Return to the tents at Watering Hole Camp
Tumelo's camp-chair list

Eight free worlds for the hours
after the jeeps roll back to camp

When the last game drive is over and the fire is lit, Tumelo opens a second list: eight free browser games, each a world that keeps ticking along while you sit and watch the waterhole. Two of them are parks and gardens to tend, two hand you a club on the ice or the pitch, two send a hero into the arena or out on quests, and two put you at the helm of a starship or a pirate fleet.

8games on the camp list
4with an official app as well
Freeto join, all eight
Dinosaur Park: Primeval Zoo key art
A different sort of game reserve

Dinosaur Park: Primeval Zoo

Dinosaur park builder · Farm, town & zoo

Tumelo spends his days watching elephants at the waterhole, so a park where the herds are dinosaurs was always going to top his list. You hatch new species from recovered fossils, build each one a suitable enclosure and keep the whole park ticking along, while research opens further species and visitors arrive at the gates to see what has hatched.

Good for
Anyone who loves animals and enjoys laying out a park.
Typical session
A few relaxed minutes or a longer build
Where it runs
Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Cost
Free to play; optional in-game purchases.
Your first session
  1. Hatch the fossils you already have first.
  2. Give every species an enclosure that suits it.
  3. Put research into the next species before decorating.
Visit Dinosaur Park: Primeval Zoo for freeOpens dinosaurparkprimevalzoo.upjers.com/en in a new tab

Seven more worlds spotted from the lookout deck

Molehill Empire 2 key artFarm, town & zoo

Molehill Empire 2

Gardening sim

A small plot of beds to plant, water and harvest on time, then sell to fill the orders that come in. Fresh seed varieties and garden ornaments open up over time, and swapping produce with other gardeners helps a tidy patch spread into a sprawling one.

  • A few minutes between other things
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who it suits & Tumelo’s first moves

Good for: Players who like short, regular tending sessions.

Your first session
  1. Plant crops that ripen before your next visit.
  2. Keep everything watered.
  3. Fill orders before you spend on decorations.
Visit Molehill Empire 2 for freeOpens molehillempire2.upjers.com/en
DarkOrbit key artSpace & sci-fi

DarkOrbit

Space MMO

A long-running space MMO where you pilot your own ship across the galaxy. You mine, fight and upgrade, then sign up with one of the companies whose fleets clash in large battles far above any savanna sky.

  • A short patrol or a long battle
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits & Tumelo’s first moves

Good for: Sci-fi fans who want a big shared universe.

Your first session
  1. Mine and upgrade before seeking out fights.
  2. Choose your company with care.
  3. Fly with others in the larger battles.
Visit DarkOrbit for freeOpens darkorbit.com
Battle Pirates key artStrategy & war

Battle Pirates

Naval warfare

A naval war game for people who like to tinker. Hulls are fitted out with guns, armour plating and components of your choosing, fleets set sail to raid rival bases on a wide ocean chart, and the base you float at home leans on gun turrets and repair docks to stay afloat.

  • Short raids or a long refit
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits & Tumelo’s first moves

Good for: Players who enjoy fine-tuning ship loadouts.

Your first session
  1. Build up the repair docks early.
  2. Try one hull design before experimenting.
  3. Scout a base before attacking it.
Visit Battle Pirates for freeOpens kixeye.com/game/battlepirates/home
Gladiatus key artRole-play & adventure

Gladiatus

Roman arena RPG

A Roman arena role-player built around expeditions that count down in real time and return with gear and gold. Your gladiator fights other players in arena rounds that resolve on their own, and dungeons hold the rarer loot.

  • A few short look-ins across the day
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits & Tumelo’s first moves

Good for: Anyone happier with a few brief visits a day than a long sitting.

Your first session
  1. Send out an expedition each time you visit.
  2. Upgrade your gear before the arena.
  3. Try the dungeons once you are well kitted out.
Visit Gladiatus for freeOpens gameforge.com/en-US/play/gladiatus
Shakes & Fidget key artRole-play & adventure

Shakes & Fidget

Comic fantasy RPG

A comic fantasy role-player that sends your hero on timed quests that play out on a clock. Nine classes each play differently: the Druid shifts into bear, tiger or eagle form, and the Berserker strings several attacks together in a single turn.

  • Short visits between quests
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who it suits & Tumelo’s first moves

Good for: Players who like a laugh alongside their character sheet.

Your first session
  1. Read the class list before choosing.
  2. Pick quests that fit the time you have.
  3. Join a guild once your hero has found their feet.
Visit Shakes & Fidget for freeOpens sfgame.net
Hockey Arena key artSport & management

Hockey Arena

Ice-hockey manager

An ice-hockey club with a match every single day. You pick the squad, plan the training and mind the finances, while unattached players can be signed whenever you spot one you like, all through a deliberately plain set of screens.

  • A short visit either side of each match
  • Desktop browser; mobile app also available
Who it suits & Tumelo’s first moves

Good for: Managers after a short daily ritual, not an all-night session.

