How a game gets into the book
5 rules, 1 browser session per game, and a list of what was left unverified.
The 5 rules
- It plays in an ordinary desktop browser. No launcher, no download, no compulsory account.
- It is hosted by CrazyGames or Poki, large operators that publish their terms. Small personal sites are not used, and since 11 November 2026 no other host either.
- It is free. If the same game is sold elsewhere, the chapter says what and for how much: the store editions of Strange Case, from £1.99, and the Steam collection that includes Escaping the Prison, £11.99.
- It has no wagering mechanics, no paid random items and no adult-only content. A horror game rated above PEGI 12 is out.
- Its facts can be sourced. Each statement about price, adverts, age or ratings has to come from the host’s page, the host’s terms, a store listing or Wikipedia, and the chapter names which.
What the checks of 10 and 11 November 2026 consisted of
- Open the game’s page on its host in desktop Chromium, as a guest, and wait for the game to start.
- Make the first 1 or 2 clicks, or the first choice in Escaping the Prison, and keep screenshots.
- Count the advert slots on the page and note any shop, coin counter or watch-an-advert button in the game.
- Read the host’s page data for dates, controls, phone support, purchases and rating. Read the UK pages of Google Play and the App Store, and Steam’s data, for PEGI and other age ratings and prices in pounds.
- Read the hosts’ terms and FAQ for minimum age, accounts, adverts and where progress is kept. Keep a copy of every page.
What was not verified
- Saving and resuming, in any game.
- Sound, and play on a phone or tablet.
- Any game beyond its opening. No ending was reached, and in TRACE the first room was not reached.
- Adverts as shown in the UK. The test browser was on a connection in Thailand.
- Poki’s age wording for UK visitors.
- What the hint buttons in Daily Room Escape and Detective Loupe Puzzle do when pressed.
| Game | Host | What was found | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy | BBC | In the book on 10 November 2026; free, no adverts | Removed 11 November: hosts narrowed to CrazyGames and Poki |
| The Visitor | CrazyGames | The page lists “Bloody scenes” | Fails rule 4 |
| Daily Kitchen Escape | CrazyGames | Same studio and format as Daily Room Escape | Twin of a chosen game |
| Fleeing the Complex | Poki | Opened to its menu on 10 November. Same series and maker as Escaping the Prison; filed first under Brain Games | 1 game per series |
| Breaking the Bank, Stealing the Diamond, Infiltrating the Airship | Poki | The other Henry Stickmin games; pages read on 11 November | 1 game per series |
| Detective Lawrence | Poki | Described by Poki as cosmic horror; Google Play (UK) PEGI 7; not play-tested | Passed over: a second dark detective story |
| Bo’s Bedroom | Poki | Monster-fighting survival | Not a quest |
| Forgotten Hill series | Listing only | Horror; the pages were not opened | Passed over |
Click classics that no longer run in a browser
Samorost 1, Windosill and Submachine 1 were looked up on their makers’ sites on 10 November 2026. The first is now a download, the second is sold through stores and the third sits inside a paid collection. The dated notes give the wording found on each page.
Corrections
If a game changes, its chapter is corrected and a line is added to the dated notes. Makers, hosts and readers can write to [email protected].