Back to Village Cricket Green
Dudley's rain-delay list

Eight browser games for
when rain stops play

When the covers come on and the players troop back to the pavilion, Dudley reaches for a laptop rather than a crossword. His list holds eight free browser games, each a long-running little world that carries on between visits: a motorsport team, a zoo, a factory economy, tank battles, a Second World War map, a medieval kingdom, a pirate fleet and a space war that runs in rounds. None of them needs anything installed to begin.

8games on the rain-delay list
4also have an official app
Freeto join, all eight
iGP Manager key art
The umpire's pick

iGP Manager

Motorsport team management · Sport & management

You never sit in the car here; you run the team behind it. Car development, race strategy and the timing of every pit call are yours, and the race itself plays out in a 3D viewer against other managers in live multiplayer leagues. It suits anyone who would rather plan a race than drive one, and a single race weekend shows you a great deal.

Good for
Managers who want motorsport rather than a ball sport.
Length of an innings
A few minutes to set up, longer to watch a race
Ground it plays on
Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Cost
Free to play; optional in-game purchases.
Your first session
  1. Read the car development screen before spending anything.
  2. Plan a simple pit strategy and adjust it after each race.
  3. Join a league that matches your usual playing times.
Play iGP Manager freeOpens igpmanager.com in a new tab

Seven more to see out the shower

Zoo 2: Animal Park key artFarm, town & zoo

Zoo 2: Animal Park

Zoo management

A zoo built up pen by pen. You breed animals and give each species a home, make sure the visitors are well fed, and spread the park outward as fresh ground unlocks. Daily care tasks and a good deal of decorating give it a long, gentle rhythm.

  • Short care rounds between other jobs
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who it suits and where to begin

Good for: Players who like tending a park over many visits.

Your first session
  1. Look after the first animals well before adding more.
  2. Keep food stands near the paths visitors use most.
  3. Plan room for each enclosure to grow.
Play Zoo 2: Animal Park freeOpens zoo2animalpark.upjers.com/en
Kapilands key artBusiness & tycoon

Kapilands

Production economy

An economy game built on production chains. You purchase raw stock, put it through your own works to make finished goods, then trade on a market run by other players, undercutting or matching their asking prices.

  • Short visits to restock and reprice
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits and where to begin

Good for: Players who enjoy spreadsheets more than graphics.

Your first session
  1. Start with one simple production chain.
  2. Watch what other firms charge before setting a price.
  3. Expand only when the first factories run smoothly.
Play Kapilands freeOpens kapilands.com
Tanki Online key artAction & arcade

Tanki Online

Online tank battles

Tank battles straight from the browser. In the garage you pair interchangeable hulls with turrets to build your machine, then improve it with what each battle earns. Rank tiers open better gear across deathmatch and capture modes.

  • A battle or two at a time
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who it suits and where to begin

Good for: Players who want quick tank combat with no install.

Your first session
  1. Try a few hull and turret pairings early on.
  2. Play team modes to learn the maps.
  3. Spend upgrades on one machine rather than several.
Play Tanki Online freeOpens tankionline.com/en
Call of War key artStrategy & war

Call of War

Second World War strategy

A grand strategy game set in the Second World War. You command land, air and sea forces on a persistent world map, working with other players in alliances and against those who stand in your way.

  • Brief check-ins spread through the day
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who it suits and where to begin

Good for: Players who like Second World War strategy.

Your first session
  1. Learn how land, air and sea units support each other.
  2. Talk to your neighbours before choosing a fight.
  3. Join an active alliance early.
Play Call of War freeOpens callofwar.com
KingsAge key artStrategy & war

KingsAge

Medieval village conquest

Classic village conquest in a medieval realm. Wood, clay and iron pay for spearmen, swordsmen and cavalry; you scout a target before committing, and noblemen can annex whole villages outright once your army is ready.

  • A glance at the village now and then
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits and where to begin

Good for: Players who like classic village-conquest strategy.

Your first session
  1. Raise wood, clay and iron together.
  2. Always scout before you march.
  3. Save up for noblemen once the army is steady.
Play KingsAge freeOpens gameforge.com/en-US/play/kingsage
Battle Pirates key artStrategy & war

Battle Pirates

Naval warfare

A naval war game built around warships you design yourself. Hulls are kitted out with weapons, armour and components, fleets sail an ocean map to raid enemy bases, and your own floating base relies on turrets and repair docks to hold out.

  • A raid or two per sitting
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits and where to begin

Good for: Players who enjoy tinkering with ship loadouts.

