With Facebook games being discontinued and support for Flash ending, many nostalgic Facebook gamers find themselves unable to play their favorite classic Facebook games. However, there are still some ways to play your favorite old Facebook games.
What happened to Facebook games?
In 2020, Facebook announced they would be discontinuing support for Instant Games on the Facebook platform in order to focus on mini games in the Facebook Gaming tab. This meant that many popular Facebook games were removed from the platform and could no longer be played directly on Facebook.
Some of the popular Facebook games that were discontinued include FarmVille, Texas HoldEm Poker, Pet Society, Restaurant City, and Mafia Wars. These games defined the early era of Facebook gaming and were loved by millions of users. Their discontinuation was met with nostalgia and disappointment by many.
Why were Facebook games discontinued?
There were a few key reasons that led to Facebook ending support for its collection of popular web games:
- Shift in Facebook’s priorities – Facebook began focusing more on its newer offerings like augmented reality filters, short form video, and Facebook Gaming. The classic web games were seen as outdated.
- Declining popularity – As mobile gaming grew, engagement with the classic web games was declining. So Facebook shifted resources away from them.
- Flash discontinuation – Many Facebook games were built with Flash, which was being phased out. Supporting the games would have required rebuilding them using different technology.
So in order to align with its new initiatives, Facebook removed resources from the older games even though they remained nostalgic for many users.
Are Facebook games gone forever?
For the most part, the original versions of popular Facebook games are gone forever and can no longer be played on the Facebook platform. However, there are some limited exceptions.
Games still available on Facebook
A small handful of classic Facebook titles are still supported:
- Words with Friends – The popular Scrabble-like game can still be played through Facebook.
- Sudoku – Simple sudoku puzzles are still available through Instant Games.
- Solitaire – The classic card game is still playable as an Instant Game.
For the most part though, the vast majority of popular vintage Facebook games can no longer be played directly on Facebook in their original form.
Games brought back by fans
Some dedicated gaming communities have worked to resurrect old Facebook games using emulators and private servers. For example, fans brought back versions of games like FarmVille, Pet Society, and YoVille through unofficial channels.
However, access to these requires using third-party platforms and workarounds. They do not allow playing the games directly through Facebook as they were originally designed. The revived games may also only offer limited functionality or stability.
So in most cases, once a Facebook game was discontinued, it was gone for good on the Facebook platform itself. Only a small handful remain playable directly on Facebook today.
Options for playing old Facebook games
Even though the original Facebook games are largely gone, there are some options for still being able to play the classics through other platforms and workarounds:
Use Facebook game archives
Several sites have archives of old Facebook games that have been preserved for nostalgia’s sake. These include:
- Internet Archive’s Flash-based Facebook Games collection – Contains archived, playable versions of many classics.
- Social Fixer’s Facebook Game Room – Provides access to some popular titles right from Facebook.
While these archives tend to use Adobe Flash, browser extensions like Ruffle can often get the games running. Playing right from your browser allows accessing the original look and feel.
Download apps or play on new platforms
In some cases, popular Facebook game titles live on through new mobile apps or platforms that retain core gameplay. For example:
- Words with Friends – Available as a mobile app from Zynga on iOS and Android.
- Slotomania – This classic slot machine game can now be played via mobile app.
- Superstars! – The karaoke-style game was reinvented as Superestars on Roblox.
Tracking down mobile or website versions of favorite Facebook games can provide a nostalgia fix. Gameplay and graphics are often updated for new platforms, but retain the familiar titles and concepts.
Use Flash emulators and private servers
Gaming communities often form around resurrecting classic games by reverse engineering game clients and running private servers. This approach requires running Flash emulation software or finding modified clients, but can reopen access to discontinued games.
Popular examples include:
- Mysingles / Famville – Fan mods like FV ReVamped allow playing this farm simulator again.
- Pet Society – Emulators like Pet Society Reimagined partially bring back this virtual pet game.
- YoWorld/YoVille – Private servers exist like BBY World that emulate this virtual world.
However, emulated versions of Facebook games often have stability issues, missing features, or fewer players. The original complete experience frequently can’t be perfectly recreated.
Key takeaways
Some key points to summarize how you can still play classic Facebook games:
- Most popular Facebook games had support discontinued as of 2020 and can no longer be played directly on Facebook.
- A small number of titles like Words with Friends are still supported as mobile-style Instant Games.
- Unofficial game archives allow playing old Flash-based Facebook games in the browser with extensions.
- Mobile apps, new platforms, and private servers provide access to some favorites or similar gameplay.
- Emulated versions of games often have stability/functionality issues and smaller communities.
While the original era of Facebook gaming has largely passed, there are still options to experience blasts from the past for dedicated retro gamers. A mix of game archives, new platforms, fan-run servers, and emulators can often provide access, if imperfect, to yesteryear’s defining Facebook hits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FarmVille coming back to Facebook?
Unfortunately, FarmVille will not be coming back directly to Facebook in its original form. However, there are some options for rediscovering the game:
- Play FarmVille through an emulator like Ruffle on the Internet Archive.
- Try the new mobile version called FarmVille 2: Tropic Escape.
- Use a modified client and private server like FV ReVamped to play the original game.
But the ability to play FarmVille directly on Facebook ended when support was discontinued.
Can I play Restaurant City again?
Restaurant City shut down permanently in 2016 and there is currently no way to play the original game anymore. There was a mobile version called Restaurant City 2 available for a while, but it was also discontinued.
Your only options are playing alternative restaurant simulation games like Cooking Craze, Restaurant Paradise, or Cooking Diary. But the original Restaurant City on Facebook remains closed permanently.
Is there still a way to play Poker on Facebook?
The original Facebook Poker and Texas HoldEm games were retired. However, Zynga Poker is still available to play directly on Facebook through the Instant Games platform.
The newer Zynga Poker version has updated graphics and in-game purchases, but still provides the core Texas HoldEm poker gameplay. Players can compete against friends or random opponents.
So classic poker action is still available right through the Facebook site or mobile app, thanks to Zynga’s modernized version of the game replacing the original retired offering.
Conclusion
Facebook’s gaming era will always be remembered fondly for classics like FarmVille, Poker, Pet Society, and Mafia Wars. While most of these popular titles can no longer be played directly on Facebook, dedicated fans have found ways to resurrect many through game archives, private servers, and more.
With the help of emulators and community-run ports, the core experience of vintage hits can often be recaptured, even if imperfectly. For gamers feeling nostalgic, exploring the fan-created options available for old Facebook favorites can definitely provide some fun trips down memory lane.