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10 Best .IO Games Worth Wasting Your Time On

Since Agar.io's release on April 28th, 2015, .io games have gained popularity through accessibility and exposure through Let's Play videos. Notable YouTubers, including Markiplier and Jacksepticeye, have made series revolving around these games. Within the past 4 years, .io has expanded out of Agar.io into countless other games. Some are zombie-themed, others have war robots. Some lag like crazy, others run smoothly and extend their reach to mobile devices.

RELATED: Markiplier Named Most Influential Gamer

Sifting through the hundreds of titles available, here are the 10 best .io games worth wasting your time on:

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10 Spinz.io

Kind of like Agar.io with a fidget spinner. Collecting dots increases your fidget spinner’s speed, allowing you to ram into and eliminate other players. Whirlpools can help launch you at another player or help you get away when someone else is spinning so fast you that you can’t see the fidget spinner shape anymore.

It’s definitely fun and addictive but does pander to the now somewhat dead fidget spinner hype. No judgment, feel free to enjoy fidget spinners! And it runs pretty well on iffy internet service. But why play this over Agar.io?

9 Paper.io

One of the more relaxing .io games available, Paper.io is all about creating your own paper empire. Move by using WASD or the arrow keys. Your goal is to create the largest area possible with your paper color. Eliminate other players by running into their incomplete sections.

The worst drawback is probably that you can eliminate yourself if you run into your own paper trail. The round can be over in a matter of seconds, but there's something very aesthetically pleasing about the game's art style. It's the slowest fast-paced game you'll play.

8 Warbot.io

Somehow, Warbot.io is 3D rendered and that helps earn it a spot on the list. For a .io game, it's impressive how well-rounded the bots and the environment is. Upgrades are available for your bot, as well as the option to switch which bot you play as.

This one can take longer to load than other .io games and doesn't offer as many gameplay modes as others do. On the bright side, Warbot.io does give you a tutorial before tossing you into the madness and has a training mode if you'd rather practice and dominate rather than learn by trial and error.

Related: Override: Mech City Brawl Review - Robot Multiplayer Done Right

7 Brutal.io

Neon, fast-paced, and frustrating, Brutal.io will either keep you coming back for more or force you to rage quit on the spot. The objective of this .io is to delete other players by swinging or throwing the barbed end of your tail at them. Use the mouse to steer and you’re good to go!

Depending on how good you are with a mouse or trackpad, a round of Brutal.io can last two seconds or ten minutes. Either way, you’ll keep clicking to respawn if only to prove that you’re better at this game than you really are.

6 Goons.io

Swords and paint blobs go really well together. Goons.io has you slaying players left and right. Click to slash, W to flee, and mouse to control. Your flee meter needs to recharge, so try not to dash right into the fray.

Timing is key in this game since button mashing isn’t an option. Your sword has to return to the side it started on in order for your character to slash again. Don’t waste your slashes or your dashes.

Rounds usually don’t last long when you’re getting started. Players move fast and it’s easy to make mistakes. But it’s more enjoyable than rage-inducing, so you’ll keep coming back for more.

5 Deeeep.io

With a cute exterior and unsettling interior, Deeeep.io calls to anyone who enjoys underwater adventures. Choose the fish that calls to your heart and begin your adventure under the sea! Different fish give different perks. For example, playing as a clownfish allows you to hide in anemone without taking damage. You know, like in Finding Nemo.

You'll also be able to switch your fish at certain points in the game. Other fish allow you to explore the depths, turning darker the deeper you go.  It's unclear whether damage taken by fish is from someone else trying to eat you or you're ramming into another fish with such force that it creates damage, but either way, bumper fish is a fun idea. Unfortunately, the game doesn't offer other playable modes, so it ends its reign at #5.

4 Zombs.io

If you could spend six hours on Don’t Starve or Minecraft, Zombs.io is for you. Establish a base and keep your gold hoard safe from zombies for as long as you can. Each wave of zombies gets progressively larger and stronger, so upgrading your walls and weapons via your gold hoard are essential for prolonged gameplay.

What’s nice is that when you respawn, you keep your gold from the last round. You can also team up with other players, though some might mull around your base if you look like you know what you’re doing.

There’s also some demons guarding a gemstone. See what that does.

3 Agar.io

The .io that started it all, Agar.io remains a solid .io experience. It’s a right of passage at this point and you can easily spend at least two hours trying in vain to achieve a place on the leaderboard.

Playing as a circle (also referred to as a cell), your objective is to “eat” or absorb smaller circles in order to gain mass. Starting out, you need to stick to either targeting non-player circles or possibly going after newly spawned players. When you grow large enough, you can split yourself in half as many times as you please to go after other players.

Agar.io earns its spot in the top 3 because while it offers limited customizability and no upgrade system, it’s a game much more based in player strategy without rewarding one style of gameplay over another. It’s straightforward, simple, and very, very addicting.

2 Slither.io

Any .io title that gets merch has to be in the top. And yes, you can find Slither.io plushies at Target. They’re in the toy aisle.

Much like Agar.io, Slither.io is a very simple, intuitive game but with a pretty cute aesthetic. Playing as a snake (or worm, given your Slither’s segmented body), you slither around eating up glowing light balls. Everything you eat helps your little snake grow longer and longer.

1 Diep.io

Despite being one of the older .io titles, this is truly the creme de la creme of .io games. You play as a tank. Destroying objects or other players earns points, which can then be used to upgrade your tank throughout the round. Your tank also levels up, allowing you to choose a different body type as you continue. This includes double barrels, a machine gun option, triple barrels, a sniper model, and many more.

Though its customization and variety of gameplay strategy may be on par with some of the other .io games listed, Diep.io earns the top spot because of its different modes. Don’t feel like going solo? There’s a 50 v. 50 option. Feel like playing in a team environment? There’s a team mode, where red and blue face off to claim the 3 out of 4 turrets. Do you want all the power? Go for Mothership mode. It’s the Thanos Fortnite mode before Fortnite existed. If you get the last shot on the Mothership, you control it next.

And within all of Diep.io’s modes, the customization and level up features follow. Diep.io offers the most diverse gameplay, caters to various strategic styles, and keeps you online for hours if only to experiment with tank modifications.

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