How we read the word arcade

Arcade is the largest shelf and the one where the word gets stretched, so we use it narrowly: games built on one repeating action — run, dodge, shoot, jump — where the score is the point and a run ends when you do. Endless runners, one-button reflex games, vertical shooters and short platformers belong here. Load speed decides more than artwork does; an arcade game that takes ten seconds to open has already lost the player. Sessions are short by design, usually under five minutes.

Every game on this shelf opens in the browser with no download. Each title has its own note on why it is here — how we choose games.