Paper.io

Paper.io took the old concept of claiming territory, known from arcade games and from the film Tron, and turned it into a simple multiplayer form for the browser. The 2016 game was released by the studio Voodoo, today known mainly as a major publisher of hyper-casual mobile titles, and the concept is as straightforward as it gets – the player drags a colored trail across the play area, and by closing it off, expands their own territory, all while having to make sure no other player crashes into their trail.

It's precisely the risk while drawing the line that makes Paper.io tense despite its simple rules – until you close the trail back within your own territory, you're vulnerable, and opponents try to cut across your unfinished line before you manage to complete the loop. Anyone can master the controls within a few seconds, whether with a mouse in the browser or by touch on mobile, where the game quickly expanded. Short, fast rounds and a visible sense of progress in the form of growing colored territory made it an ideal candidate for short breaks between other activities.

The graphics are deliberately stark – a top-down play area divided into colored territories, no unnecessary decoration. Thanks to this, Paper.io became, despite its simplicity, one of the most-played titles of its time and kicked off a whole wave of similar games from the same publisher as well as its competitors.

Why play it: A quick way to unwind for anyone – an easy-to-grasp concept and short rounds make Paper.io an ideal game for a few spare minutes anywhere.