CrazyGames
Founded 2014 · 83 employees on LinkedIn · 1 known investors
CrazyGames is a free browser gaming platform hosting over 4,500 games across multiple genres for casual players on desktop and mobile devices. The platform connects game developers with players worldwide through a publisher model without requiring downloads or intrusive ads.
Also known as CrazyGames.com · Maxflow
Founders & leadership
CrazyGames was founded in 2014 by Raf Mertens.
Investors · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026CrazyGames is a Belgium-based, globally operating website for online games that run directly in a web browser without installation. The catalogue spans roughly 4,500 titles across genres including action, driving, shooting, puzzle, sports, simulation, board, word, arcade, adventure and .io multiplayer games, playable on desktop PCs, laptops, Chromebooks, smartphones and tablets. Registering an account is optional; the platform additionally offers leaderboards, cross-device progress saving and Premium Perks.
The platform is built on HTML5 web technologies including WebAssembly, WebGL and WebGPU. CrazyGames publishes a software development kit that lets developers add advertising, persistent game progress, accounts and purchases to their titles, with support for engines such as Unity, Cocos Creator and Godot. Games submitted through the self-service developer platform are reviewed by quality assurance specialists against the company's guidelines. Since October 2023 the company has also developed and hosted exclusive titles under the CrazyGames Originals label.
CrazyGames distributes its catalogue through localised sites in Spanish, French and German, and through mobile applications on Google Play and the Apple App Store that stream games without separate per-game installs. Popular titles on the platform include Shell Shockers, Agar.io, Uno Online, Geometry Dash, Moto X3M, Smash Karts, GeoGuessr, Bloxd and Trivia Crack.
Founding story
Brothers Raf and Tomas Mertens started CrazyGames in 2014 as a hobby project. Tomas left the company in 2015 to focus on other projects, and the site subsequently grew into a commercial browser gaming platform, joining the start it @KBC incubator in 2017.
Business model
CrazyGames operates a free, ad-supported web gaming portal. Revenue comes from programmatic advertising and in-game purchases enabled through a partnership with payment provider Xsolla. Developers submit games through a self-service platform and receive a share of the revenue their games generate, making the company an intermediary between independent and studio developers and a large casual audience. Mobile apps for Android and iOS carry advertising and in-app purchases, and the site offers Premium Perks to registered users.
Programmatic advertising across the platform plus in-game purchases processed via Xsolla; the mobile apps also carry ads and in-app purchases. Developers who publish through the platform receive a share of the revenue generated by their games.
Traction
The company's site reports growth to more than 60 million monthly users and over 4,500 games; the Wikipedia entry also cites more than 30 million users per month. The Android app has over 1 million downloads and a 4.6 rating from about 30,700 reviews, while the iOS app holds a 4.7 rating from about 22,000 ratings. Shell Shockers passed 35 million plays on CrazyGames portals in August 2021, and Bloxd had over a million player votes as of June 2026.
Latest developments
In late 2025 the team grew from 37 to 47 employees with continued hiring for the mobile app and developer tools, alongside an investment of more than 10 million euros by Smartfin. The company's site reports over 60 million monthly users and more than 4,500 games, and the Android app was updated in August 2026 advertising over 2,500 instant-play titles.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Described as the leading provider of web games in the US and one of the leaders worldwide, and repeatedly recognised for growth by Deloitte Belgium's Technology Fast 50 (7th in 2019, 4th in 2020, ranked in 2021, nominated in 2023) and by the Financial Times' ranking of the 1,000 fastest-growing European companies in March 2024. Wired named it the greatest collection of flash games for its role in continuing flash gaming's legacy after Flash.
Games load instantly in the browser with no downloads or installations required, and the company states that play is not interrupted by intrusive ads or pop-ups. A self-service submission system with revenue sharing, a multi-engine SDK, quality review by dedicated QA specialists, optional accounts with cross-device progress sync, and exclusive Originals titles distinguish the platform. Its founder is described as a proponent of WebGPU and its potential effect on casual gaming.
