As the school year comes to a close and senior slack hits hard, online games become a go-to for students who need a quick stress relief. Arguably the most popular games for students are something called .io games. .io games are online multiplayer games that can either be played individually or in a team. Most of the .io games are very simple, requiring only a few keys or clicks of the mouse to play. .io games also bring out the inner competitor in every player due to the scoreboard containing silly names and large numbers. Even though there are hundreds of .io games that one can pick and choose from there are a few that tend to stand out as favorites of students.

Splix.io – Splix.io is a simple game where a player controls a colored dot that is followed by a tail. Each player is spawned with a few colored blocks which serve as their “territory”. The point of the game is to capture as many boxes as possible while killing other players by hitting their tail. Splix.io is a rather simple game, only using the arrow keys as a controller, that takes awhile to master and takes longer to make it big on the leader board.

Bonk.io – Bonk.io is a game where balls smash together to try to push each other out in an arena. It can be played with 2-8 players and custom or public lobbies. The goal is to try and either smash the other players out of the arena or capture a certain area for a time without others entering it. Some tips are to press x or spacebar to weigh yourself when smashing into somebody to make them bounce farther. There usually is anywhere from 1,000 players per server or up to 15,000. Regardless the game is fun for all once you figure out how to play.

Slither.io – Slither.io is a game where one plays as a snake that follows around the cursor of their mouse. The snake is dropped in the middle of an arena that is filled with colorful dots and other snakes. The goal of the game is to grow larger by eating colored dots. The best way to obtain these dots is by killing other players, trapping them and forcing them to run into the side of your snake, resulting in their snake turning into a line of colored dots. The best away to do this is by pressing down the left mouse button to give your snake a quick speed boost. Slither.io servers are always bustling with snakes and players from all around the world.

Agar.io – Agar.io is one of the most classic games in the .io game series. Agar.io is a game where one plays as a dot that floats around a map collecting smaller dots and growing bigger, much like the blob from the movie The Blob. The goal of the game is to grow as big as possible by absorbing dots and smaller players. The controls of the game are very simple: the dot follows the cursor of the mouse, press the space bar to split your dot in half, and press the w key to let off some of your mass to either speed up or use as a trap. Agar.io is rather simple, but it will remain one of the most loved .io games of all time.

Diep.io – Diep.io is a fighting style game that is a little more complex than a typical .io game. Each player appears as a little dot that has a tank like gun attached to it, surrounding the play is a collection of small shapes that can be shot to help upgrade a player. As the player beings to raise in level they are given points that can be used to upgrade their guns, bullets, etc. The dot is controlled by using the arrow keys and you shoot by aiming with the mouse and pressing the left mouse button. The complexity of Diep.io makes it more unique than the other .io games, making it a favorite game.

Narwhale.io – Narwhale.io is another game that is controlled solely by the mouse. One plays as a very small narwhal that flies around an arena trying to split other narwhals in half with its pointy nose. The narwhal follows the cursor of the mouse and the left mouse button sends the narwhal flying. As you split more narwhals, your narwhal will go up in level gaining more stamina and speed. Narwhale.io is a very quick-paced game full of cute narwhals that have very sharp horns!