A superb competition JS13K between highly talented enthusiasts takes place, where they make amazing 13kb games meaning their code size is less than 13kb. The last competition took place on 13th September 2022, and the theme was Death. We have compiled a list of our favorite top ten Javascript games of 2021 whose theme was 404 (referring to Error 404: Not Found). These games will surely inspire a lot of you and hopefully guide you during your next big gaming competition!
List of JavaScript 13kb Games
CHOCH
CHOCH is a game where you play as a hacker looking for a page which is being hidden from him. Hence the protagonist plays as a web crawler (like a spider) surfing through the web looking for that page. The server has built-in protection which prevents you from getting to the server. This game has vibrant colours and a great soundtrack (apart from the intro). CHOCH is written ЧОЧ in Cyrillic, and the missing page in the game perfectly fits the 404 theme of the competition.
Stolen Sword
This simple game features a samurai running after a thief who stole a sword. The sword is pivotal for the harmony as it contains the evil force at bay, but in the wrong hands, it will cause harm. The samurai has to slash through a lot of demons to catch the thief. The beautiful environment like the reflection of the water and the simplistic design makes this game exceptional.
The Last Spartan
The Last Spartan is one of the most fun never-ending games on this 13kB games list. This game deserves absolute praise for adding so much fun. You play as a Spartan defending your homeland in 404 B.C. Hordes of enemies keep spawning, but you must stand your ground. Unlike many other games, you have stamina and a health bar to look after here.
FOURFOLD
FOURFOLD is a platformer and puzzle game in which after every 4 four turns you jump over an extra tile. The most intriguing thing about the game is its music. After each turn, a sound plays which is very different and pleasing. You can also change the mode from morning to night if you want but the background isn’t that amazing as rest of the game. However, it’s still something to fit this much in a 13kB Javascript game.
I want to google the game
Short game, easy to play and the mechanics all make this game unique. In this game, you play with Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The game’s theme is to help your browser reach the internet. The obstacles in the game are sometimes other browsers, bugs, paywalls and other technical things. This game makes you laugh a little more, after each level. Half of the game hides the complexity behind it by the humour itself!
Highway 404
The satisfaction when you end this game is on another level, if you do play this game, make sure to drive till the end. Drive a car on a highway but be careful as the trip is filled with thrills. Even though the game is simple, it made my heart race. It is a bonus if you know HTTPS status codes as they will help you a lot in your journey. This was one of the 13kB games submitted in JS13K and thankfully I found this as it is underrated and needs love!
404KPH
404KPH is an amazing retro 3D game where you compete against yourself and others too. It is one of the most unique games on this 13kB games list. The ghost racing feature is a great addition which works perfectly! If you want to share your track records, you can copy-paste, and it’s that easy. The physics in the game is cherry on the cake.
These are JavaScript 13kB games that were way beyond fun and amazing to play. You might also want to know how to play flash games in 2022.
What is JS13K Games?
js13kGames is a competition for coders in which different HTML5 developers participate to build JavaScript games. However, this is not that simple there are different rules which make it more fun. The package size limit or in easier terms the game’s file size limit is 13 kilobytes. There should be two sources, one is to be in readable form and the other in minified and zipped form (.Zip package under 13kb).
The game mechanics, game design, game objects, game logic, and anything else can be whatever the game development team wants. But they have to fit according to the theme of the annual coding competition. Building games has never been this fun for game developers!
Tons of my favorite games were included in the list mentioned above. What are your favorite games of the JS13K games competition? Let us know in the comments!
