Hatchet News

Hi HN,

I built a lightweight, ad-free version of Paper.io that runs directly in the browser: https://paperio.im/

No login, no downloads, no interruptions — just click and play. It's built for performance and simplicity, with real-time smooth canvas rendering and basic AI logic to simulate other players. Fully responsive and works well on both desktop and mobile.

Tech Stack:

Pure JS + Canvas (no heavy frameworks)

Local game logic, no backend required

Lightweight grid-based collision detection + greedy pathfinding for bots

Why I built this: I’ve always enjoyed quick-play browser games, but most versions of Paper.io online are either filled with ads, laggy, or cluttered with unnecessary UI. So I decided to build my own streamlined version for fun.

What’s next:

Adding real-time multiplayer (WebSockets)

Leaderboard system

Custom color/skin options

Maybe open-source it if there’s enough interest

I’d love feedback from the community — on performance, game mechanics, or just general ideas. Let me know what you’d like to see next!