Technology
Games run on HTML5 web technologies including WebAssembly, WebGL and WebGPU. CrazyGames provides an SDK supporting engines such as Unity, Cocos Creator and Godot that exposes advertising, persistent progress, user accounts and in-game purchases, with published integration guides for Cocos Creator developers. Mobile apps offer instant play without per-game downloads and cross-device progress sync.
Go-to-market
Distribution is primarily direct through the crazygames.com website and its localised language versions, complemented by Android and iOS apps. Supply-side growth comes from a self-service developer platform, an SDK for common game engines, publishing partnerships with studios such as Kwalee and Blue Wizard Digital, and ecosystem sponsorships including JS13kgames and Global Game Jam plus talks at Pocket Gamer Connects and the Game Developers Conference.
Casual players worldwide on desktop and mobile, including children and general audiences, and on the supply side independent and commercial game developers seeking distribution and monetisation for HTML5 web games.
Geography
Headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, with the app developer entity listed at Philipssite 5 PB 1, 3001 Leuven. The platform operates globally and maintains Spanish, French and German language sites; it is described as the leading provider of web games in the United States and one of the leaders worldwide.
History
The company was founded in 2014 by brothers Raf and Tomas Mertens; Tomas left in 2015 to work on other projects. CrazyGames joined the start it @KBC incubator in 2017 and passed the 5 million unique users mark as the site grew. A prototype self-service developer platform launched in October 2018, opening game submissions to any developer. Deloitte Belgium named the company a Rising Star in November 2018, and it placed seventh in the 2019 Fast 50 (1,216.09% growth) and fourth in 2020 (1,667.75% growth), with further Fast 50 recognition in 2021 and a nomination in September 2023. Partnerships followed with Blue Wizard Digital, Playable Factory (September 2022), Trivia Crack (March 2023) and Kwalee (May 2023). CrazyGames Originals launched in October 2023 alongside the company's 10th anniversary. In March 2024 the Financial Times listed it among Europe's 1,000 fastest-growing companies, and in April it was covered by Fortune for its use of AI. In late 2025 headcount rose from 37 to 47 as Smartfin invested more than 10 million euros.
Risks & controversies
User reviews of the mobile app cite frequent advertising interruptions, loading delays and bugs in some games.
Compiled by commissioned research from 7 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 16
launches, deals, and filingsSmartfin invested over 10 million euros, coinciding with team growth from 37 to 47 employees in late 2025 and hiring for the mobile app and developer tools.
For its 10th anniversary, CrazyGames launched CrazyGames Originals, an initiative to develop and host original browser games exclusive to the platform.
Agreement with Kwalee to make previously mobile-only titles playable in the browser without download; 11 Kwalee titles were added.
CrazyGames published Trivia Crack, making the title available to instant browser gamers worldwide for the first time.
Partnership with the Turkish playable-ads creator Playable Factory.
As a partner of Canadian studio Blue Wizard Digital, CrazyGames reported that Shell Shockers passed 35 million game plays on its portals.
CrazyGames published Bloxd, which became one of its most popular games, with over a million player votes as of June 2026.
Moved up to fourth place with a reported growth rate of 1,667.75%.
Ranked seventh in Deloitte's 2019 Fast 50 with a reported growth rate of 1,216.09%.
Named one of ten 'rising stars' in Deloitte Belgium's Rising Star competition, part of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50.
CrazyGames launched a prototype developer platform allowing game developers to upload their games to the site themselves and reach an initial audience.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 7
primary sources listed
- CrazyGamescrazygames.com · web
7 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does CrazyGames do?
- Belgian browser-gaming platform hosting about 4,500 free instant-play web games from third-party and in-house developers.
- Who founded CrazyGames?
- CrazyGames was founded by Raf Mertens in 2014.
- Who are CrazyGames's investors?
- CrazyGames's investors include SmartFin.