Free virtual world games you can play in a browser

A virtual world, in the sense most people mean it here, is a shared space where you have a character, walk around, talk to other people and make something that is yours. The big ones were built for children and teenagers in the 2000s. Most of them are gone or changed. Here is what is left.

Habbo

Habbo Hotel started in 2001 in Finland and is still running. The company behind it, Sulake, has belonged to Azerion since 2021. It moved from Flash to a Unity client after Flash ended, and in June 2024 a version called Habbo Hotel: Origins appeared, based on the 2005 client and aimed at adults, according to Wikipedia. If you want the original, this is the original. Check habbo.com for how to play it today, as the way in has changed over the years.

Unofficial Habbo copies run by fans also exist. They have no connection to Sulake, they come and go, and you should think twice before entering a password anywhere you do not know.

Club Penguin

Club Penguin closed on 30 March 2017. A fan-made copy, Club Penguin Rewritten, grew to over 11 million users and was shut down in April 2022 after a copyright request from Disney (Wikipedia). So this one is not an option any more, which is a reason to prefer a world with an owner who is still around.

Second Life

Second Life, from Linden Lab, is the other long-running world. Joining is free. It is a much bigger and more open world than Habbo, where users build and sell their own things, and you play it through a downloaded viewer app (their download page). It suits people who want a huge world, not a small cozy room.

Work-focused virtual spaces

A newer kind of world is built for teams: small avatars in a virtual office. These are not games, but they use the same idea.

• WorkAdventure is open source and aimed at teams and events. It offers a free option to create a space.
• Kumospace lists a free plan for up to 5 registered members and a paid business plan, with desktop and mobile apps.
• Gather now presents itself as a team workspace with a 30-day trial, not a free hangout.

Prices and plans change, so check each page before you decide. Our comparison of virtual coworking spaces goes into more detail.

Midnight Cafe

This is our own project, so weigh what we say accordingly. Midnight Cafe is a small, free world in the browser with one theme: a cozy cafe at night. You click to walk, chat in speech bubbles, furnish your own room, trade furniture and play records. You can play as a guest. It is new, so it is much smaller than the others on this list. See how it compares to Habbo Hotel.

How to choose