Top 10 Best Flash Games From the 2000s

#10: The “Run” Trilogy (2008-14)

Setting the foundations for many mobile clones – namely the likes of “Temple Run,” was the “Run Game” trilogy. Each one allowed players to control an alien navigating their way through a series of increasingly difficult corridor courses. The goal is simple: don’t fall through the holes into space… and maybe don’t get distracted by the bouncy beat. It is easier said than done, as the alien gets progressively faster, the obstacles grow–and players get increasingly addicted. Just when you think you’ve achieved the world by completing “Run Game,” somebody suggests you try the sequels.

#9: “Henry Stickmin” (2007-21)

No one can be quite as unlucky as poor kleptomaniac: Henry Stickmin. PuffballsUnited’s “Henry Stickmin” games are essentially a “point-and-click” adventure of quicktime events which force a fast choice from players…and ones that usually have a pretty poor outcome for the main protagonist. There are a number of these multiple choice games that have emerged over the last fifteen years and are still available–now on Steam, for all ages to appreciate. And it’s hard not to see why, even if you fail your way through all the adventures, the consequences for poor Stickmin are hilarious.

#8: “Crush the Castle” (2009)

Since the onset of the 2010’s, one game has allowed players world-wide to grab a heavy round object, and fire it at an unstable looking structure. This game would give its players the feeling of real destructive power in the palm of their hands, and use physics and might at their disposal. The name of this truly awesome spectacle? No, not - “Angry Birds” - “Crush the Castle.” Known for its “flinging” game mechanic, Armor Games’ 2009 free Flash game put players in charge of a mediaeval catapult and told them to destroy the nearby castle with it. Less feathers, more devastation.

#7: “World's Hardest Game” (2008)

Because of this game, we honestly believe that there are people in this world who still have trouble sleeping–kept awake by nightmares of little square pixels being eaten by block dots. That is exactly the kind of psychological trauma that “Armor Games” inflicted upon their players in “World’s Hardest Game.” Players control a small red brick that must get from the beginning of a stage to the end–picking up yellow discs on the way. While the faster black dots move in opposition, they are not the main obstacle here - you are. With infinite tries and only thirty levels, you may go in thinking you can beat this game, but more likely will rage quit and never look back.

#6: “Super Smash Flash” (2006)

No, your eyes are not deceiving you–that is Sonic the Hedgehog there, fighting Mario and Fox. But this isn’t “Super Smash Brothers Melee,” this is “Super Smash Flash. Originally little more than an experiment, developer Gregory McLeod–AKA “Cleod9” –created a new platform game in the style of Sonic, using characters of his own design. When the game started to progress into something more akin of the “Smash Bros” franchise, McLeod went with it–and developed his creation into more of a clone. Though over a decade-and-a-half has passed since “Newgrounds’” 15th most played game, “McLeodGaming” is hoping to release a sequel that also acts as a reboot.

#5: “Bloons Tower Defense” (2007)

What we started playing as a tiny break between entries ended up being an hour-long marathon of “BloonsTD…” or “Bloons Tower Defense”. And a tower defence game it truly is - a popular one at that, that just so happens to contain dart-throwing monkeys that can be used to destroy super-resilient balloons. There are five sequels and four spin-offs to this little gem. It also managed to transcend the screen and make it to multiple handheld platforms. Now, if you’d excuse us, we’ve got a superhero monkey who shoots lasers out of his eyes to buy…

#4: “Fancy Pants Adventures: World 2” (2008)

Armor Games had quite the run of Flash games, and few come more entertaining than this. A platformer in the style of the old school Mega Drive games, players assume control of Fancy Pants, a stick man with cool hair and striking shorts. In the sequel, Fancy Pants must retrieve a stolen ice cream "for the sake of humanity, justice, and so that World 2 will have a significant plot line" The strength was in the game’s simplicity, as players really could lose hours on a straightforward–and challenging–series of levels. Plus, did we mention the cool hair?

#3: “Meat Boy” (2008)

If there’s one place that we really don’t want to be, it is inside the heads of game designers Team Meat. They’re phenomenal, they just happen to masters when coming up with creative and crazy difficult ways to splatter us across an endless slew of levels. The release of “Super Meat Boy” inspired multiple games and elevated the genre as the whole, earning so much goodwill they were able to come back swinging in 2020 with Super Meat Boy Forever. But it’s their prototype flash game, simply titled “Meat Boy” which really hooked players into the sliding grim world of the little red slab. Greatness can start in from the smallest things…apparently that includes a sentient splat of red meat.

#2: “Alien Hominid” (2002)

Another game which managed to break barriers and move from the flash world to consoles, this side-scroller run and gun game, inspired by the likes of "Metal Slug" and has been around for two decades, featured on multiple platform generations, and holds a special place for flash connoisseurs. Not bad going, when you consider that it was made by two people with an active imagination. As of 2020, developers "The Behemoth" are looking to make one more game starring the lead Alien Hominid character, though are not making a reboot or sequel. We’re game!

#1: “Club Penguin” (2005)

For an entire generation, “Club Penguin” is a staple of their gaming life - for better or for worse. Disney’s MMO was essentially an online hub of chatrooms – with the added benefits of cartoon penguins and mini-games. For the children playing, it created what was one of the first online communities - and it was huge. At its height, the MMO has over 200 million registered users. But by 2015 its popularity was declining and staff members began receiving layoffs. Ultimately “Club Penguin” announced discontinuation in 2017 – and the closing images were historic. Players from past and present all converged for one more game, to savour the formative nostalgic days.