Player support
Get back to the game.
A practical guide to controls, local progress, and the few things worth checking when a browser behaves differently.
Starting and controlling a game
- Open a game from the Arcade and use Start or the first available board control.
- Restart with New game in the shared game toolbar.
- Use the toolbar to pause and Resume. Switching tabs pauses active play; returning resumes only when the game was not manually paused.
- Game pages document keyboard controls. Touch and pointer controls are available where the game supports them.
- Mute is persistent in this browser. Fullscreen or immersive mode depends on the browser and device permission.
Scores and local data
Best results and game progress are stored in this browser on this device. No account or cloud sync is involved, so a different browser will not have the same local data.
Use Privacy to clear game data. Clearing game data does not change your separate analytics consent choice.
Recently Played records a small local list after meaningful play so you can return to a game.
My Arcade
My Arcade gathers what this browser has already saved: the games you last played, each game’s own best result or progress, and links back into the game and its guide. It is not an account, and there is no single score across different games.
It will look different in another browser, another profile, a private window, or another device, because the underlying values are stored only where you played. A game with nothing saved simply says so.
Clear the data with the Clear game data control on Privacy or the matching control on My Arcade; both remove the same game keys and leave your analytics consent choice alone.
Opening My Arcade does not count as playing. Recently Played is written only after a real action inside a game, so viewing the dashboard never changes its order or timestamps.
Pass & Play games
Pass & Play games — Tic-Tac-Toe, Dots & Boxes, Four in a Row, Reversi, Last Token, and Pass the Picture — are for two people on one device. After each turn a handoff screen names the player the device is passed to; press Continue when it has changed hands.
Player names can be edited in the handoff screen and last only for the current browser session — they are never saved. Each game keeps a single most recent match record in this browser, shown in the Pass & Play section of My Arcade. Pass the Picture draws with a pointer; its colors, undo, and restart also work from the keyboard.
Sound controls
Sound on/off controls effects, while Mute sound is the persistent master mute for effects and ambient. Volume and Ambient are independent local preferences. Device or system mute can silence everything; live announcements remain independent of sound.
Ambient options include ten calm procedural soundscapes: meadow morning, mountain stream, zen garden, ocean shore, pine forest, and summer night for nature, plus floating pads, kalimba lullaby, singing bowls, and music box drift for calm music. They are generated with the Web Audio API, with no recordings or MP3 files. Ambient stops when a tab is hidden to avoid background sound during multitasking.
When something does not work
- Reload the page and make sure the browser is current.
- If a game does not load, confirm JavaScript is enabled, review whether a browser extension is blocking the game, and optionally try a private window or another current browser.
- If sound differs, check the device volume, browser tab mute, and the game mute control.
- If fullscreen behaves differently, use the browser’s own fullscreen permission or continue in the normal view.
- If a layout or control is difficult to use, email an accessibility report with the page, browser, device type, and what happened.
Setup and input choices
If zoom, a keyboard layout, pointer, stand, or low-noise desk question is getting in the way, Quiet Setup compares practical options and begins with no-purchase adjustments. It is editorial guidance, separate from game controls and gameplay.
Need to report a problem?
For a broken game, accessibility problem, privacy question, or problematic advertisement, contact [email protected]. Please do not send passwords or sensitive personal information.
Advertising and analytics are separate choices. Games remain playable when optional analytics is declined. See Advertising and Privacy for the relevant explanations.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account to play?
No. NoCharge games run without an account. Any retained scores and preferences stay in local storage in this browser.
How do I clear my game data?
Use Clear game data on Privacy or My Arcade. It removes the documented game scores, progress, preferences, Recently Played list, and Pass & Play records; it does not remove the separate analytics choice or Google consent data.
Why does a game pause when I switch tabs?
When the page becomes hidden, the shared game shell adds a hidden-page pause and stops ambient audio. Returning removes that pause, but a game you paused manually remains paused.
Does NoCharge have ads or affiliate links?
Eligible pages can show one labeled AdSense banner outside gameplay. Quiet Setup has no display ads, but some articles contain clearly marked optional Amazon affiliate links.
How do I enter or leave Game Mode?
Use Play to request native fullscreen when available or the focus-mode fallback otherwise. Leave with Escape or the visible Exit control; focus returns to the control that opened the mode.
Can I play with a keyboard?
Many games provide documented keyboard controls, but the exact path differs by game. Check the controls section and guide for the title you want to play; Pass the Picture drawing requires a pointer.
How does ambient sound work?
The ten calm procedural soundscapes are synthesized continuously with Web Audio rather than streamed as recordings. They follow the shared volume and master mute controls and stop while the page is hidden.
Does ambient sound work without a network connection?
Once a loaded page has its scripts, the audio itself needs no media download. NoCharge does not currently install a service worker, so a fresh page load is not promised to work offline.
How do I report a broken or problematic ad?
Email [email protected] with the page URL, browser, device type, and what appeared. Do not include passwords or sensitive personal information.
What is Game Mode on mobile?
Game Mode gives the stage the available viewport and reduces the shared toolbar to essential controls. Solitaire can open an in-stage fan when a pile cannot remain readable at the available height.
How does Recently Played work?
A game is added after a meaningful interaction, such as a move. Merely opening My Arcade does not record play or change the order.
How does Pass & Play handoff work?
A handoff screen identifies whose turn comes next. Names last only for the current session, while one bounded most-recent match record per game can be stored locally for My Arcade.
What is Quiet Setup?
Quiet Setup is first-party editorial about keyboards, pointing devices, displays, desks, offline puzzles, audio, and lighting. Articles begin with no-purchase checks; some, but not all, include marked affiliate links.
How are scores saved without an account?
Each game writes only its documented local-storage values, such as a best result or puzzle progress. There is no cloud synchronization, and clearing browser site data can remove them.
How do I change analytics or advertising choices?
Use Analytics choices and Privacy and cookie settings in the footer. NoCharge analytics is separate from Google advertising consent, and both controls remain available after the first visit.
What is the difference between master mute and effects off?
Master mute silences game effects and ambient audio. Effects on/off changes game effects only, while the volume control also adjusts an active ambient texture.