Back to Misty Tea Terrace
Picked between showers

Four tab-sized games
for days the fog will not lift

Some afternoons the cloud parks itself on the hill and the picking baskets stay hung on their pegs. That is when a browser tab earns its keep. These four ask nothing to get going, and each answers a different mood: clanking tank duels, an island city-state of ancient Greece, a football club short of a boss, and painted rooms with objects tucked into every corner. None of them needs an installer.

Tanki Online key art
01 · Team tank battles

Tanki Online

In the garage you bolt a hull onto a turret of your choice, then rumble into short arena fights against other drivers. Victories pay out crystals for upgrades, climbing the ranks opens heavier parts, and the modes run from free-for-all brawls to stealing the other side's flag.

Good for
Anyone craving loud, quick action in small doses.
Typical session
A few minutes per battle
Where it runs
Desktop browser, with a phone app as well
Cost
No charge to play; extras can be bought inside the game if you want them.
Your first session
  1. Pour upgrades into a single hull and turret pairing before collecting more parts.
  2. Study two or three maps closely; good cover beats a bigger gun.
  3. Stick with team modes at first, where sheltering near teammates buys you time.
Play Tanki Online freeOpens tankionline.com/en in a new tab
Grepolis key art
02 · Greek city-states and their fleets

Grepolis

A modest island polis of ancient Greece swells into a power with farms, temples, harbours and walls. Every city serves a patron god who lends favours and mythic creatures, while fleets ferry troops across the sea to islands where neighbours plot, trade and ally.

Good for
Myth lovers who enjoy diplomacy and very long campaigns.
Typical session
A handful of quick visits each day
Where it runs
Desktop browser, with a phone app as well
Cost
No charge to play; extras can be bought inside the game if you want them.
Your first session
  1. Stockpile timber, stone and silver ahead of any big recruitment.
  2. Weigh the gods before choosing, since each unlocks its own mythic units.
  3. Find a busy alliance early; an island city on its own tempts every raider nearby.
Play Grepolis freeOpens us.grepolis.com in a new tab
GoalUnited key art
03 · A football club with its own budget

GoalUnited

Here you are the boss of a football club, running everything except the kicking itself: training, tactics, transfers, staff and a ground that can be enlarged one stand at a time. A match engine plays out your decisions, and each rival bench in the league is filled by a real person.

Good for
Football fans who relish form tables and fitness charts.
Typical session
A few minutes daily, longer ahead of key fixtures
Where it runs
Desktop browser
Cost
No charge to play; extras can be bought inside the game if you want them.
Your first session
  1. Draw up the weekly training routine before opening day arrives.
  2. Rest weary players so your stars are sharp for the fixtures that count.
  3. Add seats to the stadium in stages rather than one costly expansion.
Play GoalUnited freeOpens goalunited.org in a new tab
Hidden4Fun key art
04 · Hidden-object scenes

Hidden4Fun

An enormous free shelf of hand-painted rooms, market stalls and landscapes, each concealing a checklist of items to spot before the clock empties. A small stock of hints rescues you from the one object that will not appear, and themed series bundle scenes about kitchens, pets, adventures and more.

Good for
Sharp-eyed players wanting ten peaceful minutes.
Typical session
Roughly ten minutes a scene
Where it runs
Desktop browser
Cost
No charge to play; extras can be bought inside the game if you want them.
Your first session
  1. Sweep each picture in horizontal bands rather than jumping around.
  2. Hold one hint in reserve for the final hold-out on the list.
  3. Play a themed series from its first scene, because the artist's habits get easier to read.
Play Hidden4Fun freeOpens hidden4fun.com in a new tab

The four laid out on one drying rack

Tanki OnlineGrepolisGoalUnitedHidden4Fun
GenreTeam tank battlesGreek city-states and their fleetsA football club with its own budgetHidden-object scenes
PaceFast, round by roundSlow real timeDay by day through a seasonGentle, one scene at a time
Who shares the pitch with youClans and team matchesIsland-to-island alliancesLeagues of flesh-and-blood managersSolo play
Typical sessionA few minutes per battleA handful of quick visits each dayA few minutes daily, longer ahead of key fixturesRoughly ten minutes a scene
Where it runsDesktop browser, with a phone app as wellDesktop browser, with a phone app as wellDesktop browserDesktop browser
CostNo charge to play; extras can be bought inside the game if you want them.No charge to play; extras can be bought inside the game if you want them.No charge to play; extras can be bought inside the game if you want them.No charge to play; extras can be bought inside the game if you want them.

What costs nothing in these four

Every one can be started for free and enjoyed for a long stretch without paying; the battles, the island building, the club management and the picture hunts are all included.

A few sell optional extras, for instance premium currency, shorter timers or decorative touches. Lots of people never buy any of it, and where a computer is shared, the account options are where any spending caps live.

The first wet afternoon

Pressing the button under a title opens that game's official website in a fresh tab. Tanki Online, Grepolis and GoalUnited want an email to create your player profile, whereas Hidden4Fun drops you into a scene right away.

The bigger three begin with a guided walkthrough. Let it finish, since it covers the menus, the resources and how cooperation with other players works.

Fitting play around chores

Grepolis and GoalUnited carry on in your absence: buildings complete, ships reach port and fixtures kick off. One visit with breakfast and one after supper usually keeps pace.

Tanki Online and Hidden4Fun do the opposite, packing everything into short, finished sessions. Fight a handful of battles or clear one scene, then shut the tab with nothing left running.

Guarding each profile like a tea tin

Each profile is held by the studio behind the game, so only enter your password on that studio's real address. Keep a separate password per game, and where a studio offers a second login check, use it.

Genuine help desks never request your password. Someone dangling free crystals, gold or star players in return for your login simply wants to steal the profile, so leave them unanswered.

How these four ended up in the basket

  • A plain desktop browser window is enough for each, so round one starts before any kettle boils.
  • Getting started is free, and months of play are possible without opening a wallet; shops inside are entirely optional.
  • Together they span four tempers: brisk tank skirmishes, a slow island empire, a full football season and a hushed picture hunt.
  • Each title has years of history behind it and is still looked after by its makers.

No. All four load in a current desktop browser, with no separate program to fetch.

Yes. Starting costs nothing and each game is fully playable; any in-game shop is your choice alone.

No. Quilla only recommends them. Every title comes from an outside studio, and each button here opens that studio's own site.

No. Tanki Online, Grepolis and GoalUnited each want a profile of their own, while Hidden4Fun plays without one.

Tanki Online and Grepolis publish official mobile apps as well. For GoalUnited and Hidden4Fun we point you to the browser version.

Hidden4Fun, with quiet pictures and no opponents at all. Choose Tanki Online for brisk battles, Grepolis for a long island campaign or GoalUnited to steer a football club.

Grepolis and GoalUnited keep going, so a short visit each day holds your ground. Tanki Online and Hidden4Fun simply pause until you come back.