Your first session
  1. Fit one ship carefully before building a fleet.
  2. Put turrets around the base early.
  3. Use repair docks between raids.
Play Battle Pirates freeOpens kixeye.com/game/battlepirates/home
Planetarion key artSpace & sci-fi

Planetarion

Round-based space war

A veteran space war game of five races, fleets and alliance politics. A round runs for roughly two months and then finishes, which means a newcomer starts level with the rest of the field rather than years behind it.

  • Regular check-ins through a round
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits and where to begin

Good for: Players who want a finish line, not an endless grind.

Your first session
  1. Join at the start of a new round if you can.
  2. Read about the five races before picking one.
  3. Find an alliance to fly with.
Play Planetarion freeOpens planetarion.com

All eight on one scoreboard

Browser game on the listGenre, as the scorer files itRun rateTeam or soloLength of an inningsGround it plays on
iGP ManagerMotorsport team managementRace by race in live leaguesLive leagues against other managersA few minutes to set up, longer to watch a raceDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Zoo 2: Animal ParkZoo managementUnhurriedA park you tend over many visitsShort care rounds between other jobsDesktop browser; mobile app also available
KapilandsProduction economySteady, numbers firstA market shared with other firmsShort visits to restock and repriceDesktop browser
Tanki OnlineOnline tank battlesFast roundsTeam battles against other playersA battle or two at a timeDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Call of WarSecond World War strategySlow real timeAlliances on a shared world mapBrief check-ins spread through the dayDesktop browser; mobile app also available
KingsAgeMedieval village conquestReal time over long weeksRivals and allies across the realmA glance at the village now and thenDesktop browser
Battle PiratesNaval warfareRaids at your own paceRival bases across the oceanA raid or two per sittingDesktop browser
PlanetarionRound-based space warRounds of about two monthsAlliance politics between playersRegular check-ins through a roundDesktop browser

What all eight cost: free to play, with optional in-game purchases.

01

Free to walk in

There is no charge to sign up for any of the eight, and you can play the whole summer through without spending; the teams, parks, factories and fleets are all there in full.

Every studio also runs an optional store selling speed-ups and extras. Plenty of seasoned players leave it alone, and families sharing a computer can often limit spending in the account settings.

02

Taking guard in a new game

The buttons on this page lead to each studio's own official site, opened in a fresh tab. Sign up there by email and before long a team, a zoo, a firm, a kingdom or a fleet is yours to run.

Every game starts newcomers with a tutorial. Play it right through, as it introduces the screens and the way the game earns and spends, piece by piece.

03

Short spells and long sessions

All eight keep going while the tab is closed: factories produce, animals need care, armies march and alliances plan. A look at lunch and another in the evening is often enough.

Short visits are for gathering, setting queues and a quick chat with allies or league rivals. Keep the longer sessions for bigger calls, such as a car upgrade, a new enclosure or a major campaign.

04

Your login, kept like the pavilion key

Your sign-in for each game belongs to the studio that made it, so type it only into the web address printed by that studio. Separate passwords for separate games, and two-step sign-in where a studio offers it, keep things tidy.

No real member of studio staff will ever ask for your password. A message offering free premium extras for your sign-in details is a bid to steal the account; report it and move on.

Why these eight made the team sheet

  • Each of the eight opens in the browser of a desktop or laptop, so nobody sits waiting on an installer while the rain drums on the pavilion roof.
  • Signing up is free on every game here, and none of them locks the full game behind its shop.
  • Teams, enclosures, factories and fleets keep working after the tab is shut, so a quick look between showers still moves things along.
  • Each studio has kept its game going for years, so there is always a settled crowd of other players to meet.

No. All eight start in a computer browser, and iGP Manager, Zoo 2: Animal Park, Tanki Online and Call of War come with an official phone app as well, should you want one.

Nothing to join and nothing to play. Sign-up is free across the list, the whole game is there without spending, and anything bought in-game is up to you alone.

No. Each one belongs to an independent studio, and the button beside it opens that studio's official site.

No. Every game here has a different studio behind it, so you sign up for each separately, and each sign-up is free.

iGP Manager, Zoo 2: Animal Park, Tanki Online and Call of War have official apps alongside the browser version. Kapilands, KingsAge, Battle Pirates and Planetarion are browser games only, so they are best played on a computer.

Tanki Online, with quick battles, or a care round in Zoo 2: Animal Park. Kapilands, KingsAge and Call of War reward longer planning sessions.

Yes. iGP Manager has live leagues, Call of War and Planetarion have alliances, Tanki Online has team battles, and Kapilands, KingsAge and Battle Pirates share their worlds with rival players.