PBBG stands for a Persistent Browser Based Game which means that they are games that are entirely contained within a website which can be played directly from your browser without the need to download any software or game engines. They may sometimes be referred to as a MPBBG (Multiplayer Persistant Browser Based Game); however, since a multiplayer environment is already assumed with a PBBG this is rarely seen. These should not be confused with your basic games such as Bejeweled, pool, or other basic types of games that you can play online; the key difference is in the “persistent” nature of the game. The PBBG Project defines this as a requirement for a PBBG when “progress in the game is achieved over multiple playing sessions.”
With a PBBG you build a character, village, world, etc. over time and the game grows and changes in dynamics as you advance.
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Often, certain elements of game play may also continue over real time and /or while you are offline and not actually logged into the game. For example, one way to earn gold in
Monsters Game (a vampire verses werewolf PBBG) is to work in the graveyard for a number of hours. You choose to work for eight hours, go to bed, and when you wake up your shift will have ended and you can collect your pay.
