Free Nigerian games you can play in your browser (no download)

Your phone storage is full. Again. Your data is running low, the app store wants you to update three things first, and you just want to play something Naija for ten minutes while you wait for your turn at the barber’s. Good news: you do not always need an app. A lot of the games Nigerians love already run in the web browser, on the phone you are holding.

Here are free ones you can open right now, no download, no installation. We have only listed games we have checked run in the browser, and we say plainly where something costs money.

Why play in the browser?

• No storage. Nothing to install, so nothing to delete later to make room for photos.
• No update wahala. The game is up to date every time you open the page.
• Any phone. Android or iPhone, new or a few years old, as long as the browser is reasonably modern. In Nigeria about 84% of mobile web traffic is on Android, according to StatCounter, and browser games work on it the same as anywhere.
• Easy to share. Send a link on WhatsApp and your friend is in.

The games

AJ Cities: a Lagos open world

Free · phone and computer · 18+. This one is ours, so we are biased. AJ Cities is a 3D open-world game set in a fictional estate on the edge of Ajegunle, Lagos. You play AJ, deported from London, back on June 12 Street with no money, and the police at the gate want ₦2,500,000 before they will open it. You earn it as a ball boy at the bush football and by betting on the match. There is also a live estate where adults sign in, make their own character and meet other players.

It runs in the browser on phones and computers, it was built phone first, and it is designed to start even on older browsers, back to Chrome 87 on Android and Safari on iOS 15. The story needs no sign-in. On a phone you move with your left thumb, look around with your right and tap the Action button to talk; the full list is in controls.

Whot

Free to play · browser and apps. Nigeria’s national card game is easy to find online, in browser versions and phone apps. Some Whot sites also run tournaments with real-money entry fees; this guide does not point to those, and if you play online, stick to the free tables. New to the rules, or want to check who is cheating? Read our guide to how to play Whot.

Ludo

Free · browser. The family favourite. The free PlayOK website has online Ludo against live players, along with a long list of other board and card games. The biggest Ludo game in Nigeria, Ludo King, is an app, made in India; if you would rather not install it, the browser is a fine alternative. Before you play, agree your house rules: our Naija Ludo rules cover the usual arguments.

Oware, Ayo’s close cousin

Free · browser. If you cannot find Ayo itself online, play its very close relative. Ayo and Oware share the same board, two rows of six pits with 48 seeds, and play almost the same way. PlayOK lists “oware-awale” among its games, with live opponents. It is the same patient, calculating game your grandfather played under the tree, without the splinters. More on Ayo and the other classics in traditional Nigerian games.

Draughts

Free · browser. PlayOK also has draughts, in several versions, including the 100-square international board, against live players.

Nigerian games that are apps, not browser games

Some of the best-known games made in Nigeria are only on the app stores, so they need a download. They are worth it if you have the space:

• Disney Iwájú: Rising Chef by Maliyo Games, on Android and iOS, tied to the Disney+ series set in a future Lagos.
• Danfo by ChopUp, a racer about Lagos commuter buses.
• Gidi Run by Gamsole, an endless runner through the streets of Lagos.
• Whot King by Maliyo Games, a Whot app.

Funny enough, Nigerian games started in the browser. Back in 2012 Maliyo Games was making free web games such as Okada Ride and Mosquito Smasher, before the industry moved to apps. Our list of Nigerian video games has the whole story.

How to play without finishing your data

• Use Wi-Fi for the first load where you can. Most browser games download the most on the first visit.
• Close other tabs. They use data and memory in the background.
• Keep your browser updated. Update Chrome from the Play Store; Safari on an iPhone updates with iOS. A newer browser runs games better.
• Turn on data saver for everything else, then let the game have the connection.
• Watch out for real-money modes. “Free to play” is not always “free”. If a game asks for an entry fee or a stake, you are now gambling. Know the difference.

Which one to start with?

Ten minutes to kill: a hand of Whot. With the family: Ludo. Want to think: Oware. Want to get lost in Lagos for an evening: AJ Cities. All of them in the browser, all of them free to start, and none of them asking you to delete your photos first.

Can I play Nigerian games without downloading?

Yes. Whot, Ludo, Oware (Ayo’s close cousin) and draughts all run in the browser on free sites, and AJ Cities, a Lagos open-world game, runs free in the browser on phones and computers.

Can I play Ayo online?

Ayo’s very close relative, Oware, uses the same board of twelve pits and 48 seeds and is free to play online in the browser on PlayOK.

Do browser games use a lot of data?

Most download the most on the first visit. Load them on Wi-Fi if you can, and close other tabs while you play.

Is AJ Cities free?

Yes. AJ’s story is free and needs no sign-in. In the live estate, optional tickets open more places, and the police at the gate let most guests in free if they ask.