Open Source Games in Telegram

You have five spare minutes or a boring queue, and you do not want to install a game just for that. Open Source Games handles it inside Telegram: the bot launches simple HTML5 games right from the chat. 🎮

What sets the collection apart is that the games have open source code. Anyone can look at how they are built instead of taking it on faith.

A game with no install

An HTML5 game runs in a browser, and Telegram can open such games inside itself. There is nothing to download: tap, wait for it to load, and play.

Simple games have an advantage: the rules are clear at once. No long tutorials, no tangled menus and no purchases in the first minutes.

What open source means here

The source code of these games is published, so developers and the curious can see how a game is put together and borrow ideas for their own projects. For a regular player it is also a matter of trust: hidden data collection is harder to tuck into code that everyone can read.

• Transparency. The code can be read and checked.
• Learning. Beginner web developers pick such games apart as study examples.
• Remixing. You can take an idea and build your own version.

Getting started

1. Find the bot by the name Open Source Games in Telegram search.
2. Tap Start and see which games it offers.
3. Choose a game and wait for it to load.
4. Play in your private chat or send the game to a friend.

The bot has no commands, and everything runs on buttons. That is handy, because there is nothing to memorize. 👍

How games in Telegram work

Telegram has long supported HTML5 games in bots. You tap a button, and the game opens in a built-in window. The score can come back to the chat, which makes playing with friends easy.

Such a game is lighter than a regular mobile one: it does not take up phone storage and needs no updates through an app store. The price is simple graphics and a need for an internet connection.

What to expect and what not to

This is a modest set of simple games, with no big stories, 3D graphics or complex economies. If you want a heavy strategy or a multiplayer shooter, look at larger projects.

Do not count on frequent updates either: the project is small, and the list of games may change rarely. Still, the games are good for passing the time, and they ask nothing extra of you. 🕹️

Safety and personal data

• Do not enter passwords. A game does not need your account details, bank cards or codes from messages.
• Watch the requests. If a game asks for your phone number or a sign-in through an outside service, close it.
• In-game purchases. The bot description mentions none, but in general spend money in games only on purpose.
• Kids. Simple games suit them too, but screen time is worth limiting.

Open code does not guarantee that every copy of a game is safe, but it lets people who understand code check it.