Where to Launch a Browser Game: itch.io Embeds, Web Portals and Places to Play It Instantly
A browser game launches best where the link itself is the demo. Upload an HTML5 build to itch.io as a ZIP with an index.html and let people play in the page, apply to web portals such as CrazyGames and Poki for traffic and ad revenue, and post to Show HN, which welcomes things people can try without signing up. Check each portal’s size limits and requirements before you build, because they are strict.
What is different about launching a game that runs in the browser?
A downloadable game has to win a click, a download and an install before anyone plays it. A browser game has to win only the click, which is why web portals and link-based communities suit it. The cost is technical: web builds have to load fast, work on whatever device opens the link and fit within a portal’s limits.
That also changes your revenue options. A portal may pay through its own ad system, itch.io lets players pay or donate, and a link on your own site monetises through whatever you build. Pick before you build, because a portal’s ad rules can shape the game. Facts below were read on 13 November 2026 from each site’s own pages.
Where can a browser game be hosted and found?
The first entry is the simplest place to start. The next two are gated portals with their own requirements.
01 itch.io HTML5 embed
itch.io runs HTML, JavaScript and CSS projects directly on the game’s page, inside an iframe.
- Upload
- A ZIP file whose root has an index.html, or a single self-contained .html file
- Display
- Embedded in the page at a size you set, or a click-to-launch fullscreen button
- Default
- Click to play is on, so the game does not slow the page while it loads
- Money
- Players can donate any amount, per its developer page
File names are case sensitive, and relative paths are needed for assets to load, which are the two mistakes that break first uploads. A single-file game cannot reference other files you have uploaded, so use a ZIP if it needs more than one.
The page covers mobile support and has a section on common pitfalls, so read both before you decide on touch controls. Test on a phone in the page, not only on a desktop.
02 CrazyGames
A web games portal with a two-step launch process and published technical requirements.
- Step 1
- Basic Launch: go live without customising the game; the SDK is optional and monetisation is not available
- Step 2
- Full Launch, if selected: all integration requirements apply, including the CrazyGames SDK and ads through it
- Size limits
- Its summary table lists an initial download of 50 MB or less and at most 1,500 files
- Content
- Basic implementation asks for content that adheres to PEGI 12
The two-step process is the useful part: you can get a game in front of players without writing platform code, and the portal then decides whether it is strong enough to invest in. Its Basic Launch guide explains how progression is evaluated.
Full Launch also expects the game to land directly in gameplay, work with ad blockers and link progress to the portal’s accounts. Those are design decisions, so read the requirement table before you plan your menus.
03 Poki for Developers
The developer side of Poki, a web gaming platform, with an application, a playtesting service and in-house QA.
- Route
- An Apply now button on its developer page
- Playtesting
- A tool for watching real players try a game and collecting analytics
- Support
- Its page lists in-house QA, monetisation and player acquisition
- Our check
- We did not read its approval criteria or revenue terms; its audience figures are its own claims
Its playtesting offer is worth using before you apply, since it gives feedback from players who are not your friends. Ask what they did in the first thirty seconds, not whether they liked it.
Because we could not read the terms, check what exclusivity and revenue arrangements apply before you commit a game to any portal. A game on one portal can limit where else you publish it.
04 Newgrounds
A long-running site for browser games, animations and music, with community ratings.
- Our check
- It refused our automated fetch, so this entry is limited to what is widely known
- Fits when
- Your game suits a community that rates and reviews submissions
Read its submission rules and its current upload process directly, since we could not. Look in particular at how it treats games first shown elsewhere.
Ratings on a site like this reward polish in the first minute, so show your best level first.
05 Show HN
Hacker News’s section for things you made that other people can try.
- Fit
- Strong: a browser game with no sign-up is the case the guidelines describe
- Rule
- Make it easy to try, ideally without barriers such as signups or emails
The link should open straight into play, with no loading screen longer than a few seconds and no account. A game that asks for an email before the first level will lose readers.
Say how it is built and what is unusual, such as a custom engine, a tiny size or a clever generator. That is the discussion HN readers want. The Show HN post templates help with the title.
06 Post your build ideas (our board)
A free launch board with a gaming category: no account, no queue, no ads.
- Fit
- A permanent page whose outbound link goes straight to the playable build
- Limit
- Few players browse it, and the media stop at a logo and four images
Write the controls in the description, such as keyboard keys or touch, so a visitor knows before clicking. The outbound link is a normal followed link.
Browse gaming ideas for concepts that fit short browser sessions, and the game development project ideas for scope.
How should you pick between a portal and your own page?
| If you want | Start with | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Feedback this week | itch.io embed and Show HN | Load time and mobile controls |
| Traffic and ad revenue | CrazyGames Basic Launch, a Poki application | Size limits, content rules and exclusivity terms |
| Reviews from a games community | Newgrounds | Its own submission rules, which we could not read |
| A stable link you own | Your own page plus the free launch page | You supply every visitor yourself |
The browser game playbook turns this into a schedule, and the indie game places to launch cover downloadable games and Steam. If your game is made with an AI coding tool, how to make a game with AI is the build-side companion.
Frequently asked questions
How do I upload a browser game to itch.io?
Make a ZIP file containing every file the game needs, with an index.html at the root, or upload a single self-contained HTML file. On the project’s edit page you then set the embed options: a viewport size in the page, or click to launch in fullscreen. itch.io’s docs add that file names are case sensitive.
Does CrazyGames pay for games?
Its requirements say monetisation is not available during Basic Launch, and that ads run through its SDK in Full Launch. The page does not state revenue terms in the part we read, so check its monetisation and payout pages. A game selected for Full Launch has to follow all integration requirements, including the SDK.
Is Show HN good for browser games?
Yes, it is a natural fit. The guidelines say Show HN is for things people can play with, ideally without signups or emails, and that the work should be non-trivial and personal. Link straight into the game, add a short explanation of how it works and be ready to answer questions in the thread.
Post your build ideas publishes this page and runs a free launch board that competes with some of the sites it names. Facts about other sites came from their own pages on the date shown above; terms, queues and prices change, so confirm on their sites before you decide. About the publisher.