall feel. Basically, you explore the universe. All types of different planets, you can customize your ship and make it massive. The game itself is just massive.
You can easily poor hundreds of hours into this game exploring planets. The story line is pretty cool too and it's a bit more involved than something like Terraria in my opinion. I think this game is best when played with friends though, so definitely keep that in mind.
It's a classic in my book and really worth trying out if you haven't already.
5. Factorio
Factoria is a 2D game where your goal is to build automated systems and defending off creatures. That's an extremely dumbed down explanation of the game. In actuality this game is insanely complex. If you just browse the Steam reviews you'll see people with hundreds and thousands of hours in the game and even they are still learning stuff.
I think Factorio is really a certain type of gamer's game. The type of gamer who enjoys games for hundreds or thousands of hours and is willing to put in the time to learn the mechanics of a game. This isn't for the person who likes to load into a COD match, play a round, and call it a day. This game takes time and investment but the payoff is satisfying. Kinda reminds me of satisfactory in some respects.
It's not for everyone but if this piqued your interest then you'll probably end up really liking this game. Worth looking into for sure.
4. Necesse
Necesse is another game that sorta reminds me of Terraria in some ways. I don't try and compare every 2D game to Terarria but sometimes it's hard not to. Much of the basic elements are similar though. Exploring, building a base, mining, beating bosses, all that stuff is in here but they do it in their own way. I think one of the biggest differences though is in Terraria you kinda just build a base but in Necesse you really build a settlement with roads and a system, its more of a community thing.
Oh something else that's cool is that you can trade with neighboring settlements. So yeah, it's got unique things to it but many people sorta just call it a top down Terraria with differences. It's worth playing though, it's got great reviews and it's fun to play, so be sure to check this one out.
3. Rimworld
Rimworld is actually insane, the game is so complex and in-depth with all the systems it has built in, yet, it's still fun for people who are just getting into it and learning. It blends gameplay experience and advanced gameplay mechanics perfectly, which is probably why it has an overwhelmingly positive review status on Steam.
In short, Rimworld is a sci-fi colony sim that does something really unique. It has an Ai storyteller that develops your game custom to you. So, unlike other colony sims, the NPCs have names, stories, relations, and so much more. Then, your world lore is a whole other thing that this game does so well. It's just mind-blowing.
You can also customize things to a ridiculous extent, especially with mods. You can customize the basics like your base layout down to the NPCs backstory, appearance, all types of stuff. It's a hard for me to even try to cover what this game does but honestly, just look into it, it's a great game and runs pretty well on Chromebook.
2. Hades
Hades is regarded as being one of the greatest rogue-likes of all time, and for good reason! The game is incredible. The story, the animation, the gameplay, the lore, everything is just so unique and you can tell the developers were passionate about this project. Hades 2 is out too and I've seen nothing but praise for that title as well.
The first Hades game has you playing as the prince of the underworld and you're trying to escape. You fight all sorts of creatures and beings, it's some of the most unique fighting scenarios I've ever seen. Oh, and the voice acting and music are just top-tier here. I can't praise this game enough, it's hard to know where to even begin. Basically what I am saying is that it's an amazing game, worth your money, and great for your Chromebook.
1. Terraria
I'm sure you all saw this coming, Terraria is god-tier in terms of games. This game is just so iconic, I grew up playing this game and I feel it's been so consistent with updates that it never fell off. You can't really say anything wrong about Terraria. The building, the mining, the exploration, and of course, the bosses are all incredible.
So many other games try to replicate Terraria and fail because the bar is set so high with this game. The developers love the game and it shows with their constant updates. If you haven't played Terraria yet you need to, grab some friends or play it alone, it's a game you need to play. It's also super easy to run which is why it's great for Chromebook too. Amazing game, 10 out of 10, and if you don't own it already you need to get this game.
