Genre explainer

What is a PBBG?

PBBG stands for Persistent Browser-Based Game: an online game you play in a web browser, set in a world that keeps running whether you're logged in or not. Here's what defines the genre — and how to jump into a modern one for free.

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The definition

A PBBG combines two ideas. Persistent means the game world has continuity: production ticks up, armies keep marching and rivals keep playing while you're away. Browser-based means there's nothing to install — you just open a tab (or your phone's browser) and you're in. Put together, a PBBG is a long-running online world you dip into over days, weeks and months rather than a one-off session.

What makes a game a PBBG

✓A persistent world shared with other players, not a private save file
✓Real-time progression — resources and travel that continue offline
✓No download — it runs in the browser, cross-device by nature
✓Session-friendly — designed for short, frequent visits
✓Social stakes — rankings, PvP or alliances that make the shared world matter

A short history

PBBGs grew up in the early 2000s alongside the web itself — text-based worlds, war and empire sims, and persistent strategy games that thousands of players shared. Titles in the village-and-conquest tradition made the format hugely popular. The genre never went away; it evolved, and today the browser (and the phone browser in particular) is a better platform than ever.

Grymheld: a modern strategy PBBG

Grymheld is a present-day take on the strategy PBBG. You build a village, balance five resources, train an army from one of four races and conquer a shared 50×50 world map — with a hero, the General, that you level up and equip from looted gear. It keeps the genre's persistent-world backbone while dropping its old baggage: it's completely free, has no pay-to-win, and is built to be played on mobile as much as on desktop.

📱 Built to play anywhere — no compromise on mobile

Grymheld isn't a desktop game with a cramped mobile fallback. It's designed for the phone first: play a full turn on your commute, sneak a raid in on the metro, or check your village while you wait for coffee. Because armies march in real time, you can fire off an attack, lock your phone, and collect the loot later. Add it to your home screen as a Progressive Web App and it behaves like a native app — full screen, offline-tolerant, with push notifications when troops return.

✓The complete game — every building, unit, the General, the map — on mobile and desktop
✓Installs to your home screen from the browser (iPhone & Android)
✓Push notifications for returning armies and full warehouses
✓No app store, no download, no separate account — just open and play

Frequently asked questions

What does PBBG stand for?

PBBG stands for Persistent Browser-Based Game — an online game you play in a web browser, set in a world that keeps evolving whether or not you're logged in.

How is a PBBG different from a normal browser game?

Most browser games are self-contained sessions. A PBBG has a persistent world and economy shared with other players: your village, resources and armies carry on between sessions, and time keeps passing while you're away.

Are PBBGs free?

Many are free to play. Grymheld is fully free with no pay-to-win — no premium currency and nothing locked behind payment.

Can I play a PBBG on mobile?

Because they run in the browser, PBBGs are naturally cross-device. Grymheld goes further and is built mobile-first, installable as a PWA so you can play the full game on your phone.

What's a good PBBG to start with?

If you want a modern, free, mobile-friendly strategy PBBG, Grymheld is a good entry point — build a village, raise an army and conquer a shared world map.

Keep exploring: best free browser strategy games, how to play Grymheld.