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Games like Hole.io: free grow-and-devour games to play in your browser

Published October 4, 2026 · Updated October 12, 2026

Gulp CityBe the hole that swallows the whole cityPlay now

If you want a game like Hole.io, start with Gulp City: you are a hole in a busy 3D city, everything that fits falls in, and the biggest hole at the bell wins. It is free, runs in a browser tab and plays against three computer rivals, so there is nothing to install and no account. If it is only one part of Hole.io you miss, the rest of this list splits the idea up: grab.io for the land grab, Samurai Snake and Ball Snake for growing a body, Crowd Count for growing a crowd and Cube Arena for fighting real opponents.

What people mean by a game like Hole.io

Hole.io made a simple idea famous. You are not a character but a hole, and the city is lunch: you only swallow what is smaller than your mouth, and every bite makes the mouth bigger. Donut County gave the same idea a story. Under both sits one loop that you can find in many other games: start small, eat to grow, avoid whatever is bigger than you and become the biggest thing on the map.

That loop has three parts that can be pulled apart. There is the pleasure of growing, the fear of something bigger, and the race against other players. Different games keep different parts, so the best substitute depends on which one you are after.

Gulp City: the hole itself

Gulp City is the closest thing in the list. You drag anywhere on the screen and the hole follows, starting with people, cones and benches, then moving on to cars and trees, houses, shops and finally the tallest towers. Three rival holes hunt in the same city, and a hole that is clearly bigger than another one swallows it whole.

The difference is the length. A round lasts eighty seconds, a swallowed hole comes back a few seconds later and smaller, and first place at the bell earns three stars. Every level is a new city with more towers and smarter rivals, so it suits a short break better than a long session.

Gulp CityBe the hole that swallows the whole cityPlay now

grab.io: grow by taking land

grab.io keeps the risk of Hole.io and swaps the food for territory. You leave your own patch, draw a loop across a round map and close it to paint everything inside in your colour, but touching a trail, yours or an enemy's, is fatal. Your blob follows the mouse, or your finger on a touch screen, in smooth arcs.

It is the better pick if what you love is the gamble of going for a big bite while someone else is nearby. You also drop into a lobby that is already running, and the longest-lived player wears the crown.

grab.ioDraw, enclose, conquer the discPlay now

Samurai Snake, Ball Snake and Crowd Count: grow something else

Samurai Snake is the classic rebuilt in 16-bit 3D: eat the apple, grow a segment, and do not trap yourself with your own tail. It adds angry pac-men to dodge, a cherry that lets you hunt them down and a ninja snake to duel, but the core is the same quiet pleasure of growing.

Ball Snake adds numbers. Your snake of balls rolls up a track of number blocks, each block takes as many balls as its number, and the pickups between rows grow the snake back. It has 200 levels, and you steer by dragging left and right anywhere on the screen.

Crowd Count grows a crowd instead of a body. You steer it through the better gate of every pair, dodge logs and spikes, beat the purple crowds and storm the castle at the end. Both of these are one-finger games, so they are easy to play on a phone.

Samurai SnakeSnake reforged in 16-bit 3D — with a ninja bossPlay nowBall SnakeGrow a snake of balls and break through the number blocksPlay nowCrowd CountGrow your crowd through the gates and take the castlePlay now

Cube Arena: when you miss other players

Cube Arena is the odd one out because it is a first-person shooter, but it answers the part of Hole.io that is about beating other people. It is a blocky arena deathmatch with six weapons, and a match ends the moment somebody hits 15 frags. You can play alone against bots, jump into a public arena, or send a private room code to friends.

It needs a desktop and a mouse. If you are on a phone, grab.io or Gulp City are the better matches for the same mood.

Cube ArenaBlocky arena FPS — 15 frags to winPlay now

Which one to pick

For the same loop in a short round, play Gulp City. For the same risk and a bigger map, play grab.io. For a quiet version, play Samurai Snake, and for the same one-finger feel with numbers, Ball Snake or Crowd Count. For real opponents, open Cube Arena on a computer.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game like Hole.io?

Gulp City is the closest: you play a hole in a 3D city, swallow everything that fits and try to be the biggest hole when the eighty-second round ends.

Is there a game like Donut County in the browser?

Gulp City uses the same idea of a hole that swallows a city, but as a timed battle against three rival holes rather than a story.

Can I play these games on my phone?

Gulp City, grab.io, Samurai Snake, Ball Snake and Crowd Count run on desktop, phone and tablet. Cube Arena needs a desktop and a mouse.

Do I need to download or sign up for any of them?

No. They are all free on crokocat and run in your browser, with no download and no sign-up.

Which game here is closest to the competitive side of Hole.io?

Cube Arena is the most competitive, with a 15-frag match against bots or other players. For something closer to a growing-and-chasing game, try grab.io.

Guides & tips

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