Your first session
  1. Set your line-up before the daily match.
  2. Train the players you will rely on.
  3. Watch the budget before signing free agents.
Visit Hockey Arena for freeOpens hockeyarena.net/en
PowerPlay Manager key artSport & management

PowerPlay Manager

Manager of several sports at once

Hockey, football, handball and basketball, all run from one account. Each fixture means picking a line-up and a game plan to face a real person in the other dugout, while personal practice schedules and slow facility upgrades build the club up between matches.

  • Short visits on match days
  • Desktop browser
Who it suits & Tumelo’s first moves

Good for: Managers who would like more than one sport on the go.

Your first session
  1. Start with whichever sport you follow most closely.
  2. Set a practice plan for each key player.
  3. Upgrade the arena a step at a time.
Visit PowerPlay Manager for freeOpens ppm.powerplaymanager.com/en

All eight side by side, like a sightings board

Game on the camp listKind of game on Tumelo’s listSpeed, by Tumelo’s watchCompany you will meetA usual visitWhere Tumelo has seen it run
Dinosaur Park: Primeval ZooDinosaur park builderUnhurried, at whatever speed you likePlayed mostly at your own paceA few relaxed minutes or a longer buildDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Molehill Empire 2Gardening simGentle, little and oftenTrade with other gardenersA few minutes between other thingsDesktop browser; mobile app also available
DarkOrbitSpace MMOFast when you fight, steady when you mineRival companies fighting over the galaxyA short patrol or a long battleDesktop browser
Battle PiratesNaval warfareSteady, with bursts of actionRival bases across the ocean mapShort raids or a long refitDesktop browser
GladiatusRoman arena RPGShort timed burstsArena duels against other playersA few short look-ins across the dayDesktop browser
Shakes & FidgetComic fantasy RPGRelaxed, quests run on a timerGuilds and arena fightsShort visits between questsDesktop browser; mobile app also available
Hockey ArenaIce-hockey managerA match every dayLeague tables full of rival managersA short visit either side of each matchDesktop browser; mobile app also available
PowerPlay ManagerManager of several sports at onceEven-paced, one season after anotherHuman managers in every leagueShort visits on match daysDesktop browser

What they cost: all 8 are free to play, with optional in-game purchases.

01

Free from the first evening

Not one of the eight charges an entry fee, and each will carry you a long way without a payment; parks, clubs, heroes and fleets all arrive complete.

Each studio keeps a shop of optional shortcuts and trimmings. Many seasoned players ignore it entirely, and several of these games offer spending caps in their settings for households that share a computer.

02

Setting out on the first trail

A game's button takes you to its studio's official site in a fresh tab. Every one of the eight wants a short free registration first, normally an email address plus a password.

Nearly all of them start with a guided tutorial. Finish it, because it walks you round the screens and shows how each game earns and spends.

03

Quick look-ins and long evenings

Nearly all of them keep going while the tab is closed: crops ripen, expeditions return, quests finish and matches are played. A glance in the morning and another at sundown keeps everything moving.

Use the quick look-ins for harvesting, collecting and queueing the next job. Save the longer evenings for bigger decisions, such as a new enclosure, a fleet refit or a change of tactics.

04

Guarding the keys to each tent

A login is the property of whichever studio runs that game, so keep it to that studio's own web address. Giving each game its own password, and turning on two-step sign-in where a studio supports it, keeps you far safer.

Nobody genuinely working for a studio will request your password. Any offer of free premium currency in return for login details is a lure for the account, so leave them unanswered and flag them.

Why these eight made it onto the camp list

  • Each one loads in the browser on a desktop or laptop, so your first evening needs no installer at all.
  • Signing up is free across the whole list, and weeks of play are possible without paying anything.
  • Most of them keep growing, training or travelling after you shut the tab, so even a brief visit moves things on.
  • Long-running studios look after all of them, which means busy communities and regular updates.

No. Each of the eight plays in a desktop browser, and half of them offer an official phone app as an extra.

Yes, to join and to play. There is no sign-up fee anywhere on the list, and buying anything inside a game is always your choice.

No. Independent studios build and look after every game on the list; each button simply opens the studio's own site.

No. Eight games means eight separate studios, so each needs its own free registration.

Dinosaur Park: Primeval Zoo, Molehill Empire 2, Shakes & Fidget and Hockey Arena have official apps alongside the browser version. DarkOrbit, Battle Pirates, Gladiatus and PowerPlay Manager are made for the browser, so they are happiest on a desktop or laptop.

Gladiatus or Molehill Empire 2, where a couple of minutes is enough to send out an expedition or water the beds. DarkOrbit and Battle Pirates reward a longer evening.

In most of them. DarkOrbit has companies, Shakes & Fidget has guilds, Gladiatus has arena duels, Battle Pirates has rival bases and both sports games put you up against other managers. Dinosaur Park is mostly played at your own pace.