Basketball League

Basketball League is arcade basketball rather than a simulation, which is the right choice for something you play in a browser tab. There are no plays to call and no roster to manage. There is a ball, a hoop, an opponent, and the four things you can do: move, shoot, dunk and block. Matches are one-on-one or two-on-two and they are short. What makes it worth the tab is local two-player — two people on one keyboard, which is a format that has almost disappeared from modern games and is still the most reliable way to make a simple sports game entertaining.

Move your player, get into a position with a clear line to the basket, and shoot. Dunks score when you are close enough, three-pointers when you are far enough out, and blocking is a matter of being between your opponent and the hoop when they commit. Play solo against the computer or hand the other set of keys to someone in the room.

Against the computer, shoot on the move rather than from a standstill — a stationary player is the easiest thing in the game to block. Save the supershot for when you are behind rather than using it the moment it becomes available; it is a comeback tool, not an opener. In two-player games, defence wins far more often than offence, because a blocked shot gives you possession in a good position while a missed three gives it away in a bad one. And do not chase the ball carrier directly. Cut off the angle to the hoop instead.