Google Chromebooks may be a pretty successful series of laptop computers, but they aren’t really known for their gaming capabilities.
It isn’t really true, however, to say that Chromebooks are not able to play games. There are some games that work really well on ChromeOS machines. Here are some of them.
Online Gambling
Gaming on a Chromebook doesn’t necessarily have to be about downloading apps via the Play Store. For instance, you can have a lot of fun playing online gambling games. If this sounds like your kind of thing, you can always log onto Gonzo’s Quest.
This game is based around slot machines and, because it operates on a browser, you can get spinning and winning on your Chromebook without having to worry whether or not your hardware supports it.
If, on the other hand, you can access the Android store on your device, there’s always the highly acclaimed Hit It Rich!, a social casino game that has taken those in the know by storm.
One advantage for potential Chromebook gamblers is that since some of the best iGaming platforms found on the average are browser based, CardPlayer review owners can very easily join in on the fun.
Stardew Valley
One game that any budding Chromebook gamers can play on their devices is Stardew Valley. Originally released in 2014, this game, created by independent American video game developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone and published by British video game studio Chucklefish, may appear to be simple and gentle, but it has become one of gaming’s most successful hits over the last 10 years or so, selling more than 40 million copies.
The game’s plot, such as it is, revolved around your character inheriting a farm from their grandfather. You have to grow crops, raise animals, keep the farm going, and make friends at the same time.
While playthroughs can, by virtue of the game’s open-endedness, be lengthy, there is still plenty of replayability because the game offers players different kinds of farms, which suit different playstyles. Now, thanks to the Play Store, you can join the millions of keen virtual farmers, courtesy of your Chromebook.
Terraria
Talking of sandbox games, another game from that genre that can turn up trumps for people with Chromebooks is Terraria.
This game, available as an app from the Play Store, gives you the opportunity to shape your world, rather like the ubiquitous Minecraft, another game that’s available in one form or another for Google’s computers.
However, unlike Minecraft, Terraria has an RPG element to it, with the game starting you off with some basic tools which you can upgrade as you battle bosses and earn rewards.
There is a pretty solid gameplay loop to the game, which was developed by Re-Logic and published by 505 Games, involving mining for resources, crafting items and shelters, exploring caves and fighting bosses.
There is a multiplayer element to it and, despite having originally come out in 2011, it is still going strong, having sold a surprisingly large 60 million-plus copies over a variety of platforms in the 14 years or so since it first came out.
Spelunky Classic
Back in the day, video games were, pound for pound, a lot harder to complete than they are now. Part of this was because, back then, video games represented a pretty hefty investment for gamers, and any game that you’d spent the equivalent of $95 on that you could beat in the space of a couple of hours wasn’t going to be seen as good value for money.
Another reason for this was that a lot of home console games came from the arcades and, therefore, it made sense to make them as tough as possible so people had to spend more money to continue playing.
While the world of gaming has, for the most part, moved on from difficulty for difficulty’s sake – often described as “Nintendo Hard” – there are some games that pay tribute to the time when getting a game beaten was an achievement you could feel very, very proud of.
Ever since 2007’s I Wanna Be The Guy!, a subset of old-school platformers has arrived, with pixelated graphics and incredibly annoying but addictive gameplay that makes you want to pulverise the device you’re playing on but carry on playing at the same time.
One of them, Spelunky Classic, is available on your Chromebook. This game lets you explore caves, claim rewards, and then try to escape.
It’s easy to pick up but hard to master and, with procedural generation, every level is different and, with it on the Play Store, you can make it part of your Chromebook game collection.
Fallout Shelter
One of the world of video gaming’s biggest franchises is Fallout. Managed by Bethesda since the mid-2000s, the series has moved from being some cult, isometric turn-based RPGs into a genuine AAA juggernaut, inspiring board games, books, and a hit TV show.
While the humble Google Chromebook may not quite be able to play the most recent Fallout games, there is one game in the series that can work on your device.
Fallout Shelter is a game which lets people take control of a vault as the overseer, managing resources, assigning jobs, and making sure the Vault’s residents all get along, too.
And, best of all, there is the opportunity to both explore outside of the confines of the Vault, but also to meet characters from the mainline games.